The day I miscarried, some girl called him, cooing into the phone, "Honey, I got my period, and my cramps are killing me." He turned to me and said, "I gotta step out for a bit. You'll be fine if you just get some sleep." I never imagined this man wasn't just a cheat, but that he'd planned everything to screw me over. God, I hate that I was so blind. 1. It hurt so much. After the anesthesia wore off, my abdomen felt like it had been smashed with a sledgehammer. I leaned weakly against the pillow, tears streaming down my face as I looked at Ethan. "Stay with me, please?" He grabbed his jacket, heading for the door, his tone final. "Got something to do. Can't stay." I bit my lip, trying to phrase it delicately. "What is it? Something to do with her?" He paused at the door, glanced back at me sideways, a smirk darker than the night sky playing on his lips. "Yeah, exactly. Something to do with her. Ava, you couldn't even keep the baby. What makes you think you can keep me?" I closed my eyes, a roaring filling my ears. Ethan Cole, I swear I'll make you pay for this. … An hour later, my best friend, Chloe, showed up in my hospital room. "Ava, I hired those guys for you, they're waiting outside the hospital, but—" "Are you sure you want to go through with this?" I nodded, trying to reassure her. "Don't worry. The place they usually meet up is pretty secluded. Getting inside will be easy." I'd known for a while that Ethan had someone else. Our relationship crumbled under the strain of me constantly asking who she was. I hated him for cheating; he hated me for making waves. I couldn't let this go. Not today. Gritting my teeth against the intense pain, I got out of bed. Chloe helped me leave the hospital. I wanted to surprise Ethan. But honestly, when he opened the door, he looked a lot calmer than I expected. "What are you doing here?" His tone was flat as if he didn't care that I'd found his secret spot. I ignored him and pushed past into the living room. A woman was lounging on the sofa, wearing a fluffy pajama set. Her eyes were soft, and she held a bowl – probably some kind of comfort food he used to make for me when I had cramps. "Get out." Ethan grabbed my arm, trying to pull me towards the door. I yelled his name, loud. That was the signal. The guys I'd hired, waiting outside, rushed in immediately. Ethan froze for a second, then sneered. "You hired people? You trying to get arrested?" I looked at him innocently, speaking softly. "Wrong guess…" Just as I finished speaking, the twenty-odd guys instantly pulled out their phones. They captured Ethan grabbing my collar, then rushed into the living room, recording the woman on the sofa. "Ahhh! What are you doing?" the woman screamed. "Stop filming! Stop! Ethan, help me!" Ethan tried to shield her, but some of the guys blocked him. He couldn't get past them, so he turned his fury on me. I didn't even have time to react before he shoved me hard. My stomach slammed violently against the corner of a table. I let out a choked gasp, clutching my abdomen as I crumpled to the floor. Something warm trickled down my leg, pooling on the ground. Everyone froze. Ethan seemed to snap back to reality. He looked at me, took a deep breath, and asked, "Ava, what the hell do you want?" A faint smile spread across my pale face. "Ethan, I'm making you famous." 2 After leaving Ethan's place, I couldn't hold it in anymore. I collapsed into Chloe's arms and just sobbed. Chloe rubbed my back, comforting me. "Go ahead and cry. It's good to let it out." Through my sniffles, I asked the main guy I'd hired, who was standing nearby, "Did you get the part where he pushed me?" He was a guy in his forties, looked like he'd seen a thing or two. Probably never this kind of drama, though. Still, he was professional. He patted his chest and assured me, "Don't worry, Miss. Got it all right here on video." Good. Then the pain wasn't for nothing. Chloe sighed, looking like she wanted to say something more, but in the end, just said, "Leave the rest to me. The most important thing for you right now is to rest and recover." Women really are the reliable ones. I managed a watery smile, then closed my eyes gratefully as Chloe gently wiped my face with a tissue, muttering something about mascara. Back in the hospital, I lay in bed. A male doctor walked in. He was young, handsome, with a sunny vibe. "Ms. Evans? Hi, I'm Liam Carter. I'm a friend of your friend." I managed a weak smile. Chloe must have arranged this, but I wasn't really in the mood. I let him examine