Sold Myself to My Husband's Rival

As I scrolled through the pictures on my phone, a chill ran through me. The woman my husband had been seeing dared to send me photos flaunting their affair. I tossed the phone onto the bed, my heart felt as though it was on fire.

It was early summer in Dexy city and the heater was turned on but I felt so cold at this moment.

He had told me he was going on a business trip, but instead, he'd gone on vacation with her. I scoffed at the absurdity of his lie. From the very start, he had made it clear-he only married me because his grandfather had forced him, and I could have refused.

Tears welled in my eyes as I whispered, "But I didn't listen... I was so madly in love with you, Julius. I needed you. I wanted to escape my own home so desperately.

I did everything a loving wife would, We had so many maids in the house but I always woke up very early to serve him his favorite tea. I would make him his best food whenever he was upset. But all of my efforts only earned me a frosty glance from him.

A noise at the door interrupted my thoughts. Was he back already? I cleaned my tears immediately, I didn't want him to see me cry.

I opened the door, only to be met by Athena-his mistress-standing on the doorstep. Athena was a vision of timeless beauty. Her long, flowing hair cascaded down her back in waves of rich, chestnut brown.

"Bella," she began, "I wanted to send those photos to my friends... I don't know how I ended up sending them to you. I'm so sorry you had to see that."

I glanced past her-no sign of Julius. I sighed. "You don't have to pretend with me. He's not here, is he?"

She smirked, dropping the fake apology. "I was trying to be nice for once, but look at you-taking my kindness for granted."

Exhausted, I muttered, "I don't have the strength for this. Just leave or come back when he's around."

Her smile widened. "I want to wait here for my lover. What do you think you can do about it?"

I wasn't in the mood to play nice, so I grabbed her arm, yanking her toward the stairs.

"Stop! Wait, wait!" she protested.

But I didn't stop.

"Wait! I'm pregnant with Julius's child!"

Her words hit me like a lightning strike, freezing me in place.

"What do you mean you're pregnant with Julius's child? You're carrying his baby?"

She smirked. "Yes, and he's going to divorce you soon. You might as well start counting your days in this house."

I laughed bitterly. "You really think you've won? His grandfather will never let him divorce me. So, keep dreaming. Your child is just going to end up a bastard, just like you'll always be the mistress that can only meet him in secret."

Her expression twisted with anger and she was about to retort. Then we heard footsteps. Suddenly, she smiled and deliberately threw herself off the stairs.

The sharp sound of her scream echoed through the mansion.

Julius rushed in, panic evident in his eyes. Before I could explain what happened, he shouted, "What is wrong with you? Are you trying to kill Athena? You're not just selfish, Bella-you're cruel. You disgust me."

He scooped Athena into his arms and ran out, likely rushing to the hospital. Of course, I was the villain in his eyes. No matter what Athena did to me, he never cared, but if something happened to her, he lost his mind.

I sat on the stairs, trying to process it all. Athena was pregnant? Maybe his grandfather would accept her after all. I'd never been able to conceive, even after all these years.

But I didn't have long to think. Julius stormed back in, grabbed my arm, and yanked me up forcefully. "You evil slut!" He didn't even listen to a word I said as he dragged me outside and shoved me into his car.

I wondered where we were going, but it didn't take long for my question to be answered.

"The police station? Are you seriously doing this, Julius? We've been married for five years, even though it was a loveless marriage. You don't even trust my character a bit?" I asked, my voice trembling with disbelief.

He didn't respond; he just turned to the officers and said coldly, "Lock her up for a few days, then let her go. And make sure this doesn't make the news." With that, he walked out, leaving me standing there in shock. It was then that I completely broke down.

My parents showed up not long after, but instead of comforting me, they berated me, calling me a devil's spawn. I scoffed, too exhausted to defend myself anymore. Any normal parents would be worried about their daughter's well-being, but mine? They'd always been concerned only with their interests. My brothers arrived the next day, but not out of concern-they just wanted advice on their failing business. I had always been the brains behind their success, though no one ever gave me credit.

That night, as I lay in the cold cell, one of my fellow inmates approached me and plunged a knife into my stomach. I didn't scream, didn't even resist. I was too tired to fight. "Who sent you?" I whispered with my last breath.

"Sorry, I can't tell you that. I'm just doing this to get my freedom," she replied coldly.

The world faded into darkness.

I woke up, weak and disoriented, I realized I wasn't in the cell anymore. Instead I was in an unknown room.

Everything in the room was rich and lavish. The floors were made of lithirum tiles, one of the most expensive tiles ever. The room was filled with expensive artworks.

One of them could easily sell for 10 million dollars. Julius had a habit of traveling and he brought back home pieces of artwork with each trip.

I was still trying to understand how I ended up here when a man I didn't recognize came into the room and beside me.

His piercing gaze met mine as he said, "You're safe now. I made sure of it." His facial features were very beautiful, he had one of the rarest eye colours, violet. They would look weird on some other people but they looked perfect on him.

"Who... are you?" I whispered.

"Someone who knows the truth," he replied cryptically. "And someone who needs your help just as much as you'll need mine." Those were the words I heard before I passed out again.

