Ava Sterling thought she had everything; a loving husband, a trusted best friend, and an unborn child. But bleeding out on a hospital bed, she overhears Ethan, the man she gave her life to, chooses his mistress over saving her. As Ava takes her last breath, the two people she loved most walk away, leaving her for dead. But death isn't the end. When Ava opens her eyes, she is one year in the past. Given a second chance, she refuses to be the naive woman who was once used and discarded. This time, she will destroy them first. With the help of Damian Blackwood; a ruthless billionaire with his own vendetta, Ava would make everyone pay.
Ava's Pov
A deep breath shuddered through me as I forced my heavy eyelids open. The room was dimly lit, the sterile white walls glaring even in the soft glow of the monitors.
My head pounded, my mouth was dry, and a dull, persistent ache throbbed in my belly; a cruel reminder that I was still here, still fighting for my life and the existence of my unborn child.
My eyes fluttered open when two familiar voices speaking in whispered tones caught my attention. One was that of Ethan, my husband and the other was that of Lilian; my former best friend who was now my husband's mistress.
My throat tightened, a cold dread settling in my stomach as I remained still, listening.
"Mr. Sterling," the doctor's voice was firm but urgent. "Your wife's condition was critical when she arrived. She has preeclampsia. Her blood pressure is dangerously high, and we need to monitor her closely. Your attention is required for the next steps in her treatment."
A long excruciating silence lingered in the air and then Ethan spoke, his voice flat and indifferent.
"And the baby?"
"She's stable for now," the doctor said. "But Ava will need careful observation. Preeclampsia can worsen quickly, and if it does, we may have to deliver early. Your wife is still at risk, Mr. Sterling".
"I think you will need to sign some documents for her surgery within the next twenty-four hours, your presence would be highly appreciated as she is not ought to be left alone" the doctor announced.
My heart clenched at his announcement.
"At risk."
The words swirled in my mind like poison, but I couldn't focus on them. Not when Ethan was standing right there, silent, as if considering something.
"So, is this something that will take time? Because I don't have the entire night." Ethan broke the silence.
My stomach dropped.
The doctor hesitated. "Mr. Sterling, this is your wife's health"
"I understand," Ethan interrupted, impatience creeping into his tone.
"But Lilian was admitted earlier tonight as well. She's not feeling well, and I need to be with her."
I felt my body get covered with goosebumps immediately I heard his words, I was sitting on a thin line between life and death and all Ethan could do was to abandon me?
Choosing his mistress over his unborn child and I?
I had always known that Ethan had not always loved me. I was never his first choice at all but I had never thought he could detest me this much to the point of choosing another woman over my own life.
I barely registered the doctor's response. I barely felt the pulse of the baby's movements against my belly. All I heard were his words, repeating over and over in my mind like a cruel echo.
Lilian was admitted. He needed to be with her.
My mouth opened, but no sound came out.
My heart clenched in my chest, a different kind of agony than the one that had brought me here. This one was deeper and more brutal.
Slowly, I turned my head just enough to catch a glimpse through the crack in the curtain. Ethan stood there, his hands in his pockets, his expression bored and detached. And beside him was Lilian,her hand resting on her stomach.
Realization slammed into me like a knife to the gut.
She was pregnant.
The room tilted. Nausea rose in my throat.
I squeezed my eyes shut, my fingers pressing against my belly as if trying to hold myself together. But it was of no use. I was already breaking.
"Mr. Sterling," the doctor said again, frustration creeping into his voice. "Your wife needs you."
Ethan sighed. "Look, I'll sign whatever forms I need to, but Lilian comes first right now."
I couldn't breathe.
"Ok, if you insist" The doctor's voice was clipped, disapproving.
"I'll have the nurse bring the documents."
Footsteps retreated down the hall. I listened as Ethan murmured something to Lilian and then, I heard them walk away.
A strangled sob tore my throat, my body trembling violently. The pain, the betrayal, the devastation of it all crashed down on me.
I pressed my hands against my belly, feeling the soft but insistent kicks beneath my palms,the only proof that I was not completely alone.
Tears blurred my vision as I whispered into the darkness, my voice broken.
My body felt weak, the beeping of the monitors a distant hum against the crushing weight of betrayal. My baby's faint movements were the only thing keeping me tethered to reality.
I was slipping into oblivion when the door creaked open.
Slow footsteps echoed in the room, the scent of sweet expensive perfume filled my nostrils before I even saw her.
Lilian Sterling.
