Her Rejected

Chapter One: The Beginning of the End

Reina Halls sat at the long, gleaming dinner table, surrounded by the polished members of the Brooks family, but feeling more alone than ever. The weight of the evening pressed down on her like a suffocating cloak. Her husband, Ethan Brooks, sat at the head of the table, his attention fixed elsewhere. Beside him, Anna Wells giggled, twirling a lock of hair around her finger, her gaze locked on Ethan.

Reina's heart twisted painfully. The humiliation was a familiar sting by now, but tonight it was worse-far worse. Every sideways glance from the Brooks family felt like a dagger to her chest, a reminder that she didn't belong. She was the outsider, the unwanted wife.

"Reina, darling, why don't you serve us some drinks?" Anna's voice cut through the room like a whip, dripping with false sweetness.

Reina blinked, her stomach knotting. Serve them? She hesitated, glancing at Ethan, hoping for a word of defense. But he didn't even look her way. His cold indifference had become her reality. His betrayal, constant.

Without a word, Reina rose from her seat, her bruised body protesting every movement. She'd been in a minor accident earlier that day-knocked down by a car as she ran from the same house, overwhelmed by the hurt and rejection that had become routine. Yet here she was, back in the thick of it. How foolish she had been to think he would care. Even after the doctor had told her the news...

Her hand trembled slightly as she poured the wine, and her mind drifted to the secret she carried now. She hadn't told Ethan yet. She had hoped, against her better judgment, that the news might change something. That telling him about the baby might make him see her differently, might soften that hard look in his eyes that seemed permanently fixed.

But no-he was as distant as ever, if not worse. Reina placed the glasses in front of Ethan and Anna, who continued to flirt shamelessly. Anna's hand brushed his arm, and he didn't move away. Reina felt the familiar burn of jealousy mixed with deep-seated pain.

She clenched her fists by her side. This couldn't continue. Not anymore.

"You're looking a bit pale, Reina," Anna said, her lips curving in a smirk. "Are you feeling alright?"

Reina's jaw tightened, but she refused to give Anna the satisfaction of a reaction. She sat back down, her hands in her lap, and stared at her plate. She felt sick, the pain inside her chest twisting tighter. This wasn't the life she imagined when she married Ethan. She had loved him-truly loved him-and all she ever wanted was for him to love her back. But now, after everything he had done, after the countless nights of loneliness and tears, she knew it was never going to happen.

The sound of laughter brought her back to the room. Anna was laughing again, a mocking sound that grated on Reina's nerves. She couldn't sit through this any longer.

"I think I'll head to bed," Reina muttered, standing abruptly.

"Leaving so soon?" Anna quirked a brow. "But the night is just getting interesting."

Reina ignored her, moving toward the hallway, but just as she reached the doorway, Ethan's voice cut through the room.

"Reina."

She paused, her heart skipping a beat. For a moment, hope flickered. Maybe, just maybe, he would ask her to stay, to talk to her, to care.

But when she turned around, she saw nothing in his eyes but contempt. "Don't come back down," he said, his voice flat. "You're not needed here."

Her heart shattered. Without another word, she left the room, her mind racing. How had she become so invisible, so worthless in his eyes?

As she ascended the stairs to their bedroom, the weight of the day finally caught up with her. She was done being treated like this. Done hoping for a man who only ever wanted to break her.

Inside the bedroom, she sank onto the bed and reached into her purse, pulling out the pregnancy test she had taken earlier that day. She stared at the two pink lines, feeling a mixture of fear, sadness, and... a small spark of hope. This baby was hers, no matter what Ethan wanted.

Reina clutched the test to her chest, her tears falling freely now. She had tried so hard for so long. But it was time to stop trying. She had to think of herself-and now, the life growing inside her.

Tomorrow, she would pack her things and leave. She couldn't stay in this house, this marriage, any longer. Ethan Brooks had made it clear that she wasn't part of his world. But that didn't mean she had to stay a part of his cruelty.

And as the tears streamed down her face, she made a silent promise to herself: No more waiting. No more hoping. I'm leaving, and this time, I'm not coming back.

Chapter Two: The Escape Plan

Reina stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. Her long dark hair hung limply over her shoulders, and her eyes-once bright with hope-were now hollow and tired. She couldn't recognize the woman looking back at her. The Reina she used to be was gone, replaced by someone who had endured too much pain, rejection, and humiliation.

It had been hours since the dinner downstairs, but the words Ethan had spoken kept echoing in her mind. "You're not needed here." The final confirmation of what she had known all along. No matter what she did, he would never see her as more than a burden. He didn't care that she had bruises from the accident. He didn't care that she was his wife.

Her hand moved instinctively to her stomach. He didn't care that she was carrying his child, either.

