Chapter 4

Alicia POV:

The internet exploded. Not with my truth, but with Kenley's new narrative. The fitness influencer, Kenley Mendez, suffering from a rare, terminal illness, married to the devoted tech CEO, Carter Burks. Her TikTok accounts, Instagram stories, every platform was filled with tearful updates about her "fight," interspersed with adoring posts about Carter, her "rock."

The comments were overwhelmingly supportive. "Such a brave queen!" "Carter is a true saint!" "Their love story gives me hope!"

Carter, initially, seemed to relish the attention. He was getting the "perfect public image" he always craved. But as the story gained more traction, as news outlets picked it up, as genuine concern for Kenley's "condition" grew, a flicker of anxiety started to show in his eyes. The lie was getting too big.

He came home a few days later, red-faced and furious. He hadn't bothered to check on me since he abandoned me in the garage. His first words weren't "How are you?" but a growl. "What have you done, Alicia?"

I looked at him blankly from the living room couch. My body still ached, my soul felt hollowed out, but a cold, steely resolve had begun to harden inside me.

"Done?" My voice was flat.

"This whole mess," he spat, gesturing wildly. "Kenley is being harassed. People are asking too many questions about her 'illness.' You need to go online, apologize to her, and set the record straight. Tell everyone you were confused, that you misread the situation."

I just stared at him. The sheer audacity. "Why are you so worried, Carter? Is your 'dying' wife not getting enough sympathy?"

His hand flew out, a blur of motion. The slap landed squarely on my cheek, the force of it sending me sprawling onto the hardwood floor. My head hit the ground with a sickening thud. A sharp, agonizing pain flared in my abdomen.

I gasped, clutching my belly, tears springing to my eyes. The baby. My baby.

Carter stood over me, his chest heaving. His initial shock at hitting me quickly evaporated, replaced by a cold, hard look. "You made me do that," he snarled. "You push me too far. You needed to be taught a lesson."

He turned, slammed the door, and left. Again.

I lay there for what felt like an eternity, the pain a burning inferno. Cold sweat plastered my hair to my forehead. My fingers fumbled for my phone, Chloe' s number a beacon in the darkness. "Chloe... hospital... please..." My voice was barely a whisper before darkness consumed me.

I woke in a hospital bed, the sterile smell burning my nostrils. Benji was there, his face etched with worry. My hand instinctively went to my stomach. It was flat. Empty. The crushing realization hit me like a tidal wave. My baby was gone.

I couldn't even cry. There were no tears left. Just a vast, aching void.

"Alicia," Benji's voice was gentle, "your parents are on their way. They... they saw the news."

News? What news?

He handed me his phone. A public statement from Carter's company. It was short, brutal, and damning. It featured a crystal-clear image of Carter and Kenley's actual marriage certificate. The statement declared Kenley Mendez as "Carter Burks's one and only legal wife," condemning "recent malicious rumors" and threatening "full legal action against any individual or entity spreading slander."

The internet, predictably, ate it up. Carter, the devoted husband, standing by his terminally ill wife. His company's stock actually surged. He played the victim perfectly.

Then, a live stream from Kenley. Her face was pale, her eyes red-rimmed, but she managed to look ethereal. She dabbed at her eyes, her voice shaky. "I don't understand why anyone would do this," she sobbed. "Why would someone try to destroy our happiness, especially now? She's been harassing us, sending hateful messages, even buying bots to spread rumors." She looked straight into the camera, her voice hardening slightly. "Please, don't believe her lies. Don't let her manipulate you."

The comments flooded in, venomous and swift. "The mistress is a psycho!" "What kind of woman tries to break up a dying woman's marriage?" Alicia McClure was no longer the wronged wife; she was the villain, the "other woman," the homewrecker.

A fierce, cold fire ignited in my chest. The last shred of hope, the last sliver of naive belief that Carter might somehow be redeemable, evaporated into thin air. He had not only betrayed me, lied to me, but he had actively destroyed me, humiliated me, and taken my child.

"Alicia!" Chloe burst into the room, her eyes red, but her face set with determination. She threw her arms around me, holding me tight. "I've handled your parents. They're with Benji's parents, getting settled in the guest room. Don't you worry about a thing. Just rest."

I pushed her away gently. "Rest? Not yet, Chloe."

I looked at my best friend, her face a storm of anger and concern. "Give me your phone. I need to go live."

Chloe stared, shocked, but quickly complied. She fumbled with the settings, adjusted the filters, but even the strongest filter couldn't hide the gauntness of my face, the dark circles under my eyes, the raw grief that gnawed at my soul.

"No," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "Turn them off. All of them."

Chloe hesitated, then flicked off the filters. My face, pale and haggard, filled the screen. My best friend winced, her eyes filling with pity. But I didn't care. This was me, the real me. Broken, but not defeated.

The live stream started. The viewer count slowly began to tick up. I took a deep breath, looking directly into the camera.

"Hello," I said, my voice raspy but clear. "My name is Alicia McClure. And according to the internet, I am a mistress."