The slap on Elena’s face stung like a bitch, but instead of snapping back or stopping the abuse of her mother-in-law, she chose to swallow her anger down her throat.
It was not the time. Or the place.
“How dare you do this to Richard? How dare you? It is because of you he’s in this condition right now. All because of you.”
Well, that certainly wasn’t a lie.If it weren’t for the rage that blinded her, she wouldn’t have struck her husband with the largest vase in the room. And she certainly wouldn’t have stood there, watching him bleed to death after the blow to his head.
Thankfully, Cecelia knew what to do, the same step-sister her husband had been fucking for God knows how long. Even the thought of his betrayal brought a bitter taste to her mouth, shot a piercing pain through her chest, and made her want to scream her head off. Elena clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to keep her composure.“I didn’t mean…I didn’t mean for it to happen like that. I just…I just wanted…” she tried to explain, feeling as though everyone in the hospital lobby was glaring accusingly at her, as if she had deliberately caused the situation. As if hitting him in the head had been her plan all along.
It wasn’t, of course. It was just the hurt and her anger that brought out the worst in her. She didn’t know what she was doing until it happened. And now they all were standing outside the hospital room, waiting for the doctors to give them news on Richard, any news at all. But despite the remorse gnawing at her insides, she couldn’t shake the memory of the betrayal that had driven her to that breaking point. And why wouldn’t it? She had loved the man with everything she had. For three years, she worshipped him and the path he walked. For three years, she was nothing but a good wife to him. And what did she get in return? She saw her mother-in-law raise a hand again, but before she could land the slap, Elena blocked the hit. Her mother-in-law narrowed her eyes, the wrinkles in her face becoming more prominent. “You know what? Get out of here! I don’t want a cheap woman like you anywhere near my son!” The words stung, but not as much as the memories of his betrayal. But Melinda, her mother-in-law wasn’t done. She grabbed Elena by her arm and shoved her towards the exit.“I said get out! I don’t want to see your face ever again.”
“Mom, please, be rational. At least listen to me once. It’s not what you think. It’s Cecelia…” she started to say but Melinda wasn’t ready to listen. “Did you not hear a word I just said?” Melinda screamed, her voice filled with anger. She pointed towards the exit. “I want you out of my sight! Or else!” “Leave Elena. We can talk about this later,” It was the father-in-law who spoke up next. He looked beyond exhausted, wanting everyone to be quiet. He was sitting in the chair with his face in his hands, looking more aged than he had in a while. “Dad, please,” she implored, turning to her father-in-law. “You know me. You know I’d never intentionally hurt Richard.” Her father-in-law lifted his weary gaze. “I know, Elena. But right now, tensions are high. Let’s give everyone some space to cool off.” “But—” “No ‘buts’, Elena. Just go. We'll keep you updated if anything changes.” “I just want you to know what actually happened…” “Could you be any more shameless, Elena?” spat the woman responsible for her crumbling marriage.Cecelia lurked behind Melinda, too cowardly to face Elena after getting caught in her disgusting affair with her own brother.
Elena’s frustration boiled over. If there was one person in the world who didn’t have the right to talk about shame, it was Cecelia McDowell, the hypocrite. “You don’t get to judge me, Cecelia,” she seethed, her voice dripping with venom. “You’re the one who betrayed your own family, sleeping with your own brother behind everyone’s back.” Cecelia recoiled, her face contorting with anger and shame, blood draining off her face. “How dare you—” “How dare I?” Elena cut her off, her voice rising. “You’re the one who should be ashamed of yourself. You destroyed my fucking marriage.” “You think you have any right to lecture me? You’re the one who couldn’t keep your own husband in line!” Elena’s fists clenched at her sides, her nails digging into her palms. “Oh, please. As if you have any room to talk about loyalty. You were bedding your own brother behind closed doors!” Melinda stepped forward, her expression a mix of disbelief and anger. “Enough!” she bellowed. “Both of you, stop this nonsense!” “Nonsense?” Elena scoffed. “You’re the one who raised this snake. You can’t pretend you didn’t know what kind of person she is!” Melinda’s patience wore thin. “Elena, enough! I want you to leave this instant. You’re not welcome here anymore.” Elena was done trying to prove her innocence too. Not that it mattered anymore. Her marriage would never be the same. There was no need for her to please anyone. “Fine. But remember, if anything happens to Richard, you have only one person to blame and that’s not me.” And then, she stormed out of the hospital. But the moment she reached her car, she couldn’t hold back anymore. A painful sob racked out of her and her chest felt so tight she thought her ribs would snap. She leaned against her car, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to catch her breath. