STIGMA

While I Was Bleeding Out, He Lit Lanterns For Her

Katie Oettgen

As I lay on the floor of our manor, bleeding out from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, I used my last ounce of strength to call my husband, Cole. I begged him for help, my vision blurring. But the only thing I heard was the clinking of champagne glasses and his mistress's giggle in the background. "Stop the drama, June," Cole snapped, his voice cold. "We're about to go on stage. Don't call again." He hung up, leaving me to die alone on the Persian rug while he accepted an award with another woman on his arm. I woke up in the hospital days later. My baby was gone. They had removed my fallopian tube. Cole finally arrived, smelling of expensive scotch and his mistress's perfume. He didn't hug me. He didn't cry. Instead, he leaned over my hospital bed, pressing his knee into the mattress until my fresh stitches tore open and bled. "You embarrassed me by calling an ambulance," he hissed. "My mistress, Alycia, says you're faking it. Clean yourself up." He left me bleeding again to go announce a $10 million donation to Alycia's "groundbreaking" medical research. I stared at the TV screen, numb. The research Alycia was taking credit for? It was mine. I wrote that patent years ago under a pseudonym. They thought I was just a poor, orphan housewife who needed Cole's money to survive. They had no idea I was actually a billionaire scientist hiding my identity. I pulled the IV needle out of my arm. A drop of blood fell onto the divorce papers I had been hiding. I didn't wipe it off. I signed my name right over it. Then I walked into the bank, reactivated my dormant account with $128 million, and bought the penthouse directly overlooking Cole's house. The mourning widow is dead. The avenger is born.

Romance Crime Revenge Pregnancy Enemies to Lovers Pregnancy Personal Growth

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Prologue.

Abigail started working as a maid in The Williams's mansion a couple of months ago in order to earn money to pay for her mum's surgery. Sarah, her mother, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Unintentionally, Abby developed feelings for Liam Williams, the only son and heir to The Williams's empire.

Liam was also attracted to her but they both decided to ignore the tingling sensations and sparks that flew between them because they were people from different worlds. Abigail kept reminding herself that she was there to work and earn and not to fall in love.

Fortunately and unfortunately, they unleashed their burning desire in one night. They broke the rule, they had sex and words couldn't describe how amazing it felt for both of them. They couldn't get enough of each other.

The next morning, Abigail woke up in her room in the servant quarters and instead of opening her eyes to see Liam beside her, she saw a paper.

The paper was not so neatly folded and out of curiosity, she reached for it and opened it.

She blushed when she saw the unique cursive handwriting. It was Liam's and she could recognize it anywhere.

As soon as she started reading the words scribbled on the paper, her blush disappeared and from nowhere, heavy tears welled up in her eyes.

Liam made it clear that what happened between them the previous night was a mistake that should never have occurred so she should forget that something like that ever took place.

Abby tore the paper into big pieces, squeezed them all together and threw it across her room in anger, not caring where it landed.

Then she buried her face into her pillow and cried...............

Seconds became minutes and days became weeks. Abigail made several attempts to talk to Liam but he always ignored her and treated her as if she never existed, until he left for Australia, for his masters, without saying goodbye.

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