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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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The Grand Nightclub -- the most luxurious of its kind in J City -- was already alive and in full swing the moment the city lights started to turn on. Its name alone invoked the picture of a magnificent and high-end establishment.

"Mary, send these bottles of wine to VIP Room 8," Jada Chen said, stopping a passing girl. Jada was the lobby manager of the nightclub, and was responsible for the arrangement of the beverages being served.

"What?" Mary Liu asked, confused. Today was her first day at work. She was a third year student at the C University, who was deep in her struggles. Her father had been framed and accused of bribery, and was now serving sentence in prison. Her mother couldn't stand it and had been completely bedridden since then. Now Mary had no choice but to be the breadwinner. She was the only hope of her family ever rising from their current predicament.

She had had a hard time looking for a high-paying job these recent days. Fortunately, her good friend Lainey Li had told her that nightclubs were particularly profitable. She did warn Mary, though, that the environment was complicated and very tricky to maneuver.

Nevertheless, Mary had no choice. She had to soldier on for the sake of making money. She believed that everything would be fine as long as she was careful.

"Hurry up. The customers have been waiting for a while now. If you serve them well, you will get a nice tip." Manager Jada's tone was a little urgent.

"All right, Manager Jada. I'll be right there." Mary's voice, on the other hand, was soft and clearly nervous. Despite her fluster, she quickly took to her task and took the wine to the second floor.

'The Liu Group has gone bankrupt, Mary, ' she told herself as she walked. 'You are no longer a rich young lady, but you are your family's only daughter. Dad is still waiting for you to help clear his name and remove him from jail. Mom can't leave the house or be much help because of the stress. The responsibility is all yours now. Trust yourself. You can do this.'

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