I'm in the hills for a project inspection when a sudden downpour hits. I lose my footing and tumble down a steep slope. Lying in a pool of blood, I fumble for my phone and call my husband, Joel Grant, who's supposed to be nearby. "Rachel has anxiety. I only brought her back to her hometown to help her unwind. Can you stop being so paranoid and jealous for once? You're due in two weeks. I'll be there, okay? Just behave." In the background, I hear Rachel giggle softly. "The models have to be in their birthday suit for sketching, right?" Joel hangs up without another word. My sister-in-law—and best friend—Chloe Murphy finds me. She's sobbing as she cradles me, desperately trying to call her husband, Michael Grant, for help. "Are all pregnant women insane these days?" Michael snaps. "Don't start with the same manipulative crap as Anna. Joel and I are busy modeling for Rachel. We don't have time for your petty dramas." Then he blocks her. My injuries are too severe. There's no way help will arrive in time. Despite being heavily pregnant herself, Chloe hoists me onto her back and carries me down the mountain to the nearest hospital. Somehow, I survive. My baby doesn't. Chloe, devastated and physically pushed past her limits, loses her child too. "I want a divorce," I whisper with my eyes swollen from crying. "Me too. I'm done with Michael." We filed for divorce together. That's when Joel and Michael finally lose their minds.
View MoreJoel's POV…I watched Anna walk away, feeling like a boulder had dropped on my chest. The moment I got home, I collapsed with a fever.People were strange. When they had something, they took it for granted. Only after they lost it did they realize how much it had meant—and then they couldn't stop looking back.Michael and I lost our parents when we were six. The Brooklyn family and the Murphy family—both known for their charity work—took us in and sponsored the two of us.I still remember the first time I saw Anna. She wore a fluffy pink princess dress with a tiny crown perched on her head. She looked like a porcelain doll—perfect and untouchable.I was too young then to know what it meant to feel inferior. All I knew was that she didn't belong in the dusty, muddy village we were standing in. And I was so dirty, so ordinary, I couldn't even lift my head to meet her eyes.After the Brooklyn family took me in, I ended up in the same school as Anna. She was beautiful, kind, and
In just a few days, Joel had sprouted strands of gray hair. His unshaven face and haggard eyes made him look like he'd aged a decade overnight.I shot him a glance, guessing he was here to demand answers after losing his job."You only had that job because I gave it to you. Taking it back was inevitable."Joel gave an awkward laugh. "I'm not here because of the job.""Oh? Then it's about Rachel? You're upset I sent someone to seduce her?"My gaze turned cold. If he dared say one word in her defense, I'd slap him right then and there.For years, Rachel played with Chloe and me, turning our pain into her private comedy. Now it was her turn to know what it feels like to be used, to carry a child, and then lose everything.Joel flinched, clearly sensing my anger. "Michael and I are the ones who owe her a favor. But you and Chloe don't. If you want revenge, I have no right to stop you.""Glad you know your place.""Actually… the real reason I came is to apologize. I didn't think yo
"Let go of me!" I said."I'm sorry, Anna! I was a total asshole. But Rachel… I grew up with her. Her father died saving me and Michael. "I've always seen her as a little sister. I never thought she felt that way about me, I just…" Joel looked at me with tear-streaked cheeks, and his eyes were swimming with guilt and panic.I didn't bother hiding my disgust. "So what? What's your point? "You finally saw Rachel for who she really is, you apologized, and now I'm supposed to forgive you?"He blanched. "N-No, that's not what I meant! I just—please, give me a chance to make it right. I swear I won't ever speak to Rachel again. Just give me one more chance, okay?"I leaned in close, but my voice was laced with mockery. "Make it right? You really think you're some prize, don't you? "Joel, have some self-respect. With your pathetic salary, you can't even afford one of my handbags. I used to like you. I was willing to marry you out of charity. But not anymore."I peeled his hands off
"And I'm only 26! What, just because I'm three years older than Rachel, I have to support my husband and his little mistress?" I snapped, cutting Joel off.Joel let out a long, weary sigh. "Do you have to say it like that? The ones who messed up were Michael and I, not her. You and Chloe are being so cruel. Don't you feel the least bit guilty?"I gave a cold laugh. "Why the hell should we feel guilty? You and Michael want to play house with your side chick? Fine—but do it with your own money, not your wives'. If anyone should be ashamed, it's the two of you."I pointed a finger at him. "You and Michael could only grow up safe, fed, and educated because of the Brooklyn and Murphy families. "You should be grateful. But instead, you turned your backs on the very people who raised you. Unbelievable."Joel and Michael had grown up in a remote village, orphaned young. It was the Brooklyn and Murphy families who pulled them out of poverty and sponsored their education fees.It took me
The documents were printed screenshots of Rachel's WhatsApp group chat with her roommates.Rachel: "Joel's wife and Michael's wife called them asking for help. I told them women get jealous and love to test people for no reason, and that models should stay put. "They believed me without question and didn't even bother to dig deeper. Two pregnant women—one of them even rolled down a hill during a thunderstorm. This is going to be so entertaining! Sabrina Johnson: "Rachel, this could cost lives. Don't you think you're taking it too far?"Rachel: "I didn't hurt anyone, though. I just said a few things. If anything happens, that's not on me. I only wanted to see who they cared about more—me or their wives."One of Rachel's former roommates, Sabrina, sent me the screenshot after Rachel's online scandal erupted.Michael leaned over, glanced at the chat, and then scoffed as he turned away. "You guys did a pretty bad job of photoshopping this. Do you really think Joel and I are that st
Joel was in full-blown panic.Before I could even say a word, he rushed on, speaking more to himself than to me. "Anna, is that it? "You both went into labor early, and because Michael and I weren't there… Is that why you and Chloe are mad? If that's the case, then yes—it's our fault. "We'll go home with you right now. Was it a boy or a girl? I've been waiting for this baby for so long…"Even Michael, usually quick to explode, stayed unusually quiet.Joel reached for me gently and wrapped an arm around my waist, trying to lift me into the car with exaggerated care.But the only thing I felt was nausea. I shoved him away. "Are you really still playing dumb? Joel, I told you—the baby is gone. The funeral's already over."Joel, always the calm one, blinked rapidly as his eyes reddened. He shook his head in denial.Michael wasn't ready to accept it either. "You were almost full-term. Even if the baby were premature, it would've made it. Chloe, are you and Anna just using the baby
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