Rebirth of a scorned Empress

s trembling as she clutched the white envelope containing the test results. Pregnant. The word echoed in her mind, colliding with memo

love was blind, and she had chosen Nathan Parker despite th

. This was supposed to be a new beginning, a sign that their love had been w

s cologne filled her senses. Home. Their home. Her heels clicked against the m

, a

om upstairs-soft m

was the wind or the television. But as she moved toward the s

loser to the moment that would shatter her world. The door to their bed

sto

sheets, was Nathan. And beneath him,

er. The friend she had trusted with every sec

give way. Her fingers tightened around the envelope, the edges cutti

her mind struggling to process the scene before her. Nathan-her husband, her love, h

w fear or regret. Instead, Nathan exhaled deeply, as if re

ng, wavy hair over her shoulder. "I

reath hitc

ound his waist, his expression unreadable. "We couldn't keep pretending anymore,"

You see, Olivia," she continued, her tone laced with amusement, "Nathan

alm. "That's a lie." Her voic

han's shoulder. "Do you really think it was fate that brought you two together? That he fell in lo

spine. She could hear her own

g about?" she asked,

"It was all staged, Olivia. Every moment. Every smile. Every struggle we 'overc

u, and Nathan came in like a knight in shining armor?" She tilted her head mocking

r knocked out of her lungs. "

orked. You fell in love, clung to me despite your fa

her voice dripping with mock sympathy. "You thought we were helping them, right

parted, but no

ur father trusted Nathan, and in return, we took everything-hi

pain pierced

ad in false pity. "He shouldn't have been so nosy. He found out what we were

blood tur

ce cracked, horror wrapping

t act so surprised. You were

bling in her veins like molten fi

ed. "Maybe.

etrayal, disgust, fury-it all crashed into her at once. She clenc

anted to tear them apart. B

her cheeks as she turned

ad to escape, to breathe, to think. She had given them everythin

making it hard to see. Her hands instinctively went

ispered to her baby

hing tires snapped

time to see the blinding he

agonizi

into the air. The world spun in slow motion. Bl

through her limbs. Her fingers trembled as she reached fo

r vision blurred, darkness closi

ything we