A Game Of Revenge

Chapter One.

WHAT IN THE WORLD!

Emily's POV.

"I," I paused, biting down my smile, while rubbing my palm against my stomach. "I am pregnant, Marcus. I'm carrying our child!"

The excitement pitched my voice to a scream. "I–I can't believe this." I stuttered, blinking my eyes in surprise as I covered my mouth with my hands. "We are finally going to carry our own child; I'm going to be a mother, and you'll be a father."

"I don't understand," he said, shaking his head with a serious look on his face. "What are you talking about? Who's pregnant?"

"I am pregnant, Marcus." I said, taking my words slowly. "The doctor just confirmed it earlier today; you can take a look at the report yourself."

I opened my bag, and handed him the report as an evidence. Before receiving it from me, he looked at me for a few seconds as if trying to ask if I had an idea of what I was really saying.

While he went through it, I kept fanning myself with a hand. The room suddenly felt hot. Perhaps, it was because I'd been under the sun for so long. Or maybe, my body couldn't contain the heat of my excitement, which I didn't expect it to.

I mean, it's been three years since we got married, and now I'm just months away from carrying my own child.

A bubble of laughter escaped my mouth. I just couldn't wait for him to put down the report and give me a hug. But then, it was taking too long.

"You want me to believe this?" he dropped the report on the center table, and righted himself from the couch. "You really want me to believe that you're pregnant for me?"

"What are you saying right now?" I asked, blinking my eyes in confusion. "You should be happy for us. After three years we are finally..."

"Going to have our own child?" he cut me off with a furrowed brow. "Three years Emily. Three good years,"

He indicated with three fingers. "After three years, you suddenly walk in here and tell me that you're pregnant for me? Really? You want to believe that child is mine?"

As his words upon my ears, my heart sank.

"I–I don't think I understand what you're trying to say." I closed my eyes to process his words. "What do you mean by after three years I walk in to tell you that I'm pregnant? You should be happy that I've finally gotten pregnant. Why are you suddenly acting weird?"

I took a step forward to close the distance between us.

"Don't." he warned, with ice in his voice. "Not another step. After all these years, you're suddenly pregnant?"

He narrowed his gaze at the words. "Does that even make any sense to you, Emily?" he added. "What were you expecting? That I would bounce from foot to foot round this house? Or better still, spread my arms to give you a big hug? Really?"

"Why are you suddenly acting this way, Marcus?" I asked, blinking back tears. "We have been looking for a child of our own for the past three years, and now that I'm pregnant, you're choosing to act weird? What's come over you? What's with the attitude? What's all these for?"

"Why don't you tell me, huh?" he asked, his voice matching the hardness of his gaze. "As far as I'm concerned, that child isn't mine."

A cold chill ran down the length of my spine.

"What do you mean, Marcus?" I asked, shaking my head. "What do you mean by the child isn't yours?"

"Drop the act, Emily!" he yelled, a flash of temper lighted his eyes.

I flinched at the sound of his voice. At the same time, my skin crawled with sparks of dread as I met his gaze. He was a completely different person from the man I knew.

"What's going on, Marcus?" I asked, a wedge of pain and tears breaking my voice in two. "Did I do something wrong? Why are you suddenly angry with me?"

I tried to take a step towards him.

"I said not another step!" he yelled, anger and nerves shook his voice. "Don't you get it? I'm not going to accept that child because it's not mine; you know the father of the child. So go celebrate with him."

He turned to leave, but I gripped his arm and held him back.

"If there's something going on, don't you think you should tell me?" I asked, my eyes burning with tears. "I really have no idea what you're talking about. Did I do something wrong?"

"You are going to act like you have no idea what you did, right?" he asked, looking over his shoulder. "Of course, what was I expecting? You would choose to deny it all you want. But I'm not surprised. Let go of me."

His voice was hard as steel.

"Don't do this to me, Marcus. If there's something going on..."

"Of course, there's something going on!" he yelled, and turned to me. "For goodness' sake! There's something going on! Would you care to explain this!"

He slammed some photos on the center table, and turned his back to me. I glanced at him with tears in my eyes, and then turned to the photos on the table. With trembling hands, I picked them up. However, as I went through them one by one, I crinkled my face in shock.

"I guess you understand what's going on, right?" he asked. "Would you care to explain to me what those photos mean?"

"You are getting things wrong here." I said, lifting my pain darkened eyes to him. "Nigel has been my childhood friend; there's nothing going on between us."

