Revenge:My Ex Faked His Death To Be With My Sister

Elena's POV

"Watch where you're going, you disgusting freak!" A woman's voice shrieked above me as I bumped into her while she was coming out of a restaurant.

"Don't you dare touch me with your filthy hands!" My legs gave out from tiredness as she pushed me because I hadn't eaten in days, and I fell to the ground.

I felt a sharp kick to my side that made me gasp in pain. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," I mumbled, trying to push myself up. "I didn't mean to..."

"Get away from me before I call security!" the woman spat.

I lifted my head to apologize again, and my blood turned to ice. Standing above me in a designer dress and expensive heels was Sophia, my step-sister. I hadn't seen her in two years since my husband Marcus died. She had held me while I cried at the hospital and I never saw her again after that day.

But that wasn't what made my heart stop beating. It was the massive pregnant belly stretching her dress, and the familiar hand that reached out to help her steady herself.

Marcus Martinez.

My husband.

My dead husband.

"Oh my God," Sophia's voice changed completely, like she just realized who I was. "Elena? Is that really you?"

I scrambled to my feet, my legs shaking so badly I could barely stand. My eyes were locked on Marcus's face. He had the same green eyes, the same black hair, the same smile that had once made me feel like the luckiest woman in the world.

"Marcus?" The word came out as a broken whisper. "How... how are you alive?"

That's when the both of them started laughing. Marcus threw his head back and laughed like I had just told the funniest joke in the world. Sophia clutched her pregnant belly, giggling so hard.

"Look at her face! She really thought you were dead!"

"I told you she was stupid," Marcus said, wiping tears from his eyes. "But this is better than I imagined. Look at what's left of her."

I felt like I was drowning. The world was spinning, and I couldn't breathe. "The accident... the hospital... Dr. Parker said you were dead. I saw your body. Your sister cremated you!"

"I am most certainly not dead. It was all staged to get rid of you."

"Get rid of me?" I repeated, my voice cracking. "What are you talking about? I'm your wife!"

"Were!" Sophia corrected, running her hand over her belly. "You were his wife. Now he's with someone who actually matters."

I stared at her stomach, and suddenly everything clicked. "You're pregnant. How long have you been together?"

"Since before your wedding day," Sophia said with a smirk. "I was actually in his bed the night before he proposed to you. We laughed about how pathetic you looked, so desperate for love."

The words hit me like a physical blow. I bent down, feeling like I was going to be sick. "That's not true. We were happy. We loved each other."

"Love?" Marcus scoffed. "I never loved you for one second, Elena. You were just a means to an end."

"What do you mean?"

"Your father's inheritance," he said simply. "That's all you were good for. A walking bank account that was stupid enough to hand over every penny."

"My inheritance?" I whispered. "You said you were investing it for us."

"I invested it alright," Marcus laughed. "Lost every cent of it though."

Then I remembered all I had gone through. "The mafia, they came for me to pay your debts after you were gone and I couldn't pay up. They took everything from me. They cut my face, broke my leg and even took my kidney." I instinctively touched my side where I had a scar.

"Your husband never existed," Marcus said coldly. "I played a role, and you were too stupid to see through it."

Sophia pressed herself against Marcus, her hand on her belly. "Poor poor Elena. Reduced to a smelly beggar on the streets."

I felt like I was falling into a black hole. Everything I thought I knew about my life had been a lie. "I helped you get your job. I trusted you. I loved you as a real sister would, because we swore to care for each other when your mother and my father left us."

"Step-sister," Sophia corrected harshly. "And I hated every second of living in your shadow. Perfect Elena with her perfect life and her perfect husband. Well, guess what? He was never yours to begin with."

I looked at Marcus, searching his face for any sign of the man I married. "Did any of it mean anything to you? Our wedding day? Our anniversary? The nights we talked about starting a family?"

"It meant I had you completely fooled and under my thumb," he said without hesitation. "Every kiss, every promise about our future, it was all an act. And you fell for every single second of it."

The pain in my chest was so intense I thought I might die right there on the street. "You destroyed my life. You let me suffer for two years while you lived comfortably somewhere else."

"And it was beautiful," Sophia said. "We got a house in the mountains, far from the debtors and the mafia and far from you. We've been married for months now and as you can see, we're expecting."

