001 The setting sun painted the sky in hues of amber and violet as I walked home from the supermarket. The plastic bags in my hands cut into my palms, but I barely noticed.Life with Ryan wasn’t perfect after I left my father's house, my mother begged me not to leave but I did. Ryan and i didn't have much. We scraped by on my earnings as an author, stretching every dollar, but it was enough. We were enough. We had a roof over our heads, food on the table, and love—wasn’t that what mattered?I climbed the porch steps and reached for the door, but something made me pause. A glint of black caught my eye.A pair of black heels sat by the entrance.I frowned. Those weren’t mine.My grip on the grocery bags tightened. Ryan had company, but that made no sense. He knew how I felt about unexpected guests, especially women.I pushed the door open, stepping inside. The first place my eyes landed on was the table.A pair of panties lay draped over the edge, delicate lace with tiny heart-sha
002Ash was my best friend. The only friend I had after leaving my father’s house.We met at the park—heartbroken, she sat alone, crying after the man she loved dumped her for another. I consoled her, knowing all too well how it felt to lose someone you love. Ever since that day, we had been inseparable.I never thought she’d be the one to betray me like this. The one to come after my man. My Ryan.My fingers curled into fists, nails biting into my palms. Without hesitation, I walked toward her, my footsteps heavy with anger. She sat on the bed, oblivious to what was coming.The slap echoed through the room.Ash’s head snapped to the side, her dark curls shielding her face. Silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating."You of all people?" My voice trembled with fury. "You disgust me, Ash! Do you remember the day we met? When I held you as you cried over that jerk who dumped you? And now, you're after my man? Shameless!" My voice rose, thick with betrayal.She didn’t answer. Te
THE NEXT MORNING 003 "It’s Ash I love. The moment I saw her, I lost interest in you. You’re just a good-for-nothing bitch." "No, Ryan. Don’t do this..." ******* I shot upright, gasping for air. My chest heaved, my hands clutching at the sheets beneath me. Cold sweat clung to my skin as I struggled to separate nightmare from reality. "Ryan can’t leave me," I whispered shakily. "He wouldn’t..." I squeezed my arm hard, nails digging into my flesh, hoping to jolt myself awake. The sharp sting spread through my nerves like wildfire. It wasn’t a dream. It was real. It all happened. The betrayal. The fall. The car. A beeping sound filled my ears, its rhythmic pulse anchoring me to the present. Slowly, I turned my head. The sterile white walls, the faint antiseptic scent, the oxygen mask pressing against my face—it all confirmed what I feared. I was in a hospital. A deep chill settled in my bones, making me shudder. The IV tugged at my arm with every small movement. The soft co
004 My breath caught in my throat, the words echoing in my ears. “Excuse me?” I managed to whisper, my voice barely audible. “You heard me,” Stanley said, his tone oozing with confidence, his lips curling into a smirk. “You want to work for me? Then prove your worth. Show me what makes you indispensable.” My hands trembled as I clutched the phone. His words were calculated, laced with arrogance, and it threw me off balance. I had expected something else, not this unnerving proposition. When I didn’t respond, he chuckled—a low, knowing sound. “Cat got your tongue? Or are you rethinking that desperate declaration of ‘anything’? I thought you were serious.” Tears stung my eyes, but I swallowed them back. His composed yet biting words were harder to endure than outright cruelty. I clenched my jaw, humiliation searing through me. “Well?” he prompted, his tone sharp yet disturbingly calm. “The clock’s ticking. If you can’t handle this conversation, you’re already wasting my time.
