Chapter 1
"If you don't divorce me, I'll beat you until you do!"
My husband Michael Bennett roared, and with his mistress Emily Grant by his side, they knocked me to the floor.
They thought they'd won, slamming the door behind them and heading out to celebrate their so-called victory.
But karma came for them faster than they ever imagined.
They barely made it out of the neighborhood before a truck slammed into them.
The doctor found me with a bill in hand. "You're family, right? You need to pay up, or he'll lose his leg."
I let out a cold laugh. "No money. Just cut it off. They'll make a perfect pair."
*****
"If you don't divorce me, I'll beat you until you do!"
Michael's roar thundered in my ears, making them ring.
There wasn't a shred of the old affection in his bloodshot eyes.
All that was left was a wild, beast-like madness.
Beside him stood Emily, my so-called best friend, her belly slightly rounded, a smug, triumphant smile on her face.
"Claire Grant, don't blame us. You were just hogging the spot and doing nothing," Emily said.
She dripped venom with honeyed words, saying the nastiest things in the most delicate tone.
"Michael's company needs cash flow. It's time for you to cough up that pre-marriage house.
"Oh, and by the way, the doctor says I'm having a son.
"The Bennett Family can't be without an heir," she continued.
I lay sprawled on the icy floor, waves of sharp pain stabbing through my abdomen.
Michael's kick hit me square in the belly.
I clutched a photo frame to my chest, refusing to let go.
It was our wedding photo.
In the photo, we were both smiling so brightly.
Now, it was the only thing I had left to hold onto, my last shred of hope.
"Michael, look at our, just look at our..." I pleaded, my voice trembling.
But before I could finish, Emily's laughter pierced the air.
She stepped forward and slammed her heel onto the back of my hand.
The heel of her shoe crushed my fingers, grinding them mercilessly.
"Why are you still holding onto this piece of junk?" Emily sneered.
She bent down and ripped the photo frame from my chest.
Smack!
She smashed it hard against the wall.
The glass shattered into pieces.
A jagged crack ran through our smiling faces in the photo, distorting them beyond recognition.
My heart completely shattered along with that sharp sound.
The last warmth drained away from my chest, leaving me cold inside.
Michael glanced at the hollow look in my eyes, and for a split second, he seemed uneasy.
But Emily quickly snapped him out of it.
"Why are you even looking at her? She can't even have kids, what a useless woman," Emily sneered.
"Let's get out of here. What a jinx," she added.
Michael gave me one last look, his eyes filled with nothing but disgust and impatience.
He held Emily close, like she was the most precious thing in the world.
Bang!
The front door slammed shut.
The world fell silent.
All that remained was me, lying among the cold, shattered glass, surrounded by the chaos.
I laughed.
But as I laughed, tears started streaming down my face.
My phone was buzzing nonstop deep in my pocket.
I didn't care. I just ignored it.
After what felt like forever, the ringtone kept ringing stubbornly.
Numbly, I pulled out my phone. It was an unknown number.
I swiped to answer, but didn't say a word.
An anxious voice came through the phone.
"Hello? Are you Michael Bennett's family?"
Family? Me? I nearly burst out laughing.
"I'm not," I croaked, my voice hoarse.
The voice on the other end answered, "This is the emergency department at Central City Hospital! Michael Bennett and a woman named Emily Grant were hit by a truck right right near your neighborhood!
"It's serious! You need to get here now!"
I froze.
My mind went completely blank.
Karma?
It came this fast?
I slowly got up from the floor, the broken glass digging into my palms.
My hand was cut and blood was pouring out, but I couldn't feel any pain.
I walked over to the shattered frame and picked up the photo, now split in two.
With a steady hand, I tore away the half of the photo that belonged to me.
Then, without hesitation, I threw Michael's half and the background right into the trash can.
I walked into the bedroom and changed into my most presentable outfit.
Standing in front of the mirror, I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth.
The woman in the mirror looked pale, but her eyes shone with a frightening brightness.
It was the fire of revenge, burning with the fury of someone who had clawed her way out of hell.
I grabbed my car keys and walked out of this place that used to be called home, a prison I was finally escaping.
I went to the hospital.