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she whispered to herself, her voice choked with grief. “How did it all fall apart so quickly?” For a long while, she just sat there in her car, wondering how fast everything changed. If only she hadn’t ignored the signs. If Elena was right with her assumptions, this stupid affair between Richard and Cecelia had been going on for a very long time. There were so many times in the past when Richard and Cecelia would disappear for hours at the same time and usually return home one after the other. As if no one would be able to connect the dots. Elena clenched her jaw and screamed, pounding her fist on the steering wheel until something tore through her skin and she started to bleed. Not that it hurt her more than she was already hurting. “Why did I let myself be so blind?” she cried, squeezing her eyes shut and feeling the tears roll down her face. “I should have seen it coming. I should have put a stop to it before it got this far.” She took a few deep breaths, trying to steady her ragged breathing and calm herself down. But she had never been weak. Elena had been a strong and independent woman from the beginning of her married life. If she wasn’t strong enough, or passionate enough for what she believed in, she wouldn’t have left her family to follow her dreams. She wouldn’t have left her parents, and her brother, for the small, cramped, run-down apartment. But everything she did for herself all these years felt like such a waste of time. All those hardships, the sleepless nights, and constant worries about rent, water, and food, none of that mattered anymore. Not when her heart was shredded by her husband’s deep betrayal. Elena was in the middle of grieving her broken marriage when her phone burst into life. A sound that grated on her nerves like never before. How odd. Usually, she was quick to get it but the weight in her chest made it difficult. Even picking up her phone seemed like an impossible task. By the time, she pulled the phone from her purse, the call had ended. Elena sighed and tossed the phone on the passenger seat. She threw her head back and stared at the car’s roof with tears once again gathering in her eyes. But the phone rang again. This time, Elena answered without even looking at the screen. “Hello? Lady Elena?” It was Mr. Jones, the man whose voice she hadn’t heard in a long while. Mr. Jones had worked for her father for as long as she could remember, and him calling her now felt like something that could only happen under very specific circumstances. “It’s Henry, the butler, Lady Elena. I trust you remember me?” But Elena didn’t have time to question his purpose. “Of course, Mr. Jones. How have you been?” she asked. “Are you alright, Mr. Jones? You sound rather troubled.” “Something bad has happened, Madam. But I’m afraid I can’t share the details on the phone. Please let me know where you are. I’ll send someone to pick you up.” Elena glanced around herself, sighing. “No. No need for that. I can come by myself. Do you want me to come to the manor?” “No. You should come to the Aristocrat Health Institute.” The mention of the hospital woke Elena even more. She was sure, now more than ever, that something awful had happened. “Who’s admitted?” “I think…you should see for yourself. I don’t want to cause you distress while you’re driving.” Every cell in Elena’s body shuddered. Yes, something terrible had happened. “Fine. I’m on my way. But send someone down to fetch me. I don’t want to waste my time with their stupid formalities.” “Yes. Yes, I’ll make sure you’re escorted in as soon as you arrive. Please drive safely.”The Aristocrat Health Institute was one of the best private hospitals in the world.Not only was it the most prestigious, but not everyone could afford to pay its exorbitant fees. Despite this, many people high on the social ladder, including powerful politicians, bureaucrats, and business tycoons, sought medical treatment here. The highly trained and experienced doctors and nurses working there were always ready to go the extra mile for their patients.The Aristocrat Health Institute was also owned by the Matthews and Sons Group.Elena parked the car in a hurry and scurried through the automatic doors of the building. She approached the woman behind the reception, but before she could introduce herself, a hand on her shoulder stopped her.She turned to find Mr Jones standing with a taut expression on his old face. “This way.”Elena swallowed thickly and nodded. She followed the butler towards the bank of elevators. Her hands trembled, but she clasped them tightly to stop the tremors.