005 After speaking he slammed the door on my face. Tears stung my eyes as I stood frozen at the door, my heart heavy with doubt and fear. For a brief moment, I wanted to turn around and walk away, but where could I go? I had no place left to turn. No home. No safety. Just the cold streets waiting for me if I left here. I felt a sharp, biting pang in my chest as the thought crossed my mind: Maybe I should beg. But then, I shook my head violently. Begging Stanley again? I couldn’t. My pride, as small as it was, told me it would be too humiliating. But deep down, I knew that if I didn’t, I would have nothing. No future. No way forward. Survival, I reminded myself. To survive, I needed to put my pride aside, to face whatever humiliation came with it. My heart pounded in my chest as I slowly, painfully, raised my fist and banged on the door again, louder this time. Knock. Knock. Knock. I waited, but the seconds dragged by in agonizing silence. No answer. A lump formed in my throa
006Stanley turned abruptly, his piercing gaze locking onto me where I still sat on the cold, tiled floor. His voice dripped with disdain as he sneered, “Did you not hear me?” The harshness in his tone snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts, yanking me back into the unforgiving reality of the moment. My heart clenched as I hastily wiped away the tears that had pooled in my eyes, using the back of my palms to erase any evidence of weakness. Shakily, I stood, my legs threatening to give way under the weight of my humiliation. Without another word, Stanley spun on his heel and marched toward the door. I followed silently, my footsteps hesitant as I trailed behind him. Each step felt heavy, the air between us thick with tension. He led me through the grand hallways, past expensive art and pristine furniture that spoke volumes of his wealth and power, until we arrived at the kitchen. The room was nothing short of breathtaking—opulent and pristine, with gleaming marble countertops, g
007“This is your room,” the maid said as we arrived at a door. She twisted the doorknob, and we both walked inside. Once we entered, my mouth dropped in awe, but I quickly closed it. Everything in the room screamed wealth, from the floors to the walls. “Are you sure this is my room?” I asked the maid again. She smiled knowingly, seeing the shock on my face. “Yes, this is your room,” she replied. “Mr. Stanley asked for this room to be prepared especially for you.” “Wow, it’s beautiful,” I said, and the maid couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yes, it is. Mr. Stanley has great taste. For now, I’ll leave you to settle in. And don’t forget—if you need any help or support, you can always call out to me, okay?” I nodded, still taking in the grandeur of the room. This doesn’t look like a maid’s room, I thought. This looks like a princess’s room. It was way bigger than the house Ryan and I lived in—until I was betrayed and stabbed in the back. I walked toward the bed and brushed my
008 Just then, I became tense. I could feel the hairs on my hands standing on end. With all the strength I could muster, I pushed the figure in front of me and turned to run away. Once I got outside, I closed the door and ran down the hallway. When I saw that I had reached a safe distance from the room, I paused to catch my breath. “Who was that?” I asked myself. The voice wasn’t Stanley’s—I remembered his voice, and he didn’t sound like that. That voice belonged to someone else, I knew it for sure. Just as I began sprinting again on my way back to my own room, my eyes locked onto a door—I had finally found what I was searching for. The name was boldly displayed at the top of the door: Candy. “Could this be her room?” I thought. Without hesitation, I walked toward the door and knocked. After the first knock, there was no reply on the other side. I knocked again, this time harder; still, no response. Just as I was about to knock for the third time, the door swung open—and beh
063ALORA'S POV I turned and stared at him. "Why the hell do you need his number?" I asked as I walked forward to where he stood beside Doctor Kyle. "So what? Now I don't have the right to have the number of the doctor who'll be handling the test results? Remember, this is our child we're talking about." "Our?" I asked. I chuckled. "You're so delusional, Charles, and I can't wait for everyone to find out the truth." "What truth?" he asked, smirking at me. I glared at him. "The truth—that I'm not carrying a child in my womb. Not for you. Not for anyone." Without another word, I turned and walked out of the room, my legs carrying me faster than I could ever imagine. I strode to the car and got in, shutting the door behind me. Soon enough, I spotted Stanley, Chloe, and Charles coming. I couldn't help but smile. Charles thought collecting Doctor Kyle's number would do him any good. He thought he'd be able to bribe him. Well, from what I know about Doctor Kyle, he's a very honest
062ALORA'S POVI picked up my phone from the bed—again. I needed to search for an AI expert, someone skilled enough to detect whether a video was fake or not.I kept scrolling, but most of the profiles I found lacked experience. Their bios made it obvious—they hadn’t been in the field long.I sighed and rubbed my forehead. All this stress, all because of a false allegation. But it was worth it if it meant proving my innocence.I continued searching until I stumbled upon one bio that caught my attention. The man wasn’t too young, but not old either—55 years of age with twelve years of experience. His name was Jeremy.A smile tugged at my lips. I quickly scrolled up to check how much he charged, and to my surprise, it wasn’t much.He looked perfect for the job. Even in his photo, he looked strict—like someone who couldn’t be easily bought.I copied his contact details and placed a call immediately. The first call rang out. Then the second. Still nothing.“I’ll try one more time,” I mut
