My Love; You Were Never Meant To Be A Substitute

Nina's POV The hall smelled like crayons and warm cookies. Laughter filled the hall as kids ran around, tugging on their colorful scarves. The scarves I had spent weeks knitting for them, one for each child at the Charity event . I smiled as I tied one around a pretty little girl’s neck. She hugged me tight and whispered, “Thank you.” Moments like this made me forget all the worries in my heart. At least for a while. But not everyone was here for the kids I guess... to help. Behind me, I heard a voice I recognized. Cold and sharp. “Elijah didn’t come again?” I turned. It was Mia Belmont, The billionaire Belmont's Wife. She's tall and dressed in a red coat that screamed money, with two other ladies clinging to her side. “He had a meeting,” I said calmly. She smiled, but I knew that smile wasn’t friendly. “Strange. A man like him should want to spend time with his wife. Then again, maybe he’s tired of waiting for a child that won’t come.” I froze. Another woman stepp

The morning sunlight streamed gently through the large windows, painting golden streaks across the floor. It was my wedding anniversary. I stood in the kitchen, quietly stirring a pot of warm porridge. Today, I decided, would be peaceful. I wanted no sadness, no pain or thoughts of my childlessness, just a celebration of the years I and Elijah had spent together. I had spent most of the night thinking, brushing aside the strange message I saw on his phone. Maybe... I thought , that it had nothing to do with us. I just wanted to believe that. Elijah came downstairs as I set two mugs of tea on the table. He was already dressed for work, dark grey suit, tie was all neat, leather watch wrapped tight around his wrist. He looked like he had somewhere important to be. But it wasn’t his clothes that caught my attention. It was his mood. He looked… this cheerful and lighter. Like something had gone right for him. There was a soft smile on his lips as he checked his phone again, eyes gl

Sleep didn’t come easy. Not with a question that burned through my chest like wildfire. I was still wandering if the two Vanessas were the same person? I tossed and turned all night. The morning sun brought no comfort, only more confusion. I couldn’t keep pretending, just remaining at the house. I needed answers. After Elijah left for work, I sat alone at the edge of the bed, clutching the small black folder that held every medical record from my surgery. I had never really looked through them before, never felt the need to. Until now. Tucked between charts and consent forms was a card with the name of the specialist who had handled my transplant. Dr. Kilan Hanley. Of course I knew the name. He was my father's doctor. My fingers trembled as I dialed the number. I didn’t know what I was expecting, reassurance maybe, or a lie I could believe. But I needed to hear the truth from the only person who could give it. He answered, his voice was calm and professional. I tried to ke

The doctor’s voice was brisk, almost too efficient, like she had said these same words a hundred times before. “Your vitals are stable. There’s nothing alarming. Just rest, eat well, and avoid stress. Early pregnancy varies from woman to woman, what happened was your body’s way of saying slow down. You’re fine to go home.” That was it. Just like that, I was discharged. The nurse handed me a small envelope of prescriptions and offered a polite smile. I forced one back, already pulling out my phone to call Charles, my chauffeur. The moment he picked up, I kept it short. “Pick me up at the hospital entrance. Now.” Less than ten minutes later, the black sedan was parked at the curb. The windows tinted, sleek, polished, nothing out of place, like the world hadn’t shifted in the past few hours. I slid into the back seat and closed the door softly, like nothing had happened. No emotions. No expression. Just the hum of the engine and the faint scent of leather. Charles adjusted the rear

Vanessa. He brought her home. Our home. My hand gripped the wall for balance as my body froze. It couldn’t be real. But it was. She stood there, weak-looking, yes, there is the bandaged wrist peeking out from her sleeves. And beside her? Elijah, holding her like she belonged here. I moved toward them, fuming. My blood boiled beneath my skin. My fists clenched involuntarily at my sides. This is my home. And he…he had the audacity to bring her here? “Elijah,” I said through my teeth, “you brought her into our home? What has she done to you? What kind of spell has she cast that made you forget who I am to you?” He didn’t even flinch. “Nina, it’s my house too,” he said calmly, like that was some kind of justification. “I brought her here to recover. She needs care, someone to watch over her. I want to be there while she gets better. Don’t be heartless.” Heartless? My voice cracked through the air before I even realized it. “Heartless? Elijah, you are the one who is heartless! You’ve