REBORN AS THE BILLIONAIRE's SECRET WIFE

It was late in the afternoon. The air was filled with sweat, old concrete as prisoners walked around the yard whilst armed guards kept an eye on them. Selene did not raise her eyes and sat quietly. She didn't want trouble. She couldn't afford it. Not with the baby coming soon.

There was a crack of noise which broke into the yard.

"You stupid liar!"

Two prisoners leaped at each other, and punched each other with fists. Very quickly a crowd was formed, cheering and shouting.

Guards shouted on the tower, though they did not come running down. Fights like this were common.

Selene didn't move from her spot. She was leaning on the fence and stroking her belly. She wanted to stay invisible. She would have liked the day to go by without people noticing her.

But the quiet ones were always found in trouble.

Heavy feet were scraping the ground behind her. Selene stiffened. She did not have to turn around to tell who it was.

Liora Voss.

A broad-shouldered, tall, tattooed woman with anger in her eyes. Liora Voss loved breaking people. Especially weak ones.

Well, well, said Liora Voss loudly when she halted before Selene. "Look who's hiding back here."

Selene kept her eyes down.

Liora Voss tilted her head. "Hey. I'm talking to you, 1165. Lift your head."

Slowly, Selene raised her chin. The accident had scarred and disfigured her face, the cause of people staring, whispering, or quickly looking away.

Liora Voss burst out laughing. "Damn, 1165. I have no appetite when I look on your face."

Some of the other inmates near by laughed.

Selene breathed quietly. She didn't respond. She couldn't. Her vocal cords were destroyed and every time she attempted to speak, she produced a broken and rough voice.

"What?" Liora Voss asked. "You too good to answer me?"

Selene swallowed.

Liora Voss stepped closer. "Say something."

Selene opened her mouth, and attempted to make a sound.

"Hhh... k–"

The sound was harsh and agonizing. It was as though it were a car engine that was difficult to start.

Liora Voss laughed and threw her head back. "Oh my God. What was that? Do it again."

Selene shut her mouth tightly.

"Oh, come on," Liora Voss said. "Don't be shy. Give us another engine sound."

More laughter.

The large belly of Selene fell into the eyes of Liora Voss.

"So you are going to carry that thing in there, huh? " she said, giving Selene a single poke on the stomach with a finger.

Selene jerked back, with her hands on her belly.

"Calm down,"Liora Voss said. "I'm just checking."

Selene made a little sound. "Pl... sss..."

Liora Voss leaned closer. "What was that? Speak properly."

Selene tried again. "Pl... stop..."

It came out like a low crackle. Hard to understand.

Liora Voss smirked. "You know what? I do not speak broken-engine language."

She poked Selene harder.

This time Selene flinched, and the baby moved in her.

Liora Voss narrowed her eyes. "Move your hands, 1165. Let me see."

Selene shook her head and withdrew.

Liora Voss's face darkened. "I don't think you get it. I run this yard. Not the guards. Not you. Me. And, when I say show me the belly, you show me the belly."

Selene's shoulders trembled. She didn't want to cry. Not in front of Liora Voss.

Liora Voss slapped her stomach, hard.

Selene felt a jolt of pain in her body.

She gasped and bent over.

Liora Voss stepped back, confused. "What's your problem now? Don't act like I hurt you."

Selene caught the fence and was breathing rapidly. The pain didn't stop. It increased, and covered her belly and her back and her legs.

"Hey..." Liora Voss muttered. "You okay?"

Selene attempted to speak, and only a choked and broken sound was produced.

Other prisoners began to shout.

"She's in labor!"

"She's gonna drop that baby!"

"Someone get the guards!"

"Leave her alone Liora Voss or you'll go into solitary confinement again!"

Two guards rushed over. One pushed Liora Voss aside.

"Stay down!" A guard hissed at Liora Voss.

"What happened?" She demanded.

Liora Voss lifted her hands. "She just started screaming! I didn't do anything!"

