Isabella’s POV

Alexander picked almost immediately. “Bella,” he drawled coldly. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

A chill ran down my spine at the intensity in that voice, and I tightened my grip on the phone slightly. “I want to ruin Marcus, and I need your help.”

There was a pause, then he released a low, dark chuckle. “Finally. I thought you would never ask.”

Alexander didn’t waste time. “Tell me everything.”

I spilled the truth, from Marcus’s betrayal, to Bianca moving in, to his cruel threats.

He listened silently, and when I was done, he asked. “When do you want him to fall?” he asked.

“Yesterday.” I replied seriously.

He laughed. “Perfect. Marcus won’t know what hit him.”

Hope rose up within me for the first time since the funeral.

“We’ll keep in touch, and I’ll let you know when things are in order,” Alexander promised, then he paused.

“But I have one condition.” He said.

My heart pounded in my chest. I was already dreading whatever it was. “What is it?” I asked.

“Marry me,” he replied

My heart skipped a beat.

~

I didn’t sleep that night. Alexander’s proposal echoed in my head over and over. He had asked me to think about it, and get back with a response. He swore that immediately I gave him a response, he would come for me. I wasn’t ready to answer him, because I was so confused.

Alexander was offering protection from Marcus, and lots of power, but what was the cost?

And then, this morning, suddenly everything changed.

My hands shook as I stared at the pregnancy report before me. It was positive.

I was pregnant.

I laughed bitterly as tears welled up in my eyes. I had given up hope a long time ago, and I had accepted the insults thrown to me—that I was barren, useless, unworthy.

And now, I was pregnant. And it was too late because Marcus had already cheated on me and had shown me who he really was.

My heart pounded as I clutched the report tighter.

My phone buzzed. It was a message from Alexander: “Everything is set. You have three days to decide.”

My heart raced as I stared at the message. I couldn't bring a child into a callous world of lies, betrayal and bitterness. It would be cruel of me.

Tears blurred my vision as I shakily picked up my phone. My fingers trembled as I dialed the number of the hospital.

The line clicked, and a calm voice answered, “Good afternoon, Preston Hospital. How may I assist you?”

“I... I need to schedule an abortion,” I said, my voice shook as I spoke.

There was a pause, then the voice replied calmly, “Can you make it to the clinic tomorrow?”

My heart clenched. The sooner the better.

“Yes, I can.” I whispered, my voice broke as the tears ran down my face.

As I hung up, a cold numbness settled within me. I was going to get rid of a part of myself, a part that I had prayed and begged for.

My mind flashed back to the accident that had rendered me barren six years ago.

Marcus had been upset about a business deal that didn't go well.

He was drunk, and he insisted on driving, no matter how much I begged him.

I remembered the way the second car had come out of nowhere. The screeching tires. The loud crash, lots of blood, and then darkness.

I woke up two days later in a hospital bed in severe pain to receive the news that the damage from the accident was too much, so I wouldn't be able to conceive again.

I cried for days until my throat and eyes hurt. Through it all, Marcus had been there, stroking my hair, kissing my forehead, whispering, “I’m so sorry, baby. I swear, I’ll make this right. I’ll never leave you.”

He had held me like I was a fragile gem, like I was the most precious thing in his world.

And I had believed him, I had forgiven him, because love made me stupid.

A bitter smile crossed my lips. Now, I was paying the price.

“Well, well. Look who it is!” an annoyingly familiar voice drawled.

I clenched my jaw. “I’m not in the mood, Bianca.”

Bianca walked into the living room like she owned the place.

She looked at me, wrinkling her nose.

“Ugh. You look like hell,” she said with a mocking smirk as she sat on the chair opposite me. “Rough day?”

I said nothing, but my fingers gripped the edge of the table tightly.

“You look like someone going through a lot of shit right now.” She continued, her eyes shone with mockery.

I forced myself to stay calm, breathing deeply. “Is there a reason you’re here, Bianca?”

She smirked, “What? Can't I cheer my sister up?”

My heart pounded in my chest, and I glared at her. “After sleeping with your sister’s husband, no, you cannot.”

“Oh, please,” Bianca giggled, waving her hand. “You were always too boring for Marcus. He needed someone who could keep up. You should see the kind of things I did to him in the room.”

I gritted my teeth as rage burned within me, but I didn't let it show. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of giving her a reaction.

Her smirk faltered slightly when she didn't get a reaction from me.

