{Martha’s POV}Mrs. Henderson gave me a sweet smile, the kind that hinted she knew something I didn’t. She removed her summer hat and placed it beside her, then leaned back in her seat.“You know, Martha, after all these years, I thought you’d be smart enough to come out of your shell.”I blinked, trying to decipher her words. It was clear she was playing the same game Rachel had attempted earlier, using carefully chosen words to push me to the edge, to make me lose control of my anger and spill the truth. But I refused to give her the satisfaction. Instead, I remained composed, pretending not to understand where she was heading.“What are you talking about, Mrs. Henderson?” I asked, arching an eyebrow.She paused for a moment, adjusting her posture on the lounge chair before speaking again. “I had a little conversation with Nathan yesterday. About you.” She tilted her head slightly, gauging my reaction. “I was very concerned, you see. I wanted to know more about you.”A chill crept u
I knelt on the cold, marble-tiled floor, my knees screaming in protest as I scrubbed with what little strength I had left. Sharp, searing pain shot through my arms and legs, a cruel reminder of how long I had been at this, not just today, but every single day since I married Peter Henderson.This was my life now. Cleaning, scrubbing, cooking, endless chores that Peter insisted were for my own good.“You need this,” he’d said with that charming smile of his, shortly after firing all the maids. “It’ll help you lose weight and stay active.”I had believed him. What choice did I have?I paused, panting like I’d just run a marathon. My chest heaved, my body trembling, begging me to stop, to rest. But I didn’t. I couldn’t.How long can I keep doing this? The thought gnawed at me as I wiped sweat from my forehead. Slowly, I stood, wincing as pain lanced through my knees like needles piercing bone. Swallowing the groan rising in my throat, I forced myself upright and surveyed the space I had
“Peter… please,” I begged, my voice cracking, raw with desperation. “After everything I've done, how can you say this? I gave up so much for you.”Peter smirked, leaning lazily against the dining table, his casual behavior cutting deeper than any harsh word could. His indifference mocked me, taunted me, and yet I couldn’t look away. “Gave up what, Martha?” he sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance. “You think I cared about any of that? I’ve got what I wanted, and now I’m moving on. Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”My sobs faltered, replaced by a suffocating numbness that spread through my chest, making it hard to breathe. I stared at him, my mind looping over the cold cruelty of his words. I’ve got what I wanted.And then, like a cruel twist of fate, realization dawned on me.The inheritance.I remembered the moment clearly, just days ago, when Peter came to me with soft words and gentle promises. I had signed every document he placed before me, relinquishing control of
My heart shattered, the weight of betrayal pressing down on me, leaving me hollow and suffocated. My legs trembled as I struggled to stand, my body aching just as much as my soul. The room seemed to spin, the air thick with humiliation and grief. I could barely look at Peter, let alone form the words that clawed at my throat.“You’ve already replaced me?” I whispered, my voice cracking under the weight of disbelief. The words felt fragile, as if they would break apart just like I had. “You’re parading her in my house while demanding I sign these papers?”Peter scoffed, his lips curling into a disdainful sneer. His cold gaze pierced through me, void of any trace of the man I once loved. “This was never your house, Martha,” he said, each word a dagger to my chest. “You were just keeping it warm for someone better.”The woman, Rachel, as I now knew, chuckled softly, her laugh dripping with malice. Her smirk deepened, her eyes raking over me with contempt. “Don’t take it personal,” she sa
Mrs. Henderson sneered, her lips curling as she thrust the papers toward me. “Save your pathetic tears,” she hissed. “Sign the papers and disappear. You don’t belong here. You never did.”Her words were cold and unrelenting, each syllable carving into me like a blade. My hands trembled as I stared down at the divorce papers, my tears falling in hot, silent streams. My vision blurred, the ink smudging beneath the weight of my despair.I wanted to fight back. I wanted to scream, to tear the papers apart, to stand up to them both. But my strength had abandoned me, crushed beneath their cruel behavior towards me. My heart screamed for me to hold on, to not give in, but my body refused to move.“Sign it!” Mrs. Henderson snapped, her voice sharp and commanding, cutting through the haze of my pain.My trembling fingers hovered over the pen, torn between giving in and holding onto the last shred of strength I had left. Tears dripped onto the paper as I hesitated, my soul warring with itself.
