Chapter 2

Octavia finally allowed the tears to stream down her cheeks as she entered her former marital bedroom. The familiar scent of Carl, now her ex-husband, engulfed her senses, stirring up a whirlwind of anguish as memories of his betrayal flooded her mind. She still struggled to believe that Carl had chosen to divorce and leave her for someone else, blaming her for everything that had transpired.

As she continued to grapple with the reality of their divorce, Octavia felt lost. She loved him deeply; he was her entire world, and her obsession with him had left her feeling hollow. The trust they once shared had been irreparably broken the moment he had been unfaithful. How was it possible that Kristine was now pregnant with his child? Had he been cheating on her even before she suffered her miscarriage? This tormenting question gnawed at her, leaving her without answers.

Fat and ugly tears streamed down her face as she approached the wardrobe that held their clothes. As she opened it, her gaze fell upon Carl's neatly arranged suits, and her heart constricted painfully. Reaching for one of his posh suits, she brought the fabric to her nose, inhaling his musky scent.

"Here comes the murderer of babies."

Haunted and hurt by his cruel words echoing in her mind, Octavia sobbed profusely.

The memory of Carl with Kristine was etched in her mind, and a lump formed in her throat. After a moment of silent tears, Octavia blinked back her sorrow and looked down at her stomach, caressing it gently as she struggled to maintain composure.

More tears rolled down her face as she contemplated the possibility that if she had been able to have a child, none of this would have happened. Carl would not have divorced her. This painful reality consumed her, but she soon realized that ruminating on the past would not change Carl's decision.

Sniffling, Octavia fought to regain her composure and retrieved her phone from the bed, dialing for her best friend, Jana.

The ringing soon ceased as Jana's dulcet voice broke through the silence, filling Octavia with a flicker of relief. "Hey, Octavia. What's up? Are you alright?"

Octavia shut her eyes and swallowed hard, struggling to keep her voice steady. "Please, can you come and pick me up at Carl's? Please."

"Right now?" Jana sounded surprised. "Girl, it's past 9 PM. You know you don't go out that late."

"Please," Octavia pleaded.

Noticing the tremor in her voice, Jana asked softly, "Did something happen, Octavia? Is it Carl?"

"I'll be waiting for you, Jana. Please come now." Octavia's tone was resolute; she had no desire to share her abrupt divorce at that moment, especially not over the phone.

"Okay..." Jana relented. With that, Octavia hung up, exhaling heavily.

For a moment, she paused, her thoughts swirling as she sought a way to navigate her current situation. As the silence enveloped her, tears began to cascade down her cheeks once more, and she collapsed onto the bed, burying her face in her hands and sobbing uncontrollably. How could she live without him? He was everything to her, and the thought of a life without Carl was excruciating.

Her moment of despair was interrupted as the bedroom door creaked open to reveal her worst nightmare.

Sniffling and lifting her gaze, Octavia's heart sank as she recognized Kristine entering the room. Her sobs quieted as their eyes locked, Kristine's expression filled with pure disdain.

Octavia couldn't understand the hatred reflected in Kristine's gaze, but one thing was clear: she had no intention of engaging with her. She wasn't worth the trouble. With that resolve in mind, Octavia disregarded her presence.

Wiping her tears with the back of her hand, she turned back toward the wardrobe, but Kristine's firm grip on her arm stopped her abruptly.

Startled, Octavia looked back at Kristine, her confusion mingling with annoyance. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

Kristine huffed, her eyes filled with malice. "I think I should be asking you that, MURDERER!" she spat, emphasizing the last word.

Octavia's heart twisted painfully at the accusation, leaving her momentarily speechless. "W-What?" A tear slipped down her cheek as she stammered.

Kristine continued, her voice dripping with bitterness. "Listen, I want you as far away from here as possible. Carl has made it clear that he cannot be with a barren woman like you. So don't even think about trying to win him back. If you do," she added, her gaze piercing, "I will fucking end you."

