"If you want something to drink, order takeout yourself. I'm not here to serve you, you old hag."

Axel froze for a moment, clearly taken aback.

"What do you mean by that? What have I done to deserve this?"

"Fine, I'll order it. It's not like I’m desperate. If you don’t do it, there are plenty of others who will!"

With a muttered curse, Axel stormed off to the living room. I held my breath, the tension in the air thickening as I listened to the muffled sounds outside.

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang.

"Hello, your delivery is here. Please sign for it."

I cautiously cracked open the bedroom door and peeked out. Sure enough, standing there was none other than Axel’s assistant, his mistress.

Although her clothes were dry, her bangs and face remained wet from the rain, giving her an even more pitiful appearance.

I pressed my lips together, the recognition of her little tricks stinging like a slap.

Axel, however, seemed moved. He took the egg soup from her, his hands lingering a moment too long before he wrapped her in an embrace right there at the door.

She, ever so deliberate, leaned her chest against his arm, brushing against him in a way that felt almost choreographed.

A wave of disgust washed over me and before I could stop it, I coughed, the sound sharp in the stillness.

It took them a moment to snap out of it, hastily pulling away from each other.

"Darling, the takeout I ordered is here. Want to share it with me?"

Axel entered the bedroom, holding the lunchbox. However, when his eyes landed on me still lying in bed, his guilty expression melted away like morning fog.

I barely glanced at him.

"How thoughtful these restaurants are these days. Even the packaging is heart-shaped."

Before Axel could say a word, I grabbed the takeout box, the note on top cutting through my heart like a knife. The words "My Love" were written in delicate handwriting, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Come on, it's just takeout. Don't overthink it. You're the one who refused to make anything for me in the first place. How is this my fault?"

Axel brushed it off, his voice flat as he eagerly opened the lunchbox and dug in. But just a few bites in, his phone rang, interrupting the moment once again.

He stole a quick glance at the note, his face flushing in embarrassment.

"Darling, I just remembered something I left at the office. I need to grab it."

"Finish the soup, alright? Don’t let it go to waste."

Outside, the night was engulfed in darkness, the sky alive with lightning and thunder.

I knew exactly why he was leaving and for whom. I could already feel the emptiness that would follow his absence.

"Can’t you stay? What could be so important? Didn’t you once promise that no matter what, you’d stay by my side on nights like this?"

I could still recall that stormy night years ago, the night of the car accident. Axel clearly remembered it, too. He paused, torn for just a moment.

But in the end, his mistress won, as always.

"Darling, I checked the weather. The rain will stop soon. You stay home and rest; I promise nothing will happen."

"This is really urgent. I can’t explain right now. I’ll be back as soon as I can."

And with that, he left, leaving me alone with the storm.

With a hurried motion, he grabbed his things and rushed out the door, not even sparing me a single glance.

He didn’t see the tears that were silently streaming down my face.

When the door finally clicked shut, I walked slowly to the window, my heart sinking with every step.

Below, I watched as she waited for him, her arms flinging around him as they embraced.

In the pouring rain, their kiss was a public declaration, a scene ripped from the pages of a romance novel.

My hands shook as I lifted my phone, capturing the moment, unable to tear my eyes away.

But soon, the floodgates opened and I couldn’t hold it together anymore. I sank to the wall, letting the tears fall freely.

I didn’t sleep a single moment that night.

Axel had broken his promise; he never came back.

All through the night, I sat alone in the empty house, surrounded by reminders of the man who had once been everything to me.

The memories washed over me and I was transported back to the early days of our marriage.

Back then, I had been broken, my body still scarred from the ordeal. Axel had cried in front of everyone, promising me he would never leave. I had believed him.

"Belle, don’t be afraid. I’m here."

"From now on, you will be my one and only wife."

I had thought my heart had long turned to ash, yet just remembering those words brought a fresh, unbearable ache to my chest. My throat tightened as though invisible hands were squeezing, leaving me gasping for air.

"Axel, I don’t want you anymore."

The next morning, I walked out of the house, my mind already set. I scheduled the abortion and immediately reached out to a lawyer to start drafting divorce papers.

Axel’s apology message came soon after.

[Honey, there were some issues during the project discussion. I stayed up all night with the team and didn’t have time to tell you.]

Moments later, a sum of money appeared in my account.

For a brief, sickening second, I felt utterly ridiculous. Was I nothing more than a problem he could solve with money?

Still, I accepted it. My response was a cold, indifferent "hmm."

Sensing something was off in my tone, Axel quickly followed up.

[Alright, sweetheart, I’ll come home tonight. I’ll stay with you, okay? Don’t be upset. It hurts me to see you like this.]

I had never realized just how skilled he was at playing the part.

Unable to hold back, I asked, [Axel, were you really discussing work last night? Or is there something you're hiding from me?]

His reply came quickly, almost too quickly.

[Belle, have you gone mad from all the pregnancy preparations? If I wasn’t discussing a project, what else would I be doing, playing with other women? Stop saying things like that; it’s bad for us!]

A cold laugh escaped my lips. I was about to shut my phone off when another message pinged.