"Oh really?" he scoffed. "You want me to believe that he's your childhood friend, and nothing more? You've been seeing him lately. You visited him at his place four times this week, and you want me to think that there's nothing going on? What do you take me for? A fool?"

"Come on, Marcus it's not what you think." I said, taking his hands in mine.

"Just let go of me!" he took back his hand from me. "I bet you must have thought that I wouldn't find out about your little escapades with him. You keep saying that he's your childhood friend, but that's just a facade. The both of you have a thing going on."

"No, that's not true Marcus." I said, trying to suppress the tears in my throat. "Nigel is just a friend. He's being going through a lot lately because he lost his mother who happened to be the only family he'd left. He needed someone to be there for him."

"My point exactly!" he yelled. "Why does it have to be you? I'm sure he'd other options on who to call, why did he have to call you? Besides, why did you go to him if there was nothing going on between the both of you?"

"He was there for me too when I lost my father." I said, my voice husky with tears.

"More lies!" he said, with a cold gaze. "You will only keep telling more lies."

"No, you've to believe me, Marcus." I said, holding his hand as a tear trickled down the side of my nose. "There is nothing going on between us; I can't cheat on you."

"I know that. But you know what? I'm done." he said. "I can't continue with this marriage, so let's get a divorce."

"You... you don't mean that, right?" I stuttered, blinking back tears. "Please, tell me that you don't mean those words."

"Just stay right here, I'll fetch the papers." he said, looking over his shoulder.

"Marcus, you can't do this to me." I said, going after him as he walked towards the bedroom. "It hasn't gotten to a divorce; the child is yours. I haven't cheated, and I'll never do so."

"You heard me right?" he stopped in front of the door to the bedroom. "I am done with this marriage."

He opened the door, and walked in. I went in with him too.

"Marcus, please..." I pleaded, watching as he pulled out a drawer and took out some papers from it.

He turned to me. "Here, sign it." he said with a firm voice while holding out a hand to me.

"I have no idea..."

The rest of the words died in my lips as I noticed an underwear almost falling off from the side of the bed. I narrowed my gaze, and took a step in that direction.

Picking it up with my left hand, the scent of a familiar cologne hit me. I tilted my head from side to side, trying to figure out where I'd perceived something similar, but I just couldn't. However, as I turned to him, he turned his face away.

"Again?" I asked, in a low, pained voice. "How could you do this to me? Why are you cheating on me, Marcus!"

"Sign the papers." he demanded, turning to me.

"Is that all you have to say right now?" I scoffed, my eyes burning with tears. "You cheated on me and all you've to say is that I should sign those papers? Can you even listen to yourself now?"

"You are only making things difficult for us." he said. "Just sign the papers and let's get this over with."

As I opened my mouth to speak, I noticed that the wardrobe was slightly opened. It shouldn't have been open. Curious, I began to walk towards it.

"Emily, what do you think you're doing?" he asked.

But I ignored him. I lifted a trembling hand, gripped the handle, and opened the wardrobe. My heart sank.

"Abby?"

Chapter 02.

IT'S OVER!

Emily's POV.

Of course, I knew that the scent from the underwear was familiar. The underwear was Abby's: my sister. I mean, how's is that even possible? I gripped my head in my hands, and closed my eyes for a moment, trying to process what I saw some minutes back. Before long, I opened my eyes.

"I–I don't understand what's going on, why are you here?" I stuttered, blinking my eyes in shock, while watching her get dressed. "What are you doing here?"

"And what does it look like I came here to do?" she asked, with no ounce of remorse on her face.

"What?" - I crinkled my face at the words.

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes at the words. "Don't play victim here, Emily. It's exactly what you saw. I mean, do I really need to say the words to you?"

She scoffed. "You are old enough to know what's going on, so I don't think I owe you an explanation right now."

"Of course, you do." I said,

"No, I don't." she said, with ice in her voice. "I don't owe you an explanation sister. What you saw is exactly what has been going on. You finally caught us, so I don't think there's anything to hide anymore."

She shrugged.

"How could you?" I asked, in a broken voice. "How could you do this to me? Have you forgotten so soon that I'm your sister? How could you ruin my marriage?"

"Don't even get me started right now." she said, her voice as hard as steel. "Look, you already saw it and I believe that's enough explanation. I don't want to do this with you right now. It's only a waste of time."

"How long?" I sniffled, wiping my face with the back of my hand. "How long has this been going on?"

