Return of the Billionaire's Ex-wife.

Channel

I stared at him, my eyes getting misty, my heart hitting hard against my rib cage as my trembling hands gripped the lying pictures.

The glossy edges of the photographs dug into my skin, but I couldn't let go. It felt like if I did, everything would become real-final. My breathing turned uneven and shallow, like the air in the room had suddenly thinned.

"Do you believe I did this?" I asked, my voice coming out in a whisper.

The words barely left my lips, fragile and broken, like they didn't even have the strength to exist.

Rowan gave me no reply as he stared back at me, his eyes red, his face hardened.

His silence was louder than any scream. It crushed me more than any accusation ever could.

"Isn't the evidence so obvious? Why wouldn't he believe it?" Rachel, Rowan's sister, answered for him.

Her voice cut through the room like poison, smooth yet deadly.

"Face it, Channel, you have been caught. I have always known that you are a whore, but I didn't expect you to keep chasing after men after being married to a man that loves you and accepts your problem."

She scowled, eyeing me disdainfully, her lips curling in satisfaction as though this moment was everything she had been waiting for.

"For Christ sake! This isn't me! I didn't cheat on my husband," I screamed in a shrill voice filled with despair.

My chest tightened painfully as my voice echoed across the room.

"Rowan, I can't cheat on you; I don't take your love for granted." I cried out in dismay.

Something wasn't right. Something was terribly wrong.

My fingers trembled as I lifted one of the pictures again, forcing my blurred vision to focus.

There I was.

In bed.

With another man.

"No..." I whispered, shaking my head slowly as if denial could rewrite reality.

"This can't be me. I don't know this man!" I said, frantically switching my gaze from Rowan back to his sister and then back to Rowan.

My mind raced wildly, searching for something-anything-that could explain this nightmare.

Walking towards Rowan, I raised my hands to hold his arms, desperate for him to feel me, to feel the truth in my touch-

But his cold warning made me flinch.

"Don't you dare touch me." He growled, his voice sharp like the blade of a sword.

It sliced my heart open.

The coldness of his voice cut through my heart down to my soul, and unable to handle the pain, I crashed down onto my knees, sobbing softly as the tears that I was trying to push back now escaped my eyes.

The man I loved... the man who once held me like I was his entire world... now looked at me like I was nothing.

"Sign those divorce papers and leave my house in less than thirty minutes." Rowan commanded.

Without sparing me a glance, he walked unhurriedly, his fists clenched tightly at his sides, towards the elevator.

Each step he took felt like a countdown to the end of my life.

"Believe me. I didn't cheat on you." I cried out, clapping my hands together in a frenzy while calling out to my husband-my husband who was walking away from the sitting room and, obviously, away from my life.

The event unfolding before my eyes felt unreal.

Like a cruel dream I couldn't wake up from.

This wasn't how I planned this evening to be.

I had come back home from the hospital with hope blooming in my chest, my heart light for the first time in years.

I was finally pregnant.

After almost four years of silent prayers, painful treatments, and endless disappointment...

I was carrying his child.

I had imagined his reaction a thousand times.

The way his eyes would light up.

The way he would lift me into his arms.

The way he would call me his miracle.

But instead...

I was standing here, accused, broken, and unwanted.

"Sign those papers before he gets down; otherwise, you wouldn't like the state you will find yourself in if he should come back and meet you in his mansion." Rachel said before taking a slow gulp of the alcohol by her side.

Her calmness was terrifying.

Looking at her happy face, it was obvious.

She had planned this.

Every single bit of it.

She had done something-something twisted and unforgivable-that resulted in me being in bed with another man.

But how?

I still couldn't understand.

I had never gone out with her. Rachel and I were far from being friends.

She hated me like I was a plague.

She found nothing good in me, and she never wasted any moment reminding me that I was a good-for-nothing being.

Her brother, Rowan-my husband-had always been different.

He was constantly against her behavior toward me.

He was my support.

My devoted, loving husband.

My backbone.

He was everything I could ever wish for.

But this evening...

He was a stranger.

A sharp sting of pain stabbed my heart, and I gripped my chest, howling out softly.

What was I to do?

How was I going to free myself from this accusation?

I had done nothing to deserve this.

Nothing.

All I ever did was love Rowan... and hope that one day I would give him a child.

That one day had finally come.

I was carrying his baby.

His child.

And he didn't even know.

Still weeping on the soft rug with my head bowed, the calm but heavy footsteps of Rowan made me raise my head.

Hope flickered weakly in my chest.

Maybe...

Maybe he had come back to listen.

Maybe he had realized-

But the look on his face shattered that fragile hope instantly.

