Chapter 0001

Rachael rushed home, barely able to contain her excitement. The bright lines on the pregnancy test still seemed surreal. After years of trying, endless doctor visits, and nights spent crying in Victor’s arms, it was finally happening. She couldn’t wait to see his face when she told him. Today was the start of their happily ever after.

She pulled into the driveway, her mind buzzing with a thousand thoughts of their future. Their baby. She clutched her purse tightly, the test still inside, and hurried into the house.

But as soon as she stepped through the door, something felt wrong. The living room was in disarray—cushions tossed about, a wine glass half-empty on the coffee table, and clothes scattered like someone had rushed out of them.

Rachael’s heart skipped a beat as she spotted the unfamiliar lingerie draped over the couch. She touched the lacy fabric, her fingers trembling. Panic set in. She blinked rapidly, trying to force a logical explanation into her mind. Maybe Victor’s sister was here, or—no, that didn’t make sense. Deep down, she knew.

She dropped the lingerie, her breathing shallow and quick, and followed the trail of discarded clothes down the hall. The closer she got to the bedroom, the louder the muffled sounds became—moans and gasps, unmistakable and raw. Rachael’s vision blurred, her legs heavy like lead. She grabbed the doorframe, steadying herself. Every instinct screamed at her to turn back, to not look, but she pushed the door open.

There, tangled in sheets and each other, were Victor and Evelyn. The sight hit Rachael like a punch to the gut, knocking the breath out of her. Her husband and her sister. The betrayal was overwhelming, a tidal wave crashing down, pulling her under.

The pregnancy test slipped from her grasp, hitting the floor with a soft thud that went unnoticed. “What the hell is this?” Rachael’s voice cracked, half shriek, half sob. She felt as though she’d stepped into a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from. “Victor, Evelyn, what is this?”

Victor scrambled off the bed, fumbling to cover himself. “Rachael, this isn’t—”

But Evelyn didn’t even flinch. Instead, she smiled with a cold satisfaction that sent chills down Rachael’s spine. “Don’t look so shocked, Rachael,” she drawled. “Did you really think you deserved him? Pathetic.”

Rachael’s vision blurred with tears. She turned to Victor, searching for any sign of regret, a hint that this was some terrible mistake. “Victor, after everything we’ve been through, after all we’ve done to build this life... How could you?” Her voice wavered, each word dripping with the pain of betrayal.

Victor pulled on his shirt, avoiding her gaze, his face twisted in a mixture of guilt and frustration. “It’s not what you think, Rachael,” he started, but the weak excuse hung in the air like a bad joke.

“Not what I think?” Rachael repeated, her voice rising in pitch as anger began to replace her shock. “You’re in bed with my sister! How many times has this happened? How long have you been lying to me?”

Evelyn rolled her eyes, sitting up with deliberate slowness, as if savoring the moment. “Victor and I have been together for months. He’s tired of you, Rachael. Tired of your whining, your failures, your pathetic attempts to keep him interested.” She glanced at the pregnancy test lying on the floor, her lip curling. “And I’m guessing that didn’t go the way you hoped either.”

Rachael’s heart clenched, her hand instinctively covering her abdomen as if trying to protect the fragile hope inside her. “You don’t know anything about me,” she spat, tears threatening to spill. “You’re nothing but a snake. Both of you.”

Victor stepped forward, reaching for her, but Rachael jerked back, holding up a hand to keep him at a distance. “Don’t touch me,” she hissed. “I can’t believe I ever loved you. Either of you.”

Evelyn’s mocking laughter filled the room, echoing in Rachael’s ears. “You’re so dramatic, Rachael. Victor doesn’t need your love. He needs someone who can give him what he wants. And that’s never been you.”

Rachael’s fingers clenched into fists, the sting of Evelyn’s words hitting deeper than she wanted to admit. She turned to Victor one last time, her voice low and trembling. “I gave you everything, Victor. My heart, my trust, my years. And you threw it all away for... this?”

Victor’s silence spoke louder than any excuse he could muster. His eyes darted away, shame flickering briefly before settling into a cold, detached expression. “Maybe it’s best if you just leave,” he said finally, his voice devoid of emotion. “Evelyn and I... we’re together now. And you... you deserve better than this.”