[Honey, I see how hard you’ve been working. Why don’t we consider adopting a child instead?]

I felt my brows knit together, a dark feeling creeping into my chest.

I didn’t respond right away. Instead, I typed a curt "do as you like."

After I got into the car, a file arrived from the detective I had hired to investigate Axel’s assistant.

The deeper I delved into the file, the heavier my heart grew.

As I’d suspected, they already had a child. Axel had even bought them a house just a few streets away from ours.

No wonder Axel had developed a "habit" of late-night runs. He had been sneaking away to meet his mistress.

Fury bubbled within me, my hands shaking as I sped off to the hospital.

After explaining my intentions, the doctor hesitated. "You’ve been trying for so long. Don’t you think it’s a waste to give up now?"

"Reconsider, Belle. This is a life we’re talking about, a living, breathing future."

I stood firm, my decision unshakable and finally, she reluctantly registered me for the procedure.

But to my shock, I noticed her discreetly dialing Axel’s number.

Moments later, my phone lit up with a flurry of calls and messages from him.

Frustrated beyond belief, I silenced the phone and marched into the doctor’s office.

"This is my body, my choice. Why would you contact him behind my back?"

"I’m doing this for your own good," she said, her voice filled with concern. "With your age and past injuries, going through with this could be your last chance to have a child."

No one could understand my pain more than I did.

I had endured years of heartache and endless struggles, all for a glimpse of motherhood.

I had longed for this child’s arrival, dreamed of the moment I would hold them close. But I couldn’t let the baby become the chain that bound me to the suffocating misery of my life.

"Forget it. If your hospital can’t help me, I’ll just find one that will."

At the second hospital, everything moved immediately, staff arranged the procedure with a sense of urgency.

As the anesthesia began to pull me under, I thought I heard Axel’s voice, faint but unmistakable, calling my name.

I paid him no mind, letting the pull of sleep wash over me once more.

When I opened my eyes again, Axel’s cold face loomed over me, his features distorted with tension. His eyes were bloodshot, his voice trembling with frustration.

"Why did you do this? Do you hate me that much?"

He was almost pleading now, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

"I know I’ve made mistakes, but how could you make the decision to end our child’s life without even giving me a chance?"

The doctor and nurses, sensing the charged atmosphere, quietly slipped out of the room, leaving only Axel and me.

"Because I refuse to be tied to a filthy man," I shot back, my voice steady despite the weight in my chest. "And I don’t want to bring a child into this world with someone like you. Do you understand?"

"And besides," I continued, my words laced with bitterness, "you already have a child with her. Losing this one hardly matters, does it?"

My father had betrayed my mother when I was just a child. Despite the humiliation, she quietly endured because she had me to protect.

They both loved me deeply, but growing up in such an environment left me with an insatiable hunger for genuine affection.

The moment I discovered I was pregnant, I became hyper-aware of Axel's behavior toward me.

To the world, he appeared to be the perfect husband, but I had made up my mind that if he ever crossed the line, I would protect myself, no matter the cost, even if it meant ending the pregnancy.

"Axel, let’s get a divorce. I’ll leave the papers on the table tomorrow. Make sure you sign them."

I pulled my thoughts back to the present, my gaze locking with his as he exuded a heavy, suffocating presence. I could feel the tension rising as I delivered the ultimatum.

For a moment, he was silent, as though processing my words, then a mocking smile twisted his lips.

"Do you think this will make me forgive you for ending our child’s life? Belle, I’ve never been one to bow to threats."

"And you really believe you can talk about divorce? Don’t forget, with your current status, you’ll never find someone as good as me once it’s over."

Axel had become a towering figure in Phoenix, with the Moore Corporation flourishing and his reputation soaring. He was a force to be reckoned with.

But none of that mattered to me.

"Think what you will. Now get out and stop disturbing my rest."

"You’ll regret this!"

Axel’s fury was palpable as he stormed out, slamming the door with such force it shook the room. He barked orders at the doctor to leave me where I was, refusing to let them move me to a private room.

"Let her suffer a bit longer; she’ll learn her lesson soon enough."

I rolled my eyes, unfazed and began booking a plane ticket.

I was done with Phoenix. The Grasslands were calling to me where I truly belonged.

After booking my flight for the day after tomorrow, a sense of calm washed over me.

Not long after, Briar Thompson sent me a friend request and I accepted without a second thought.

She wasted no time, sending over several photos, each one more brazen than the last.

They were intimate selfies of her with Axel, along with their chat records, leaving no room for doubt.

[Belle Rodriguez, I’m Axel’s girlfriend. You must already know everything by now.]

[Since you’ve already terminated the pregnancy, stop holding onto Axel. Someone as broken as you doesn’t deserve to compete with me.]

I didn’t even bother opening the photos.

[Are you out of your mind? Playing the role of the mistress and still acting so smug? Should I post all of this on social media to help advertise for you?]

I could practically feel Briar’s surprise on the other end of the line. She fell silent for a few moments before finally responding.

[Even if you post it, people will just laugh at you.]

[Belle, I know you’ve been by Axel’s side for seven years, so I don’t want to hurt you. Do the sensible thing; step aside gracefully so we can both save face.]