I gazed at his towering figure with teary, pitiful eyes, hoping that he could see through me...

See the truth...

Believe me.

But my hopes were dashed when he marched towards me, grabbed me harshly by the hair, and forced my face down to the rug.

My breath hitched painfully as my eyes were forced to stare at the divorce papers lying before me.

"Sign this now!" He thundered.

"No," I refused, shaking my head under his grip.

"You have to listen to me; I didn't do-"

Crack!

The sound echoed sharply.

A stinging slap landed on my face, sending my vision spinning, blinding me for a few seconds.

Pain exploded across my cheek.

But it was nothing compared to what broke inside me.

"If you make me ask you to sign these papers again," Rowan said coldly, pulling my head backward so I was forced to meet his furious gaze,

"I promise you, I'll snuff life out of you."

His words weren't empty.

They carried weight.

Danger.

Finality.

Torrents of tears flowed down from my eyes-not from the pain of the slap, but from the pain of knowing that it was him.

My Rowan.

The man who had never raised his voice at me.

The man who treated me like I was made of glass.

For three years, I had been the apple of his eye.

The woman he loved above all others.

He once saw me as a priceless jewel whose beauty couldn't fade and whose glow couldn't die.

So what changed?

What did I do to deserve this?

I screamed the questions in my head, but no answers came.

Only silence.

And heartbreak.

He shoved a pen into my hands.

His grip tightened around my neck-not enough to kill, but enough to remind me that he could.

And in that moment...

I broke.

My hands trembled violently as I lowered the pen.

Tears blurred my vision as I signed.

Each stroke felt like carving my own heart open.

"We are done," Rowan said immediately.

His voice was void of emotion.

"There's nothing between us again, not in this life, never in the afterlife."

Each word struck like a hammer.

"I regret the day I met you... and I regret not listening to my mother."

I flinched.

"I wish you could just die."

The world went silent.

Completely silent.

Before I could even process his words, I was dragged out-my luggage thrown after me-and then-

The gates slammed shut.

Cold.

Final.

Cruel.

"Get ready to see my lawyer." Rowan's voice came from behind the gate, sharp and filled with venom.

"Because I am going to make sure I take everything-every fucking thing you have, including your life, as compensation for betraying and cheating on me."

I stood there, frozen.

Broken.

Alone.

With one hand slowly moving to my stomach.

Tears streamed endlessly down my face as I whispered, barely audible-

"I didn't cheat on you..."

Then, with a final and terrifying promise, Rowan's voice echoed one last time:

"Get ready for your death in my hands."

Channel

The court was filled with a dead silence that stretched so long it began to suffocate me, wrapping around my throat like an invisible rope. Even the faint shuffling of papers had ceased. The air itself felt heavy, unmoving, as though time had paused just to watch me fall apart.

Everyone was waiting.

Waiting for the judge to decide my fate.

Waiting to watch me crumble.

Rowan had taken me to court. Rowan-my husband, my once safe haven, the man who had sworn before God and the world to protect me-was now the very one dragging me into ruin. He had accused me of infidelity, painted me as a shameless woman, and now stood tall and composed as though he were the victim in all of this.

And why wouldn't he?

He had power. He had money. He had influence.

I had nothing.

I stood at the dock, my fingers trembling so badly I had to clasp them together just to keep them from betraying me. My legs felt like they could give out at any second, yet somehow, I remained standing-barely.

This had to be it.

This had to be my death sentence.

Because Rowan had promised me death.

My breathing turned shallow and uneven as sweat broke out across my skin. My forehead throbbed painfully, my vision spinning as though the courtroom itself was collapsing around me. I blinked rapidly, trying to steady myself, but the dizziness only worsened.

Then the judge spoke.

"I hereby order that all of Channel's Sydney possessions be transferred to Rowan Reynolds..."

Each word struck me like a hammer.

"...and an amount of one hundred million dollars be paid to him as compensation for the pain and mental distress Rowan Reynolds has suffered..."

My ears rang.

"...failure to pay within one month will result in the accused serving five years in prison."

Bang!

The gavel hit.

And just like that, my world ended.

My knees buckled instantly, my body crashing onto the cold, unforgiving floor of the courtroom. The impact barely registered. My head spun violently, my chest tightening as though something was squeezing the life out of me from the inside.

I couldn't breathe.

I clutched at my chest, gasping desperately, but no air seemed to enter my lungs. A sharp, stinging pain spread through me, igniting panic as my heart pounded wildly, erratically.

Hot tears streamed down my face, blurring everything around me.

One hundred million dollars.

The number echoed over and over again in my mind like a curse.

Where was I supposed to get that from?

How was I supposed to pay that?

Between Rowan and me... who was really having the mental breakdown?

