The Billionaire Bride of Convenience

Adele’s POV

“Please…I'm begging you. Just the left overs. I'll take anything,” I said in a trembling voice to the restaurant's owner.

“Get lost, you filthy beggar!” He snarled. “I'm not running a damn charity!” mm

He shoved me out, my body crashed through the door, and straight into someone just about to enter.

I fell down on my butt, pain shooting through my body.

I hissed in pain, and tried to push myself up to apologize.

“I'm so sorr–” 

I froze, my breath caught in my throat.

I blinked a few times, and shook my head. 

I must be seeing things. Not eating for the past two days must have messed with my mind, because tell me why am I seeing my dead husband standing right in front of me?

He died. Six months ago, of a heart attack.

I mourned him…no shit. I'm still mourning him, as this life has been nothing but empty without him.

I've been nothing but a shell of myself, and now…

No. 

I shook my head again, refusing to accept that my husband was alive and well.

“Eric?” I said in disbelief, my voice barely above a whisper.

His eyes widened for a single second. “I’m sorry, lady. You've got the wrong guy,” he said with cold indifference, and tried sidestepping, but I held on to his legs.

“It's you!” I rasped, and stood to my feet using his legs as support.

Tears burned the corners of my eyes, relief washing over me as I made to touch his face, a confirmation that I wasn't imagining my husband standing right in front of me.

He shifted back, his nose scrunched in disgust. “Ma’am–”

“It's indeed you,” I muttered, ignoring the way he acted like I was a walking plague. “B-but how?”

Eric looked around nervously, as this was drawing attention as some customers were already bringing out their phone to record.

But I didn't care, I was losing my mind at this point. 

This was Eric. My Eric.

I'll recognize him anywhere, even if I turned blind, I'd still recognize my Eric.

“Miss–” he began, but I cut in

“But how? You are dead,” I said, realizing I was sounding like a lunatic. “Y-you died of a heart attack six years ago, and–”

“Get off me lady!” Eric shoved me aside.

He muttered something under his breath, before turning on his heels and walking away. 

“Eric!” I yelled, limping after him.

 I needed an explanation. 

Eric fucking owes me an explanation.

If he was alive why didn't he reach out to me?

Why didn't he..?

Different thoughts raced through my mind at once, and unless I get answers to them I'll definitely lose my mind for real.

This was insane.

Everything happening was insane.

Was the past six months of my life a lie? Was everything I went through a lie, and–

I increased my pace, clenching my teeth as I tried ignoring the pain shooting through my right leg that was broken.

Eric was just a few feet away from a black car I suspected was his when I grabbed his arm.

“Eric-”

“Yes it's me!” He growled, making me flinch. 

I froze, my lips parted but no words came out, instead fresh tears rolled out of my eyes at his betrayal.

“But the Eric you know is dead!” He snarled.

“But–”

“I faked my death, Adele. Happy now?!”

“W-why?” I stuttered, wiping my tears away with the back of my hands, but that only made things worse.

As they fell hard. Faster than a heartbeat.

“Babe, did you get the food? I'm hungry,” a familiar voice said from inside the car, and before I could even blink the car door opened, and a pregnant woman stepped out.

One Eric and I knew very well.

Nessa. Dr. Vanessa Hilton. Eric's colleague at the hospital.

“Oh, Adele,” she drawled. “You look…. rough,” she eyed me, while rubbing her hand on her baby bump.

I looked at Eric, then back at Nessa, then like a light bulb went on in my brains, everything fit in like a puzzle.

All the late nights.

The emergency surgeries, at odd hours and countless times during his days off.

All this while he's been screwing his colleague, and…. 

My heart clenched tightly in my chest as another fact dawned on me.

She's carrying his child.

And from how big her bump is she was probably seven months or more pregnant.

“Is this why you faked your death?” I asked, not exactly expecting an answer. “To start a family with Nessa and….” I trailed off. “...the loan!” I rasped. “Is this where the money went?” I asked in a low tone, anger bubbling on my insides. “You took a loan of twenty million dollars just to start a new family?!” I growled in between tears. “How could you Eric? After everything I did for you?!”

Eric smirked, and wrapped his arms around Nessa’s waist

“I lost a kidney Eric, I was in a coma for weeks!” I yelled. “The loan sharks came after me Eric! As your wife I was made to pay,” I pulled up my ragged trousers and showed him my legs that was broken. “They broke my legs Eric,” my voice broke, as the memories of that day flashed through my mind. “A-and my face–,” I pushed my hair aside, and showed him my face that was ruined. “They ruined me Eric,” I choked out, and hated how weak and pathetic I was sounding.

“That's the least you deserve for stealing my man,” Nessa snarled.

“You bitch!” I lunged at her, but Eric stepped in just in time, and shoved me aside, and I fell to the ground.

But I stood right back up.

“I'll kill you, Nessa!” I swore. “Both of you!” I lunged forward again. “I'll make you pay. I'll report to the authorities, and… no. I'll tell the loan sharks you're alive and well–”

“You wouldn't dare!” Eric growled, and kicked me right in my broken leg.

A scream tore through my throat as I fell to the ground in agony.

“Let's go,” Eric said with urgency, as he led Nessa to the car, before getting into the driver seat.

“You'll pay for this!” I screamed after them in pain, as I struggled to my feet in pain. “You’ll–”

The words had barely left my lips, when Eric reversed back so fast, and the last thing I remembered was the pain that shot through my entire body before the darkness enveloped me.