“Please, Peter,” I cried as I scrambled on the floor, my knees stinging from the pain of my body colliding with the ground as I stared at the door. Confused and scared, the pain in my heart was much worse than when my parents had died. A feeling that was so hard to believe. Why didn't I see this coming? Why didn't I see through all those times when he showed love to me that they were all fake? The question hung in my mind, a painful reminder of how blinded I’d been. My knees ached badly as they pressed against the floor. The chill of the night bit into my skin, the icy wind stinging my cheeks and seeping into my bones. But it couldn’t compare to the cold emptiness within me, a void left by betrayal so complete it left me hollow. This mansion had been the only thing that kept the memory of my parents alive in my mind, and now it was gone, stolen by the man I had trusted above all else. I tried to pry myself up from the floor, my body aching from so much pain, as I stood there
{Nathan's Pov} I hit the cold water with force as I dove in, swimming fast toward the woman crying out for help. Her voice was faint and broken by the sound of the storm as she disappeared beneath the surface again. “Help me, please,” she gasped weakly, her voice barely audible before the river pulled her under once more. I pushed forward, ignoring the cold that bit into my skin. The river raged against me, shoving me back, but I wouldn’t stop. Stretching out my hand, I reached for her. The current surged, nearly tearing her away, but I kicked harder, slicing through the water until my fingers finally closed around her arm. “I’ve got you,” I murmured, though I wasn’t sure she could hear me over the roaring water. With every muscle in my body screaming, I dragged her toward the shore. The river resisted, but I held on tight, refusing to let go until we reached the muddy bank. Her body collapsed onto the wet ground, trembling violently. She dragged herself away from the water
{Martha's Pov} My heart ached, each passing second making the pain sharper, heavier. I looked up at the man sitting across from me, his calm presence grounding me in a way I couldn’t explain. I opened my mouth to speak, to thank him for saving my life, for bringing me into his home and offering me comfort. But the words wouldn’t come. They were trapped, stuck beneath the weight of everything I was feeling. I was shattered, so broken that I couldn’t imagine putting myself back together. No matter how hard I tried to push away thoughts of Peter, they came rushing back, each memory cutting into me like glass. Every laugh we’d shared, every touch, every whispered promise, they all haunted me now. “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine,” Nathan’s voice broke through my spiraling thoughts, steady and calm. I looked up at him, meeting his piercing blue eyes. They held no judgment, only kindness. Somehow, in that moment, they eased a fraction of the pain in my chest, enough to let me breathe.
{Martha’s POV}Mrs. Henderson gave me a sweet smile, the kind that hinted she knew something I didn’t. She removed her summer hat and placed it beside her, then leaned back in her seat.“You know, Martha, after all these years, I thought you’d be smart enough to come out of your shell.”I blinked, trying to decipher her words. It was clear she was playing the same game Rachel had attempted earlier, using carefully chosen words to push me to the edge, to make me lose control of my anger and spill the truth. But I refused to give her the satisfaction. Instead, I remained composed, pretending not to understand where she was heading.“What are you talking about, Mrs. Henderson?” I asked, arching an eyebrow.She paused for a moment, adjusting her posture on the lounge chair before speaking again. “I had a little conversation with Nathan yesterday. About you.” She tilted her head slightly, gauging my reaction. “I was very concerned, you see. I wanted to know more about you.”A chill crept u
{Martha's POV}I stood up from the bed, raising a hand to block the sunlight peeking through the slightly open curtains. As usual, Nathan wasn’t in the room, I assumed he was already up and getting ready for work.Walking over to the bathroom, I freshened up, changed into a fresh pair of light brown overalls, and headed downstairs.By the time I reached the kitchen, I found Carolina sitting on the counter, her eyes glued to her phone while she absentmindedly nibbled on a carrot.“Good morning, ma’am,” she greeted as I walked past her toward the refrigerator to grab a bottle of chilled water.“Morning, Carolina,” I replied, taking a seat across from her at the counter. Twisting open the bottle, I took a sip, then rested my hand on the counter, watching as she typed furiously on her phone before suddenly looking up at me.“You won’t believe this,” she blurted, her eyes widening to the size of baseballs. “The Hendersons are hosting an event to honor the death of the Stewart family. And g
{Peter’s POV}“Something tells me that she is Martha,” Rachel’s voice rang out from the living room just as I stepped inside.She immediately sprang up from her seat, rushing toward me, her excitement barely contained. The way she had said Martha’s name made my chest tighten with unease.My mother sat on the three-seater couch, scrolling through her phone with a level of seriousness that only fueled my suspicion.“Honey, you won’t believe this if I tell you,” Rachel exclaimed, her face lighting up as she met me halfway across the room.I sighed, already exhausted from the day, and rubbed a hand over my jaw. “What is it?” My tone was flat, but I couldn’t help the flicker of curiosity in my voice.For days, Rachel had been relentless about Martha, accusing her of being behind the termination of our contract with the Evans. She was convinced it was some elaborate revenge plot. I had laughed it off every time, finding the whole idea ridiculous.Martha Stewart, the fat, timid woman I once
