Chapter 3

Aurora Espinoza POV:

Jacob's words, "You're the other woman," echoed in my head, a chilling pronouncement that solidified everything. The sting on my cheek was nothing compared to the ice forming in my veins. I pushed myself up, slowly, my body aching, but my mind suddenly clear. The tears had stopped. There was only a cold, burning resolve.

He paced the room, running a hand through his hair, muttering to himself. "This is a disaster. A complete and utter disaster. All because of that manipulative little bitch Kiera. And now you, Aurora, fueling her fire. What were you thinking, hitting me?" He didn't even acknowledge the fact that he was the one who had struck me first.

"You really think you can just... erase me?" I asked, my voice flat, devoid of emotion. "Erase our seven years, our company, our entire life together, and just move on with your 'pity' bride?"

He stopped pacing, turning to me, his eyes still hard but now tinged with a flicker of something I couldn't quite decipher-perhaps a hint of genuine fear, or maybe just annoyance. "Aurora, this isn't what I want. I want us. Kiera is a mistake. A momentary lapse. I told you, I'll fix it. I'll get an annulment. It'll be like it never happened." He took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. "You just need to give me time. And you need to stop making waves. You need to keep quiet about this."

He walked over to me, extending a hand as if to comfort me, but I recoiled before he could touch me. The thought of his touch made my skin crawl. The nausea, which had been a dull throb in my stomach all morning, intensified, threatening to overwhelm me.

"Keep quiet?" I repeated, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "Jacob, everyone already knows. That video is viral. Kiera posted it for the world to see."

His face contorted in disbelief. "What? Viral? No, no, that's impossible. She wouldn't dare." He snatched my phone again, his fingers fumbling as he tried to unlock it. I let him. There was no point in hiding it now. The damage was done.

As he scrolled, his eyes darting frantically across the screen, a chilling realization washed over me. The nausea wasn't just disgust or heartbreak. It was a familiar feeling, one I had been trying to ignore for weeks. The missed period. The fatigue. The subtle changes in my body.

I was pregnant.

With Jacob's baby.

The thought hit me with the force of a physical blow. A baby. Our baby. A symbol of the future we had so meticulously planned, now tainted by his monstrous betrayal. I looked at Jacob, still engrossed in the online chaos, his face a mask of fury and panic. This man, this monster, was the father of my child.

No. No, I couldn't. I couldn't bring a child into this toxic, broken world. Not with him. Not with the shadow of Kiera lurking, not with the memory of his hand on my face, twisting my heart into knots. The baby deserved better. I deserved better.

A cold, hard clarity settled over me. This wasn't just about me anymore. It was about severing every single tie to him, every single piece of the life we had built. My child, the innocent life growing inside me, deserved a clean slate, a fresh start. And that meant... starting over. Completely.

"Jacob," I said, my voice cutting through his frantic muttering. I stood tall, my shoulders back, my gaze unwavering. "There will be no annulment. No fixing this. And there will be no 'us' ever again."

He looked up, his eyes bloodshot, still scrolling through the viral comments. "Aurora, don't be ridiculous. This is just a hiccup. A PR nightmare, yes, but we'll manage it. We always do." He tried a conciliatory tone, his voice smooth, practiced.

"No," I said, shaking my head. A single tear escaped, tracing a path down my bruised cheek. But it wasn't a tear of sadness. It was a tear of finality. "We won't. Because I'm done. I'm completely, utterly, irrevocably done with you."

He scoffed, dropping my phone back onto the bed. "Done? Don't be childish, Aurora. You have nowhere to go. Everything you have is tied to me, to us. Our company, your reputation, your future. You think you can just walk away from all that?" His eyes glinted with malice. "You'll be ruined. Disgraced. You'll be nothing."

"Try me," I said, my voice barely a whisper, but filled with a new, terrifying strength. I turned, a fierce determination burning in my soul. I walked out of the suite, leaving him standing amidst the ruins of our shattered wedding day.

I didn't go downstairs. I didn't see the guests. I walked past my mother, who called my name, but I didn't stop. I walked out of the venue, past the bewildered valet, and into the cool night air. The city lights blurred around me. My car. I needed my car.

I drove. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew I couldn't stay. Couldn't breathe the same air as him. Couldn't carry his child. The weight of the world pressed down on me, but amidst the crushing despair, a tiny spark of rebellion flickered. I would not be nothing. I would be everything. I would reclaim my life, my dignity, and my future. Starting now.

My phone rang. It was Jacob. I let it ring. And ring. He called again. And again. I eventually silenced the phone, tossing it onto the passenger seat. I didn't want to hear his excuses, his gaslighting, his threats. I only wanted to focus on the road ahead, on the impossible choices I had to make.

I drove until the city lights faded, replaced by the quiet darkness of the suburban streets. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions, but one decision stood out, stark and unyielding. I pulled over, my hands still gripping the steering wheel. I knew what I had to do. For me. For the future that was no longer tied to him.

I would secretly terminate my pregnancy. It was a painful, heartbreaking choice, but a necessary one. This child deserved an untainted beginning, a life free from the wreckage of its parents' toxic relationship. And I deserved the chance to heal, to rebuild, to become the woman I was meant to be, unburdened by the ghosts of a shattered past. The decision made, a strange, hollow calm settled over me. This was my first step towards taking back control.