Rachael stared at him, the weight of his words crushing her. There it was—the final nail in the coffin of her marriage, driven in by the man she had once thought she’d spend her life with. She backed away, her legs shaking, but she held her head high, refusing to let either of them see her break.

“I hope you both rot,” she said quietly, her voice steady despite the tears burning her eyes. She turned and walked out, leaving the shattered remains of her dreams behind.

Rachael slammed the door shut and started the car, her hands shaking as she gripped the steering wheel. She had no destination in mind; she just needed to get away.

Away from the house that now felt like a graveyard of broken promises, away from the suffocating betrayal that threatened to choke her. The city blurred around her, the streetlights flickering past as she drove with no sense of direction, fueled only by anger and heartbreak.

Her phone buzzed on the passenger seat, Victor’s name lighting up the screen. Rachael hesitated for a moment, the bile rising in her throat. She didn’t want to hear his voice, but curiosity—and fury—got the better of her. She snatched the phone and answered, her tone laced with venom. “What do you want!”

Victor’s voice came through, cold and devoid of any remorse. “Rachael, I’ve instructed my lawyer to send over the divorce papers. Sign them. It’s over.”

The casual finality of his words sent a fresh wave of rage through her. “You think you can just send me a piece of paper and that’s it? We’re done? After everything you put me through? You’re a pathetic, spineless coward, Victor.”

Victor sighed, sounding more annoyed than guilty. “Rachael, let’s not make this harder than it needs to be. Evelyn and I are moving forward, and you should too.”

“Moving forward?” Rachael’s voice rose, her anger spilling over. “You mean crawling into bed with my sister like the shameless, gutless bastard you are? You have no idea what loyalty or love means. You disgust me, Victor. You’re not a man—you’re a joke. A pathetic excuse of a husband who can’t even keep his pants zipped.”

Victor’s tone hardened, defensive, “At least she fucks me and satisfies me better than you, bitch!” Victor yelled, his words slicing through the phone like a jagged knife. Rachael gasped, the wind knocked out of her as if she’d been punched. She clutched her chest, the pain spreading like wildfire—rage, disbelief, and heartbreak all mingling together.

For a moment, she was stunned into silence, the venom in his voice lingering in her ears. But then the shock faded, replaced by a burning fury that surged through her veins. She wasn’t going to let him have the last word. Not like this.

“Take that back, you good-for-nothing excuse of a man!” Rachael’s voice quivered, her anger bubbling over. “You think that pathetic insult means anything coming from you? You’re nothing, Victor! A spineless, worthless coward who can’t handle a real woman, so you settle for scraps. I gave you everything, and you threw it away for someone who’s just as cheap and hollow as you are!”

Victor’s silence only fueled her fire. “You think Evelyn’s some prize? She’s a two-faced, backstabbing bitch, and you’re too blind to see you’re just her latest game. She’ll chew you up and spit you out when she’s done, just like she’s done with every other idiot who’s fallen for her act. You’re not special, Victor—you’re a fool. A damn fool who doesn’t even realize he’s lost the best thing he ever had.”

Victor scoffed, but Rachael cut him off before he could speak. “You know what? I pity you. I pity you for thinking that sneaking around and betraying the one person who actually gave a damn about you makes you some kind of man. But you’re not a man.

“ You’re a pathetic, insecure little boy who can’t stand the sight of himself in the mirror. And one day, when Evelyn’s done using you, when you’re alone and drowning in your own self-loathing, you’ll remember this moment. You’ll remember that you lost me because you were too stupid to see what you had.”

She paused, breathing heavily, her chest heaving with every word. “So enjoy your trash, Victor. Enjoy every miserable second of the life you’ve chosen because you and Evelyn are a perfect match—two worthless, miserable souls destined to destroy each other. And when you come crawling back, begging for forgiveness, remember this: you are nothing to me. Nothing. And you never will be again.”

With that, she ended the call, throwing the phone onto the seat beside her. Rachael’s hands were still shaking, but she felt lighter, freer. Victor’s words had stung, but her own felt like a release, a purging of all the anger and hurt she’d carried for so long.

She wasn’t going to let Victor’s insults define her. She was going to rise above this, stronger than ever. And Victor? He could wallow in the mess he’d made of his life.

Because Rachael was done with him. For good.