{Martha's Pov}Peter adjusted his grip on my hand and stepped in front of me, his blue eyes piercing into mine. "I don't know why I feel so..." He paused, as if searching for the right words. "Happy whenever I'm with you. I feel safe, and maybe that's why I tell you things."I pushed aside the unsettling feelings prickling my pulse as I slipped my hand free from his grasp. "I know how this might seem to you, Mr. Henderson," I murmured, stepping back. I knew this was my moment to convince him, but I couldn't stop myself from speaking the truth. "But you're married, and I'm sure your wife is at home right now, wondering why you haven't come back. And you know that I'm with Nathan. I don’t want things to get messy because of this."Peter took a step closer, reaching for my hand again. And to my own frustration, I let him. I seemed to be allowing a lot of things lately, and the urge to slap myself back to my senses was stronger than the urge to slap him."We shouldn’t let that bother us,
{Martha's POV}I grabbed a file from the stack Hendrix had placed on my desk and scribbled my signature on the first page before setting it aside with the rest of the completed documents.Flipping open another file, I signed it quickly, only to pause and glance at the remaining stack waiting for my approval. With a sigh, I realized I'd been doing this for hours now, reviewing purchase confirmations and sales reports. I couldn't help but wonder just how many products had been sold so far and how many more orders needed verification.The sudden ringing of my phone pulled me out of my thoughts. Without checking the caller ID, I picked it up and brought it to my ear.“Hello?”“How are you doing, Martha?” Peter’s voice came through the speaker, instantly making my stomach twist. Instinctively, I felt the urge to hang up, but I quickly reminded myself to stay composed. I had a plan, and I needed to stick to it. If I wanted to get my hands on those documents, I had to keep up the act.“I’m f
{Nathan’s POV}The day had been far more stressful than usual, especially compared to my regular routine of scheduled surgeries and checking in on patients a few days after they've been discharged.I dropped the tab onto my desk and sank into the brown leather chair opposite it. I reached up to massage my temples, the tension in my head throbbing, before letting my head rest on the armrest. I closed my eyes, trying to clear my mind and release the weight of the day before I gathered the energy to finish my remaining tasks.The creak of the door pulled me out of my momentary respite. I lifted my head to see who was at the door.“Dr. Nathan, one of your patients is here to see you,” Nurse Hannah said, her hand still on the doorknob.I glanced at her through tired eyelids. “Who is it, precisely?" The question slipped from my lips slower than intended.“Mrs. Henderson,” she replied, shutting the door. Almost immediately, it opened again, and Mrs. Henderson walked in, looking more excited
{Martha's POV}I took a deep breath and exhaled sharply as I sat in the passenger seat of the car. The city lights flickered through the tinted windows, casting shadows that danced across my face.Through the rearview mirror, I caught Hendrix stealing a glance at me before quickly looking away. He was always unreadable, but tonight, I sensed something behind his gaze, curiosity, perhaps, or maybe concern.The dinner had gone well. Peter had been thoroughly engaged, hanging onto every word, savoring every moment. And yet, all I could think about was the feel of his hand in mine, It wasn’t supposed to happen.I hadn’t planned for physical contact, hadn’t accounted for how much it would unsettle me. And the fact that it was just the beginning, that there might be more, made my stomach churn with unease, there had to be another way.I shook my head, my mind racing for an alternative. Some way to get those documents from Peter without spending more time with him, without letting him touch
{Martha's POV}My heart ached with every passing minute as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. For the fifth time, I reminded myself why I was doing this. Why I had to.Carolina straightened the last section of my hair, running her fingers through the strands with admiration. I couldn’t deny it, the smooth, silky look suited me. My brown waves shimmered under the vanity light, framing my face just right.I reached for a lip gloss and coated my nude lips with a subtle sheen. Turning toward Carolina, I placed my hands on my waist. “How do I look?”Her smile was bright, teasing. “Beautiful. I’m sure Peter won’t be able to resist staring at you.”I rolled my eyes but smiled. “Thanks.” I grabbed my silver purse from the vanity and tugged down the hem of my plush dinner dress. “If Nathan comes before I return, tell him I went out for an important meeting.”Carolina chuckled. “Got it. Just make sure to break a heart today.”I smirked, shaking my head as I stepped out of the room.—The
{Peter's POV}I ended the call and dropped my phone onto the desk, rubbing my sweaty palms together. I hadn't realized just how nervous I was until I received confirmation that the video of Rachel had been removed from the internet. Thank goodness for the influence I had.Letting out a deep sigh, I ran a hand through my hair before rising from my chair. I walked over to the glass wall, gazing out at the city. This had always been my favorite thing to do, watching the endless movement of people below, the vibrant city lights blending into a symphony of colors, and the chaos that somehow always seemed perfectly organized.The soft creak of the door opening behind me pulled me from my thoughts. I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.Mabel was the only person in the entire Stewart Company who had unrestricted access to my office. Not because I fully trusted her, but because she was my personal assistant."Mr. Henderson, there’s a lady here to see you," Mabel’s small voice chimed