The sound of a car pulling into the driveway let me know that Marcus was home.

I didn't want to talk or see him, so I stood up to leave.

“No, no, where are you going? Won't you welcome your husband, sister?” Bianca taunted.

I ignored her, making my way to the guest room to lock myself there.

My hands trembled, my chest ached, and my eyes burned from holding in the tears.

I laid down releasing a shaky breath as I closed my eyes. I just needed to bear all these for three days more, and I would be free.

Suddenly, the door burst open with a loud crash. My eyes flew open, and I jumped to my feet in shock.

Marcus stormed into the room with his eyes blazing in fury.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. “What the hell are you—?”

Before I could say a word, he slapped me hard across the face.

Isabella's POV

The force of his slap threw me to the floor, and I released a cry of pain and shock as my vision turned black for a moment.

Pain exploded through my face as I hit the floor. I lay there frozen, too shocked to even move.

What just happened? Why?

My mind scrambled for answers, but nothing made sense. Why had Marcus hit me? He had never done that before.

I blinked rapidly, trying to clear the dizziness. My hands trembled as I pushed myself up from the floor. I noticed Bianca standing behind the furious Marcus, with her arms folded across her chest, and tears running down her face.

“What the hell is going on?” I croaked, my voice shook as tears welled up in my eyes.

Marcus towered over me, breathing heavily in anger. “You hit her, Isabella? You hit the woman carrying my child? Is that how bitter you have become?”

“What?” I whispered, still struggling to process his words. “I—what are you talking about?”

“She came to talk to you, and you attacked her? Your infertility is causing you to become deranged!” he yelled, his eyes blazed with fury.

Bianca sobbed as she stepped forward. “I... I just wanted to check on her. I brought her some tea,” she said softly. “She started screaming. I tried to calm her down, but she... she started hitting me. She said I was ruining her life, that I deserved to die.”

Her voice broke, then she continued while I gaped at her. “I didn’t want to tell you, Marcus, but she really scared me. I thought she would kill me.”

My heart nearly stopped. She was lying boldly and shamelessly.

I shook my head slowly, still on the floor. “You lying snake,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I never touched you.”

Bianca’s lips shook, and she looked away, looking like the perfect victim.

Marcus didn’t even hesitate.

“Get out,” he growled at me. “Get out of my sight before I do something worse to you.”

I stared up at him with tears burning in my eyes, not just from pain, but from disbelief that he had really done this because of her.

“You believe her?” I whispered. “Do you think I would ever do such a thing?”

His eyes wavered for a moment, before they hardened. “You’re unstable, Isabella. I don’t even know who you are anymore. Jealousy is turning you into something else.”

A bitter laugh escaped my mouth. “I have nothing to be jealous of.” I spat.

I could taste blood on my lips. The force of his slap had split my lip. I wiped it with the back of my hand, ignoring the sting.

For a brief second, Marcus’s gaze dropped to my bleeding lip, and he clenched his jaw. His expression softened, and he stepped forward.

“Isa—”

But before he could finish, Bianca whimpered from behind him. “My head hurts, Marcus,” she said, her voice soft and fragile. “She hit me so hard. I just… I didn’t expect her to snap like that.”

Marcus turned to her instantly, forgetting all about me, like I never existed. He wrapped a protective arm around Bianca, who leaned into him like she was a fragile glass doll.

Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them drop. I was done shedding tears because of them.

Bianca glanced back at me with a mocking smirk on her lips, and triumph gleaming in her eyes, but I brushed it off.

Three more days.

Just three more days, and I would be gone.

~

The next morning, I left the house early to go to the clinic for the abortion. My chest tightened, and my heart ached as I waited to be attended to.

My hands shook as I slowly placed a hand on my stomach. It was flat. There were no changes, but something precious was within. Something I had once thought I could never have.

A baby.

Tears welled in my eyes again, but I blinked them away. I had made a logical decision. It was a necessary one.

A nurse called my name, and I rose to my feet slowly as my heart pounded in my chest. I was led into a private room where the doctor turned to face me.

The moment he saw me, his brows lifted in surprise.

“Mrs. Pierce?” he said in obvious surprise. He had been the doctor who had declared me barren after the accident six years ago.

I gave him a weak smile.

He glanced down at the file in his hand, then back up at me. “Are you… sure about this?”

I didn’t respond. My throat had closed up.