"You're married?" I choked out.

"Well, duhhhh. Of course," Sophia laughed. "Darling," she turned to look at Marcus, "I think we should leave. Her presence is making the baby uncomfortable." She said with a wicked smile as they walked away and entered their obviously expensive car.

I felt something snap inside me. Two years of pain, of hunger, of suffering in the hands of the mafia, all because of them. "I'm going straight to the police," I said, as I stood in front of their car. "I'm telling them everything."

Marcus's face went dark. "No, you're not."

"Yes, I am," I said, my voice getting stronger. "I'm telling them about the fake death, about Dr. Parker, about the money you borrowed and left for me to suffer for."

"With what proof?" Sophia asked. "You're a crazy homeless woman making accusations against a dead man. Who's going to believe you?"

"I'll make them believe me, I'll tell them about the money you borrowed from Victor Kozlov, about how you left me to rot while you faked your own death."

"You stupid bitch," he snarled. "You always had to push things too far."

"Marcus, maybe we should just go," Sophia said, looking nervous for the first time.

"You're right. Nobody will believe this homeless wretch anyway." He added.

"No," Marcus said, his eyes never leaving mine. "She knows too much. She's going to ruin everything we've built."

I backed away from his car, finally seeing the monster underneath the mask.

"You're a problem now, and I solve problems."

I turned and ran, but my malnourished body and my broken leg that never healed properly couldn't move fast enough.

I made it to the middle of the street before I heard the engine rev. I spun around and saw Marcus behind the wheel of their car, his face cold and determined. In the passenger seat, Sophia was smiling too as she was excited about what they were doing.

Before I could react, the car accelerated toward me, and I knew what was coming.

The last thing I saw was Marcus's face through the windshield, cold and emotionless as he ran down the woman who had loved him more than life itself.

But in that moment, I wasn't thinking about death. I was thinking about revenge. About making them pay for what they'd done to me. About making them suffer the way I had suffered.

"If I had a second chance, I'll make them pay."

And then everything went black.

Elena's POV

I woke up with a jump, my heart beating like a drum inside my chest. What immediately came to my attention was the fact that I did not smell like the streets. The second thing was the constant sound of beeping of machines nearby.

I was at a hospital, yet I was not there as a patient. The rays of the sun were coming through the perfectly clean windows, and I stared at my hands. My hands were soft and clean. Not the broken, dirty things they had been reduced to in their two years of hell.

"Mrs. Martinez?" I was called back to reality by a voice I knew well. "Are you okay? Did you hear anything I said?"

I slowly turned my head, and there he was. Dr. James Parker, right by my side with that same sympathetic look I knew so well. It was the same deep worry in his forehead, the same cool bedside manner with which that life-shattering news had been given to me.

Or what I supposed had been the worst news of my life.

Dr. Parker went on, with his voice thick with false sympathy, "You blanked out when I told you about Marcus. It is perfectly natural. The sudden death of a spouse is traumatizing."

His statement brought up memories like a dam breaking in my head. All of the details of my former life crashed into my mind all at once, the debts, the mafia Victor Kozlov and his men, the streets, the hunger, the cold. And then, the last betrayal of finding Marcus alive, pregnant Sophia and what was supposed to be my death.

But somehow I was back. It was impossible, but I was back to the moment it all began, to that day two years ago when Dr. Parker told me Marcus was dead.

I stared at the doctor and really studied his face this time. I could see it now, the nervousness behind his eyes, the way his hands shook slightly, the sweat beading on his forehead despite the air conditioning. He wasn't grieving at all. He was scared.

"The accident was severe," Dr. Parker was saying, following the same script I remembered. "The trauma to his head... there was nothing we could do. I'm so sorry, Elena. Marcus is gone."

Gone. That lying piece of shit wasn't gone. He was definitely in that room, pumped full of whatever drug they had used to make him appear dead, waiting for the perfect moment to disappear with my step-sister Sophia.

But this time, I knew the truth and I had all the power.

After a few moments of thinking, I began to cry just like I did the first time. I let out the same broken sobs, the same devastated wails that had convinced everyone I was a grieving widow. Dr. Parker handed me the same box of tissues and made the same comforting sounds.

"I know this is difficult," he said gently. "But we may need to discuss arrangements. The morgue will need to..."