That realization hurt more than anything. She had loved Ethan, truly. She had spent years trying to win his affection, to make him see her as someone worth loving. But all her efforts had been in vain. He never loved her. He never even tried.

The tears she thought had dried came again, slipping down her cheeks silently. But this time, they weren't tears of sorrow. They were tears of resolve.

I have to leave. I can't stay here anymore.

She glanced around the room, the bedroom she had shared with Ethan for years. The cold, empty space that had never felt like home. Reina wiped her tears and began to pack. She grabbed a suitcase from the closet and started filling it with her clothes, her hands trembling with the urgency to get out.

With every piece of clothing she folded, a sense of freedom began to bloom inside her. She didn't know where she would go, but anywhere would be better than here. Anywhere would be better than living with a man who hated her, who made her feel worthless. She didn't have much-just a few thousand dollars saved up, enough to rent a small apartment until she figured things out. But that was all she needed.

Just her, and her baby.

The thought of the child growing inside her gave her strength. She wasn't just leaving for herself anymore. She was leaving for the life she carried. Her baby deserved better than to grow up in a house filled with hatred. Her baby deserved a mother who wasn't broken by a cruel man.

Reina zipped up her suitcase and walked over to the nightstand. She pulled open the drawer, her hand brushing against the cold surface of the divorce papers she had signed earlier that day. It felt like a lifetime ago. Ethan didn't even know about the papers yet. He wouldn't care, she was sure. If anything, he would be relieved that she was making it easy for him.

But she didn't care about that anymore. She wasn't doing this for him. She was doing this for herself.

She slipped the papers into the suitcase and closed it with a snap. The room felt heavier now, as if the walls were pressing in on her, reminding her of all the nights she had cried herself to sleep here, all the nights she had waited for Ethan to come home only to be met with silence. She wasn't going to cry anymore.

Reina took one last look around the room, then grabbed her suitcase and headed for the door. Her heart pounded in her chest, the reality of what she was about to do sinking in. She was really leaving.

Her hand trembled as she reached for the doorknob, but she didn't hesitate. She had to be strong now, for her and for her baby.

As she stepped into the hallway, the house was eerily quiet. Everyone had gone to bed, and the only sound was the ticking of the grandfather clock downstairs. Reina moved quickly, making her way down the stairs, careful not to make any noise.

But as she reached the front door, a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Leaving without saying goodbye?"

Reina's breath caught in her throat. She turned slowly to see Ethan standing at the bottom of the staircase, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression cold as ever.

Her heart raced, and for a moment, she thought about lying. She could make up some excuse, pretend she was just going for a walk or a drive to clear her head. But then she remembered the divorce papers in her suitcase, the baby growing inside her. She couldn't pretend anymore.

"Yes," she said, her voice steady even though her hands shook. "I'm leaving."

Ethan's eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. "You think you can just walk out?"

Reina swallowed hard. "I signed the divorce papers."

His eyes flicked to the suitcase in her hand. "And what makes you think I'll let you go?"

Her pulse quickened. Ethan had always been controlling, but there was something different in his voice now, something darker. She wasn't sure if it was anger or something else, but it made her uneasy.

"I don't care what you want," Reina said, summoning every ounce of courage she had left. "I'm leaving, Ethan. You don't get to control me anymore."

For a moment, he said nothing, just stared at her with that same cold, hard gaze he always gave. Then, slowly, his lips curled into a cruel smile.

"You think you're free just because you signed some papers?" he asked, stepping closer. "You're forgetting one thing, Reina."

Her breath hitched as he stopped just inches from her, towering over her like a predator.

"You're carrying my baby," Ethan said, his voice low and dangerous. "You think I'm just going to let you walk away with my heir?"

Reina's stomach twisted in fear, but she forced herself to stay calm. She had to be strong now. She couldn't let him intimidate her anymore.

"I'm not staying," she said, her voice firmer this time. "Not for you, not for anyone."

Ethan's eyes darkened, and for a moment, she thought he might grab her, force her to stay. But instead, he stepped back, his smile fading into something colder.

"You'll come back," he said, his voice dripping with certainty. "You always do."

Reina shook her head, gripping the handle of her suitcase tighter. "Not this time."

Without waiting for his response, she turned and walked out the door, the cool night air hitting her like a wave of relief. She didn't stop, didn't look back, even though her heart was pounding in her chest.

She was free. At least, for now.

Chapter Three: No where to Run

Reina gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white as she drove through the dark, empty streets. The road stretched ahead of her, lit only by the soft glow of streetlights. The night felt endless, just like the weight pressing on her chest.

She hadn't planned for this moment. She had been so desperate to leave that she hadn't thought about where she would go next. But staying wasn't an option anymore. She glanced at her phone, sitting on the passenger seat, knowing she couldn't call anyone. Her father had abandoned her years ago, and her mother... well, her mother was long gone. Reina was truly alone.

