Camila thought she'd hit rock bottom when she discovered her husband's infidelity with her own cousin, but that devastating betrayal turned out to be only the beginning - a life-altering accident would soon strip her of her very identity. But when she was forced to fake her own death and assume a new identity, she realized she had been accidentally given a second chance. This new life came with a new discovery that Camila, the once shameful and disgraceful wife of the powerful Miller family, turned out to be a force to be reckoned with, a rival worthy of respect, and a woman not to be underestimated. Not even her husband stood a chance.
view moreCamilla watched as her marriage crumbled before her eyes. Her cousin Diane stood confidently before the entire Miller family, stroking her protruding belly.
The room fell silent, all eyes fixed on Diane as her gaze swept across the room, locking on Camila briefly before moving on. “I’m carrying the Miller family heir,” she declared. Camila's mind reeled as she tried to process the implications of Diane's announcement. Who was the father? She turned in Lawson's direction, expecting to see shock or curiosity on his face. Instead, his expression was unreadable as he sat silently on the sofa, observing the scene unfold. She kept searching his face for answers, but It was as though he had no care in the world, didn’t care about her reaction or that of his family, and honestly, Camilla couldn’t quite grasp what was going on in his mind. “Lawson, is this true?” Camila asked, trying to keep her voice steady. “Did you cheat on me?” It was an unnecessary question, but Camilla couldn’t help it; she wanted to hear it from him. “ANSWER ME!” her voice flared, taking on a more acidic tone. "Are you going to just sit there and pretend you don't know what I'm talking about?" Lawson remained unfazed, casually leaning back on the sofa. "You owe me the truth, Lawson. I deserve to know if you've been lying to me, if you've been cheating on me." Lawson finally, rose from the sofa and walked over to Diane, who was smiling serenely. "Leave, Diane," he commanded. "Now." Diane's smile faltered, her eyes darting to Camila before returning to Lawson. "Excuse me?" "That's enough, Lawson," Lawson's mother chimed in. "Why should she leave? She has made a declaration that affects this entire family. And you want her to leave when you've already got her pregnant?" Lawson's jaw clenched slightly, but he remained silent. Meanwhile, Camila just stood, feeling like an outsider in her own home. The feeling of being ignored was suffocating, and the fact that her mother-in-law seemed pleased by the news made Camila's blood boil. "Mother how could you? This woman is standing here claiming to be carrying the Miller family heir and you’re......" She paused, taking a deep breath in frustration. "I am Lawson's wife, remember? Your son cheated on me." "Oh, yes, Lawson's wife who couldn't give us an heir. How's that for a wife?" her mother-in-law snarled, her lips curled in disdain. All the while, a triumphant smile was plastered on Diane's face, and Camila felt like an ant being crushed under the weight of their contempt. Her eyes welling up as she stared at Lawson, expecting him to say something—anything at all. But no, he still remained quiet, making her feel like a fool. "So... this is how it is, right? You're just going to stand there and humiliate me? After cheating on me?" Camila's eyes locked onto Lawson's, searching for any sign of defense, any hint of protection. Still nothing. "It's your luck, Camila; Lawson can't just sit back and wait for you to be fruitful. The world doesn't revolve around you," her mother-in-law spat. "You've had years to produce an heir, and what do you have to show for it? Nothing." A cold realization crept over her. She was alone in this. Her husband, her family—they were all against her. Her husband cheated without remorse, so what would happen next? Divorce her? Because that's the possible action she could predict. Would he even bother to fight for their marriage, or would he simply cast her aside like a worn-out shoe? With a deep breath, she blinked back the tears threatening to spill and looked up at Lawson. "Can we talk alone, somewhere quiet and away from the prying eyes?" she requested, trying to keep her composure from breaking. With his hands deep in his pockets, Lawson turned and walked away, expecting Camila to follow him. Camila stared at her mother-in-law briefly, then at Diane before following after Lawson, steeling herself for the conversation ahead. She trailed behind Lawson, her eyes fixed on his back as he led her to their bedroom. Lawson closed the door behind them, his eyes finally meeting Camila's. "Well?" Camila asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Are you going to explain what's going on?" Lawson's expression remained impassive, but Camila detected a flicker of something in his eyes. Guilt? Regret? She couldn't quite tell. "Explain what?" Lawson asked. "I don’t owe you an explanation." Camila turned speechless as she chuckled in disbelief. He doesn’t owe her an explanation? Really? "So that child is really yours?" she finally responded. "And you feel you have nothing to explain? Or perhaps you forgot you are married to me?" Lawson turned away, irritated by the conversation. "It seems you've forgotten our agreement, Camila," he said, with condescension. "We had a deal. You knew what you were getting into when you married me." Camila's eyes flashed with anger, but she kept her voice steady. "Our agreement was that I'd be your wife, your partner. Not that I'd stand by and watch you cheat on me with my own cousin." "You're being dramatic, Camila. This doesn't have to be complicated." "Complicated?" Camila repeated, her voice rising. "You're having a child with my cousin, and you think this isn't complicated?" "THIS ISN'T COMPLICATED, CAMILA!" Lawson yelled, his composure finally cracking. "This marriage was arranged by my late father as an act of kindness to you. You have no right to question me or my actions. You're just a beneficiary of my family's generosity." She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The man she thought she