Selene weakly shook her head and clutched her belly.

The second guard was on his knees by her side. "1165, are you listening to me?"

Selene was able, but not able to react appropriately. She uttered a groan, which was tremulous and disjointed.

"Call medical!" the guard shouted. "Now!"

Her legs gave out completely. She fell on the ground trembling. The ache was making her feel as though something was eating her inside.

There was a stretcher clattering over the yard. They lifted her onto it. Her breath was short gasps. Drips of sweat ran down her forehead.

"Stay with us, 1165," said one of the guards as they took her to the hospital.

The hospital of the prison was reeking of antiseptic and cold air. Nurses moved around quickly.

"She's fully dilated!"

"Get the delivery kit!"

"She needs to push!"

Selene's body shook. The pain was too much. She attempted to breathe, and her breathing was ragged.

A nurse held her hand. "You need to push, 1165. Do it now."

Selene tried.

"Again!"

She pressed harder, till her entire body shook. A crude note tore out of her throat.

"Her heartbeat is dropping!"

"Push harder!"

"One last push!"

She pushed...

Then her world went black.

As she opened her eyes, all had been silent and still. She had to wait a moment to recall where she was.

She turned her head slowly.

The physician was standing by her bed, and he looked serious.

"Selene, he said," calling her name, for the first time in years"Can you hear me?"

She nodded, her eyes heavy.

He sighed and gazed a little and then looked up at her.

"I'm... very sorry," he said quietly.

"Your baby was stillborn."

Selene was escorted back to her prison room by two guards, with her hands cuffed in front of her. Her legs were weak. Every step felt heavy.

No baby.

No voice.

No comfort.

Just the same concrete walls.

The whispers began immediately the guards took off the handcuffs and pushed her forward into her cell.

"There she is."

"1165 is back."

"She came back empty-handed."

"Where is the baby?"

Some prisoners came nearer, smiling. Selene lowered her head and headed towards her ward. She didn't want to hear them. She wanted her bed. She would like to go to bed and pretend that the world was not there.

But prisoners did not mind how she felt.

A tall inmate who had braided hair walked in the way of Selene. "I heard you knocked out a dead one,"

she said, and everyone could hear her.

Some other person came in. "Could not even bring something useful in the world."

Laughter followed.

Selene said nothing. She walked around them.

"She cannot speak," somebody sneered, and made a guttural noise with her throat. "Just like this--rrhh-khhh."

More laughter.

Selene walked to her ward and sneaked in. Her bed was the top bunk. She was too weak to get up, and lay down on the bottom one, and curled slowly on her side. Her stomach ached. Her head felt heavy.

She closed her eyes.

Perhaps, they would leave her alone had she remained quiet.

But peace didn't last long.

The metal door opened with a bang.

"There she is!"

Two inmates picked up Selene before she could sit up.

"No..." she tried to beg.

"Get her up!" one shouted.

They dragged her off the bed and began pushing her to the bathroom.

Some of the inmates grumbled she believed that she was safe because she was pregnant.

She believed that she was able to get out of work.

She expected to get sympathy.

They dragged her into the bathroom and pushed her to the wet and tiled floor.

Selene attempted to sit up, and someone pushed her shoulder down.

She was surrounded by a crowd of women. Their expressions were cold. All sent here for committing great crimes against humanity.

The tallest prisoner came forward. "You believe you are superior to us because you had been an artist out there? Because you had one or two shows? You believe you are better?"

Another scoffed. "Artist? Please. She couldn't even talk now."

One of them said, she was not an artist. She was a drug peddler who was posing as a singer.

Somebody called her a fake singer, and she held her nose up and talked in a squeaky voice. "Oh, see me, I am 1165, I would like to be famous."

The bathroom was full of laughter.

Selene put her hand to her stomach. It still hurt from labor. One of the inmates kicked her thigh, as she attempted to move back.

"Don't move."

The tall one bent over and roughly grabbed the chin of Selene, and raised her face.