Her heart sank as she realized the only thing she could count on was the child growing inside her. She had to be strong now-for the baby. She MUST protect her child from the toxic life Ethan would have forced them into. But where could she go?

Her mind raced, thinking of the few friends she had left. None of them knew the real story of her marriage. To them, she had always been Ethan's trophy wife, living the dream with a billionaire husband. If they knew the truth, if they knew how much she had suffered, would they help her? Or would they turn her away?

She drove for hours, the city slowly giving way to empty highways. Her thoughts swirled, growing darker with each passing mile. How had her life turned into this mess? A loveless marriage, constant humiliation, and now running away in the dead of night with nothing but her suitcase and a broken heart.

I MUST keep going, she told herself, her hands gripping the wheel tighter. She couldn't afford to stop. She needed to get far enough away that Ethan wouldn't find her. But the question still loomed-where could she go?

As she continued driving, the car's fuel gauge dropped dangerously close to empty. She hadn't even noticed how far she had gone. Reina's stomach twisted with worry. She couldn't afford to be stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Finally, she spotted a small gas station ahead, a dim light flickering in the distance. It looked run-down, almost abandoned, but it was her only option. She pulled into the station and parked beside the pump. The silence around her was eerie, the only sound coming from the hum of the car's engine.

Reina sat there for a moment, staring at the pump, unable to move. The reality of what she was doing hit her all over again. She had no plan, no destination, and no idea what the future held. All she knew was that she couldn't go back.

I MUST not look back.

With a deep breath, she grabbed her wallet and stepped out of the car. The cold night air bit at her skin, and she hurried inside the small convenience store attached to the station. The old man behind the counter barely glanced up as she walked in.

"Twenty dollars on pump three, please," she said, handing him the money. Her voice was shaky, but she tried to sound confident.

The man nodded, sliding the cash into the register without a word. Reina hurried back outside and started filling her car. The gas flowed slowly, and with every passing second, the fear in her chest grew. What if Ethan was looking for her right now? What if he found her? He had the resources-he could find her anywhere.

She couldn't stop imagining his face, cold and cruel, as he told her she would come back. That she always did. But not this time. She was determined to never return to the life that had broken her spirit.

As she finished pumping gas, Reina noticed a car pulling into the station. Her heart skipped a beat, and panic surged through her. Was it Ethan? Had he already found her? She quickly ducked down, peering around the pump to get a look at the vehicle.

It wasn't his. Relief washed over her, but the fear lingered. She couldn't stay here any longer. She quickly replaced the nozzle, got back into her car, and sped off, leaving the gas station behind.

For hours, she drove through the night, the landscape becoming more desolate the farther she went. The small towns blurred into nothingness, and the highway stretched on, endless and empty. Reina's eyes burned with exhaustion, but she couldn't stop. Not yet.

She MUST find somewhere to stay, at least for the night.

Finally, just as the first hints of dawn touched the sky, she saw a small, run-down motel on the side of the road. It wasn't much, but it was something. She pulled into the gravel lot and parked, staring at the dingy sign that flickered above the entrance.

Sunset Motel.

It looked as tired and broken as she felt, but it was a place to rest. Reina grabbed her suitcase and walked up to the small office. The man behind the counter barely glanced up from his newspaper as she entered.

"I need a room," she said quietly, her voice hoarse from hours of silence.

He grunted, reaching for a key and tossing it onto the counter. "Cash only."

Reina nodded and handed him a few bills, then took the key and walked to her room. The door creaked as she opened it, and the room smelled faintly of mildew, but it didn't matter. She was too tired to care.

She dropped her suitcase by the door and collapsed onto the bed, her entire body aching from the stress and exhaustion of the night. For the first time in hours, she allowed herself to relax, if only for a moment.

But as she lay there, staring at the cracked ceiling, the weight of everything she had left behind pressed down on her. Ethan wouldn't give up easily. He would look for her. He would send people to track her down. And when he found her, what would he do?

Her hand moved instinctively to her stomach. I MUST protect my baby, she thought again. She couldn't let Ethan take the child away from her. He didn't love her, and he would never love their baby. To him, the child was nothing more than an heir, a tool in his game of control.

Reina's mind raced, trying to think of a plan. She couldn't stay here forever. She needed to disappear, to start over somewhere far away. But how? She didn't have enough money to keep running. And the baby... she couldn't keep moving once she started showing. She needed a place to settle, to figure out her next move.

As exhaustion finally began to pull her into sleep, one thought echoed in her mind.

I MUST find a way to keep him from finding me.

But how long could she stay hidden? How long before Ethan caught up to her, demanding what he believed was his?