Chapter 2 Shattered and Reclaimed

"Yes, I am."

I didn't hesitate. I tore the ring off my finger and hurled it at James with all the force I could muster.

"And now I'm removing it. Because you don't deserve my love. You never did!" My voice cracked, but I refused to break not yet. My hands clenched at my sides as I forced myself to keep speaking. "You were never going to marry me out of love, were you? You planned a fake wedding. Why, James? What did you really want? My body? My virginity? Well, you won't have it cheat betrayer"

A cruel laugh echoed through the room.

"Your inheritance," Emily said, standing up while pulling the bedsheet over her naked body.

My stomach dropped. "What?"

She smirked, her eyes gleaming with twisted amusement. "Oh, my dear sister. Did you really think James loved you? No, sweetheart. He's with you because of what you'll inherit. And guess what? It was my idea. He loves me. That's why he followed my plan."

I stared at her in disbelief, my heart pounding so hard it hurt.

"Your body?" she scoffed. "Please. Do you really think he wanted you? I'm here, and my body is more than enough to satisfy him."

The words cut deeper than any blade ever could.

Tears blurred my vision as I turned to James, hoping praying that he would deny it. That he would tell me it wasn't true.

But instead, he averted his gaze and sighed. "Yes."

A sharp breath escaped me.

"I don't love you, Stephanie. I never did," he admitted, his voice void of emotion. "I'm sorry, but I love Emily."

The slap came before I could even think. Hard. Stinging. And then another. And another. My palm burned, but I didn't care.

"You are the worst man on this planet, James!" I screamed. "You don't deserve love! You don't deserve happiness!"

I turned to Emily, rage boiling in my veins. My hand lifted, ready to strike...

"Please don't hurt her!" James grabbed my wrist. "She's pregnant."

My entire world tilted.

Emily. Pregnant. With James' child.

A strangled sob clawed its way up my throat.

Not only had they betrayed me, but they had created life together.

I forced the tears back, swallowing my pain. I refused to let them see me break.

"I curse you both," I whispered, my voice laced with venom. Then, without another word, I turned on my heel and ran downstairs.

The moment I saw the cake I had bought for James our anniversary cake I grabbed it and flung it across the room. It crashed against the wall, the sweet scent of frosting mixing with the bitterness in my chest.

Then I left.

A Road to Nowhere

I drove aimlessly, my vision blurred with tears. My mind was numb, my body shaking. The pain in my chest was unbearable, pressing against my ribs like a suffocating weight.

At some point, I found myself near a ravine. I stepped out of the car, gasping for air, desperate for relief.

"God!" I screamed into the empty night. "Why is life so cruel? Why? Was I not enough? Did I deserve this pain?"

The echoes of my voice faded into silence. I sank onto a rock, sobbing, hugging myself as the weight of betrayal crushed me.

"No, you don't."

I jolted, startled by the deep, unfamiliar voice behind me.

I turned, my vision still blurry from tears. A tall figure stood there, his face obscured by shadows and the dimming light of dusk.

"You deserve to be happy," he continued, stepping closer. "You deserve someone who will look at you with love. Who will see only you."

A gentle hand brushed against my cheek, wiping away my tears.

"This angelic face doesn't deserve these tears," he murmured.

His warmth seeped into me, his presence strangely comforting.

I couldn't move. My mind was still trapped in the whirlwind of betrayal, yet his voice, his touch, sent a different kind of sensation through me.

James. Emily. Their lies. Their child. The pain.

And now, this stranger.

His lips pressed against mine, soft yet firm, and I melted.

I don't know why I didn't resist. Maybe it was the heartbreak. Maybe it was the need to feel something anything other than pain.

"Uhm..."

I wasn't sure whose moan it was, but it didn't matter.

The kiss deepened. His hands roamed my body, igniting something foreign inside me. My breath hitched as he lifted me effortlessly, carrying me toward my car.

Before I knew it, we were inside the car naked, kissing so wildly it felt like we were starving for each other. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me closer, claiming me in a way no one ever had before. I had never felt something like this so raw, so intense, so completely out of control.

His lips trailed down my neck, biting, teasing, making me gasp as heat flooded my body. My fingers tangled in his hair, holding him closer, needing more.

And now, this stranger.

His lips pressed against mine again, soft yet firm, and I melted.

"You are a desirable woman. God, I want you to be mine..." he groaned, his hands exploring every inch of me.

I blushed. "Please don't talk like that..."

"Can I own you now?"

I nodded. Words failed me. If I spoke, I might stop him. And I didn't want to stop.

"Just be gentle," I whispered, my voice trembling.

A soft chuckle. "My name is Lucas Robinson," he murmured. "Remember me, my queen..."

And as his lips trailed over my skin, the last thing I remembered before darkness claimed me was his name.

Lucas Robinson.

And I had just given myself to a stranger.