"Look at this," she said, turning Selene's face left and right as she took a good look at it. "What happened to your face? Did someone melt it? Did you get hit with a truck filled with ugly?"

Selene's breathing sped up. She made attempts to withdraw, but the woman clung to her.

"You wanna sing with this face?" she mocked. "Fine then, sing."

"Sing for us, 1165!" another shouted.

"Yes! Sing!" someone else repeated.

They all laughed again.

Selene opened her mouth and made an attempt to speak.

"Hh... nn... stop--"

The silence was interrupted, hardly a murmur.

The prisoners broke into greater laughter.

She is more like a tractor.

"She sounds like a dying rat."

"Hush it," one replied and hit Selene on the cheek.

Selene's head jerked sideways. Her eyesight momentarily went blurry.

"Hit her again!" someone yelled.

The giant inmate hit her right shoulder. The blow pushed Selene off on her side.

Another blow fell on the other side.

Then another.

And another.

"Stop trying to hide," somebody said and kicked her side.

"Oh, she is crying, "another sneered.

"Perhaps she is still acting like she is weak," someone added. "Perhaps she is smuggling drugs once again. Tell us girl! Do you have coke for us?"

She was kicked again on the ribs.

Selene grunted, but scarcely audible.

Her head started spinning. The walls began to tilt. Her breaths came out shallow.

One of the prisoners sneered back. "She's going to pass out."

"Let her," another said. "She deserves it."

Then there was a voice in the rear.

"Wait."

Selene lifted her eyes weakly.

The woman came forward gradually. She was shorter than others, and with a scar on her forehead. She stuck into her boot and came out with something shiny.

A knife.

Selene's heart dropped.

The room got quiet.

The lady cowered before her. "You were not saved by pregnancy, she said. "Nothing will save you."

Selene shook her head weakly. "No... pl... no--"

Her voice cracked painfully.

The woman raised the knife.

Someone laughed nervously. "You really gonna do it?"

"She deserves it," the woman answered. " I had to do all her work whilst she was at the hospital having that dead child."

Selene attempted to crawl away, but her physical form was too weak. Her vision doubled. Her ears rang.

The woman caught Selene by the shirt, dragged her nearer.

And plunged the knife deep in the stomach of Selene.

Selene gasped silently. No shriek came forth, but a gasp of pain.

Hot blood was sprayed on her shirt and the floor.

Her eyes rolled back.

The walls of the bathroom became obscured and went into dark forms.

Voices became faint.

Someone said, "She's done."

Someone else added, "Leave her. Let's get out of here before we are caught!"

Then everything went black.

Selene was sitting on the couch in the mansion's living room, holding her phone, her leg trembling slightly due to habit. She had been rehearsing a song.

Her phone suddenly rang.

She stared at the screen.

Unknown number... but from LA.

She replied promptly, and her heart was racing. "Hello?"

The voice of a man came through calm and professional. "Is this Selene Rivers?"

"Yes, this is Selene."

"This is Viktor Hale, the manager of A-list artist Kaelara Storm. We heard your demo. Kaelara loves your tone." He paused. "We want you to open her tour."

Selene's breath caught. Her hand fell over her mouth.

"Me?" she whispered.

"Yes. Very shortly, the tour begins, and we want to know whether you are interested. We will require you to come to our office today in case you are. And we will take care of paper work and rehearsal schedules." The man said.

"Yes! I'm interested--absolutely!"

"Good. You can get in within an hour, that would be good." He said.

"I will. Thank you very much for this great opportunity. I will be there." Selene replied, using the last ounce of self control she had to stop herself from screaming into the phone.

"Great. See you soon."

The call ended.

"Yes!" She screamed, twirling around as soon as the man hung up the call. "I need to get ready! I have less than an hour."

Selene rose to her feet and hastened to the bedroom. She took a plain yet nice dress, did her make-up sparingly, and attempted to relax her trembling hands.

This was it.

Her chance.

Her dream becoming real.