"Three months? Or perhaps, half a year?" she shrugged, as if it meant nothing.

"Abby!"

"See? This is the very thing about you that gets me irritated." she said, speaking through her teeth. "Can you just stop being so dramatic, huh? You're not a kid, and neither is any of us here. These things happen; you should know that."

"These things happen?" I reiterated, shaking my head in disbelief. "Aren't you ashamed of yourself right now? These things happen? Why didn't you go elsewhere? Why does it have to be my marriage? There are over a million and one men out there,"

I pointed out through the window for emphasis.

"Why does it have to be my husband?" I added, my voice sounding strained all of a sudden.

"You really don't know?" she shifted her body weight to one foot, and folded her arms across her chest. "Do you really need me to tell you?"

"You should be feeling bad for what you did, Abby." I said, in a low, pained voice. "But I doubt if you feel anything right now."

"Am I supposed to feel bad right now?" she arched a brow. "I saw this coming long before now. So I did myself some good: I prepared beforehand because I knew your emotions would mess you up, and I wasn't wrong about it."

"Don't you have anything to say right now?" I turned to Marcus with tears in my eyes. "You are just going to watch her say those hurtful words to me, huh? For goodness' sake Marcus, I'm your wife!"

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Even if you wanted to cheat on me, you could have done so outside there." my voice dropped. "You should have been careful enough so that I wouldn't find out about it. But now, I caught you. And you know what's worse? It's my sister, Marcus. How shameless can you be?"

"You can call me whatever names you want to," he said, looking me straight in the eyes. "But it doesn't mean that I'll change my mind; sign these papers and let's both go our separate ways."

"We have come a long way to go our separate ways now." I said, shaking my head. "Please, don't do this to me. I beg of you."

Even though I didn't want to, and certainly not in front of my sister, but that was my only option. So, with tears in my eyes, I went on my knees before him. It didn't matter to me if she was standing right there, all I wanted to do was to save my marriage.

"If I'd made a mistake in the past, then please let me know." I sobbed softly, burying my face in my hair. "I will do anything to fix our marriage. But please, don't ask me to leave."

"My mind is made up, Emily." he said. "There is nothing you say or do right now that's going to make me change my mind. I want a divorce, and I want it now."

"Marcus, I swear to you that the child is yours." I said, lifting my pain darkened eyes to him. "I wouldn't cheat on you. I have never had such thoughts before."

"Don't you get it?" he asked. "I am done with this marriage. So please, sign the papers and leave. You don't want me to throw you out myself, so while I'm still asking nicely, I need you to leave."

"Marcus, you've to believe me." I said, pressing a hand against my chest as tears welled my eyes. "I have never cheated on you; Nigel has been a friend since childhood. There's nothing going on between us. I can swear it."

"I don't need you to." he lowered himself to a squat, and pushed a tumbling hair back off my brow with a hand. "What I want is quite simple: sign the papers and leave. I'm done with this marriage."

I turned to the side, and glanced at the divorce papers on the bed. I stared at it for a few seconds, and then dropped my head. It just didn't make any sense to me.

It was supposed to be a happy day. I mean, for the past three years, we've been searching for our own child, and now that we finally have one, he wants a divorce?

"You heard him, right?" Abby's voice broke in on my thoughts. "He doesn't want you here anymore. So please, leave."

"Abby..."

"Please, don't look at me with those pitiful eyes." she made a face. "I am not the reason your marriage is about to fall. Or better still, has fallen. You had no idea how to keep your man, and I decided to do you a favor. Now, how's that any of my fault? Besides, I think you should know."

She flung a paper my way. It floated and landed on the floor, right in front of me. I wiped my runny nose with a hand, and picked up the paper. Turns out it wasn't any paper, but a medical report.

I went through it, until my eyes settled on the boxes at the bottom of the report. There was a tick in the box which indicated positive. My heart sank.

"You are pregnant." I said, blinking my eyes in shock. "H–How is that even possible?"

"Of course, I am pregnant." a wry smile twisted her lips as she rubbed her palms against her stomach. "How is that possible? Really?"

She arched a brow.

"We had fun, and he slept with me." she chuckled, and shrugged. "That is how it became possible. It's over Emily. Just leave."

I sniffled, and wiped my face with the back of my hand, then I got on my feet. There was no point crying over spilt milk. It was clear that Marcus was done with me. If he still had any intention to keep me by his side, then he wouldn't have gotten her pregnant.

"The papers, can I have them please." I asked, my voice subdued with tears.

