Chapter 5

With that, Louie strode away, leaving me with nothing but the image of his heartless back.

"Mom, I'm sorry. I'm so useless…"

Through my tears, I bowed my head to the urn even as blood seeped through the bandage on my forehead.

After some time, I numbly stood up and left the cemetery. I pulled out my phone and booked a flight for that night.

There was no longer anyone or anything here worth holding onto.

Back at the apartment, I started packing. Everything Louie had ever bought me went straight into the trash.

Once I'd packed my documents, I pulled my suitcase toward the door.

Just as I stepped downstairs, someone lunged from behind and slapped a rag over my mouth and nose.

Within seconds, I lost consciousness completely.

When I woke up, I was trapped inside a burlap sack. My hands and feet were bound tight, and my mouth was taped shut.

Panic rose in my chest. The next second, voices drifted over from nearby.

"Honey, how many times do I have to tell you for you to believe me? I never loved Jessica. I only ever used her as your stand-in. My heart has always belonged to you. You're pregnant right now. You can't be getting this upset. You can punish me however you want, but you can't leave me."

Melanie's voice hitched with a sob. "You liar! You swore you'd love me forever, but I wasn't even gone long before you found a stand-in! When you were sleeping with her, who were you actually thinking about?"

"You, of course! Every single time with Jessica, I had to picture you just to get aroused. Honey, my body and heart belong only to you."

As I listened to every word, my limbs turned completely cold and numb.

My vision blurred. It felt like I was drowning in the deep sea.

Rage, humiliation, and hatred surged within me.

I bit down on my tongue with everything I had, letting the metallic taste of blood spread through my mouth.

Shortly after, someone untied me and dragged me in front of Melanie.

Her eyes were bloodshot as she stared at me. "Jessica, are you feeling real proud of yourself?"

My voice was dry as bone. "No, I'm not."

If I had known Louie's true identity from the start and known I was just a stand-in, I would have never let him into my life.

But there were no what-ifs in this world.

"You probably heard everything just now, but I still want to see for myself. Tell me, do you think Louie will choose you or me?"

As soon as Melanie said that, she shoved me hard. Behind me was a long flight of stairs.

Pale with horror, I instinctively grabbed her arm.

In a flash, Louie dashed forward, snatched Melanie into his arms, and shoved me away.

I tumbled all the way down the stairs. Every inch of my body ached as if crushed by a truck. But the worst pain was in my abdomen.

Lying on the ground, I felt a rush of warm liquid flowing from between my legs.

I reached out my hand, gathering every last bit of my strength. "Louie, save… my… baby…"

Louie glanced back at me. The next instant, Melanie let out a whimper. "Honey, my stomach hurts so bad."

Louie panicked instantly. He scooped her up into his arms and strode away without looking back once.

My vision faded in and out of darkness. The blood beneath me kept spreading.

…

Louie rushed Melanie to the hospital, putting her through a comprehensive examination until doctors confirmed she was completely fine.

Once he coaxed Melanie to sleep, his brow furrowed when he recalled the sight of me collapsed on the floor.

Panic surged wildly in his chest. Unable to stop himself, he drove back to the mansion.

But the scene waiting for him inside sent him out of his mind instantly.