The Moment I Let Go

Ella's sobs yanked me back to reality. Adrian had caught her just in time and now held her tightly in his arms.

They clung to each other as if the world had fallen away. Adrian bent to kiss the tears streaking down her face.

The sight turned my stomach.

He looked shaken, haunted by what had just happened. The thought of losing Ella clearly terrified him.

He stroked the crown of her head with trembling fingers and murmured, "Thank God you're safe. Don't leave me, Ella. Please, don't leave me."

Ella kept hiccupping through her tears, her body pressed against him. Her voice wavered with heartbreak as she whispered, "Are you really going to give Selene what she wants, to have a child with her? If you are, I might as well die now."

Adrian held her even closer, wiping her face with his palms, coaxing her like a child. "No. Never. You are everything to me, Ella. She wants a baby? Fine. I'll let her do IVF. But you are the one who matters, Ella."

Then, almost as if forced by my presence, he muttered, "Selene's been married to me for years. She's always wanted a child, but I…" He broke off with a heavy sigh.

His words stunned everyone around us. He had just admitted, right there, that he refused to have a child with me.

Eyes flicked back and forth between us, the air thick with judgment. My patience snapped.

"Adrian," I said sharply, "when are you going to keep your promise? I don't have time to stand here watching you play out this love story."

He gave a bitter laugh. "So eager to have my child, Selene? Forget it. I will never give you that. You can kill that dream now."

Then, with a jarring shift, he softened his touch for Ella, pinching her cheek tenderly. But when he turned back to me, his face went cold and hard. "I can arrange everything for you. If you want a baby, do IVF. The child can take my name. I'll even help you raise it—"

I cut him off before he could finish. "Let's get divorced, Adrian."

Adrian snapped his head up the moment my words sank in. His eyes blazed with fury. "You want a divorce, Selene? Do you even hear yourself?"

Ella's eyes lit up instantly, a flicker of joy she tried to hide as she nestled back into his arms, feigning innocence.

Then, something seemed to dawn on Adrian, and a cruel smirk curved his lips.

"Selene, this is just another one of your little games to get my attention, isn't it? You've clung to me for years like a bad rash—always there, impossible to shake off. And now you expect me to believe you actually want to leave?

"Don't kid yourself. Have you forgotten how many tricks you pulled just to get me into bed so you could have my child?"

He watched me closely, waiting for me to crumble, his expression dripping with smug satisfaction, as if he was certain I could never truly walk away from him.

I met his gaze and gave him a calm, cold smile. "Looking at you now just makes me sick."

Then, I turned and walked away without another glance at him.

Ella gripped the front of his shirt, her voice soft and trembling. "It's all my fault, Addy. If it weren't for me, you and Selene wouldn't be fighting. You should go after her. I'll be fine."

She dabbed at the corner of her eye, pretending to cry.

Adrian's anger melted in an instant. "No, I won't. This isn't your fault, Ella. You're too good for that. Don't worry about her. She'll come back. A woman who's tried that hard to get into my bed isn't going anywhere just because she says she's done."

The Wife He Never Wanted

Yes, I had done everything I could to get into his bed.

To outsiders, our marriage looked perfect. Adrian and I were the picture of a loving couple. But the truth was, we had slept in separate rooms for years. He never allowed me to step into his bedroom. He even installed a keypad lock, afraid I might try to sneak in at night.

Once, he brought Ella over for the night. My gastritis flared up so badly that sweat drenched my body, and weakness pinned me to the bed. My throat was raw; I couldn't even call for help. I passed out in my room while he and Ella were in his, tangled up in pleasure.

In my previous life, Ella often came to our home, flaunting their love right in front of me, showing off the jewelry Adrian had bought her, the gifts meant to humiliate me.

I was jealous, furious, desperate. One day, I lost control and pushed her down the stairs.

Afterward, Adrian came home with a whip tipped with metal spikes. He tied me up in the basement and lashed me until I was nothing but blood and pain. My skin split open; the floor was slick with red. Even the rats came crawling over to gnaw at my wounds.

Remembering it now felt like knives tearing through my chest.

It was time to end this once and for all.

I went home, slept for a while, and woke to find it was already evening.

The moment I turned on my phone, a message from Adrian appeared. 'My mom just finished shopping. Go pick her up.'

A location was attached.

Adrian's mother, Linda Cooper, had always been kind to me.

My grandfather and Adrian's grandfather had fought side by side in the war, and our families had stayed close for generations.

