My husband, the don of the underworld mafia, was going to kill me–and it wasn't even my fault.

“You have to believe me, Luke, I didn't do anything,” I sobbed, tears pouring down my cheeks.

It was the middle of the night, and Luke had brought me to an abandoned pool at the edge of his estate, ignoring the fact that I was nine months pregnant with his first child.

He watched coldly as his men filled the pool with freezing water, and others bound my hands and legs with thick chains.

“Chrishell would have been perfectly healthy if you hadn't bullied her and made her to swallow those pills!” Luke said, his voice thick with rage.

Terrified of the rising water levels, I tried to struggle as Luke's men lifted me up and tossed me into the pool, the chill of the water combined with my heavily pregnant stomach making it difficult for me to take a breath.

“Please, Luke, I beg you. Just release me, and I'll never come in between both of you again.” I choked out, my pleas muffled by the water.

However, Luke only stared on with cold, indifferent eyes.

“I won't divorce you, Astoria, and that's only because of the child you're carrying,” Luke said in a calm but deadly tone, “but I'll make sure you suffer a thousandfold of what you made Chrishell go through.”

“Chain her to the pool floor and leave her there for a few hours, let her learn never to cross me again,” Luke ordered his men, then left me all alone, not looking back once.

The cold metal of the cuffs bit into my wrists and ankles as I was chained to the floor of the pool, the freezing water flowing all around me.

I struggled, pulling against my restraints as I tried to get myself free, but the water only soaked through my thin white dress, chilling me down to my bones.

I screamed and shouted, until my voice became a shallow rasp and my movements became lethargic.

A rumble of thunder sounded overhead, and almost immediately, rain started to pour from the sky. It was accompanied by large hailstones, and they rapidly filled up the water level in the pool.

I began to struggle again with renewed panic, but the chains were too tight. A particularly large hailstone plunged into the water and landed on my protruding stomach, causing a strangled scream to escape from my throat.

Pain, unbearable, blinding pain like I had never known before cut through my entire body. Through my clouded vision, I saw the water around me turn red, combined with a strong smell of iron. Even in the water, I felt the hot, slick rush of liquid between my thighs.

The next morning, Luke came to see me, finally remembering my existence.

“My men told me that you stopped screaming like a madwoman in the middle of the night. I wonder what made you go quiet?” He asked me, his tone indifferent, but before I could open my mouth to reply, he continued,

“I know that it's just a ploy to get my pity, but it won't work. Remain here for a little while longer, since you seem to enjoy the water so much. When you're ready, you'll apologise to Chrishell.” He then left me to continue bleeding out into the water.

Luke returned to his office, and his assistant slowly came to stand in front of him, “B…boss, I have something to tell you,” he said in a shaky voice.

“Go on,” Luke barked at him.

“Madam hasn't attended her prenatal checkups in a while, the doctor said so, and, I don't know if you know sir, but she also has a phobia for water.” the assistant said.

Luke frowned for a moment, then his face became cold once more, “Then that's her problem. If she thinks she can make me abandon Chrishell for her, then she's stupid. What phobia for water? If she did, then why did she stop screaming? Get out of my office!” Luke growled, causing the assistant to hurry away in fear.

Meanwhile, I remained in the freezing water, devastated by the loss of my baby. I didn't have any tears left in me to cry anymore, and my voice was nothing but a hoarse rasp in my throat.

The water all around me was stained red with blood, and I felt myself growing weaker every second due to blood loss, hunger and the cold.

Was I going to die here?

After sacrificing everything for a man I loved, he was willing to just toss me aside because of another woman.

He didn't even care about our child.

The edges of my vision began to darken, and I let myself sink to the depths of the pool.

Water rushed into my lungs, but I didn't do anything to fight it. If my death was what was going to bring Luke happiness, then so be it.

Just as my world went black, I felt a pair of strong hands wrapping around me.

“No, Astoria. You're not dying on me today.”