For hours, Elena sat next to her brother. She held his hand, whispered prayers and words of encouragement in his ear, anything to keep him with her. But nothing seemed to work. He was in a deep, seemingly endless, coma. When the doctors finally came in and asked her to step outside, she refused. “I’m not leaving,” she told them firmly. “But Madam—” “I said I’m not leaving.” The doctors shared a concerned look before turning back to her. “All right,” one of the doctors agreed. “But we’re going to have to run a few tests on him, so if you could please step outside the room for a bit, we’d appreciate it. And I’m not sure if someone informed you or not, but Mr Matthews' son has been shifted to the children’s ward. He might wake up soon, so maybe you should…check on him.” Elena swallowed, wiping her wet lashes. The doctors were right. She should check up on Caleb, now that he was out of the observation room. She could always come back to Josh later. Or maybe she should finally visi
One year and six months later.“The car is ready, ma’am.” Betty Adams told Elena, as she stepped out of the airport and glanced around the familiar city.New York had been her home for more than a decade, but after Richard’s betrayal and the accident that shattered her once-perfect life into millions of painful pieces, she couldn’t stay any longer. She needed a break. A change in the scenery. And so did Caleb. The boy had lost his mother and had almost lost his father, too, if not for Elena who refused to pull the plug.Elena nodded and adjusted the sunglasses on her face.She was tired, jetlagged, and hungry.After spending a year and a half in Milan, Italy, she was finally back home.Betty, her trusted personal assistant, led the way towards the awaiting car.Elena followed her, her mind drifting to everything that had happened over the past year and a half.It was still hard to believe that her brother had been in a coma for so long. She thought he would wake up after a few days, b
The next morning, as Elena barely stepped out of the car on her way to the NYC office, a beautiful woman in an equally stunning designer dress stood in front of her, blocking her way. Elena frowned, her four guards mere microseconds away from pushing the woman aside, when Elena’s gaze fell on the woman’s face, and a smile, full of surprise, cracked across her lips. “Danika?” Elena chuckled, silently gesturing her guards to stand back as a familiar face smiled brightly at her. “You slut!” Danika grinned, throwing her arms around her best friend. “You’re actually back, and the first thing you do is head for work? What kind of joke is that? Get on that phone and cancel all your plans. Today, you’re all mine. We are getting shit-faced drunk, and you’re telling me EVERYTHING. Is that understood?” Elena hugged her friend before pulling away. “Don’t you think it’s too early to get drunk?” Danika laughed heartily, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Not early enough to not have a good
Simon Walsh gazed at the transparent hologram of the old artefact revolving in the air, his deep and dark eyes glistering in deep contemplation.This was going to be the next treasure in his collection.He could finally tell where the crown came from: Byzantine, and once belonged to a concubine who lived in the early 400. The last three red rubies dangling between two white pearl strands were carefully wrapped in platinum chains, making a dazzling decoration, just like any royalty jewels.And to think about how lucky he was for the final negotiation to be able to buy the crown?Simon let out a self-deprecating grin, remembering how many times he nearly lost the item, with his secret rival throwing hundreds of bidders between the table to completely confuse the entire market.Despite losing her nearly thrice, Simon would soon have the crown in the palm of his hand. He was certain of it, for no other jeweller in the States could afford that beauty with the price he had settled down at.T
A year ago in Paris. After a long and hectic day at work, Elena was glad to finally get a break. It was night and each of her staff had already left. She was exhausted and wanted nothing but to sit down and relax. She could feel her body was aching, her back hurting and her legs were wobbly. She was ready to call it a night and go back home. Elena walked out of the building and took in the cool Paris air. It was a relief to her after spending the whole day inside. She could feel the freshness of the air seeping in and filling her lungs. She closed her eyes and let the cool breeze caress her cheeks, enjoying the quiet and peace. But then she paused in her footsteps and remembered that Caleb would be having a sleepover at his best friend’s house. And it was only her who had to go back home. Alone. Alone, without anyone to share the bed with. Alone, without anyone to hold her tight and warm her heart. The thought made her sad. After the betrayal from her ex-fucking-husband, she ha
“So, what do you say, Elena?” He coiled a stray curl of hers around his finger, giving her a gentle tug. “Would you like to get out of here and go somewhere more private?”His offer caught her so damn off guard, her heart began to beat faster, and she never really realized that she never gave him her name during their entire exchange. The truth was, she had come to the bar to hook up with someone, and this guy was certainly attractive enough. Enough for her to ignore the fact he seemed to be aware of her identity despite meeting her the first time.“Um, I don’t know,” she replied, biting her lower lip.The stranger leaned in close, his face mere inches away from hers.“I think you do,” he whispered, his breath hot against her ear.His words sent a shiver down her spine, and she could feel herself starting to grow aroused. It had been such a long time since she felt like this.He slipped her hand in his and pulled her to him, moving her between his legs. He kissed the side of her neck
The stranger looked up at her, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Not yet,” he murmured. Elena groaned with frustration, but she knew there was no point in trying to resist him. He was in complete control, and all she could do was submit to his desires. The stranger began to kiss his way down her body once more, this time not stopping until he reached her aching pussy. He planted a soft kiss on her inner thigh, and then ran his tongue along her slit, tasting her arousal. She shuddered, already on the brink of orgasm. He flicked his tongue against her clit, sending waves of pleasure through her body. Elena couldn’t help but cry out, shutting her eyes tightly and grabbing fistfuls of the sheets as he continued his ministrations. She could feel herself getting closer and closer to climax, and when he slipped two fingers inside of her, she lost control. Her body convulsed, and she let out a loud moan as she came hard, her juices flowing out of her and all over the stranger’s fingers. B