My blood ran cold. Not just because of the words, they’d done worse than the scheme. They mocked me. Rewrote my pain as a punchline. Danced on the grave of my dignity like it was confetti. I staggered back from the door, suddenly aware of how my hands were trembling. Of how my chest rose and fell like I was still being dragged underwater. I could still feel it, the betrayal. The nights I cried myself sick. The baby. The blood. The gaslighting. The cold stares. The silence. No, this wasn’t just a memory. It was a resurrection. I pressed my hand to my chest, grounding myself. This body? This moment? It was mine now. Not theirs. Not his. If this was a curse, I’d break it. If this was a second chance? I’d weaponize it. Let them laugh. Let them bask in their borrowed joy. Because from this moment on, I’m not playing the quiet, obedient pawn. I’m the storm they tried to silence. The reckoning wrapped in silk and scars. They don’t deserve peace. Not after what they did to me. I’ll make them feel it. The same agony, the same betrayal. No, worse. Double. And the Kensingtons? Oh, they won’t be spared either. Their blood's just as soaked in my suffering. I lived by their rules in my last life. In this one? They live by mine. And mercy? Yeah, I left that behind in the last timeline.
view moreMaya’s POV
“Congratulations, Mrs. Kensington. You’re pregnant.” Dr. Sarah’s voice was gentle.
Pregnant.
I blinked at her, unsure if I’d heard right. My breath caught, my ribcage tightened as the words sank in.
She smiled and glanced at the clipboard in her hands. “From the test, it looks like you’re about five weeks along.”
Five weeks.
My hand drifted instinctively to my stomach, not because I felt anything yet, but because suddenly, something was there. A heartbeat I hadn’t heard. A future I hadn’t planned for. Something tiny and terrifying and… mine.
Dr. Sarah kept talking about vitamins, no caffeine, appointments but her words slipped past me like a conversation underwater. I wasn’t here anymore. Not really.
I was in Aiden’s office, imagining the stunned look on Aiden’s face when I told him. The way his brow might crinkle first in confusion, then joy. Or would it?
It was our anniversary. I’d gotten him cufflinks. Suddenly, they felt small. Insignificant. Compared to this?
What better day to tell him that he was going to be a father?
“Where to ma’am?” Gideon, my personal chauffeur asked as I stepped out of the hospital with a wide smile on my face.
“To my husband's office.” I told him with my heart pounding.
Aiden and I had a complicated history. We married through obligation, him in love with someone else, me hopelessly in love with him. But maybe…just maybe, this baby would change everything.
At a gift shop, I bought a simple black mug that read: Dad To Be.
The company lobby was unusually quiet when we arrived. I walked through the building feeling like eyes followed me, then darted away.
I ignored them. What mattered was Aiden. Us. the baby.
His office door was closed. I didn’t bother knocking.
Inside, he looked up from his laptop, half-buttoned shirt, his sleeves rolled and his jaw clenched. My heart stuttered. He was beautiful. Always was.
“Maya.” He called my name coldly and I winced. I forced a smile on my face, our lives are about to change.
“I have something to tell you,” I said, stepping forward.
But he stood fast and looked very furious.
“How dare you show your face here after everything?” he thundered.
My heart stumbled. My smile froze. Wait. What?
“I…what are you talking about? Is this about the documents? I left the physical copies on your desk and emailed the digital copy to you.” I moved closer, confusion tightening around my chest.
He grabbed a stack of papers and flung them at me. I dropped to my knees and picked them up with shaking fingers.
“What…what is this?” i asked, my knees buckling.
“You tell me. These were confidential. You and I are the only ones that knew about it. Now, the Stefans know everything.”
“The Stefans? You think I told them?” my chest tightened. “You think I'd betray you?”
He sneered. “I don't think so. I know.”
Silence.
“That’s not true,” I whispered.
“You’re fired. And the only reason I haven't called the cops is because I'm wondering if you’re worth the paperwork.”
“No…please. You can investigate. I’d never hurt you in this company. I love it. I love…”
“Thirty seconds, Maya. leave.”
My knees buckled. I tried again. “You can’t replace me overnight…”
“I already did.”
I froze. “She’s an intern.”
“You trained her. I hope she doesn’t take your evil side.”
“You’re acting like I'm a monster.”
“You are.” his voice was steel. “You handed me this company. Don’t act shocked when I treat it like mine.”
“I did that because I love you,” I said. My voice cracked.
He didn’t blink. He just turned his back.
Then came the final blow. “Elena’s back. She’s forgiven me.”
Elena, my stepsister. The curse I could never shake.
I should have seen it coming. I did. And it still wrecked me.
He tossed another paper.
Divorce.
“No…we can fix this.”
“Sign it. Won't be here when Elena moves in tonight.”
And just like that, the ground was gone beneath me.
I gathered my things and whatever was left of my dignity.
As I left, no one met my eyes. They didn’t need to say anything. I read the judgement in their silence.
They were sure that I was a spy who had seduced their boss.
“Ma’am,” Gideon greeted quietly. He didn’t ask questions. Just opened the door.
“Where to?” he asked, glancing at the rearview mirror.
“Home,” I whispered. But it didn’t feel like home anymore. Maybe, it never has.
My phone rang and I snatched it up.
Instead of Aiden’s voice as I hoped for, a familiar voice filled my ears.
“Don’t come back. You’re no longer a Monroe,” the voice said and the call ended.