“Don't worry, my dearest. I've made sure that vengeful woman has suffered for what she did to you, and when I'm done with her, she won't be able to come between us. I'm so sorry for what she did to you.” Luke whispered softly to Chrishell's sleeping body, kissing her softly on her forehead.

However, Luke didn't have to worry about me ever coming in between them again though, even though it tore me apart to realise how little I meant to him.

Translucent tears ran down my cheeks, and I turned and left the room, my incorporeal form passing through the walls like they weren't there.

The previous night, when Luke came to get me, I knew that running with my nine month old pregnancy was impossible, so I fell to my knees and begged him, but all my pleas fell on deaf ears.

I remembered how he just stood there, watching coldly as his men bound me in chains and dragged me to the pool.

Luke impatiently told them to chain me to the buttom, ignoring my cries as the pool rapidly filled with water.

When the storm hit later that night, I remember the hailstones slamming into my body. When the large stone hit my stomach, the water around me turned red as I felt a hot flash of pain between my legs.

A small gurgled cry echoed out beneath me, and bubbles rose to the surface as my newly born baby drowned right before my eyes.

As my hands were chained, I couldn't do anything to save him, and I could only watch in tears as he went still and quiet.

Luke, in all his ignorance, still came to gloat the next morning.

When I finally gave up all my will to live, I was saved my someone mysterious. I opened my eyes and saw myself in an unfamiliar room, but when I looked down, I realised that I could see through my body onto the bed below.

“Do not fear, Astoria Brooks,” a voice said. I turned my head, looking for the source of the sound but finding nothing

“You've been given another chance at life, as you were not supposed to die in that pool,” the voice continued, “and that is why you are here.”

I lifted my hand from the bed, staring right through it.

“Why am I like this?” I asked softly.

“Because,” the voice said, “we want you to see the true nature of your husband, Astoria. You have been so blinded by love, you fail to see the monster that you married.”

I opened my mouth to defend Luke, but stopped myself before words came out.

Whoever this was had a point, seeing as Luke was content to just let me die.

“Okay, I agree. Take me to him.” I said.

And that was how I found myself in Luke's office earlier.

Now, I currently stood in my matrimonial bedroom, staring at Luke and Chrishell as they made passionate love on my marriage bed.

As I watched, the care and love I once harbored for Luke began to chip away slowly.

How could he be so heartless?

Our baby was lying dead at the bottom of a freezing pool, and here I was, neither dead nor alive, and all he cared about was his mistress.

“How do you feel, mylove?” Luke asked Chrishell in a gentle voice once they were done.

“I'm fine. I just feel a bit weak,” Chrishell answered him in a small voice.

Luke jumped to his feet at that. “Do you want to me to call the doctor?”

“No silly!” Chrishell laughed, “I'm just tired from doing it with you, that's all.”

“Don't worry my love, very soon we'll be able to be together,” Luke promised her.

“But…what about Astoria?” Chrishell asked.

“I'll bring her to apologise to you this evening, and as soon as she gives birth, I'm taking the child and divorcing her. Then I'll give you the most grand wedding in the world.” Luke said.

“Oh, how I love you!” Chrishell said and moved to kiss him.

So Luke was capable of showing such emotions?

I didn't know if a spirit body like me could feel pain, but how could I explain the agony that was currently tearing through me as I watched them together?

Just as I closed my eyes, unable to take it anymore, a panicked figure burst into the room, interrupting the two lovers on the bed.

“B…boss! Boss!” the person, who turned out to be Luke's assistant shouted.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Luke roared, grabbing a gun from under his pillow and pointing it at his head, “Speak now, before I shoot your brains out!”

“B…boss, it's madam,” the assistant continued in a shaky voice.

“What has that stupid woman done again? Is that why you're disturbing me?” Luke asked him angrily.

“Her… Her body, boss. It's nowhere to be found.” the assistant said, shaking from head to toe.

“What do you mean, nowhere to be found?” Luke asked, dropping the gun.

“Exactly that sir. Madam is no longer in the pool. She's…she's gone.”

I watched Luke storm out of the house and towards the location of the abandoned pool with the company of his men, and Chrishell.

