My Husband, My Hero, My Baby

My Husband, My Hero, My Baby

Gavin

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The holographic face of Ms. Albright shimmered, echoing a prediction: at twenty, I' d face a heartbreak, a betrayal that would shatter my world. It was my father' s solution – a high-tech "blind date" app with ninety-nine vetted bachelors – that changed everything. The catch wasn't just my hand in marriage; it was Miller Tech, his entire empire. A cold dread seeped in, a memory so sharp it felt real. In my past life, this was where my destruction began. I remembered choosing Brandon Hayes, the charismatic CEO, who promised the world then systematically destroyed me. He stripped me of everything – my inheritance, my dignity, my name – framing me for corporate espionage. I died alone, my reputation shattered, watching him praised as a visionary. But now, I was back. Twenty again, standing in my father' s office, the app open on the tablet. "Chloe, honey? Are you alright? You look pale." I looked at my father, his face etched with genuine concern, and a fierce, protective love surged through me. This time, I would not let that monster destroy him, or me. My finger hovered over Brandon's profile, a perfect trap. With a deliberate, steady hand, I swiped his profile to the digital trash bin. "I don' t like him," I said, my voice flat. I closed my eyes and let my finger fall randomly on one of the ninety-eight remaining profiles. A new screen loaded. The picture was grainy, a low-quality headshot: Jake "Bulldog" Riley. Former Navy SEAL. Honorably discharged after a career-ending injury. "Him?" my father' s voice was laced with disbelief. "He' s... a nobody." "I' m sure, Dad," I said, My voice unwavering. This was my choice. Anyone but Brandon Hayes. I had a feeling about him. A lie and the truest thing I' d ever said. The news of my choice rippled through the city' s elite, painting me as a naive fool or rebellious brat. Brandon must have heard. He couldn't understand it. He couldn't possibly know that I was choosing a stranger not out of foolishness, but out of the bitter, hard-won wisdom of a ghost. A fragmented memory surfaced – a charity gala years ago, a fire. Brandon had claimed credit for getting me out, but now, another image fought its way forward. Someone strong, silent, moving with purpose through the chaos. He had pulled me through a service exit, away from the stampeding crowd, before melting back into the shadows. I never saw his face clearly – until now. What if my random choice wasn' t so random after all?

Introduction

The holographic face of Ms. Albright shimmered, echoing a prediction: at twenty, I' d face a heartbreak, a betrayal that would shatter my world.

It was my father' s solution – a high-tech "blind date" app with ninety-nine vetted bachelors – that changed everything.

The catch wasn't just my hand in marriage; it was Miller Tech, his entire empire.

A cold dread seeped in, a memory so sharp it felt real.

In my past life, this was where my destruction began.

I remembered choosing Brandon Hayes, the charismatic CEO, who promised the world then systematically destroyed me.

He stripped me of everything – my inheritance, my dignity, my name – framing me for corporate espionage.

I died alone, my reputation shattered, watching him praised as a visionary.

But now, I was back.

Twenty again, standing in my father' s office, the app open on the tablet.

"Chloe, honey? Are you alright? You look pale."

I looked at my father, his face etched with genuine concern, and a fierce, protective love surged through me.

This time, I would not let that monster destroy him, or me.

My finger hovered over Brandon's profile, a perfect trap.

With a deliberate, steady hand, I swiped his profile to the digital trash bin.

"I don' t like him," I said, my voice flat.

I closed my eyes and let my finger fall randomly on one of the ninety-eight remaining profiles.

A new screen loaded.

The picture was grainy, a low-quality headshot: Jake "Bulldog" Riley.

Former Navy SEAL.

Honorably discharged after a career-ending injury.

"Him?" my father' s voice was laced with disbelief.

"He' s... a nobody."

"I' m sure, Dad," I said, My voice unwavering.

This was my choice.

Anyone but Brandon Hayes.

I had a feeling about him.

A lie and the truest thing I' d ever said.

The news of my choice rippled through the city' s elite, painting me as a naive fool or rebellious brat.

Brandon must have heard.

He couldn't understand it.

He couldn't possibly know that I was choosing a stranger not out of foolishness, but out of the bitter, hard-won wisdom of a ghost.

A fragmented memory surfaced – a charity gala years ago, a fire.

Brandon had claimed credit for getting me out, but now, another image fought its way forward.

Someone strong, silent, moving with purpose through the chaos.

He had pulled me through a service exit, away from the stampeding crowd, before melting back into the shadows.

I never saw his face clearly – until now.

What if my random choice wasn' t so random after all?

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5.0

The sterile hospital smell was the last thing I remembered. I was Ava, a successful architect, and I was dying. Through a morphine haze, I heard my husband, Liam, and his identical twin brother, Ethan. "Is she gone yet?" Ethan asked coldly. "Almost," Liam replied, his voice devoid of love. Then Chloe' s voice, sharp and satisfied: "She heard us talking about the miscarriage." My heart seized. My baby. The baby they called a tragic accident. "It was for the best," Liam said. "She was never meant to be the mother of my child. You are, Chloe." A wave of nausea and horror washed over me. "And the hysterectomy?" Ethan asked. "Are you sure it' s done?" Dr. Anderson confirmed it, Liam said. Complications. I' d never carry a child again. My world dissolved. They' d not only betrayed me but orchestrated the death of my child and the end of my womanhood. All for Chloe. Then, nothing. Until I opened my eyes again. I was in my wedding gown, in my wedding bed. Liam walked out of the bathroom, that devastating smile now making my stomach turn. He was an actor, and I had been his most captive audience. I remembered the whispers from my deathbed: the cold, calculated cruelty. This beautiful monster had shared me with his brother. I had died and come back, armed with the terrible truth. The man who had pledged his life to me had been orchestrating my destruction. My baby, my womanhood, my very life-all sacrificed for a twisted game. How could this be real? Why was I back? A new resolve settled in my soul. I wouldn't just survive this wedding night; I would be the architect of their destruction.

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