He sighed softly and walked over, his voice gentle. “Mrs. Pierce, I need you to understand how rare, and miraculous this pregnancy is.” he paused. “If you go through with this, you will never get another chance. Ever.”

Isabella’s POV

His words struck something deep in me, and my heart pounded faster in my chest.

I placed my hand on my stomach again. I thought about the long, lonely nights that I had cried, praying for a miracle. I remembered the ache every time someone announced a pregnancy.

And now, that my prayers were finally answered, I was about to throw it away because of Marcus, and his betrayal.

This time, I couldn’t control myself, I burst into tears, closing my eyes. The thought of getting rid of my little miracle caused my heart to ache.

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head frantically. “I… I can’t do this.”

The doctor blinked. “You mean—?”

“I’m keeping the baby.” My voice broke, but it sounded firm. “I don’t care if I have to raise this child alone. This child is mine. They’re a blessing, not a mistake.”

The doctor gave me a relieved smile, nodding in encouragement. “I think that’s the right decision.”

As I stepped out of the hospital, the weight in my chest was lifted, and I was filled with hope, because in three days, I would be starting a new life, with my child.

“Isabella!” A familiar voice yelled from behind me.

It was Marcus. I tensed, reluctantly turning to face him.

Before I could say anything, he gripped my arm tightly with a frantic look in his eyes.

“Thank goodness I saw you here!” He exclaimed, tightening his grip on my arm.

I furrowed my eyebrows in surprise and confusion. “What… what’s going on?” I asked.

“It’s Bianca,” he said, “She’s in the hospital. She had a high fever all night from the crying and from the beating you gave her,” he added sharply, glaring at me. “You did this, Isabella.”

I glared back at him. “I told you that I didn’t touch her, Marcus!”

But he wasn’t listening.

“She passed out this morning, Isabella,” he continued, ignoring my words. “Her fever got worse. She’s weak. Now, the doctors say she needs a blood transfusion.”

My heart sank. “What does that have to do with me?”

Marcus stared at me, clenching his jaw. “You’re a universal donor, Isabella. Bianca’s blood type is rare, and you’re the only match available right now.”

My breath caught.

“Wait,” I said slowly, blinking up at him. “You want me to donate my blood to her? After everything?”

“I don’t have time for this,” he snapped. “This is about saving two lives. You can be bitter and selfish later. Right now, you’re going to do the right thing.”

He started dragging me away.

I dug my heels into the floor to resist as he dragged me forward. “You can’t do this! There are other people you can get blood from. You can get blood from a blood bank. Why me?” I protested.

He stopped walking, and turned to me, his voice cold. “Because this is all your fault.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “I didn’t touch her!” I exclaimed, willing him to believe me. “She lied to you!”

He didn’t listen to me. He kept dragging me.

Something in me broke as I realized that he would never believe me over Bianca. I was too tired to argue, and too exhausted to keep screaming into deaf ears.

“I’m pregnant,” I whispered as a last resort. I never wanted to tell him, but I had no choice.

Marco turned slowly with his eyebrows lifted in disbelief. “What did you say?”

“I’m pregnant,” I repeated, louder this time with my voice shaking. “The doctor said that it was a miracle that I had gotten pregnant. This pregnancy is a high risk pregnancy. If you do this, you’ll kill it, Marco. You’ll kill our child.”

There was a long, heavy pause.

Then Marco laughed. It was a cruel and mocking laugh that hurt my ears.

“Really? Really, Isabella?” he sneered. “You are that despicable? You would lie about something like this just to escape your responsibility?”

My lips parted in shock, and my eyes widened in disbelief.

“I know you’re desperate, but faking a pregnancy?” He shook his head like I disgusted him. “That’s a new low, even for you.”

“But…but it’s the truth,” I hissed, my eyes watering with tears.

He scoffed, glaring down at me. “The truth? You’re a lying bitch that can never tell the truth. You will give the blood, and that’s final.” He said with finality in his voice.

Rage, betrayal and disbelief burned within me. I yanked my arm away from his.

“I won’t do it,” I hissed, “I won’t risk my baby’s life for Bianca.”

“You selfish bitch,” he spat. “You would let someone die!”

“No,” I snapped. “But I won’t let my baby die either.”

Marcus’ eyes blazed with rage. “If you don't do this, I will raze down that orphanage personally, and make you watch.” He gritted through clenched teeth.