When the cars pulled up beside the pool, he marched towards the pool, frowning at the empty water where my broken body was supposed to be.

“Drain the pool, maybe she just drowned,” he ordered with a frown on his face.

He coldly watched as the water level in the pool reduced, and his frown became deeper when he saw that I actually wasn't there.

“What game is she trying to play? Does she think that by running away, I'm going to have mercy on her? I'm a powerful mafia boss, I can find her anywhere if I want to.” He said, anger in his voice.

“Look at that sir,” the assistant said, pointing to a small, bloody bundle in the center of the pool, “what could that be?”

My heart ached at the sight of my innocent baby, his life cut short by the cruelty of his own father.

“One of you, go there and bring that thing to me,” Luke ordered one of his men.

When it was brought to him, thrown on the ground at his feet, I fought another jolt of pain as tears slowly began to pour from my eyes.

“B…boss,” the assistant seemed to realise something, “madam was nine months pregnant when she was brought here. Co…could this be her child?”

Luke's frown eased for a moment, hesitation spreading across his features. However, Chrishell came to stand beside him and as she gasped in horror, his face hardened into rage once more.

“This woman must think I'm a fool! First, running away so she won't have to apologise to Chrishell, now she drops this filthy stump of flesh here to make me think it's a baby?” Luke raged, kicking the baby so it rolled across the rough ground, tearing into bloody chunks.

“Calm down, Luke, let's think this through,” Chrishell said, rubbing his arm softly.

“There's nothing to think through, my love. When we find her, forget about a divorce, I'll make her life a living hell for ever allowing you to see such a sight. She's harmed you enough.” Luke said to her.

Just as they were about to go, the assistant spoke up once more.

“Boss…I think we should just run a DNA test.” He suggested.

“On what? This bloody pile of flesh?” Luke asked.

“Even off its not a baby, we can check maybe it belongs to madam. That can give us a clue if she's even alive,” the assistant continued.

After a moment of consideration, Luke agreed.

“Fine,” he said, “call the doctor and arrange for a DNA test to be done, but make sure Astoria is found.”

“Of course, boss,” the assistant nodded.

As I trailed behind them, I remembered when Chrishell first came into our lives. She was a young, sweet girl, having just returned from her studies abroad, and I loved her and took her in, treating her like a little sister.

Until her attitude towards me began to change.

She would cry whenever Luke was near both of us, or cause a scene, always making it look like I was out to get her.

Luke's attitude slowly changed towards me, and he became more and more cold, always taking Chrishell's side against me.

However, one day, she intentionally fell down the stairs and began to scream, saying that I pushed her. She sobbed when Luke arrived, pointing at me and saying that I was always mean to her.

That was the day Luke completely changed before me.

Despite my plea of innocence, Luke didn't even hear my side of the story before throwing me out of the house and into the snowy winter night.

“I expected more from you, Astoria,” he said as he threw me into the snow, disgust thick in his voice, “If you dare cross Chrishell again, I'll make sure that you pay for it. She means everything to me.”

That marked the beginning of my life falling apart, as Chrishell continuously made me look like a jealous, hateful wife in front of Luke.

There was nothing I could do to change his mind though, he was convinced that I had something against Chrishell, and the warmth gradually faded from his eyes until all that was left was icy, cold disdain.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts, and I watched as Luke's assistant came in.

“Has she been found?” Luke asked him indifferently.

“N… No, boss, but th-” He was cut off by a snarl from Luke.

“What the hell do you mean, no? Wait a second? Are you working with her? Oh, that's it, right? You helped her escape!” Luke said in a rage, then called out for his men, “Guards! Come here and take this fool! Teach him what happens to traitors that connive against me!”

His men rushed into the office to grab the assistant, who was pleading for his life, and just as they were dragging him out of the office, Luke's right hand man burst in through the door.

“Boss! You have to see this!” he said, raising a file of papers clutched in his grip, “The DNA test results have arrived!”

Luke rushed and grabbed the papers, and his face went pale as he read through them, right before he went mad with anger.

“What is the meaning of this?” He roared.