The Billionaire Widow's Redemption

For three years, my husband Carter Hancock had erectile dysfunction. Or so he told me. I was the one who pulled him from a fiery car crash, and this marriage was his promise to cherish the hands that saved him.

But tonight, I overheard him with my sister-in-law, Jodie. He confessed his condition was a lie to avoid touching me, and that he' d always loved her. Our marriage was just a sham to appease his grandfather.

The betrayals kept coming. He claimed she was the one who saved him. He abandoned me during a landslide to rescue her. When I woke up in the hospital with broken ribs, he asked me to donate skin from my leg to fix a scratch on her face.

He wanted to mutilate my body for the woman who stole my life, the woman carrying his secret child. My love was a burden, my sacrifice a joke they laughed about behind closed doors.

Then I found the final, soul-crushing truth: our marriage certificate was a fake. I was never his wife, just a placeholder.

That night, I picked up my phone and called the one person he' d warned me away from.

"Alex," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I need to leave. Can you meet me in Europe?"

Chapter 1

HAZEL POV:

I found out my marriage was over the same way the rest of the world did: on a news alert. But the lie had been living in my house for three years.

For one thousand and ninety-five days, my husband, Carter Hancock, had erectile dysfunction. Or so he told me. It was a condition that only existed within the walls of our bedroom, a cruelty reserved only for me.

Tonight was the 1096th day. I'd seen the doctor's report I wasn't supposed to see. Carter was perfectly healthy. The lie was a wall he had built between us, and tonight, I was going to tear it down.

I stood outside his study, my hand raised to knock, when I heard voices from inside. A woman's soft laugh, followed by Carter's low murmur. It was Jodie, my sister-in-law.

"Honestly, Carter, how much longer do you have to pretend with her? I can't stand seeing you two together," Jodie said, her voice dripping with the familiar disdain she saved just for me.

My hand froze in mid-air. My heart started to pound against my ribs, a frantic, trapped bird.

"Just a little longer, my love," Carter's voice was a gentle caress, a tone he had never used with me. "Grandfather is still watching. He feels he owes you for saving my life from the crash. This marriage to Hazel is just a show to keep him happy, to keep you in the family."

The world tilted. My breath caught in my throat. She saved him? No. That wasn't right. I was the one who pulled him from the fiery wreckage of his Ferrari. I was the one whose hands were scarred from the shattered glass and twisted metal.

Carter's next words shattered what was left of my world.

"Jodie, you know I can't stand touching her. This sham of a marriage is the only way I can be with you. Once I have full control of Hancock Industries, we can be together. Properly."

He loved her. He had always loved her.

"And what about her brother, Gary?" Jodie's voice was laced with a cruel amusement. "His dying wish was for you to take care of his little sister. He must be rolling in his grave."

"He should have minded his own business," Carter spat, his voice suddenly cold. "If it weren't for him, I would have married you years ago. All my kindness to Hazel, all the patience... it was all an act. Every second with her feels like an eternity."

A wave of nausea washed over me. The past three years, my patient love, my careful nursing of his supposed trauma, my unwavering support-it was all a joke to them. A story they laughed about behind closed doors.

My whole marriage was a lie. My love was a burden. My very presence was a performance he was forced to endure.

My stomach churned, and a bitter taste rose in my throat. I stumbled back from the door, my hand flying to my mouth to stifle a sob. My foot caught on the edge of the Persian rug, and I went down hard, my knee slamming into the marble floor.

Pain shot up my leg, sharp and white-hot. It was the same knee I had injured pulling him from that car wreck. A new pain layered over an old scar, a physical reminder of the truth.

I remembered the day he proposed. He had held my scarred hands in his, his eyes filled with what I thought was adoration. "Hazel," he'd said, "these hands saved my life. Let me spend the rest of mine cherishing them."

It was all a lie. A beautifully crafted, soul-crushing lie.

My love for Carter started when I was a teenager. He was my brother's best friend, charismatic and brilliant. I had crushed on him for years, writing his name in my notebooks, dreaming of a future that now felt like a nightmare. I had devoted ten years of my life to loving him, three of them as his wife.

And for what? To be his alibi. To be the placeholder for the woman he truly loved. To be a pawn in their twisted game.

Every gentle touch, every "I'm sorry, Hazel, it's the trauma," every night spent in our shared, sterile bed-it was all poison. He married me to repay a debt to Jodie. A debt that I had earned.

A violent retch escaped my throat. I scrambled to my feet, my body shaking uncontrollably. I had to get out. I had to escape this house of lies.

My phone felt heavy in my trembling hand. I scrolled through my contacts, my eyes blurring with tears, until I found his name. A name I hadn't called in three years, not since Carter had subtly convinced me he was a bad influence.

Alex Porter. My childhood friend. My anchor, before Carter became my storm.

The phone rang twice before he picked up.

"Hazel?" His voice was hesitant, surprised.

The sound of his name on my lips was a ragged whisper. "Alex."

"Hey," he said, his tone shifting from surprise to concern. "It's been a while. Everything okay?"

I couldn't form the words. A choked sob was my only answer.

"Hazel? What's wrong? Where are you?"

"I need you," I finally managed to say, the words breaking apart. "Can you help me? I need to leave."

There was a pause on the other end, a beat of silence that felt like an eternity.

"Yeah," he said, his voice now firm, serious. "Of course. Where do you need me to be?"

He didn't ask why. He didn't need to. He had seen the shadows in my eyes on my wedding day.

"I can book a flight," I whispered. "Can you... can you meet me in Europe?"

"Whatever you need," he said, his voice a lifeline in the darkness. "But what about him?"

"He can't know," I said, my voice shaking. "Not yet."

Another strangled sound came from behind the study door. A woman's moan.

I felt sick.

I heard Carter's voice again, muffled but clear enough. "Don't worry, my love. The baby will have everything. We'll tell everyone it's a miracle. We'll say it's mine and Hazel's. She'll be the perfect cover, just like she always is."