I covered my mouth and sobbed.
What crime did I commit? Oh right…being born.
Maya’s POVI blinked my eyes open, breath hitching in my throat.“Are you intentionally ignoring me?” My father’s voice sliced through the haze. Cold. Authoritative. Familiar in the worst kind of way.I blinked, vision adjusting to the dim room, and stared at him like he’d grown a second head.How the hell did I get here?My knees ached. I looked down and realized I was kneeling on the plush rug of the family living room, no less. Every face turned toward me like a jury, stone-cold and hungry for blood. Elena was curled in her mother’s arms on the settee, sobbing like she’d lost everything.“She seduced himband forced him to sleep with her!” she shrieked, rage contorting her features. “She knew I loved him. We were supposed to get married this weekend!”A throw pillow sailed through the air and bounced off my shoulder. A weak shot compared to the blow her words delivered.Wait… wait a damn minute. I know this scene. I’ve lived this scene.“How dare you do that to your sister?” her mot
Aiden's POV“I'm sure our engagement announcement is going to top the charts for months. Everyone is talking about how good we look together. I don't know why we waited for so long to do this.” Elena kept talking. My head was banging hard and I wished she would keep quiet for a second.“That's because you were angry.”“Ah! That's right and I'm glad I forgave you.” She said and moved to kiss me. I don't know why but it suddenly felt weird to me and I turned my face slightly making the kiss land on my cheeks. The smile on her face faltered.“James will drive you home.” I told her as we approached my car.“But you said…”“I'm sorry. Today's been a rough day. We will see tomorrow. I’ll ask my secretary to deliver the new necklace I bought for you tomorrow.” I placed a kiss on her forehead and gave instructions to James, my personal chauffeur.Maybe, if I drive faster I might meet her before she leaves even though it was in my best interest not to. I don't know why but I felt like I hurt h
Maya’s POVWhen I opened them, Elena was standing at my bedside with a lighter in her hand. “What… What the hell is going on?” My voice cracked. The metal cuffs bit into my wrists as I thrashed, chained like an animal. “Elena? What are you doing here?”She didn’t answer. Not right away. They just exchanged a look. And then, she started laughing. Soft at first. Then full, throat-deep cackles.“One thing I’ve always loved and absolutely hated about you,” Elena said, circling the bed slowly like a predator playing with her food, “is how incredibly easy you are to manipulate.”She stopped at my side, tilted her head, and leaned in with mock sympathy. “Oh my God, you look so pretty today,” she crooned, placing her jaw in her hands like a child admiring a doll. “You work so hard. And honestly? It’s Mr. Kensington’s fault for not seeing your value. You’re the soul of this company. Irreplaceable.” tears streamed from my eyes as I remembered those exact words that were spoken to me by the int
Maya's POV As I slowly opened my eyes, the bright fluorescent lights above my bed pierced through my brain like a thousand knives. I winced and raised a hand to shield my face. But as I did, a sharp pain shot through my head, making me gasp.Where am I? The last thing I remembered was...was...nothing. My memories seemed to be shrouded in a thick fog. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember anything. I tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over me, forcing me back onto the pillow. I groaned.A hospital bed. I was in a hospital bed. But why? I looked around the room, taking in the beeping machines, the sterile smell, and the faint sound of murmured conversations outside her door.A faint memory stirred in the back of my mind. A car accident? Was I in a car accident? I tried to recall more, but my memories remained frustratingly out of reach.Just then, a gentle voice spoke from beside my bed. "Hey, welcome back. My name is Nurse Thompson. Can you tell me your name?”I
Maya's POV “We’re here, Ma’am.” Gideon finally said.I stepped out and froze.The roses I planted were gone and replaced chrysanthemum.I was allergic to them. Elena knew that. She always knew. She made Dad decorate the house with them on my birthday once. I nearly died.Now here they were again. Her signature move.My bags were already on the porch.“What’s going on?” I asked the maids.None answered. They looked at their feet as though they were banned from speaking to me.“What does it look like?” she sneered.Elena. Drenched in designers. Meanwhile, I looked like an office intern fired before lunch.I swallowed the humiliation and walked inside.Everything was gone. M. My art, my walls, my touch. He’d erased me in hours. My lungs tightened. My throat itches. My allergy was kicking in.“Aiden said he didn’t want any trace of you left,” she cooed. “And I’m here to deliver.”I staggered out, gasping for air.“Oh no!” she gasped in mock concern. “Still allergic? I thought you'd outgr
Maya’s POV“Congratulations, Mrs. Kensington. You’re pregnant.” Dr. Sarah’s voice was gentle.Pregnant.I blinked at her, unsure if I’d heard right. My breath caught, my ribcage tightened as the words sank in.She smiled and glanced at the clipboard in her hands. “From the test, it looks like you’re about five weeks along.”Five weeks.My hand drifted instinctively to my stomach, not because I felt anything yet, but because suddenly, something was there. A heartbeat I hadn’t heard. A future I hadn’t planned for. Something tiny and terrifying and… mine.Dr. Sarah kept talking about vitamins, no caffeine, appointments but her words slipped past me like a conversation underwater. I wasn’t here anymore. Not really.I was in Aiden’s office, imagining the stunned look on Aiden’s face when I told him. The way his brow might crinkle first in confusion, then joy. Or would it?It was our anniversary. I’d gotten him cufflinks. Suddenly, they felt small. Insignificant. Compared to this?What bett
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