"No," I said suddenly, cutting him off. I wiped my eyes and looked at him with what I hoped appeared to be serious grief. "No funeral home."

Dr. Parker blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"I want him cremated," I said firmly. "Immediately. Today. Right now."

The change in Dr. Parker's expression was instant and beautiful. The fake sympathy vanished and was replaced by barely concealed panic. "Mrs. Martinez, I understand you're upset, but cremation is such a... permanent decision. Don't you think you should take some time to..."

"It's what Marcus would have wanted," I interrupted, my voice getting stronger. "He told me many times that he didn't want to be buried in the ground. He wanted to be cremated so his ashes could be scattered in the ocean."

That was a complete lie. Marcus had never mentioned cremation once in our entire marriage. But Dr. Parker didn't know that.

"But your family," Dr. Parker said desperately. "Surely they'll want to say goodbye? His sister Isabella, your step-sister Sophia... they'll want to pay their respects."

"They can say goodbye to his ashes," I said, standing up from the chair I was sitting in. "I'm his wife. I make the decisions about his body."

"Mrs. Martinez, please," Dr. Parker was practically begging now. "You're in shock. You're not thinking clearly. Cremation is irreversible. Once it's done, there's no going back."

"Exactly," I said, looking him straight in the eye. "I want to make sure my husband rests in peace. I want to make sure no one can ever disturb him again."

Dr. Parker's face had gone completely white. "But the...Don't you want one last chance to see him? To say goodbye?"

"I'll say goodbye at the crematorium," I said, already moving toward the door. "I want this done within the next hour."

"An hour?" Dr. Parker practically shrieked. "That's impossible! There are procedures, paperwork, death certificate..."

"Dr. Parker," I said sweetly, "is there a problem? You seem nervous."

"No problem at all," he said, his voice cracking. "I'm just... concerned about you. This is a big decision to make when you're grieving."

"I'm not grieving," I said. "I'm just a widow who wants to honor her husband's wishes."

Dr. Parker took a step back, and I saw him swallow hard. He was completely in shock by my decision and he didn't know how else to convince me otherwise. "Of course. I'll... I'll see what I can do."

"Then you better start making arrangements," I said coldly. "Because I'm not leaving this hospital without my husband's body."

I watched Dr. Parker fumble for his phone, his hands shaking as he dialed a number before I walked away. I had to strain hard to hear what he was saying and I could see the panic in his eyes through the window and the way he kept glancing at the door I walked out from.

"Isabella?" I heard him whisper into the phone. "We have a problem. Elena wants to cremate Marcus immediately. Yes, immediately. You need to get here now."

"Isabella? So Marcus's sister was also a part of the plan?" I said out loud to myself. I was always so good to her and I even trained her in college and started a business for her, which she handled terribly before it crumbled.

But this time, I wasn't the naive woman who would be easily manipulated. This time, I knew exactly what game they were playing.

Elena's POV

"Mrs. Martinez, please..." Dr Parker was trying once again to convince me to change my mind.

"Elena." The elevator doors opened and Isabella, Marcus' only sister came out of it, her face flushed and her eyes wild. Behind her was Sophia, looking equally panicked.

"Oh, Isabella," I said, turning to face my sister-in-law with a sad smile. "Marcus... how could he do this to us? How could he leave us so soon?" I broke down into fresh fake tears. He was such a wonderful man."

"Elena, honey," Isabella said, rushing to my side. "He was the only family I had... I'm hurt beyond words." She said the words, but she had no tears in her eyes. "Dr. Parker called me. He said you want to cremate Marcus? Don't you think that's a little... hasty?"

"It's what he would have wanted," I said simply. "He told me many times that he didn't want to be buried."

"But we haven't even had a chance to say goodbye," Sophia said, "He's my brother-in-law. I loved him too."

Oh, Sophia. If only you knew how much I was going to enjoy destroying you.

"You can say goodbye to his ashes," I said, just like I told Dr. Parker. "I've made up my mind."

"Oh, Elena, you are not in your right senses!" exclaimed Isabella with desperation in her voice. "You are in shock. You must take time to digest this first."

"I do not need time. I want my husband to rest in peace. And the only way I can make sure about it is by having him cremated now." I replied to her.

Isabella and Sophia gave each other a look of sheer panic and I could see it. Dr. Parker stood beside me still in utter confusion.

