His regret: Her revenge

Chapter 2Strong arms lifted me from the concrete, and a voice cut through the darkness, rough with anger and disbelief."Fuck, did she have no family? Why is she abandoned here like garbage?"The words penetrated the fog of pain, and I wanted to laugh at the bitter irony. Yes, I had a family, and yes, they'd left me here to die like I was nothing more than roadside trash."Someone call an ambulance!" the voice shouted again, closer now.I wanted to answer, wanted to tell this stranger that yes, I had a family, and yes, they'd left me here to bleed out on the pavement. But the words wouldn't come, only more blood spilling from my lips, warm and metallic."Stay with me," the voice commanded, and I felt pressure on my wounds, hands trying to stop the bleeding. "You're going to be okay."Liar, I thought. Nothing was ever going to be okay again.The wail of sirens grew louder, piercing through the haze. I felt movement, people rushing around me, urgent voices barking commands that made no

Chapter 4Soft light filtered through the curtains when I opened my eyes, and for a moment, I couldn't remember where I was.Not the floor. I was on the bed, covered with a blanket I didn't remember pulling over myself.My head throbbed with a dull, persistent ache, and my cheek felt swollen and tender where Alex had struck me. Every breath sent sharp pains through my ribs, reminding me that I should still be in a hospital bed, not lying on the floor of my bedroom bleeding.The door creaked open, and I tensed, expecting Alex's fury or Tyler's contempt.Instead, Sophia appeared, carrying a bowl of something that smelled like chicken and ginger. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her face pale with worry."You're awake." Her voice cracked with relief. "Thank God, you're awake."She set the bowl on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle me. Her hands were shaking as she reached out to touch my face, her fingers ghosting over the bruise."How long?" I croaked, my thro

Alex climbed the stairs slowly, each step deliberate, his eyes never leaving mine.I stood frozen in Sophia's doorway, my hand gripping the frame for support. Every instinct screamed at me to run, to hide, but there was nowhere to go."Krista." His voice was soft, almost pleading. "Baby, please. We need to talk."Baby. He'd never called me that before, not in four years of marriage."Get out," Sophia said, positioning herself between us. "You're not welcome here.""I'm talking to my wife, not you." Alex's tone hardened, a glimpse of the man I knew beneath the pitiful mask. "Krista, this has gone on long enough. You've made your point. Now come home."The audacity of it stole my breath. Made my point, like I was a child throwing a tantrum."She's not going anywhere with you," Sophia snapped."I wasn't talking to you." Alex tried to push past her, but Sophia held her ground. "Krista, be reasonable. You can't just leave our marriage because of one little argument."One little argument. He

I stared at the screen, my heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.My mother had responded. Within minutes of my email, she'd written back."Sophia," I breathed. "She answered."Sophia rushed over, reading over my shoulder as I scrolled through the message."My darling girl, I've been waiting twelve years for this message. I check this email every single day, hoping that somehow, someway, you would find my letters. Your father's lies broke my heart, but knowing you never stopped wanting me has put it back together. We have so much to talk about, so many years to make up for. I'm in Milan right now, but I can be on a plane to New York by tomorrow if you want to meet in person. Or we can take this slowly, whatever you need. I love you, and I never stopped. Always, Mom."Tears blurred my vision as I read the words again and again.She'd been checking this email for twelve years. Waiting for me."Write her back," Sophia urged. "Tell her you want to talk."My fingers flew across

Chapter 10Krista POVMy fingers were shaking when I typed the reply."I found your letters tonight. All seven of them. Dad hid them. I never knew. Someone broke into the apartment last week and stole the laptop I was using, which is why I went silent. I wasn't changing my mind. I was never changing my mind. I just lost you all over again for a few days and I couldn't breathe."I hit send and sat back in Sophia's kitchen chair, pressing both palms flat against the table to stop them trembling. I still couldn't believe I was chatting with my mom through email whom I had believed died long ago. The apartment was too quiet.The reply came in four minutes."Oh, my darling. I thought I had done something wrong. I thought maybe your father's voice had finally reached you and turned you away from me the way it always threatened to. I checked that inbox every single day for twelve years. When you went silent after that first message, I nearly broke in two. Tell me everything. I am right here.