knew, the man she loved, was telling her that she was nothing but a charity case. "How dare you," Camila whispered, her voice trembling with rage. "I GAVE YOU MY KIDNEY, LAWSON! DON'T FORGET THAT!"FEW MONTHS LATER The courthouse papers were tucked away in a drawer, a small stack of officialdom that now made Camila's life feel both more and less complicated. Less because she loved the feeling, the new place, and the time off work she got, even though she was practically a CEO. She's a workaholic, so this became a vacation—a much-needed break from work after her recovery. Now that she was officially Mrs. Antonio De La Cruz, the weight of everything had finally begun to settle. She was in the kitchen, humming softly when Antonio wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his cheek on her shoulder as he watched her slice an avocado. A simple lunch she decided to toss together. The place was quiet, just how they liked it—no bunch of staff running around unless it was during designated hours. They had agreed to keep it free of full-time staff, with cleaners coming only a few times a week. It was a simple luxury they both enjoyed; some nights they cooked together, but most nights,
Camila woke up feeling a heavy weight around her back, like the feeling of someone holding onto her. Looking down, she saw a pair of strong arms wrapped around her. She didn't need to look to know who it was already."Hola," Antonio whispered in her ear and kissed softly on her earlobe.Camila almost giggled, squeezing his arms that were around her stomach. As her hand skimmed the fabric, her mind instantly flashed back to the news, and her smile dropped."We lost the little one," she sighed, trying to sound calmer than she felt. "The name Miguel would have suited him. I like imagining how he'll look in my head—half me, half you. He gets your nose. I prefer your nose to mine, and then he gets my blonde hair.""Camila," Antonio began, but she wasn't finished."A male blonde would be nice in the family. I was also hoping he wouldn't take my personality, especially my temper. And I didn't want him to look like any of his grandparents. Ernesto—yuck." She recoiled and trailed off, staring
The gunshots still rang in Camila's head, even though the sounds were long gone. She clenched her jaw, biting her lips so hard that she tasted blood. Emily wasn't moving. Perez was bleeding out. Her brain just... couldn't deal with what was in front of her. Everything felt numb.But then, she had to move. She was free, kind of, just to get rid of the cuffs and the duct tape. She started dragging herself. Her hands were still tied, the cuffs digging in, but she used her legs, pushing and wiggling across the muddy ground. Every inch hurt like hell, but she just focused on Perez.When she finally got to him, he was flat on his back, eyes half-open, breathing shallow and ragged. He was still alive but barely. She wasted no time and immediately dipped her cuffed hands, reaching into his pocket, hoping he had the key.She fumbled with the jagged edge of what felt like a key; her cuffed hands were awkward and stiff within the confines of his pocket. Her fingers, numb and sore, struggled to
The door burst open, and a swarm of police officers rushed in, flooding the room. Guns pointed, the whole room surrounded. Red laser dots danced across faces and chests.Everything just... stopped. The yelling, the arguing, the frantic movements—all of it froze like the air sucked out of the room.The cops fanned out as they took in the scene: the crumpled bodies on the floor, the vomit, and Alejandro heaving and coughing up whatever was left in his stomach.The officers' eyes then landed on Ernesto, who still had his gun pressed to Alejandro's head, and on Madison, who was standing there like a ghost, her hand shaking so hard the pistol looked like it might fly out of her grip. The chaos wasn't gone; it had just changed uniforms.***The outside air was a shock to Antonio's face: cold and thick with the sound of a dozen sirens all screaming at once. His hands were cuffed behind his back, and the metal bit into his skin. He was being pushed along by a cop who smelled like old coffee a
A couple of masked men swarm in, guns raised and ready. They were the remaining men of Alejandro stationed outside on the lookout. These guys moved with a quiet, practiced ease. The large room suddenly feels too small as they spread out, surrounding them completely.They ignored the bodies on the floor and the heaving Alejandro. All eyes and all gun barrels were on Ernesto. It was as if they didn't notice Antonio with a gun, or that he wasn't sensed enough of a threat. He just stood frozen, the pistol by his side.Ernesto’s glare was enough to bore a hole through Antonio’s skull. He kept his gun pressed to Alejandro's head, his hands steady as ever.Glancing over every face and seeing how ready they were to cock their guns, Ernesto gritted his teeth."Antonio," he muttered under his breath as he pulled Alejandro off the ground and hooked his arm around his neck.The masked men flinched, their gun barrels wavering for a fraction of a second. The silence returned, but this time it was d
"You're gonna frame me, and you're telling me to my face," Antonio said.Alejandro grinned wider, a smile that made the air feel heavy. "Why not? You're a smart guy. I figured you'd appreciate a little heads-up. A man needs to know his options."Before Antonio could respond, a new masked figure slipped into the room. He whispered something to one of the guards standing next to Alejandro on the right side, right next to Abuelo's body. And the two men made a switch. A shift change? Antonio didn't think that was necessary."This wine is boring me," Alejandro said with a sigh, holding up his half-empty glass. "Get me another one."The new masked man nodded, took the glass, and walked to the bar. He turned his back to the group; he looked like he was lost in thought for a bit before he reached for a bottle and began pouring.Antonio was positioned at the edge of the couch, never taking his eyes off the new guy. He was acting odd, slightly out of place, and too slow to fit the job.Though A
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