I woke up shortly again.

I tried to sit up, but a piercing pain went through my stomach and drove me back down. Panic started as scattered memories of the attack tore across my consciousness. The cell. The knife. The chilly remarks of the woman. I looked down at my body expecting to see a bloody mess but I was bandaged up quite neatly.

"You're awake again."

I was jerked from my thoughts by a powerful, dominating voice. He was still sitting close to me. But this time around,he moved a bit closer, his violet eyes scanning me with curiosity. He looked very noble and elegant and there was something very alluring about him.

"Who are you?" I croaked, my voice hardly a whisper.

"My name is Jesse," he said, pulling up a chair and sitting beside me. "I'm the one who got you out of that hellhole."

I stared at him, trying to piece together his motives. "Why did you help me?"

Jesse's lips curved into a faint smile. "Because you're valuable to me, Bella. And because we have a common enemy."

Before I could question him further, he went to the bedside table and retrieved a thick file. "I thought you might want to know the truth about Julius."

The mention of my husband's name sent a jolt of anger through me but I still asked curiously. "What truth?"

Rather than responding, he gave me the file. "Everything you thought you knew about your husband is a lie."

A chill ran through me as I stared at the file on my hands, my fingers trembling. I opened it and started flipping through. There were lots of photographs, and detailed reports.

I didn't expect what I saw at all.

There was a lab report detailing traces of a substance found in my system-poison. My eyes grew wide as I looked farther. There were emails between Julius and someone else, most likely the person that sold it to him, they were discussing the dosage and timing. One message read:

"She might start to notice the symptoms soon. Be subtle. I need her gone by the end of the month."

This... this isn't real," I whispered, my voice breaking.

Jesse said nothing at all.

I kept reading, I saw photos of Julius meeting with doctors who specialized in undetectable toxins. And at the bottom, a copy of a fake medical record-entries created to imply that I had a terminal illness.

"He's been poisoning me," I said, my voice barely audible. "All this time, he's been..."

Jesse's calm voice cut through my disbelief. "He didn't just want you out of his life. He wanted it to be as natural as possible. I don't know why he hated you that much.

Because he wanted to marry Athena, I remembered her words of her being pregnant. His grandfather would've never allowed her to come in while I was still in the picture.

Tears distorted my view as I held the file tightly. My chest burned, I took a deep breath trying to calm myself and asked him. "Why are you showing me this?"

"Because I want you to join me," Jesse said simply. "Julius isn't just your enemy. He's mine, too."

I shook my head, the pain in my heart too intense. "I don't trust you. How do I know you're not lying to me?"

Jesse leaned back, his expression unreadable. "I figured you'd say that. Which is why I'm showing you this."

He grabbed the remote and turned on the television. The screen flickered to life, and a news report filled the room.

"...exclusive footage of Julius Stone spotted proposing in a private restaurant to his secretary. Sources say the two have been seen together multiple times over the past year..."

The image on the screen showed Julius smiling, leaning close to the woman as they shared a toast.

My hands trembled with anger. "He's out there living his best life while I'm lying here like this?"

Jesse nodded. "And he thinks you're dead. That's the only reason we have the upper hand right now."

My mind raced as I processed his words. If Julius thought I was gone, I had a chance to fight back without him suspecting.

"Fine," I said finally, my voice hardening. "I'll join you."

Jesse smiled faintly. "That's all I needed to hear."

He had a very gentle smile but I still didn't trust him completely, it felt as though he had too many secrets.

I asked, seeing he was about to leave. "One more thing, Can I get a phone? I want to call my mother. She might be very worried. Don't worry, She wouldnt rat me out to julius."

He glanced at me a bit then placed a phone beside me "Suit yourself."

After Jesse had left the room, I reached for the phone beside me and dialed my mother's number. When she answered, her tone was cold.

"Who is this?"

I realized I was calling from an unknown number, so I told her. "Mum, It's me bella."

"Bella? Bella, what are you doing calling me? You're supposed to be dead."

"Mum, is that the first thing you could say to me?" I said, desperation seeping into my voice.

"You don't understand," she interrupted. "The world thinks you're dead, and it's just better that way. You killed his child. Athena had a miscarriage because you pushed her down the stairs.

You know that Julius is way too powerful. Some say he even has connections to the mafia. He's sending us a lot of money and resources because he believes you're dead. If you come back now, you might only incite his anger again. "Do it for the family; be a good girl."

The line went dead before I could respond.

I stared at the phone, tears streaming down my face.

Even my own family had abandoned me. She didn't sound happy to know I had survived. If everyone wanted me to stay dead, then so be it. But I won't rest until I make Julius and Athena pay for everything they've done.

It's been three long years since Bella's disappearance. I searched for her everywhere. I didn't want to believe that she disappeared just like that.

I despised her for the longest period. I loved Athena. Athena made me feel wonderful, she loved me for myself, and most importantly she was submissive and emotional. She praised me to the highs for the littlest of things. Bella, on the other hand, was always indifferent, she would cause problems all the time. And was very selfish. But for some reason, I had never felt lonelier since Bella left.