She looked at me with disgust, the way one would regard a stain on their designer shoe or clothes as her manicured fingers absentmindedly caressed her stomach.
"Oh, Ava," she cooed, voice dripping with mock sympathy.
"You look awful. But then again, what do I expect from a woman who can't let go of a man who has long moved on?" She scoffed, her voice dripping with mockery.
My fingers curled into weak fists. I wanted to scream, to claw at the woman who had stolen everything from me but my body betrayed me, trembling with exhaustion and heartbreak.
Lilian let out a soft laugh.
"You should've seen Ethan's face when I told him I wasn't feeling well. He practically rushed me here. Meanwhile, you're lying on your deathbed, and he couldn't be bothered to stay." "Pathetic, isn't it?"
My lips parted, but no words came.
"Do you still not get it?" Lilian sighed dramatically, pulling up a chair and crossing her legs.
"Ethan never wanted you. You were nothing more than an inconvenience-a boring, pitiful little obstacle in the way of our happiness. And now that I'm carrying his child, well..." She leaned in, her smile razor-sharp.
"You're completely irrelevant."
A sharp pain twisted in my stomach, but I forced myself to meet Lilian's gaze.
"You... think this is a victory?" I rasped, my voice barely above a whisper.
Lilian tilted her head, feigning curiosity. "Isn't it?"
My breath was shallow, every word an effort.
"If he could betray his own wife; the mother of his first child, what makes you think you'll be any different?"
For a split second, uncertainty flickered in Lilian's eyes. Then, just as quickly, it was gone, replaced by that same cruel smirk.
"Oh, sweet Ava," she purred, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from my forehead as if she was comforting a sick child.
"You really don't understand men, do you? Ethan is mine. His heart, body, and soul belongs to me, and unlike you, I know how to keep him satisfied."
I clenched my teeth, swallowing back the bile rising in her throat.
Lilian leaned closer, her voice a whisper. "The best part? He's already planning to divorce you. Once you've served your purpose, once that baby is out of you, you'll be discarded like the worthless burden you are."
"He never loved you anyways, he had always wanted the Sterlings Corporation and that you gave him foolishly" she scoffed.
My body trembled violently, fury and devastation crashing into me like a tidal wave. I wanted to fight back, to claw and scream, but the darkness was creeping in again, my body slipping further from her control.
Lilian laughed softly. "Oh, darling, don't cry. It's not like you ever really mattered."
My vision blurred, the room spinning. The last thing I saw before the darkness swallowed me whole was Lilian's satisfied smile.
*********
My eyes fluttered open to the steady beeping of heart monitors as the scent of antiseptic filled my nostrils.
Light flooded my vision as my gaze slowly adjusted to the unfamiliar yet strangely familiar hospital room.
I remembered the pain, the betrayal sinking into my bones as Lilian's cruel laughter echoed in my ears.
"Wasn't I diagnosed with preeclampsia?"
"Wasn't I supposed to be dead?"
And yet ..
I was alive.
Confusion gripped me as I bolted upright, my heart hammering against my ribs. My hands instinctively flew to my belly, searching and feeling for my baby.
A sharp gasp left my lips.
The bump was smaller.
My breath came in quick, uneven pants as panic clawed at my chest.
Frantic, I turned my head, my eyes darting around the hospital room. My gaze landed on the mirror mounted on the wall opposite my bed. My reflection stared back at me, and my blood ran cold.
I looked younger.
My face, once hollowed with stress and pain, seemed more fuller and softer. The dark circles under my eyes were no longer deep, my skin wasn't as pale as it was, my lips were no longer cracked.
I swallowed hard as my gaze landed on the clock which hung on the wall, the glowing numbers read February 14, 2024.
My breath caught in my throat as it dawned on me that I had gone back in time.
Was this a dream or a cruel trick of my broken mind?
Or was I just hallucinating?
A slow, bitter smile curled my lips as reality dawned on me.This wasn't a hallucination. This was real.
The universe had granted me a second chance to live.
A chance to fix everything. A chance to make them pay.
And this time, I would no longer be the weak naive Ava. I will not beg for scraps of love from a man who never deserved me.This time, I would make them regret ever crossing me.
I straightened my spine, tilting my chin up as determination blazed in my chest.
"Thank you, Goodness" I whispered, my voice steady and cold.
Then I turned away from the mirror and pressed the call button for the nurse.
It was time to begin.
A huge thank you to Vivian sunday, the talented writer behind this novel. Their dedication, creativity, and hard work brought this story to life." Like it ? Add to library! #vote
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