The front door flung open, and she was about to reach out to her bag, when she walked toward the door.

Garrick Thorne walked in.

Her husband.

Big and good-looking, in a suit, smelling of perfume and a costly life.

He halted at her all dressed up.

"Where are you going?" he asked, loosening his tie.

Selene smiled softly. "Garrick Thorne, I just got a call. From Kaelara Storm's team. They want me to open her tour. I ..I must now go and see the manager."

Garrick Thorne blinked at her. His face changed to a neutral to an annoyed one within seconds.

"So you're leaving?" he asked.

"I have to go now. The manager..."

"I have just arrived at home," he interrupted. "I want to sleep with my wife. And you are just running out of the house in that way? To go meet some man?"

Selene's smile faded. "Garrick Thorne... please. This is my dream. I've waited so long.."

He scoffed. "Dream? Selene, you should not embarrass yourself."

Her shoulders tensed.

"This music thing again?" he continued. "You're my wife. I can afford any record label you choose, but I do not want a singer as my wife."

Selene swallowed hard. "I do not want you to purchase anything. This is something I earned. You know I've always worked for anything related to my music, I am rejecting your help but please."

He came nearer and caught her by the arm. "Call them. Tell them you're not coming."

She withdrew her arm tenderly. "Garrick Thorne, no. This is my future. Please don't do this."

"I said call them." His voice grew louder. "Reject the offer. Now."

Selene shook her head. "Please listen, just this once. This is what I have been striving to achieve.

Garrick Thorne gazed at her some time, his jaw set, anger in his face. "Fine! Have it your way."

Then he took his keys and walked himself out of the door.

Selene stood there breathing shakily.

She closed her eyes.

She wasn't giving up.

She was ready, picked up her bag and walked out of the house. She was going to the office and her hands were clenching the steering wheel. She attempted to remain calm, attempted to concentrate on the future she had.

Midway there her phone rang once more.

She answered. "Hello?"

This time it was the voice of a woman. "Is this Selene Rivers?"

"Yes, I'm..."

"This is Kaelara Storm's office. This is to tell you that we are dropping you. The team revisited your profile and we found out that you are not a real artist. You don't write your songs."

That is not the case, Selene said hastily, and her panic grew. "I write everything myself. I can show..."

"We don't work with frauds."

The call cut off.

Selene was looking at her phone in disbelief.

Dropped.

Without meeting her.

Without letting her explain.

Saying she does not write her song?

Her chest tightened.

She pulled on the side of the road and parked. She shook with her breath trying to comprehend what had just occurred.

Then she saw figures coming to her window.

Four men.

Rough-looking. Hoodies. Hard faces.

One tapped on her window. "Hey," he said. "You're parked in our spot."

Selene opened the window a bit. "I--I'm sorry. I'll move now."

The man leaned closer. "You're already here. That means you owe us."

"Owe you?" she whispered.

Another man approached her door and banged it open. "She is a pretty one fellas. Get out."

Selene got out slowly and her hands were trembling. I am simply trying to go, please.

One of the men touched her at the waist. "Relax, pretty."

She pushed his hand away. "Don't touch me."

His eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"

"I said don't.."

He struck her violently on the face. "You don't tell us what to do!"

Her head jerked.

The others moved in.

A punch hit her shoulder.

Another hit her stomach.

She attempted to defend herself, but the number of hands, the number of blows were too many.

"Stop, please," she begged.

They pushed her to the ground, with one kicking her stomach. "This aint personal, it's business honey."

She scrambled up to her feetand ran away, despite the throbbing ache in her body.

"Hey! Come back here!" one shouted.

She ran across the road, without looking.

A loud truck horn horned.

She turned around and looked in the direction of the noise.

The headlights were too near.

Too fast.

She froze.

And then...

"Garrick!" She screamed when the bright lights of the truck were nearer to her and the very next moment she was raised high in the air and dropped flat and the next moment and the truck driver made a u-turn with his truck, running away leaving Selene in her pool of blood.