Chapter 3

CARA

“What… what is going on here?” I asked, my voice breaking at the end.

Standing before me was the man whom I have spent the last five years with as my husband. Now he was holding the hands of Jade, the woman who had been by my side for two years as my husband’s sister.

“Who are you?” I asked her, my eyes assessing the simple white dress she was wearing.

She gave me a smirk, her warm eyes suddenly turning cold as she walked up to me.

“I’m the new Mrs. Richardson,” she cackled.

I looked in the corner and saw Henry’s mother who was smiling happily. It’s no secret that the woman has always hated me. 

All through the years I was married to Henry she barely visited. Whenever she visited it was to nag and insult me for not having any child then she would leave after threatening to throw me out of her son’s house.

 “What is she talking about, Henry?” I called out to the man who I had spent the last three peaceful years with before our two years turned sour.

“Please, Henry, tell me it’s all a mistake,” I begged.

 I know I sound like a lunatic especially since with the tears rolling down my cheeks, the snot in my nose, and my pitiful state in the wheelchair but I didn't care. I just didn't want what I had just seen to be true. 

“Please, Henry, Jade is your younger sister, right?” I asked him.

 The truth was staring at me in the face but I was willing to go blind and not acknowledge it. All Henry needed to say was that it wasn't true and we would go home still together. That was how much I loved him.

 Henry walked up to me with a cruel smile he twisted the knife deeper into my bleeding heart with his next words.

 “It’s true, Cara, Jade isn't my sister but my new wife. I'm done with your barren ass,” he sneered.

I gasped for breath, clutching my chest as the nurse patted my back. 

“Let’s go back to the hospital, Ma’am, you're too weak for this,” the nurse said, her voice laced with sadness.

 “Listen to her, you pathetic weakling!” my mother-in-law’s voice sounded as she walked up to me.

 The magistrate who had married Henry and Jade was long gone. The courthouse was empty except for us.

 “Mother, how could you support them? Henry just admitted to cheating,” I cried. 

“He cheated right under your nose because you're worthless!” the woman hissed at me, “Only if you were useful then he wouldn't feel the need to bring his mistress home and make her his wife.”

I laughed sadly. They had played me. For the past one year, they've lived under my roof and cheated under my nose but I was too blind to see it.

“How could you do this to me? Both of you?” I yelled at them, tears running down my cheeks.

“I trusted you, Jade. I treated you like a sister!” I cried.

“I felt pity for you, Cara, you're so naive it’s repulsive,” Jade laughed mockingly.

“Why?” I asked her, then turned to Henry, “Why hurt me like this? What did I ever do to you?”

“You are a parasite. You're useless and all you're after is my money. You can't have a child because of your bad luck. Your bad luck almost killed me and I knew I needed to get rid of you,” Henry answered.

“But it’s not my fault,” I cried.

“I don't care, Cara!” Henry yelled, then he turned to Jade and stared at her lovingly, “All I care about is that I met Jade two years ago and she brought a light that had been missing into my life.”

My heart broke as I stared at him and saw how he looked at her. The last time he looked at me like that was two years ago. Since then I've been doing my best for him to look at me like this again.

But instead, I watched in pain as he stared at Jade lovingly. He caressed her face and kissed her even though I was there.

My heart twisted as he told her how much he loved her. He showered her with praises and affection – everything that should have been said to me! I lost my temper when Jade told him she loved him too.

I sprang from the wheelchair and gave Jade a resounding slap irrespective of the pain that throbbed in my fractured ankle.

“You slut, I'll kill you!” I yelled at her in anger.

Jade let out a loud cry as she held her cheeks. Before I could make another move, Henry gave me a resounding slap that sent me rolling across the room as my side hit the wheelchair.

I felt a splitting pain in my ribs and my head as I let out a loud cry. Henry didn't approach me, instead I watched as he led Jade out of the court with his mother following him.

The last thing I saw before I passed out was the nurse hovering over me and begging me to hold on to the ambulance.

Then I welcomed the darkness and wished I never got to wake up and see the light again. I would choose death rather than wake up to feel the pain of this terrible betrayal from the two people I loved most.

***

“Sleeping beauty awake.”

I woke up to see the face of the woman who had betrayed me in the most unimaginable way possible. I was in the hospital and I could hear the sound of the beeping machines. 

Jade was standing beside me, holding a document in her hand. She grinned as she noticed how my eyes were flickering around the room.

“Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you… Yet,” Jade said. 

My heart skipped a beat as I tried to speak. My whole body hurt like I got run over by a truck. There was a cast on my leg and I could feel a sharp pain in my stomach. 

“What are you doing here?” I asked her. 

“I came to see you,” she laughed, “Henry wouldn't even come see you, he doesn't care.” 

“Go to hell!” I hissed at her. 

She grinned, “Oh but you're going first, darling. First, I have to tell you that you’ve finally lost your womb. You were so reckless when you were asked to rest. Excessive bleeding and trauma made you lose it.”

I felt numb as my throat constricted, and I was unable to breathe. Tears rolled down my cheeks in torrents as I reached to touch my stomach.

“No…” I mumbled.

Jade continued, ignoring my cries, “Also, I’m happy to say that I only wanted to kill your baby but you losing your womb in the process is the icing on the cake for me.”

My eyes widened as I stared at her and suddenly recalled the doctor’s words.

“It was you!” I said.

She smiled, “Bingo! Seems you're not so dumb after all. Yes, I poisoned your tea so you'd fall down the stairs and it would be an accident. I couldn't let you have Henry’s baby not when I was getting married to him today. If you had told him he wouldn't have married me.” 

“How could you?” I cried, rage flowing through me, “I’ll make you pay for this!” 

She hadn't just made me lose my baby, she had taken my womb also. My heart was filled with so much anger it felt like I would explode from it.

“Oh shut up, Cara, only one of us is meant to give him an heir,” she said, rubbing her stomach. 

I stared at her and she smiled, nodding, “Yes, Cara, Henry’s child is growing in my womb.” 

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Jade had taken everything right under my nose. But why? What have I ever done to her?

It seems I voiced my thoughts out because Jade burst into laughter.

 “I don't need a reason other than I want a good life for myself,” she grinned.

“You were willing to ruin my home for such a petty reason?” I asked her, sounding sad, “I treated you well, Jade.”

Jade scoffed, “Oh please, I’m so glad I'm done pretending to be nice, Cara. Besides your home was already ruined, Henry was unhappy and looking for something outside. I only gave him that and made it look like you're the villain.”

“You’re never getting away with this, Jade, I’m going to tell Henry all about your cheap tricks when I’m out of here!” I swore. 

Jade walked up to me and brought out a syringe, “About that, Cara, do you think Henry will believe you?”

 I stared at the empty syringe, “What do you mean? What else have you planned?”

 Jade dialed a number on her phone and I heard Henry’s voice immediately.

 “Help me, Henry!” Jade suddenly cried out.

 I frowned, “What are you doing?” 

“Help! I came to see… no… Cara don't, please! Save me!”

 “Jade! What’s happening? Cara if you…” then Jade ended the call and smirked at me.

 “Why did you do that?” I cried. 

“You’ll see,” Jade grinned, before stabbing her stomach with the empty syringe as she let out a shrill scream.