\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 5\u00a0<\/p>\n
4\u00a0<\/p>\n
87\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stayed on the floor longer than I should have.\u00a0<\/p>\n
People stared. Some whispered. Some pretended I wasn\u2019t there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ryle knelt beside me, tugging my sleeve with shaking hands. His eyes were full of fear. I forced myself up, every movement burning, and pulled him into my arms again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then I went back to the line.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Step by step.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When it was my turn, I signed the discharge papers without speaking. My hands shook so badly my name didn\u2019t even look like mine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We went home.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The house felt dead. No sound. No warmth. Just cold walls and air that smelled\u00a0<\/p>\n
empty. Ryle took off his shoes carefully, like he was afraid to make noise. Then he suddenly stopped and grabbed my hand hard. Too hard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMom,\u201d he whispered, not looking up. \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t have come back.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart dropped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He swallowed. His eyes were wet but he didn\u2019t cry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you show up, Dad gets angry. Then people get hurt. I don\u2019t want them to hit you again. I can stay. I\u2019m used to it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I broke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pulled him close, crying into his hair, holding him so tight my chest hurt. \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d I kept whispering. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was eight. Fear raised him faster than love ever could.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then my phone rang.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My parents.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCome home now,\u201d my mother snapped. \u201cBring the child.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d I said, still holding Ryle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t play dumb,\u201d she barked. \u201cIf you don\u2019t show up today, you\u2019ll regret it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The call ended.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t argue. I took Ryle and went.\u00a0<\/p>\n
11:05 Wed, Jan 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their house was nothing like before. New gates. Guards. Expensive cars lined up like trophies. Power everywhere. That was where the Vanderbilt favor went.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment I stepped inside, my mother slapped me. Hard. My head snapped to the\u00a0<\/p>\n
side.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She spat at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou shameless thing! How dare you upset Roxanne while she\u2019s pregnant. Do you\u00a0<\/p>\n
want to kill her babies?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Babies. Plural.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou went online,\u201d she screamed. \u201cYou made her bleed. She\u2019s carrying twins. If anything happens, I\u2019ll bury you myself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ryle shook beside me. He bowed his head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Grandma,\u201d he whispered. \u201cI\u2019ll be good. Please don\u2019t hit Mommy. Please don\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
hit me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Something inside me shattered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father kicked me in the stomach. I crashed to the floor, coughing blood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should\u2019ve stayed with your criminal lover,\u201d he roared. \u201cYou ruined David and Roxanne\u2019s happiness.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The door opened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roxanne.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My mother\u2019s face changed instantly. She shoved me aside and rushed to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you scared? Did she hurt you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roxanne saw me and stepped back like I was dangerous.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy is she here?\u201d she asked softly. \u201cDid she say bad things about me again? I never wanted to take her husband. I\u2019m really sorry, sister.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My parents shielded her immediately.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father pointed at the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTake your face and that child and get out.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roxanne cried quietly, hiding her face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That was when I stopped crying.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled. Small. Bitter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A year of kidnapping hadn\u2019t broken me like this. My family did it in minutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then David arrived, gifts in his arms, men behind him filling the room with pressure. When he saw me, his face turned cold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 5\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/4 18.0%\u00a0<\/p>\n
11:05 Wed, Jan 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roxanne stepped in fast.\u201dPlease don\u2019t be angry at her. She\u2019s always hated me. She\u2019s insecure and jealous. Now that you chose me, she can\u2019t accept it.\u201d She lowered her head. \u201cI\u2019ll apologize to her. Just don\u2019t hate her because of me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I watched them\u2026 And finally understood. I was never their daughter. Never his wife. I was just the mistake they all agreed to erase.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I got home with Ryle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The house was silent, empty in a way that made my chest ache. I put him down slowly, and he wandered over to the kitchen like a little ghost. I made him something to eat. He barely touched it, just stared at his plate while I sat across from him, tired to the bone, bruises burning under my clothes, arms still raw.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When he finally finished, I cleaned up, tucked him into bed, and kissed his forehead. His little body was warm, soft, and somehow all mine, but I felt every crack inside me\u00a0<\/p>\n
that hadn\u2019t healed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I collapsed onto the couch after. My phone buzzed. My lawyer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDivorce papers are ready. Needs signatures from you and David.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I typed back, hands trembling. \u201cOkay.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then the phone rang again. Colt Blackwood. My pulse hitched.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs\u00a0<\/p>\n
your divorce ready?\u201d His voice was calm but sharp. \u201cIn five days I\u2019ll get you out of that house. You and your son.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d I whispered. \u201cI will make him sign.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The weight in my chest eased a little. A small victory.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next morning came David\u2019s call. Cold. Sharp. The kind that made your bones ache before your mind could even think. He told me to go to the hotel. I left Ryle with the maid. I wanted to take him with me so badly, but I couldn\u2019t. Not yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I arrived, the room was bright with cameras and lights. Roxanne was there. My sister. The one everyone thought was sweet, fragile, and perfect. She had her fake smile plastered on, pink maternity dress hanging loose, eyes sparkling with the performance she always gave.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to apologize,\u201d she said, \u201cIn front of everyone. For ruining my name, for what you posted about me. Admit it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked at her, \u201cI didn\u2019t do anything wrong,\u201d I said quietly. \u201cYou, as my husband mistress were the one who destroyed every-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 5\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/4 19.0%\u00a0<\/p>\n
11:05 Wed, Jan 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0e41\u0e23 87\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roxanne\u2019s face twisted, panic slipping through her act. Isabella, why are you doing this? I know you hate me, but you\u2019re the reason David ran to me! You cheated on him. You slept with other men! Now go ahead and tell the world what a disgusting sister you are, after seeing how perfect my life is with David and how you eagerly wanted to ruin it!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then she stumbled forward, arms reaching, and her flat belly slammed against the table. She bent over, white skirt turning red almost instantly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy babies!\u201d she gasped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
David moved faster than I could, shoving me aside and scooping her up. \u201cIf anything happens to Roxanne and her children, you will pay,\u201d he spat, and then he stormed out, bodyguards filling the room behind him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Two of them grabbed me and pulled me toward the car. I didn\u2019t resist. My legs were heavy, my body numb.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roxanne\u2019s crying bounced off the walls of the hospital corridor. \u201cMy babies! Please, David, don\u2019t let anything happen! I can\u2019t be alone if something goes wrong! The twins\u2026 it\u2019s my fault. I just want to stay with them!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The hallway finally went quiet. Then the door opened and David stepped out. His face was cold, sharper than ice, and I froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIsabella,\u201d he said, voice flat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed hard, my throat dry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t think you had it in you to be this cruel,\u201d he continued. \u201cGet outside. Kneel. Say you\u2019re sorry for what could have happened to Roxanne\u2019s babies. Only then will you get your punishment.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before I could even think, two of his men grabbed me, dragging me forward. I hit the stone outside, knees scraping and freezing against the ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n
11:05 Wed, Jan 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
Prepare the divorce and ruin your husband by Mark Twain 5 \u00a0 Chapter 5\u00a0 4\u00a0 87\u00a0 I stayed on the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-his-regret-my-victory-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23536"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23536\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}