Chapter 6\u00a0<\/p>\n
I lifted my head a little. The first snow of the year was falling, quiet and soft, landing on my hair, my shoulders.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The snow came down harder, blinding. I could barely keep my eyes open. Then everything went black. The last thing I heard was someone shouting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Vanderbilt, she passed out!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
David didn\u2019t even look over. \u201cWake her up. She\u2019s not done kneeling.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I jolted when ice water was thrown on my face. It stole the air from my lungs. I gasped and coughed until my chest burned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Inside the ward, Roxanne was clinging to David, crying like the world had ended.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe babies\u2026 they\u2019re gone,\u201d she whispered. \u201cI lost them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
David held her, his hand gentle in her hair, \u201cIt\u2019s okay. We can have more. I won\u2019t let this be for nothing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She touched her stomach and broke down harder. \u201cI have nothing left. No title, no child, no place. What\u2019s the point of me even living? Maybe I should just end it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t talk like that,\u201d he said sharply.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She pulled back and looked at him through her tears. \u201cDavid\u2026 can I take her place? Can you make me your wife instead? Just leave Isabella. I\u2019m tired of being called the other woman because of her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I heard the pause. Thick. Heavy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then the door opened again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSir,\u201d the bodyguard said nervously. She collapsed again. She\u2019s not responding.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
David finally walked out. He looked down at me lying in the snow. My skin was white, my lips blue, my dress soaked and sticking to my body. I must have looked dead already.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCall a doctor,\u201d he ordered. \u201cNow. Just make sure she doesn\u2019t die.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That was all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even like this, I was still only something to punish, not someone to protect. All those years I spent loving him, believing in him, had turned me weak and foolish.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I woke up because something cold hit my arm. A sharp sting. I gasped and tried to move, but my body felt heavy like I was waking up from a bad dream that would not end.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3 21.3%\u00a0<\/p>\n
11:05 Wed, Jan 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0e08\u00a0<\/p>\n
87\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Vanderbilt! She\u2019s awake.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That was when I realized I was not in a hospital.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was on a yacht.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The floor beneath me swayed gently. The sound of water surrounded us. When my vision cleared, I saw them. All of them. David stood near the railing, face stiff. Roxanne was wrapped in layers, leaning against him like she could collapse any second. My parents were there too, standing close, their faces tight with anger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And then I saw my son.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ryle was kneeling beside me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His small hands were shaking as he clung to my sleeve. His eyes were red and swollen from crying. He kept bowing his head again and again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he kept saying in a tiny voice. \u201cI\u2019ll be good. I won\u2019t be bad anymore. Please don\u2019t hurt my mom. Please.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart cracked open.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tried to sit up, but before I could say his name, my mother stepped forward and slapped me hard across the face. My head snapped to the side. I tasted blood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou evil thing,\u201d she screamed. \u201cYou killed your sister\u2019s babies!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father followed. His fist came down on my shoulder, then my back. I curled up instinctively, arms over my head, hearing nothing but my own breath and Ryle crying. \u201cHow could you do this to Roxanne?!\u201d my mother shouted again. \u201cYou were always jealous! Always cruel.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roxanne sobbed loudly, clinging to David. \u201cPlease stop,\u201d she cried, shaking. \u201cI don\u2019t want her punished like this. I just wanted peace. I just wanted my babies back.\u201d She cried so hard she could barely stand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
David raised his hand. \u201cEnough.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
They finally stepped back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Someone shoved a small urn into my trembling hands. It was cold. Too light.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDo it,\u201d David said. \u201cScatter the ashes. Apologize properly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The wind was strong as I was dragged to the edge. My hands shook so badly I almost dropped it right away. I could barely stand. My legs felt like they might give out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roxanne stepped closer, crying softly. \u201cIsabella, please. Let my babies rest.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The urn slipped from my hands.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then screaming.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3 22.7%\u00a0<\/p>\n
11:06 Wed, Jan 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
87\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou useless monster!\u201d my mother shrieked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before I could react, my father grabbed Ryle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGo get it!\u201d he yelled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He threw my son over the railing. I screamed his name. My body moved before my mind could catch up. I ran. I did not think. I did not breathe. I jumped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The water was freezing. It swallowed me whole.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I saw Ryle for a second. His small body was sinking. His arms flailed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMom!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRyle!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I kicked. I reached. My lungs burned. My arms felt weak. The waves pulled us apart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSend a boat!\u201d David ordered. His voice cut clean through the wind. \u201cGet both of them out.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was barely holding Ryle. My arms felt like they were tearing. Every wave dragged us down again. I kicked because I had to. Because if I stopped, he would sink.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another voice yelled back, \u201cSir, Roxanne collapsed!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I heard her scream my name. Weak. Fragile. Perfect.\u00a0<\/p>\n
David swore. Footsteps rushed. Someone shouted that the helicopter was ready, blades already roaring above us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTake her to the hospital now,\u201d he said, fast and sharp. \u201cShe can\u2019t lose consciousness\u00a0<\/p>\n
out here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wanted to laugh. I wanted to scream.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before he left, he turned back to the sea.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep searching,\u201d he told his men. \u201cThey\u2019re not dead. Isabella swims well. The kid too. They\u2019re probably trying to run. Trying to get away from me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Run? Me?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could barely breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Water burned my throat. My arms shook so hard I thought they would snap. Ryle coughed, small hands clawing at my neck.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d I tried to say, but it came out as bubbles. \u201cMom\u2019s here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The waves did not care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Above us, the helicopter lifted, carrying Roxanne away like she was made of glass. Below, the sea pulled us down like we were nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 6\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
24.0%\u00a0<\/p>\n
11:06 Wed, Jan 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
DAVID\u2019S POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
Prepare the divorce and ruin your husband by Mark Twain 6 Chapter 6\u00a0 I lifted my head a little. 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-23537","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\/23537","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=23537"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23537\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}