me, answering his questions vaguely until my phone buzzed. It was Ethan. The nerve of him to call. A cold smile touched my lips as I answered. "Ava, do you really think posting a few things online is going to hurt me?" So, Chloe had already made her move. I replied calmly, "What are you talking about? You're my husband. Why would I want to hurt you? I just thought—" "People might like to see a different side of the great Ethan Cole." Ethan snorted. "Have you thought about yourself in all this? You think a few videos will make me public enemy number one? Ava, don't be naive. Public opinion can be easily managed." I knew it wouldn't be completely one-sided, but hearing him underestimate me like this was almost funny. "Don't you worry about me taking you down with me. You should probably worry about your own company." This mess would definitely impact his business, at least somewhat. And I wasn't worried about the posts being taken down quickly. Because Chloe worked in PR. She knew the game. Hearing me say that, the man on the other end went silent. After a moment, his voice was low. "How are you feeling?" I burst out laughing like I'd just heard the world's funniest joke. His threats hadn't bothered me much, but hearing those words now? It just made me sick to my stomach. Just as I was about to say something sarcastic, Liam, who had been quiet until now, suddenly asked, "Ms. Evans, does it hurt when I press here?" Ethan immediately sounded suspicious. "Who's there with you?" I smiled at the doctor's young, fresh face and replied, "Who else would it be? Obviously—" "My new boyfriend." 3 Ethan's possessiveness was off the charts, bordering on pathological. When we were dating, he wouldn't let me hang out with any other guys, not even my own cousin. Back then, I was completely smitten, treated his words like gospel, so naturally, I obeyed. After we got married, he still had his rules, plenty of them. But apparently, the rules only applied to me. He could do whatever he wanted. At first, I never thought he'd cheat. Our love story felt too perfect; it completely blinded me. I met him, married him during what should have been the best years of my life, only to find out later that he had someone he could never forget – the one that got away. Not the woman he was cheating with, obviously. Who it was didn't matter. What mattered was that he couldn't have her. A man with unsatisfied desires, coupled with power and status… cheating was probably the least of his offenses. But none of that gave him the right to hurt me. Since I couldn't be his 'one that got away,' I'd just let someone else be mine. Ethan had already hung up. I could only imagine how pissed he was, but I didn't care. I took Liam's hand, smiling sweetly. "How old are you?" Liam clearly wasn't expecting me to be so forward. His face and ears turned red. He stammered, "T-twenty-six." Definitely younger. My smile widened. "Oh, Ms. Evans," Liam quickly changed the subject. "You mentioned trending online earlier… actually…" "The comments aren't very kind to you." I shifted slightly. "Oh? What are they saying?" The young doctor looked uncomfortable but spilled it out under my encouraging gaze. "They're saying maybe you deserved it, that a powerful guy like Mr. Cole wouldn't hit a woman unless she did something to provoke him?" Classic victim-blaming. I chuckled. "And what do you think?" Liam seemed surprised by the question. He thought for a moment, then answered seriously, "I don't think what those commenters say matters. What's important now is how you keep the momentum going, keep the pressure on him. Of course, you can't just let it stay trending constantly, or it might attract official attention, investigations. The best strategy might be to pop back into the headlines every few days, keep people engaged." I raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, you know a lot about this." Liam scratched his head sheepishly, grinning. "I used to be interested in PR stuff." I nodded. He had a point, but managing the online buzz wasn't my problem. Chloe was a master at this. As they say, with a best friend like that, who needs an army? I settled back into the pillows. "You can go now. I think I need to sleep." Liam agreed. Before leaving, he carefully tucked my feet under the blanket and adjusted the thermostat, making it warmer. I drifted off, feeling a bit more at peace. Dimly, I heard some noises. Then, a familiar voice whispered near my ear. "Happy now, baby?"
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