After my parents' accident, I was entrusted to the Cross family's care. Linda treated me like her own daughter, and after I married Adrian, her kindness only deepened.

She wasn't the type to spend her days wandering malls.

Even knowing something felt off, I still wanted to see what Adrian was planning. So, I followed the location he sent and drove to the mall.

When I arrived, I found myself in the underground parking lot. Suddenly, someone came up behind me and pressed a damp cloth over my mouth.

Everything went black.

When I came to, I was lying inside an abandoned factory.

A few women stood around me, and in the middle of them was Ella.

"Make her kneel."

Two of them grabbed me by the arms and forced me down in front of her.

Ella stepped closer, gripped my chin, and slapped me hard across the face. "You pathetic bitch. You think you can get pregnant with Addy's child?"

She yanked my hair, forcing me to look up at her. "Addy can't even stand you. Do you really think he'd ever touch you? Keep dreaming."

Her other hand slid across my cheek, her tone almost playful. "Such a pretty face. What a shame it'd be if it got ruined."

She reached for a knife lying on a nearby stool and raised it toward my face.

I bit down on her wrist with all my strength.

Ella screamed, then kicked me square in the chest. A sharp, metallic taste filled my throat as pain exploded through my ribs.

"You filthy rat! How dare you bite me? Beat her!"

Her friends rushed in, kicking me over and over until everything went dark again.

"Throw some water on her," she yelled. "Wake her up."

Cold water splashed over me, but I didn't move. Someone muttered nervously, "Ella, what if she's dead?"

For a second, panic flickered across Ella's face. Then, she stepped on me with her heel and snarled, "Don't you dare play dead! You think I'll let you off that easily?"

Someone crouched beside me and pressed a finger under my nose. My breath was so faint it barely existed. The girl jolted back in terror and fell to the ground.

A Heart Gone Cold

At the law firm, Adrian was sorting through his case files when his assistant burst in, breathless.

"Adrian, bad news. Selene's been hurt badly. She's in surgery right now, and the hospital needs your signature for the operation."

Adrian barely looked up. "So, she's backing out now? Unbelievable. Tell her I'm not going."

He went right back to going through his files.

His assistant snatched the files from his hands, panic rising in his voice. "I'm serious, Adrian! The hospital called—"

Adrian's brows tightened. Irritation flashed in his eyes. "What did Selene offer you to take her side? Even you've started speaking up for her now. If she truly wants my forgiveness, she can crawl here herself and beg for it. Maybe then I'll consider it. Now, get out."

After the assistant left, Adrian switched his phone to airplane mode so I couldn't bother him again.

When his workday finally ended, he turned his phone back on, only to see dozens of missed calls and frantic messages from Linda.

He thought something must've happened at home and immediately called back. But instead of concern, he was met with his mother's furious voice.

"You heartless fool! Where the hell have you been? Selene's in critical condition; she's dying! Get to the hospital right now!"

The call ended with a slam. Adrian's chest burned with anger. 'That woman is always stirring up trouble. Pretending to die now? And even dragging my mother into it? She'd better be ready for what's coming.'

He jumped into his car and sped toward the hospital.

…

In the passenger seat, Ella sat pale and silent, her hands clutching her skirt so tightly her knuckles turned white.

When they stepped out of the elevator at the hospital, Adrian barely had time to look around before a sharp slap landed across Ella's face.

"You vile woman!" Linda shouted at Ella, her voice trembling with rage. "How could you be so cruel?"

Adrian instantly stepped in front of Ella, shielding her. "Mom, what's wrong with you? Why would you hit Ella?"

He wrapped an arm protectively around Ella's shoulders, trying to soothe her.

Linda was shaking with rage, her voice breaking as she shouted, "Good Lord! What did I do to deserve this? I swear, I'll beat some sense into you today!"

Before she could, Adrian's father, Alexander Cross, grabbed him by the collar and dragged him toward the ICU doors. His hand came down hard across Adrian's face.

"You ungrateful son! Look for yourself. Selene's fighting for her life, and you didn't even bother to come! She's dying!"

Through the glass, Adrian finally saw me lying on the hospital bed.

Machines surrounded me, tubes running across my body. I was wrapped in layers of white bandages, some already stained dark red where the blood had seeped through.

Adrian's eyes widened. The disgust that had once twisted his face gave way to shock and disbelief. His lips trembled as he whispered, almost to himself, "That's impossible. Ella told me she was faking it…"