Caroline’s POV:My husband, William, had promised to accompany me to have a prenatal checkup, but he hadn’t come home for three days. He had told me he would only be gone for a day for a business trip and promised to be back in time, but I didn't know what happened to him. As the days passed, I grew even more worried about him.I’m huddled with my blankets against the window, keeping an eye on the driveway. I rubbed a hand over my swollen belly, praying that William would come home soon. We’d been expecting a little boy for six months now, but as the CEO of his own company, he’d been so busy as of late.“Where are you, William?” I whispered out into the morning, watching as the sun peeked just above the forested mountains.My worries quickly melted away as soon as I saw a slick black car coming over the hills and towards our villa. “William!” I gasped, relieved that he was alright. I left the window and came down our extravagant winding staircase, careful not to run so the baby wouldn
Caroline's POV:I awoke once again in a hospital bed, feeling an agonizing pain in my stomach. Instinctively, I brought a hand to my stomach, only to be horrified when I realized that there’s no longer a bump.Screaming, I sit up with tears in my eyes. “Where’s my baby?” I gasp as nurses crowded around me, trying to calm me down. “What happened to my baby?”The head doctor came up beside me, clipboard in hand. I prayed that he would tell me that my little boy had survived whatever had happened, but the sorrowful look on the doctor’s face had my heart plummeting.“Caroline,” he murmured in a comforting voice, “You went into forced labor when you fell into the lake. We tried to save your son but… he didn’t make it. I’m so very sorry.”I was overcome with grief and let out a devastated sob. I was inconsolable, my entire frame shaking as I cried into my hands. I couldn’t believe that my baby was dead. The precious bundle of joy I had loved for six months was gone.I feel so alone. All I
Caroline's POV:I had never once faced the fear of death until now. It wasn’t until I lost my baby that I realized I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want it to end like this. Now, in my darkest moment, the only person I wanted to rely on was my husband.My life has been a happy one for the most part. My childhood was wonderful, I made so many great and supportive friends, and I even met the man of my dreams. All that I wanted was to start a family, and now that it’s been ripped from my hands, I realize that I still have so much left to live for. William and I had been so happy together. At least, that’s what I thought at first. Was that all a lie? Had Sophia torn us apart, or had I done something wrong to cause our marriage to crumble?Either way, I couldn’t bear to face William after what he had done to me. He’d completely and utterly betrayed me and abandoned our baby. I didn’t know if I would ever be able to love and trust someone again like I had with William. I felt as though he ha
Caroline's POV:I nearly stumbled over my own feet entering the police station. I entered the building, about to rush to the front desk. I could hear a slew of pings from my phone, no doubt all from William trying to find out where I was. We were supposed to be registering for our divorce, but my father came first.“Excuse me,” I announced to the woman at the front desk. “I think there was some kind of mistake! I’m here to see Thomas West?”The woman furrowed her brow before seemingly recognizing the name. “Oh! You must be Caroline,” she greeted. “Is there a problem?”“Yes, I was told he was arrested,” I explained, wringing my hands nervously. “There must be some sort of misunderstanding.”She shook her head. “No misunderstanding here,” she replied. “Your father has been arrested for an outstanding debt he owes to a government entity.” My lips parted in shock. “What does he owe?” I asked, my hands shaking as they gripped the counter. “Whatever it is, I’ll cover it. I swear.”The fron
Caroline’s POV:William stopped as soon as he saw me, his hand clutching Sophia’s while Sophia cradled her baby on one arm. I struggled not to burst into tears at the sight and instead clutched the ring in my hand. “Caroline…” William murmured, his face a mix of agitation and confusion. “What are you doing here?”The saleswoman noticed William and smiled brightly. “Oh, Mr. Anderson! Good to see you. Are you here to pick out something for your fiancé? Let me just finish up helping this young lady sell her ring and I’ll be there to help you.”My eyes widened at her words. “Fiancé?” I whispered, shocked. “You’re already marrying her?” William opened his mouth, but nothing came out. The saleswoman seemed to finally read the room and quickly ducked out, leaving me with my husband and his mistress. Sophia looked between us, her cold gaze settling on the ring in my hand. “William? What’s going on?” she asked, her brow furrowed. “Why is she selling her jewelry? Is your family in financial
Caroline’s POV:The hand over my mouth smothered any hope of a scream. I struggled, but my body didn’t obey. Silent tears streamed down my face as I felt their hands on me, invading every inch. The world around me blurred and faded, sounds warping into cruel echoes.“She’s not even fighting back! I told you, she wanted this!” “Perfect. Hold her down. She’s all mine now.” My mind screamed in terror, but my body remained frozen, helpless. The horror of what was coming brushed me, leaving me with nothing. I couldn’t move, couldn’t fight, couldn’t cry out for help. I was lost, sinking into darkness. What was the point? I was theirs now. They were claiming me in all the awful ways they could. I lost something to them, something I would never get back. That broke me. But then, faintly, a voice broke through the haze. A shout, distant, but growing closer. Through the fog of fear, I barely made out a figure running toward us. His presence wasn’t just a silhouette but a force that cut thro
William’s POV:“William, honey,” Sophia started, inspecting her bare neck in the dim light of the morning rays. “I want a new necklace. Can you take me to the jewelry store?”I smiled softly and wrapped my arms around her supple waist, admiring her flawlessness in the mirror. “Of course, baby. Anything for you”If Sophia wanted something, I was more than ready to give it to her. This had been the same way with Caroline early on in our marriage, but she didn’t matter anymore. Sophia was the only one for me.I also just needed a distraction from the past few days. After all, with Caroline trying to back out on our divorce and take money from me, I’d been extremely frustrated as of late. She really thought she could trick me like that, siphoning money from me for herself and a father who deserved exactly what she got. I brought her to the same jeweler where I’d purchased Caroline’s ring only a couple years or so prior. In light of my struggles with Caroline, there were bad memories atta
Caroline’s POV:Hearing Martin’s soft-spoken words sent a flurry of mixed emotions washing over me. He wanted me to rely on someone? As I was silently deliberating what to even say to that, my phone started to ring. I curiously glanced at the caller ID to see that it was James, William’s personal assistant. Giving Martin an apologetic look, I said, “I have to take this call. Do you think you could give me a few minutes?”Martin’s smile was kind and sweet. “Of course. I’ll go get us some coffee, alright?”As soon as he was gone, I reluctantly glanced down at the Caller ID. I didn’t want anything to do with William right now, but I had no choice. Sure enough, there was James’ snippy tone on the other end. “Mrs. Anderson?” The title made me wince with pain. It didn’t feel right to be called his wife after his unfaithfulness to me, even if we were still married. “Please, just call me Caroline. What can I help you with?”“I’m just here to remind you that Sara Anderson’s birthday party is