"Here," he picked it up from the bed and handed it over to me.

I received it from him, and then put my signature on it.

"That's all, right?" I asked, returning the papers to him.

"Yes," he received it from me, and glanced at it to confirm if I really did sign it.

"Very well then," I gripped my roller bag, which was by the bedside table.

However, as I took a step, my gaze fell on the dagger lying on the bedside table. I lifted my gaze to know if either of them were watching. Fortunately, neither of them was. I picked it up, wrapped my fingers around it, and pulled my roller bag as I made for the door.

As I got to the door, I paused, and turned back to them.

"Mark my words, you're both going to regret this."

Again, as I turned to leave, I paused, and turned to Marcus.

"Here's my farewell gift to you both." I brought out the dagger, and held it to my neck.

"Emily... don't." he said, shaking his head.

"Goodbye." I said, slitting my neck with the dagger.

The dagger escaped my grip as I fell to the ground, gurgling, and gasping for breath. But then, Abby walked up to me, and lowered her knees to a squat.

"You made the right decision sis." she said, with a cynical smile. "I never thought you'd make things this easy for me. I owe it to you. Take these words with you to the grave, I paid someone to make those photos of you and Nigel."

A tear trickled down the side of my nose.

Chapter 03.

TWICE AS MUCH!

Emily's POV.

Exhaling sharply, I stopped walking and gripped the wall for support as my head kept spinning all over the place.

Walking now seemed like a job I was employed to do; I'd barely taken a few steps, but I'd grown exhausted already.

"You are finally awake?" Nigel's voice broke into my thoughts.

I turned, and found him setting the dining.

"Finally?" I asked, barely breathing the words.

"Yes, believe it or not, you've been unconscious for a month, or perhaps even more." he said, loosening the apron around his waist. "You were only fortunate enough to have survived. If that blade had gone in an inch deeper,"

He pinched his fingers to show.

"I guess we would be standing over your gravestone at the moment." he added.

My heart's shook at the words. I obviously wasn't thinking when I decided to cut my neck with the blade. But the pain was just too much to bear.

If anything, I wanted to get back at Marcus for betraying me. However, I guess I took things too far. I shouldn't have gambled with my own life.

"Here, drink this; it'll help with the dizziness." he said, handing me some pills, and a glass of water.

"Thank you." I said, drinking the pills.

"You are welcome." he said, receiving the glass from me.

He turned around to return to the dining.

"How is Marcus doing?" I asked, in a curious tone.

He paused, and turned back to face me.

"Did I hear you wrong, or did you just ask of him?" he asked, shaking his ear with a finger. "You just regained consciousness after a month, and the first person you ask of is Marcus? Are you kidding?"

"Nigel..."

"You must be joking right now." he said, his voice rose to a scream as he pointed a finger at me. "Can you even listen to yourself?"

He scoffed, and pushed his fingers through his hair.

"If I didn't arrive at Marcus's when I did, then you would be dead." he added, speaking through his teeth with forced restraint. "The same Marcus who you're worried about left you to die on that floor after you cut yourself."

He pointed a finger to the floor for emphasis.

"He didn't even bother to come check up on you while you were at the hospital." he continued, giving a slow disbelieving head shake. "And now the first person you ask of after you regain consciousness is him? Really? What about me who's been taking care of you for the past three weeks?"

His voice was cold as Ice.

"You won't ask how it's been for me, huh?" he blinked back tears. "I had to bring you here because your life wasn't safe anymore at the hospital just so that you would get well. If you'd asked for a meal, then it would have been better, but Marcus? You're wrong."

He squeezed the apron, and tossed it on the floor.

"Nigel." I called, gripping his arm as he was about to walk out on me. "I am sorry, I had no idea that all these happened."

"Of course, you don't." he said, his voice as hard as steel. "Each day, I would prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner, hoping that you would eventually wake up and join me in the dining, but no."

He shook his head, while looking at me with tears in his eyes.

"Just last night, you moved a finger, and I figured that you'd regain consciousness in the morning, and fortunately you did." he added, swallowing hard. "But even after what he did to you, it's hard to believe that you're still this naive. You aren't supposed to feel a thing for him."

"I know that I shouldn't ask about him," I said, trying to quell the sob rising in my throat. "But let's not forget that he's also the father of my child."

"I figured you'd say that." he said, his voice matching the hardness of his gaze. "But don't you get it, Emily? They want you dead, and not alive."

He put his hands on my shoulder, and looked into my eyes.