Shock coursed through Octavia as she struggled to process Kristine's threats. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted as Kristine chuckled darkly, releasing Octavia's arm.

Shifting her demeanor, she informed Octavia. "Carl said you shouldn't take any of my clothes with you..."

Octavia furrowed her brows in disbelief, confusion marring her face. "What?" She thought she hadn't heard her right.

"He said I should make sure you don't take any of my stuff with you," Kristine reiterated, her expression hardening. "You don't own anything here anymore. I'm his wife now. Leave."

Octavia grew ballistic. "What do you mean, your clothes? They're mine!" she retorted, her eyes flashing with annoyance.

"Who bought them for you?" Kristine shot back, cutting her off.

Octavia fell silent, struggling to articulate an answer.

Recognizing her silence, Kristine continued, "Exactly. They're not yours. They're mine now." She moved to push Octavia aside, but Octavia refused to back down.

In a moment of desperation, Octavia grabbed Kristine's shoulder, trying to pull her away. Suddenly, a searing pain pierced her side as Kristine plunged a knife (she hadn't noticed was with her before) into her abdomen, much to her bewilderment.

Octavia's eyes widened in horror, her vision blurring as she locked eyes with Kristine, who twisted the knife deeper. "What were you saying?" Kristine taunted, her voice cold as Octavia gasped for breath.

Octavia's body shook, instinctively grasping her wound as warmth seeped through her fingers. Staggering back, she collapsed onto the floor, blood pouring from her. Panic surged through her, but her voice failed her as she felt helpless under Kristine's looming presence.

Struggling to crawl away, Octavia found herself too weak to move. "P-please, please," she begged, tears streaming down her face as Kristine crouched closer.

Kristine smirked wickedly, yanking the knife from Octavia's side, accelerating the flow of blood from the wound.

Face contorted in agony, Octavia pressed her hand to the wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. Just when she thought the night couldn’t get any worse, Kristine's scream shattered the air.

"Carl!!" she called, her voice echoing through the house.

Octavia watched in disbelief as Kristine cut herself with the knife and collapsed, feigning tears. What kind of twisted game was she playing?

Before she could process what was happening, the bedroom door swung open, and Carl rushed in, visibly agitated.

Octavia's heart sank as she observed Carl’s gaze darting between the two of them on the floor. She had hoped he would rush to her aid, but instead, he hurried to Kristine, crouching beside her anxiously.

"What is it, baby? Are you alright?" He asked her, his voice thick with concern.

Octavia's heart twisted painfully at the sight of her husband displaying affection for another woman while she lay injured. She couldn't fathom the betrayal. But the worst was yet to come.

Still sobbing, Kristine clutched Carl's arm, stammering, "It's her, honey. Your ex-wife tried to hurt me because I wouldn't let her take the clothes." Tears streamed down her face as she added, "I was only doing what you asked, Carl. Why... why did she hurt me?"

Octavia's heart raced in shock, momentarily overshadowing her own pain.

She watched as Kristine spun a tale of deceit, accusing her of something she hadn’t done. Terror gripped Octavia as Carl's face turned to her, his expression filled with rage

"You did what, Octavia? You tried to harm the woman carrying my child?" he seethed as he approached her, his rage palpable.

Noting his anger, Octavia staggered back, shaking her head vigorously. "I didn't do it, Carl. She's lying. I-I didn't do it."

"Oh, you didn’t?" Carl retorted, his voice dripping with contempt. "Like you didn't also kill the babies in your womb?"

"Carl, please," his words cut through her like a hot knife.

"How dare you, Octavia? You tried to harm a pregnant woman! A woman pregnant with my child?!" He roared.

"Please," Octavia cried, retreating from him, but it was too late. Carl's fist struck her cheek with brutal force, his expression devoid of any remorse.

The world around Octavia quieted as pain flared through her. She fell to the floor, her consciousness fading as she heard Carl's bitter voice echoing behind her.

"Murderer..."