A broken laugh almost escaped my lips, but it turned into a choked sob instead.

This wasn't justice.

This was cruelty.

This was power being abused in the most merciless way.

But who was I to say anything?

I was no one.

Just a woman who had once been lucky enough to catch the attention of a powerful man... and was now paying the price for it.

Rowan had planned this.

Of course he had.

His uncle-the judge.

Everything suddenly made sense.

They had already decided my fate long before I stepped into this courtroom. This trial... it was nothing but a performance. A carefully staged execution.

I was the sacrifice.

"How... why..." I muttered weakly, my voice barely audible even to myself.

I hadn't cheated.

I hadn't done anything wrong.

"I didn't do it..." My voice broke as the words slipped out, raw and desperate. "I didn't cheat... someone... someone please believe me..."

But no one moved.

No one spoke.

No one cared.

Strong hands suddenly grabbed my arms, hauling me up roughly. The policemen didn't spare me a second glance as they began dragging me out of the courtroom like I was nothing more than trash being disposed of.

My feet stumbled against the floor as I was pulled along, my vision still blurred with tears.

And then-

From the corner of my eye, I saw her.

Rachel.

A triumphant smile spread across her face, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction as she leaned toward her friend.

"The bitch is finally out of the way," she said, her voice low but sharp enough to pierce through me. "My brother is all yours now."

My heart dropped.

Slowly, as if sensing my gaze, she turned to look at me. The smile on her lips widened, cruel and mocking. Then, with deliberate slowness, she raised her hand and waved.

Goodbye.

Something inside me shattered completely.

Then my eyes found Rowan.

For a moment, everything else faded.

It was just him and me.

His green eyes-once warm, once filled with love-were now dark, distant... unreadable. There was hatred there. Pain too. But no trace of the man I used to know.

His gaze pierced through me, cutting deep into my soul.

I wanted to scream.

I wanted to run to him, to grab him, to force him to listen.

But my body wouldn't move.

And he... he didn't move either.

He just watched.

As I was dragged away.

By the time I was thrown out of the courthouse, I was no longer thinking clearly.

My feet carried me without direction, my mind numb, my heart hollow.

And somehow...

I found myself standing at the top of a bridge.

The wind blew harshly against my face, cold and biting, as though trying to wake me up from this nightmare. But I didn't wake up.

Because this wasn't a dream.

This was my reality.

"What do I do now...?" I whispered, my voice trembling.

There was no answer.

No solution.

No hope.

I had no home.

No family.

My mother was gone.

My father... locked away in a mental hospital, lost to a world I could never reach.

And now...

I had a child.

My hand slowly moved to my stomach, trembling as it rested there.

My baby.

The only blessing fate had given me.

The only light in this endless darkness.

Tears slipped down my cheeks as the doctor's words echoed in my mind.

You're lucky to even have this child... It may be your only one... your womb will have to be removed after delivery...

A broken sob escaped me.

"I'm sorry..." I whispered, my fingers tightening slightly against my stomach. "I'm so sorry, baby..."

My voice cracked completely.

"I wanted you... I wanted to love you... to hold you..." My breathing hitched painfully. "But I can't... I can't bring you into this world just to suffer..."

My knees trembled as I stepped closer to the railing.

"I can't protect you..."

The wind howled louder, whipping around me as though urging me forward.

"I'm sorry..." I cried, my body shaking violently now. "Momma is so sorry... I hope you can forgive me..."

My grip tightened on the railing as I slowly leaned forward, my eyes shutting tightly.

Just one step.

One step and everything would end.

The pain.

The humiliation.

The fear.

Everything.

The wind rushed past my ears, loud and consuming, as my body tilted forward-

"Channel! Don't you dare!"

His voice echoed in my ears.

Rowan

"What are you about to do, Channel?" I barked, my voice rough with panic as I lunged forward and grabbed her by the waist, locking her in place before she could take that final step.

The sight of her standing at the edge of the bridge, ready to throw herself into the emptiness below, had sent my heart straight into my throat. Fear-raw, suffocating fear-gripped me so tightly I could barely breathe. When she refused to turn back, when she acted as though she couldn't hear me, I had no choice but to beg.

"Channel, please... get down from there. It's me-Rowan, your husband. I'm here to take you home." My voice cracked, betraying the storm inside me. "I believe you, Channel... just don't jump."

But she had lifted one leg, ready to step into nothingness, ignoring every word.

My entire body went rigid. My hands trembled uncontrollably, and before I could stop myself, I dropped to my knees right there on the bridge. People had gathered, watching, whispering, but I didn't care. Nothing mattered except her.