"Why exactly do you think I brought you here?" he asked, shaking his head slowly. "Your own sister tried to kill you while you were unconscious at the hospital. I couldn't leave you there all by yourself. And that's why I brought you here to stay with me."

"Why would she try to kill me?" I asked, my throat tightened with tears. "I don't see any reason for her to kill me."

"That thing in your stomach is enough reason for her to try to kill you." he said. "I learnt that she's pregnant for Marcus too. As long as you both are pregnant for him, she'll try to do everything in her power to take you and your child out of the picture, so that she can have all his wealth to herself alone."

"Abby wouldn't try to kill me." I said, shaking my head, while blinking back tears. "She is my sister."

"Well, too bad, she tried to." he let out a sigh. "She already stole your husband from you, got pregnant for him, do you think she'll stop now? She's almost accomplished whatever plan she'd in mind when she approached your husband."

He pushed a tumbling hair back off my brow, and flashed a brief smile across my face.

"She isn't your sister, and he's no longer someone you should care for; they are both your enemies now." he said. "They have both hurt you. Right now, you should think about hurting them twice as much as they've hurt you."

He really didn't need to say that, because I'd decided to do so. I'll make them suffer for the betrayal and pain.

"I am hungry." I said, turning my head to the side. "It looks really delicious."

"Of course, it is." he smiled. "Go ahead, I'll just quickly wash my face and join you."

He took his hand away from my shoulder. I walked towards the dining, pulled out a chair that was tucked into the table, and then settled down. Right in front of me were varieties of dishes, but the golden brown color of the toasted bread caught my attention.

I picked up a slice from the plate, closed my eyes, and drew in the scent.

"You can have as much as you want." his voice broke in on my thought.

I opened my eyes and found him in front of me. He pulled out a chair from the other side of the table, settled on it and scuffed it forward.

"Thank you." I said, taking a bite.

"How is it?" he asked, raising a brow.

"It tastes so good." I said, touching the corner of my lips with a finger.

"Here," he handed me a tissue. "Use that instead."

"Thank you." I received it from him and wiped my mouth.

"It is obviously not the best time to bring this up, but I have to." he said, elbows on the table and fingers laced beneath his jaw. "I think it's time for you to accept his offer. You want to get back at Marcus and Abby for what they did to you? Then he's the only one that can help you."

"You don't expect me to get married to him, do you?" I asked, raising a furrowed brow. "I just barely regained consciousness, and you're bringing this up? It doesn't make any sense."

"Yes, I know." he said, in a soft voice. "But if you ask me, then I'd tell you that we can't waste any more time. One month is gone already."

"I was unconscious in that period." I said, speaking through my teeth. "I don't need to remind you of that, do I?"

"No, you don't." he said. "But Ash has been the one sorting your medical bills. He's been the one taking care of you the entire time."

"I didn't ask him to." I said, shaking my head. "Besides, if I'm going to get my revenge on Marcus, and Abby, then I don't need his help to do that. Why can't he just get someone else? Why does it have to be me."

"He wants the same thing that you do." he said, with a meaningful look in his eyes. "Here."

He pulled out a document from a brown envelope, and handed it to me. It was just a few papers held together by a staple.

"What is this?" I dropped the toast bread on the plate, and received the document from him.

"It is your death certificate." he said.

"What?" I crinkled my face in shock.

"Yes. When Abby tried to kill you, we made it seem like she succeeded in doing so." he explained. "However, I asked the doctor to fake your death report. So neither Marcus nor Abby know that you're alive right now."

"This doesn't make any sense." I said, shaking my head as I read through the document. "Time of death, 8:15pm?"

I lifted my head to him and cocked a brow. But he said nothing, so I dropped my head and continued reading through. I turned over to the next page.

"Cause of death, internal bleeding?" I raised my head to him.

"Sounds natural, doesn't it?" he asked.

"I am not doing this." I dropped the document on the table and righted myself from the chair. "I have just lost my appetite, and it's all thanks to you."

Before I could take a step from where I was standing, he got up and gripped my arm.

"I can understand that this is tough for you right now." he said, his voice as soft as the toasted bread. "But I'm only trying to help you. They stole your happiness, and you just want to let them be?"

"I didn't say I will." I sniffled, wiping my face with the back of my hand.

"They need to suffer for what they did to you, Emily." he said. "Trust me, you won't be alone on this; I'll be with you every step of the day."

"Alright then, where can I find Ash?"