Chapter 1 

JUDITH LARSSON

The cool evening air wrapped around me as I stepped out of the taxi, my hands trembling slightly as I clutched the envelope against my chest. I could still hear the doctor's words ringing in my ears—

“Congratulations, Mrs. Benson. You're two months pregnant.”

Pregnant.  

The word felt like a melody, a soft whisper of hope I never thought I’d hear again. After what happened two years ago, after the pain of carrying a child only to lose them before they ever had a chance to live, I had been terrified to hope again. But this time was different. This time, I was ready to tell Mike, to watch his face light up with joy, to start a new chapter together.  

And today of all days—our third wedding anniversary—felt like fate giving us another chance.  

A small, excited smile tugged at my lips as I made my way up the porch steps, my heart fluttering with anticipation. I pushed open the door and stepped inside.  

But the sight before me made the warmth in my chest turn to ice.  

Mike stood in the middle of the living room, pacing back and forth with a tense expression. His hands were shoved into his pockets, his jaw tight, and his brows furrowed in deep thought. He looked troubled, almost as if he were bracing himself for something.  

“Mike?” I called softly, closing the door behind me. He stopped pacing and turned to face me, his dark eyes locking onto mine. There was something unreadable in his gaze, something that sent a shiver down my spine.  

For a moment, neither of us spoke. I tightened my grip on the envelope, my excitement beginning to fade into unease.  

“What’s wrong?” I asked, stepping closer.  

He exhaled sharply and rubbed a hand down his face, as though summoning the courage to say whatever was weighing on his mind. And then, in a voice devoid of warmth, he said, “We need to talk.”  

I swallowed. The way he said it, the lack of emotion, the heaviness in his tone—something was very wrong.  

“Okay… talk to me.”  

Mike hesitated, and then he pulled a folded document from the table, placing it in front of me. My eyes flicked to the words at the top.  

Petition for Divorce.

A stunned silence stretched between us as I blinked at the paper, my mind struggling to register what I was seeing. Divorce? I let out a short, breathless laugh. “Is this some kind of joke?”  

“It’s not a joke, Judith,” he said, voice hardening. “I’m serious.”  

My chest tightened, a lump forming in my throat. “Mike, what are you talking about? Why would you—”  

“My family,” he interrupted, his hands balling into fists. “They’ve been planning this for years. Since childhood, I was promised to Regina. Our marriage was never meant to last.”  

Regina.  

The name slammed into me like a punch. I knew her. His childhood friend. The one his mother always praised, the one they wanted for him from the very beginning.  

I shook my head, stepping back as disbelief and betrayal clawed at me. “You’re telling me that you want to leave me because of some arrangement?”  

He let out a humorless laugh. “It’s not just an arrangement. It’s a business alliance, Judith. Something bigger than both of us.”  

I felt the weight of the envelope in my hand. The pregnancy results. The life growing inside me. “Mike, we vowed to be together. To love each other no matter what.” My voice cracked. “You can’t just throw that away.”  

His jaw tensed. “This is bigger than love.”  

I scoffed, shaking my head in disbelief. “So what was all this, then? These three years, the memories, the moments we shared—was it all nothing to you?”  

He didn’t answer. Instead, he looked away, his silence cutting deeper than any words could.  

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay calm. “Mike, I—”  

His eyes darkened as he cut me off. “You think I don’t remember? You think I forgot what happened two years ago?”  

My breath hitched.  

“You failed,” he spat. “You couldn’t even carry our child to full term.”  

Pain slammed through me like a blade to the chest. My fingers clenched around the envelope, my nails digging into the paper. The stillbirth. The single most painful moment of my life. The baby I had carried for nine months, the baby we had prepared for, dreamed for, only to be met with death instead of cries.  

My body went cold. I opened my mouth, but no words came out.  

Mike sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t have time for this. Sign the papers, Judith. I’m done.”  

A sharp knock at the door made us both turn. Before I could react, the door swung open, and there she was.  

Regina.  

She stepped in like she belonged here, her heels clicking against the floor. She was stunning, with her long dark hair cascading over her shoulders, her lips painted blood-red. And the moment she saw Mike, her lips curled into a smile.  

“Darling,” she cooed.  

Before I could even process what was happening, she walked straight into his arms, pressing her body against his. And then, right in front of me, she kissed him.  

I staggered back, my stomach twisting violently.  

Regina turned to me, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “You’re still here?”  

Anger burned through me, replacing the sorrow with something sharp and furious. “You,” I seethed, stepping forward. “You think you can just waltz in here and—”  

Regina laughed—a cruel, mocking sound. “Oh, sweetie. He’s mine. He always has been.”  

I clenched my fists, my body trembling. “Mike, tell her to leave.”  

But he didn’t. He just stood there, letting her touch him, letting her smirk at me like I was the outsider in my own home.  

I felt my chest tighten, my vision blurring with unshed tears. “You’re making a mistake.”  

Regina’s smile faded, her eyes narrowing. “The only mistake here is you.”  

And then, before I could react, she shoved me.  

It happened too fast. My feet stumbled backward, and suddenly, the world tilted. My back hit the edge of the wall with a sickening crack, and an instant explosion of pain shot through my skull.  

The result flew off my hands immediately, landing on somewhere I didn't know..

Then the next thing I saw was blood --- My very own blood

A choked gasp left my lips. The room spun. My vision darkened. I felt something warm trickling down the side of my face. Blood.  

Mike didn’t move. He didn’t reach for me. He just stood there.  

Regina’s laughter was the last thing I h

eard before everything went black.  

Maybe I died..

Maybe not..

He proved that it was none of his business..