Returning To Ruin My Cheating NHL Husband

Avery POV:

I stood frozen outside the massive glass window of the Orsay restaurant. Right before my eyes, my husband, Liam Sterling, went down on one knee and slipped a diamond ring onto another woman's finger. Even though he was deliberately wearing a hat and dark sunglasses to hide his identity, I recognized his broad-shouldered frame instantly.

The entire restaurant seemed to pause. The patrons around them broke into warm, beaming smiles, raising their champagne glasses and clapping softly to bless the happy couple. The stunning blonde woman, Clara Kensington, had tears of overwhelming joy streaming down her face. As the ring slid onto her finger, she let out a happy sob and threw herself into Liam's arms. They shared a passionate, breathless kiss, completely lost in their own world.

I stood on the cold sidewalk, clutching a velvet box containing a limited edition Patek Philippe watch, feeling like the most ridiculous, pathetic clown in the universe. Today was our third wedding anniversary. And here I was, standing outside the exact restaurant where we had our first date, watching my husband propose to my lifelong nemesis.

It was purely ironic. Liam was smiling at her-a gentle, devoted, incredibly tender expression I hadn't seen directed at me in years. Even the strangers walking past me on the street stopped to look through the window, sighing and cooing over what a perfectly happy and beautiful couple they made.

Through the glass, the restaurant's chandelier caught the light of a delicate diamond bracelet on Clara's wrist. It was the exact anniversary gift I thought he had bought for me. At that moment, a sharp, searing pain shot directly through my pregnant belly.

I gasped, bending over as my abdomen cramped violently. Despite the fury and absolute betrayal burning in my chest, a tiny, pathetic shred of hope still clung to my heart. I pulled out my phone and dialed Liam's number, hoping he would care that I was in pain.

Through the glass, I saw the tender, loving smile on his face vanish the exact second he saw my name on his screen. His expression turned instantly freezing and annoyed. He stepped away from Clara and answered.

"Liam... I... my belly hurts so much," I gasped, my voice shaking uncontrollably with pain and terror.

His voice came through the speaker, so heartless and cold that it made me involuntarily shiver. "I'm busy, Avery. Stop using these lame, pathetic excuses to get my attention. It only makes you annoying and repulsive. I'm not falling for it."

He hung up instantly.

The flat dial tone buzzed in my ear. My entire body was trembling so violently I could barely stand. I couldn't even tell if the physical agony tearing through my body was worse than the emotional agony ripping my heart to shreds. For the sake of the child in my womb, I had no choice but to immediately dial 911 for an ambulance.

The wail of a siren quickly cut through the night. Paramedics rushed out, lifting my limp, bleeding body onto a stretcher. As the ambulance doors slammed shut, I vaguely heard a paramedic shouting frantically about a critical condition notice, yelling that they couldn't reach any of my family members.

As my world dissolved into suffocating waves of agony, a desperate, agonizing thought crossed my fading mind. If Liam knew I was actually dying, would he leave Clara's birthday celebration to come to the hospital and save me? A single tear of absolute despair slid down my cheek. I silently prayed for my baby to be born safely, and then, the darkness swallowed me completely.

I woke up slowly to the harsh smell of antiseptic. A nurse stood by my bed.

I forced a weak, exhausted smile to thank the medical staff. "Thank you," I rasped. "Is my daughter okay?"

"She's in the NICU because she was premature, but she's stable," the nurse said, her expression quickly turning serious. She couldn't help but complain, "It was absolutely terrifying last night, Mrs. Sterling. You are incredibly lucky to be alive. The top OB-GYNs in our hospital were all called in. We practically had to replace all the blood in your body to pull you back from the brink of death."

She sighed, crossing her arms. "Seriously, you need to have a serious word with your husband. It was a matter of life and death, and we couldn't reach him at all! No matter how busy work is, he can't just ignore his phone when his wife is in surgery. Please get your family here to take care of you immediately."

A bitter, metallic taste filled my mouth. I checked my phone. Not a single missed call. No text messages. Nothing.

Refusing to believe he could be this heartless, I dialed his number again.

The call connected. But instead of my husband's voice, the heavy, wet sounds of flesh slapping against flesh and a woman's breathless, ecstatic moans filled my ear.

"Ah... Liam... right there... deeper, baby..."