"Please, Elena," Sophia begged. "Think about it. "After he is cremated, there is no going back. Are you willing to do that?"

I gazed at her. This woman who had been having an affair with my husband, who had become pregnant with his child, who had been a part of helping him fake his death to go and leave me to suffer for their crimes.

Slowly I said, "Yes. I am prepared for that. I am already prepared to have Marcus gone forever."

The expression of sheer horror that swept over each of the three faces was worth all the pain I suffered in my former life.

And as I watched them frantically trying to think how they could save their dearly beloved plan, I smiled to myself.

Game on.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Isabella replied, "Elena, honey, you have gone through so much today. Why don't we go to the cafeteria? Get some fresh air and clear our heads?"

I nearly laughed. This suggestion is the one I fell for in my previous life. I was so thankful that Marcus's sister was showing me so much care, was so much concerned about my health.

"Sounds nice," I replied, making sure to smile weakly. "I need a cup of coffee."

"Perfect," said Isabella, relief flooding her voice. "Dr. Parker, could you take care of the... paper work, until we come back? Just to get things started?"

Dr. Parker nodded eagerly. "Of course. I'll take care of everything."

I went along. I allowed Isabella to lead me out of the room, allowed Sophia to walk beside me with that fake worried look on her face.

There was hardly anyone in the cafeteria, it was early lunch time anyway. Isabella led me to a table at the corner, where nobody was.

"Oh, sit down here, sweetie," she said, patting my hand. "I will go and get us some coffee. Sophia, stay with Elena."

I watched Isabella go to the coffee machine. She was still glancing back at me, as though she feared I might run away and go and demand that Marcus should be cremated at once.

Sophia leaned over and put her hand on my hand and said, "Elena. I know it is difficult. I understand you are in pain. But Isabella is right, you should consider this decision."

"I am considering it," I said, drawing my hand away. "I am thinking about what Marcus would want."

"But what do you want?" Sophia pressed. "Don't you want to see him once more? To say goodbye properly?"

At the sight of her now, knowing what she did, I wondered how good she was at pretending. That worry in her eyes was so real. The way she leaned toward me as though she really cared about how much it hurt. If not that I remembered she had already been mocking my foolishness a few hours earlier in my former life, I might have taken her seriously.

"I have said goodbye," I said. "Once Dr. Parker told me he was dead, I said all that I had to say."

Isabella brought back two hot coffee cups, placing one before me and holding the other cup to herself. "There you go, honey. Drink this. It will make you feel good and relaxed."

I stared at the cup, memories from my previous life flooding back. I was so grateful for Isabella's kindness, so touched that she was taking care of me. I had taken that coffee without a second thought, and then...

Then I woke up hours later, groggy and confused, to be told that Marcus had already been cremated. That while I was unconscious, they took care of everything. That I had missed my chance to see him one last time.

"Thank you," I said, picking up the cup but not drinking from it. "You're so thoughtful."

Isabella smiled, but I could see the anxiety behind it. "Anything for family."

Family. Right. The same family that committed crimes and let me take the fall for them.

"I should call the funeral home," I said suddenly. "Let them know we're coming."

"No!" Isabella said quickly, then caught herself. "I mean, why don't you drink your coffee first? You look pale. You need to keep your strength up."

I lifted the cup to my lips, pretending to take a sip. "You're right. I do feel a little weak."

"That's shock," Sophia said. "It's completely normal after losing someone you love."

Someone you love. The irony was almost funny. They were sitting here, talking about love and loss.

"Sophia, would you mind getting me a muffin?" I said, setting my cup down without drinking.

"Sure thing Elena. Anything for you."

Immediately Sophia was gone, I turned to Isabella. "Actually, I would like to have some water too. Can you get it for me?"

"Of course," Isabella said, immediately standing up.

Immediately she left, I smoothly swapped our coffee cups. It was easier than I expected. They both got back at the same time and neither noticed I switched the cups.

"Better?" she asked, after I pretended to take a sip out of the water. Who knows if she drugged it too?

"Much better," I said, now holding her untampered cup of coffee. "Thank you."

Isabella picked up what had been my coffee and took a long sip. "This is good. Hospital coffee isn't usually this strong."

"It's perfect," I agreed, finally drinking from my own cup.