ALORA'S POV061“Really?” I asked, stepping closer to him, my voice tight with disbelief.“Yes, really,” Mr. Grey replied, tapping a few keys on his laptop. “When I checked the footage again, I noticed it had been blurred using some kind of virus filter. But it’s not permanent—I can fix it. I can help you.”I stared at him. My heart jumped, but I forced myself to stay calm. I couldn't afford to let hope ruin my focus.“Thank you,” I breathed. “Seriously, Mr. Grey, I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. Do you think you can get it done by tomorrow?”He hesitated for a second, then nodded confidently. “I’ll work through the night if I have to. You’ll have it by tomorrow. I promise.”I let out a slow breath, tension peeling off me like old skin. “Thanks,” I said quietly. “I’m counting on you.”“You should,” he said simply.Without another word, I turned and left the room. There was no time to lose. I needed to show Stanley the footage of Chloe pushing his mother. He deserved the
ALORA'S POV060"Uhm, I… I uhm, I'm…" I stammered, my voice faltering as a knot formed in my throat. I had no idea what to say to the stern man staring at me. But then it struck me—everyone believed I was Mr. Stanley’s wife now. If I played that role convincingly, and backed it with the photos I’d collected, there was no way he wouldn’t believe me.Straightening my shoulders, I forced the trembling out of my voice. “I’m… I’m Mrs. Stanley. Mr. Stanley’s wife. And you must be Mr. Grey.”He stared at me, his lips tightening. “Women like you disgust me,” he snapped without hesitation.My breath caught in my chest. Had I heard that right? “Did you just say I disgust you?” I asked, stunned.He didn’t even blink. “You claim to be his wife, yet you go around cheating on him. Yeah, I saw the whole thing.”“Mr. Grey, please,” I pleaded quickly, pushing down the wave of anger and shame rising in me. “I need your help. This is about my dignity—”“Dignity?” he barked out a dry laugh. “What dignity
059ALORA'S POV I had been waiting in my room for the past two hours, ever since the chaos that had unfolded downstairs. My heart was still racing from what had happened, but I needed everything to settle. Everyone had to be asleep before I could make my move. Silence was my ally tonight. Charles thought he was clever—thought he could twist things and make it look like I was lying. But he didn’t know who he was messing with. I was going to show him what smart really looked like. By now, the house had gone quiet. Lights were out in most rooms, and the occasional creak of settling wood was all that could be heard. That was my cue. I stood from my bed, my bare feet making no sound as I slipped out of the room and into the dimly lit hallway. My destination was clear: the CCTV room. That room held the truth—hard evidence of what happened that day. If I was going to expose Charles, I needed the footage. I had heard an old man named Grey was usually stationed there, but rumor had it he w
058 STANLEY'S POV After my mom had passed, Chloe and I were headed back home. It was already late at this point. I was driving. And just then, my phone began buzzing through the call. When I looked at the name on the screen, I saw that it was Alora, and I ended the call instantly. I didn't want anything to do with her. Not now. Especially now that my mother had passed away. I needed to find myself. Alora had betrayed me in the worst way ever. So I thought. After a while, I arrived home. I parked the car in the parking lot, and Chloe and I got out from the car. We both walked into the house and just as, we did. I saw Alora sitting on the couch in the parlor. I wanted to ignore her at first. But when she spotted me, she stood up and walked towards where I was. I wanted passing her, but then she blocked me. She didn't allow me to pass. "I don't have time for your nonsense, Alora. I have a lot of things way more important than the act you're putting up here right now. Let me pass
STANLEY'S POV 057I gripped her hand tightly, nodding through my uncontrollable sobs."I promise you, Mom. I promise you I won't leave Alora," I said, my voice breaking with emotion.Just as the words left my mouth, she smiled warmly at me. A smile so weak, yet so full of love."Thank you, Stanley," she whispered. "I'm glad... I know you keep to your promises."But suddenly, the machine tracking her heartbeat began to beep faster, shrill and frantic. My mom gasped for breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly as tears streamed from her closed eyes.Panic exploded inside me."Doctor! Doctor!" I screamed at the top of my lungs."Mom, hold on! I'm coming!"I sprinted out of the ward, my heart pounding in terror. I saw the doctor rushing towards me, alarmed by my cries."Something's happening! My mom — the machine — please hurry!" I stammered desperately.Without wasting a second, the doctor dashed into the room with me close behind.But it was too late.The moment we entered, my legs
ASH'S POV056The courtroom felt like it had frozen in time. My heart pounded loudly in my chest as I stood, my hands trembling, as I stood there waiting for the words of the judge, the final verdict." innocent and Mrs. Ash Collins guilty."I staggered back, my breath catching in my throat. No… this can’t be... The verdict echoed again and again in my ears, each replay slicing deeper into my soul. Across the room, Ryan jumped to his feet, unable to contain his joy. He laughed, arms raised triumphantly in the air, while the crowd erupted into wild cheers. Even the jury wore smiles of satisfaction.But for me... the world tilted dangerously.I stood there, frozen, the weight of the moment crushing me. Then, the judge’s voice thundered once more."Mrs. Ash Collins, the court sentences you to five years in prison… followed by execution by shock upon release."The words struck like lightning.Execution?My eyes widened in horror. I must have misheard him. No, no, this isn’t real!Before
ASH'S POV055My eyes widened in shock, heart lurching against my ribs, as Drake stumbled into the courtroom.He looked like a ghost: pale, bloodied, limping heavily, his clothes torn as if he had clawed his way back from death itself.How?The question screamed through my mind.How is he here?It wasn’t just me — the entire courtroom had frozen, every head turning toward him, every breath drawn taut with disbelief.Drake’s voice rang out, raw and desperate."I have proof, my lord!" he cried, staggering closer. "Do not pass the verdict yet! You must see what I have to show!"My stomach twisted violently.Panic clawed at my throat.Across the courtroom, my lawyer glanced back at me, searching my face for guidance.I gave him a slow, deliberate wink.He would understand: stall him. Crush him.Immediately, my lawyer straightened and addressed the judge."My lord," he said, voice smooth and authoritative, "there is no need for further delays. The facts are clear. Ryan Hemsworth is guilty.