Five weeks. That was how long I had carried our child. And in one second, it was gone after the adopted sister of my husband pushed me on a cliff during a hiking trip.
I woke up in a hospital bed with a shattered leg, broken ribs, and a hollow womb. The doctor’s voice was a death knell: No heartbeat.
My husband Axel called it a tragic accident. I called it murder, so I decided to file a case against her adopted sister until I received a message saying my younger sister was kidnapped.
I called Axel for help. He wasn’t answering, so I forced myself back home, that’s when I overheard the truth.
"If Hannah finds out that you are actually the reason her sister was kidnapped," his secretary continued over the phone, “she will lose her mind. She’s already unstable. She lost the child."
I froze. My hand hovered inches from the wood.
"Then of course we hide it from her," Axel said, the sound of ice clinking against a glass drifting through the crack. "It was her fault, really. She tried to send Jasmine to jail. She tried to ruin my adopted sister. No one crosses the line with my family. If she doesn't stop the case, then Mia stays where she is. It’s the only leverage we have."
I stepped back, my crutch hitting the rug silently. I felt like I was falling off the cliff all over again.
"Are you sure about that?"
Another voice. Soft, purring, and terrifyingly familiar.
Jasmine was sitting on the edge of Axel’s mahogany desk, swinging her legs. She looked perfect. Untouched. Not a shred of guilt on her beautiful face. Then, Axel hung up the phone.
"I'm scared, okay?" Jasmine pouted, leaning forward to toy with Axel’s tie. "I didn’t mean to push her... well, not that hard. But she is getting on my nerves, Axel. I’m so jealous."
"Jealous?" Axel sighed, leaning back in his chair.
"Because she is your wife," Jasmine whined, her voice dropping to a seductive whisper. "And I’m just your adopted sister. Even though we aren't related by blood, the world sees us as siblings. I hate it. I want people to know we’re together, that we love each other.”
My stomach turned. Bile rose in my throat.
"Come on, Jazz," Axel said, his voice softening into something intimate. "I told you. We can’t. Not yet. It would be a huge scandal. Our parents would disown us both. You have to wait."
"I’m tired of waiting!" Jasmine hopped off the desk and straddled his lap.
I clamped a hand over my mouth to stifle a scream.
"How about you give me something to wait for?" Jasmine whispered, tracing his jawline. "I want a child with you, Axel. She couldn't give you one. She was too weak. But I can."
"Jasmine..."
"Get me pregnant," she demanded, grinding against him. "Make me a mother."
And then, my husband—the man who had held my hand while I cried over our lost baby—grabbed her hips and pulled her down for a bruising, passionate kiss.
The world tilted on its axis.
I didn't scream. I turned around, tears streaming down my face, and dragged my broken body toward the guest room.
I made it to the bed and collapsed, burying my face in the pillows to muffle the sobs that tore through my chest. I must have passed out from the exhaustion, or maybe the pain medication finally kicked in.
"Hannah?" A hand touched my shoulder.
I flinched, my eyes flying open.
Axel was hovering over me. He looked disheveled, his tie loosened—the same tie Jasmine had been toying with just hours ago. His eyes were wide with a concern that looked so genuine it made my stomach turn.
"God, you scared me," he breathed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming home? The hospital called, they said you discharged yourself against medical advice. You should be resting, honey. Your leg..."
"My sister," I whispered, my voice cracking. "Axel... Mia was kidnapped."
"I know," he said soothingly, his face twisting into a mask of grim determination. "I know, baby. I just got the report."
"I want my sister," I sobbed, grabbing his shirt. "Please, bring her back."
"We're doing everything we can," Axel lied, squeezing my hand. "I have my best security team on it. I promise, I won't let anything happen to her. But you need to rest. You're hysterical."
He kissed my forehead. The same lips that had just promised a child to his adopted sister.
Hours passed in a blur of feigned sleep and terrifying reality. Night had fallen when the commotion started downstairs.
"Hannah!"
The door burst open.
"You're okay," I gasped, checking her for injuries, my hands shaking. "Oh my god, Mia."
"I was so scared," Mia wept into my shoulder. "Those men... they had guns, Hannah. They were going to hurt me."
Axel stepped into the room, a triumphant smile on his face. And behind him, leaning against the doorframe with a smug, self-satisfied expression, was Jasmine.
"She saved me," Mia pulled back, wiping her eyes and pointing at Jasmine. "Sister Jasmine saved me. She paid the ransom. She came to the warehouse alone, with brother Axel, and they both saved me."
I looked at Jasmine. She checked her nails, looking bored. "Just doing what family does," she purred.
"So please," Mia begged, turning back to me, her eyes wide and pleading. "Axel told me everything. He told me you were confused because of the accident. But you can't send her to jail, Hannah. She saved my life. Please... drop the case."
The room went silent. Axel watched me, his hand resting casually in his pocket, his eyes daring me to refuse. Jasmine smirked, waiting for my explosion. Waiting for the "unstable" wife to scream.
They had checkmated me. If I fought, Mia would pay the price. They had proven they could touch her whenever they wanted.
I looked at my husband. I looked at the woman who killed my child. I looked at my innocent sister who was now their pawn.
A strange calm settled over me. It was cold and dark, like the bottom of the ocean.
"You're right," I said, looking Jasmine dead in the eye. "You saved her. So, sure."
I forced a smile that didn't reach my dead eyes.
"I'll drop the charges. But would you like a divorce instead?”