I snapped out of my thoughts-I had a meeting with my business rival. Jesse Hart. He had wealth, power, and connections to the underground alliance, one of the most powerful alliances across the country. He had tried to snatch some of my business deals. But now, he suddenly reached out to me to collaborate. I wondered what he was trying to do now.

I stepped into the meeting room, my eyes wandering as I observed my surroundings-until they landed on her. My heart stopped.

I hadn't seen her in three years, hadn't heard anything about her, yet for some reason she was right in front of me wearing a formal jumpsuit that highlighted her curves. Her beautiful red hair was now much longer than before. She used to always wear clothes that didn't fit her quite well-all because I told her I loved my women well-covered. But now, she had an unrestrained aura, so different from the timid girl I had once known.

I stepped forward, calling to her. "Bella, what are you doing here?"

She didn't flinch. Instead, she met my gaze with a distant, polite smile that cut deeper than any glare.

"Mr. Stone," she said evenly, her voice devoid of the warmth I once knew. "You're just in time."

My chest tightened as I tried to comprehend what I was seeing. She had always hated addressing me too formally-she would call me 'hubby' no matter how many times I told her to stop. How was she even here in the first place?

"Ah, Julius," Jesse's voice broke the tension as he stood, placing a casual but protective hand on Bella's shoulder. "I see you've noticed my fiancée."

The word hit me like a punch to the gut.

"Fiance?" I went back, hardly keeping my voice steady.

"Yes," Jesse replied smoothly. "Bella has been my partner in business for years. It's only natural that our relationship would deepen."

Bella didn't look at me, didn't acknowledge my presence beyond that initial greeting. She picked up a folder, flipping it open as though I was nothing to her.

"Shall we get started? We have a lot to discuss."

I wanted to respond, to demand answers, but the meeting had already begun before I could find the words.

The discussion around the table flowed, but I barely heard a word. My mind raced-a storm of questions and memories. How was she here? Where has she been all these while?

"Mr. Julius?" my secretary whispered, nudging me gently. "Are you alright?"

I blinked, forcing myself to focus.

"Yes, let's continue," I muttered, though my voice betrayed me.

Across the table, Athena's gaze burned into me. She had sensed the change in my composed exterior. Her discomfort was clear as I saw her eyes move between Bella and me.

The meeting ended, and I didn't waste another second. As everyone dispersed, I marched toward Bella, emotions boiling over-anger, frustration, pain, and fear.

But before I could say anything, Jesse stepped in again, his hand still on her shoulder.

"I trust everything is clear, Julius?" he said smoothly. "We'll leave now-Bella gets tired easily. I'm looking forward to our next meeting to finalize the collaboration."

I stood there, speechless, as they walked away together.

My mind kept on spinning. I left the room trying to catch up to them. I needed to talk to Bella, no matter what.

Athena caught up to me, she tried to grab my arm.

"Julius!" she snapped. "We need to talk."

"Not now, Athena," I said sharply, trying to push past her.

She stepped in front of me, blocking my path. "No, we're doing this now. How is she alive? Why is she here?"

I clenched my jaw, trying to control my frustration. "I have no idea."

Athena's voice rose, anger and desperation mingling. "No idea? Don't insult me, Julius. Bella just shows up out of the blue, and you act so lost and confused during the meeting when all you should feel is anger. Don't forget-she killed your child!"

I froze, her words were like a slap across the face.

"I haven't forgotten," I said, trying to calm down.

Athena's eyes flashed with anger . "Then don't act like you don't remember! She pushed me down those stairs-deliberately. I lost our baby because of her!"

Memories found their way to the surface-the shouting, the fall, the blood.

"Don't forget what she did," Athena continued, her voice trembling now. "Our child would still be alive if it weren't for her!"

I pressed my fingers to my temples, trying to block out her words, trying to think clearly.

Athena's voice softened, turning almost pleading. "Don't let her manipulate you again. She's always been this way. I just knew she wasn't dead because, tell me, how did they not find the body no matter what?"

I couldn't listen anymore. Without another word, I pushed past her, headed to my office instead, and slammed the door, locking it behind me. My chest heaved as I sank into my chair, my head in my hands.

Bella.

What happened to you all these years? How did you just appear as my business rival's fiancée? And why now?

After Athena left, her words kept replaying in my mind. I knew I had to stay focused and not let emotions affect my decisions. I picked up my phone and called my head of security.

"I want a full report on Jesse Hart," I said coldly. "Dig into his finances, his connections-everything. And find out how Bella became his fiancée. I don't care how long it takes-just get it done."

"Yes, sir," came the quick response, and the call ended.

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. Nothing was adding up. Just what happened all those years?

My bodyguard quickly called back.

"Sir, someone's blocking the information on Jesse Hart intentionally. But we found something strange."

"What is that?" I asked.

"Jesse Hart has been charged with first-degree murder before. But he was later found innocent due to lack of evidence."

"Who did he kill?"

"His sister."

I stiffened.

"What's even stranger is that there's no record of him ever having a sister-nor of his parents. It's almost as if he came out of nowhere."

I gritted my teeth. "Investigate more. Ask for help from the underground if you must-I must find out everything."

My grip on the phone tightened.

Bella must be mine again.