"Channel, please... don't do this." My hands pressed together as if in prayer. "I'll take you back. I'll bring you home. Just don't leave me like this. Don't leave me alone in this world... please."

My eyes burned red, my chest tightening with every passing second. The thought of watching her die-right in front of me-was unbearable. If she jumped... if she really did it...

I wouldn't survive the guilt.

Because deep down, I knew I had pushed her to this edge.

I had stripped her of everything-her dignity, her security, her place in my life-even when I knew she had nowhere else to go.

Her father was mentally unstable, locked away in a hospital with nothing to his name. Channel had always been alone, fighting life with bare hands. I still remember the first time I saw her-standing behind the counter of a small coffee shop, a tired but genuine smile on her face. She was twenty.

And I fell for her instantly.

My family hated her. To them, she was nothing-no status, no background, no value. They couldn't understand why I chose her. But I didn't care. At twenty-three, I was already the heir to Reynold's Group. At twenty-four, I married her.

I had everything-wealth, power, looks. I was the man every woman dreamed of. And yet, I chose Channel.

Everyone said she was lucky.

So what went wrong?

I gave her everything. Even when she couldn't give me a child, I never complained. I took care of her father, making sure he lacked nothing. I gave her cars and houses-two mansions-on her birthdays alone. My black card was hers to use without limits. We traveled, laughed... I stayed by her side.

Wasn't that enough?

Why did she still look elsewhere?

Why did she destroy everything we had and make me a fool in front of my own family?

"Fuck..." The curse slipped out, heavy with pain. My chest ached with a bitterness I couldn't contain.

I loved her. That was the truth.

And maybe that was my biggest weakness.

My family believed she had bewitched me, that no sane man would love her the way I did. They warned me-again and again-that she belonged to the slums and would one day return there.

I refused to listen.

She was a cheerful and beautiful lady.

She had male friends-too many, if I was being honest-but she told me they were harmless. She told me she had never been with any man before me.

I believed her.

Even when I saw her wrapped in another man's arms at that same coffee shop, I ignored the discomfort gnawing at me. Even when she spent nights away for "birthdays" and "reunions," I let it slide.

Love made me blind.

And now?

Now I looked back and saw every sign I had ignored.

Every lie I had swallowed.

It was almost laughable. A man like me-smart, powerful-reduced to a fool for three and a half years.

And the truth hit harder than anything else.

The hospital visits. The silent treatments. The excuses.

Abortions.

That was why she couldn't give me a child.

That was why everything never made sense.

My sister had been right all along.

My mother too.

As I laid her unconscious body on the bed after dragging her away from death, I stepped back and stared at her.

Something inside me shifted.

The love... twisted.

My fists clenched, veins tightening beneath my skin as anger surged through me. She looked fragile, innocent even, with tear stains marking her cheeks.

But I knew better now.

That face... that soft, helpless expression...

It was all an act.

A perfect lie.

A calculated performance.

She wanted to die so people would blame me. So I would carry the weight of her death forever.

But she failed.

And I wouldn't let her win.

I needed my hundred million dollars.

I knew she didn't have it. I had made sure of that. She had nothing left, no one to turn to. It was simple-pay or go to jail.

But prison wouldn't satisfy me.

No... I wanted more.

I wanted her to feel everything she had made me feel.

Slowly.

Painfully.

And if she couldn't pay... then she would repay me in another way.

My thoughts were interrupted when she stirred, a soft groan escaping her lips. She shifted on the bed, her brows furrowing like she was trapped in a nightmare.

After a while, she opened her eyes-only to shut them again as sunlight streamed through the curtains.

I didn't move.

I stood there, watching her like a predator watching its prey.

Waiting.

Finally, her eyes opened again, scanning the room before landing on me.

Confusion flashed across her face.

"What am I doing here, Rowan?" she asked.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

"What are you doing in your husband's house?" I shot back coldly. "Or would you rather be in one of your sugar daddies' homes?"

Her expression hardened instantly.

"You're no longer my husband," she said, her voice low but steady. "You divorced me. You threw me out. Why didn't you just let me die? Do you want to kill me yourself?"

For a split second, something flickered inside me.

Pity.

But it was quickly swallowed by the storm raging within me.

"Yes, I divorced you," I replied, my tone turning dangerously calm. "But that doesn't mean you're free. You still owe me. And until that debt is paid... you belong to me."

Her eyes flashed with anger.

"How do you expect me to pay you if you keep me here?" she snapped. "Where do you think I'll get a hundred million dollars?"

A slow, chilling smile spread across my face.

"There's only one way," I said, my voice dropping to something darker.

Her breath hitched.

I leaned slightly closer, my gaze locking onto hers.

"By becoming my slave completely."