Chapter 3

Alicia POV:

Before I could say another word, Carter grabbed my arm, his grip like iron, and practically dragged me towards his car. "Stop it, Alicia! Don't make a scene here!" he hissed, his eyes darting to the few curious onlookers. His public image was paramount, even now.

He shoved me into the passenger seat, his movements rough. The car screeched out of the parking spot and sped into the underground garage, the tires squealing in protest. My abdomen pulsed with renewed pain, a dull ache spreading through my lower back. I winced, clutching my stomach, but Carter was oblivious. He was too consumed by his own panic, by the need to control the narrative.

Once we were safely hidden away in a remote corner of the garage, he cut the engine. The silence was deafening, broken only by my ragged breathing and the thumping of my heart. He gripped my hands, his fingers clammy. Fake tears welled in his eyes.

"Alicia, please, you have to understand," he pleaded, his voice cracking. "It's not what you think. Yes, I married Kenley." He saw the fresh wave of shock wash over my face and rushed to explain. "But she's... she's dying, Alicia. Terminal cancer. A rare form. She begged me. It was her last wish."

My mind reeled. Dying? Terminal cancer? Kenley, the picture of health and vitality on TikTok?

"I couldn't say no," he continued, his voice dripping with false sincerity. "She's been obsessed with me since high school. It was an act of... compassion. Humanity. And your parents, Alicia, they kept pushing for a wedding. I was under so much pressure. What was I supposed to do?"

He squeezed my hands tighter, trying to draw me into his twisted logic. "She won't last much longer. A few months, maybe. When she's gone, we'll get married. A real wedding. We'll start fresh. I promise. You're so kind, Alicia. You understand, don't you? It's what any good person would do."

My heart, already bruised and battered, turned to a block of ice. The hum in my ears grew louder, drowning out his manipulative words. "Is she dead yet?" The words escaped my lips, cold and sharp, a mirror of the emptiness inside.

Carter's face went from pleading to livid. "Alicia! How can you say such a thing? That's cruel! You've changed. You've become so heartless."

"Heartless?" I laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. "You call me heartless? You married another woman, lied to me for a year, faked our marriage, and then blamed my parents! Now you' re expecting me to wait for your 'dying' wife to kick the bucket, so you can finally deign to make an honest woman out of me? You and your 'dying' wife are two peas in a pod. Equally vile."

"What about the promises you made to my parents?" I continued, my voice gaining strength. "They invested everything in your company. They believed in you. They believed in us!"

He recoiled, his hand raising as if to strike me again, but he stopped himself, his eyes narrowed into angry slits. "You've changed, Alicia. You're not the woman I fell in love with."

Just then, my phone, which had fallen from my hand earlier, vibrated on the car floor. I bent to pick it up, but Carter snatched it first. He saw Benji's name flashing on the screen.

His face turned a dangerous shade of crimson. "Who is this?" His voice was a low growl. "Your little doctor friend? What, did you run straight to him after our anniversary argument?"

He answered the call before I could protest. "Hello?" His voice was cold, his eyes fixed on me with a possessive fury.

Benji' s voice, concerned, came through the speaker. "Alicia? Are you okay? I've been trying to reach you. Your condition is unstable, you need to be resting."

"She's fine," Carter snapped, cutting him off. "And stay away from my wife, Dr. Davenport. She doesn't need your 'care'!" He hung up, throwing my phone onto the dashboard.

"Our anniversary, and you're meeting with old flames?" he sneered, his breath hot and unpleasant. "I remember Benji. Always hovering, always looking at you like that. Didn't he confess his love for you in high school? Is that why you're suddenly so brave?"

His words stung, but not in the way he intended. They simply confirmed his own insecurity, his own petty jealousy.

"And your parents," he continued, his voice rising, "always looking down on me, thinking I wasn't good enough. Well, guess what, Alicia? Without my company, your family's investments are worthless. And your precious baby..." His eyes dropped to my stomach, a cruel glint in them. "You think Dr. Davenport would be a good father to my child? Don't be ridiculous."

He was a monster. His face was contorted into a grotesque mask of rage and entitlement, like something out of a nightmare. The boy I loved, the man I married, was gone. Replaced by this vile stranger.

My mind went numb. I thought of my parents, how they had poured their retirement savings into Carter's startup, how proud they were of "their son-in-law." I thought of the countless nights I'd spent working alongside him, building his dream, sacrificing my own.

Carter mistook my silence for submission. He scoffed, a sneer twisting his lips. "See? Now you understand. I'm telling you, Alicia, I will marry you. We will have our family. You just have to be patient. Wait for her... heart' s desire to come true."

Just then, his phone rang. He snatched it, his expression softening instantly as he saw the caller ID. "Kenley? My love, what's wrong?" His voice, so full of venom moments ago, was now saccharine sweet. "I'm coming. Right now. Don't worry."

He slammed the car into reverse. "Get out, Alicia."

"What?" I gasped, the pain in my stomach flaring violently.

"I said get out! Kenley needs me." He pulled up to the garage exit, practically shoving me out the door. The car sped away, leaving me stranded and alone, clutching my aching belly.

With trembling fingers, I pulled out my phone from the dashboard. It was cracked, but still working. I dialed the only number I knew would answer, the only person who would truly care. "Chloe? I need you."