The Billionaire's Scorned Ex-Wife is back for Revenge

Nichole's POV

The subtle knock on the door jolted me, and my heart leaped inside my chest. My head snapped toward the direction of the door, and I forced myself to breathe.

My hands trembled like flickering lights as I stuffed the report I was holding into my pocket... my pregnancy report.

I was supposed to be happy-this was what I'd always wanted-but a pang of doubt gnawed at me.

It had been a while since I'd seen my husband, Blake Hamilton William, the heir to H. Group. He was the current CEO, which could explain why he was always so busy. I barely had enough time with him. But now... today, he was mine.

My hands fastened over the doorknob, and with a shriek, the door opened, revealing my handsome devil.

"Hey, beautiful," he greeted me with a smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. Yet, it was enough to make my insides twist.

"Do I know you, sir?" I asked playfully, leaning against the doorframe and curling my hands against my chest.

"What's wrong with you?" Blake's tone had an edge of harshness that made me swallow hard. His eyes locked onto mine as he inched closer.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood still. Suddenly, his demeanor lightened, and his lips curved into a smile.

"Why do you get so tense so easily?" he smirked, tilting his head to the side. "I was just teasing you. There's no need to get so serious over nothing."

I gave a small smile and nodded. Blake was a complicated man, and despite being married for over three years, I was yet to fully understand him. The way he could shut me out or switch moods in an instant was unsettling.

"Hey, Bee."

The feminine voice made my eyes widen. Bee? Who was that? My mind began to spiral out of control.

Blake turned swiftly, his face lighting up.

"Lydia," he called out, and then I saw the way she jumped on him.

My chest tightened. Her face looked a little familiar, but I couldn't quite place her. The real question was, why was she here? Worse, how did she even know Blake?

"Oh my God, is this the Nichole I've heard so much about? It's a shame we haven't met sooner," Lydia squeaked, stretching out her hand to me. My jaw tightened as I turned to Blake with a furrowed brow.

"Who is this, honey?" I asked, forcing a smile.

Blake tucked his hands into his pockets, a grin appearing on his face as he turned to Lydia. They exchanged a glance that made me feel unsettled.

"She's Lydia. A friend," he said in a dry tone.

"A friend, really?"

I tried not to make my jealousy obvious, but I was never one to hide my emotions.

"What is your problem? I just said she's a friend. What other explanation do you want?" Blake barked, and I pressed my lips together.

Was he seriously yelling at me because of this girl?

"Hey..." Lydia's soft voice broke the tension, her delicate hand brushing over his arm.

Her eyes lit up with emotion, and for a moment, I thought she was about to cry. "Bee, it's okay. If I had known your wife was so delicate and sensitive, I wouldn't have come here. I would have just sent my secretary to pick it up."

"Pick what up?" I interjected.

"Nichole, can you please stop raising your voice? Lydia can't take much of that. She's not well," he said sternly. His hands gripped hers as he nudged her. "Come, let's talk in my car. I have your things with me."

He cast an eerie glance at me. I opened my mouth to speak, but his eyes darkened, silencing me.

I bit my lip, tension building at the back of my throat.

After Blake settled whatever he was doing, he came back to me with a frown.

"What's your deal? You overreacted when you saw me with Lydia."

I turned my face away, crossing my arms tighter over my chest.

"I'm your legal wife. Don't I have the right to be?"

He sighed, ruffling his hair. "You can, but I assure you, she's just a family friend. I ran into her at the airport. She was having car issues, and I offered to give her a ride."

I scoffed. "Given that she drove here, I wonder what kind of car issues she must have been having."

Blake cupped my face in his hands, and I sighed.

"Babe, stop. Lydia has cancer, so the doctor warned her not to stress her body. That's why I offered to help. She left some of her medication in my car and just came to collect it."

"Oh..." I mumbled under my breath, guilt washing over me. God, I was such a fool.

"I'm so sorry. I hope she's okay," I said softly.

"Yeah, she is."

My mind wandered back to our conversation, shame filling me.

"Take my bags inside," Blake ordered.

It was as if my body was programmed to respond. I scooped up his luggage and dashed back inside the house.

"I made your favorite meal," I mumbled with a smile. "Happy anniversary, my love."

"You made my favorite?" he asked, his voice warm but distant. His gaze wandered over the house before meeting mine.

For a moment, I thought he was about to say something, but instead, he just smiled.

Today was special-our wedding anniversary. It was the perfect time to reveal the big secret I'd been hiding.

We were having a baby. God, how I wanted to scream those words.

Blake grinned after a while.

"Thanks, baby," he said, wrapping his hands around my waist and pulling me close. His lips found mine, and I melted into the kiss.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed in his pocket, and Blake jerked away.

Anger pushed against the back of my throat, and I hissed softly, pulling him by his collar so his eyes met mine.

"Can't you just put work aside?" I pleaded softly. "At least for today."

Blake hummed under his breath and nodded.

"Don't worry. I just want to silence the call so we won't be..." he trailed off, mischief glinting in his eyes.

I blushed, giggling, as his gaze bored into me.

The ringing persisted, and Blake's face dimmed, color draining from his cheeks.

"I..." Blake faltered, exhaling. "I'm sorry, but I have to take this."

My face tightened, arms crossing over my chest, ready to argue. But the click of him answering the call silenced me.

"Hey."

My brow arched at the softness in his tone. Who was he talking to?

Blake's eyes flickered to mine before he spun around, blocking my path and drifting to the corner of the room.

He murmured something I couldn't hear, his shoulders stiffening.

Blake always took his calls in front of me, but lately, even before this trip, he'd started acting shady.

Loneliness crept in as I sniffed and forced a smile.

My hand caressed my stomach. I still had hope. Once I told Blake about the baby, everything would change.

As he turned, I beamed with joy.

"Babe, there's something I want to say," I muttered before he spoke.

Nichole's POV

Blake blinked in confusion as he stared at me. His face showed he was running out of patience, but it didn't matter. Once he got the good news, his mood was definitely going to improve.

"Can't it wait? We can discuss it over dinner," he said, his thumb brushing over my palm. "We should at least eat before the food gets cold. You know I can't stand cold meals."

I took a deep breath. I didn't want to wait anymore. "No, it cannot," I said, my voice laced with urgency.

"Alright. It better be worth the suddenness," he retorted, rolling his eyes slightly. My hands clenched onto his for support as my chest tightened, but I forced myself to breathe.

"My love, I'm-"

Ring, ring.

Blake's phone buzzed again, and my shoulders slumped in disappointment.

Blake ran a hand through his hair and exhaled. He clicked the side button on his phone and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Babe, I have some things to take care of," he said, dropping the bombshell. The nonchalance in his tone made my blood boil.

The softness of his lips against my cheek did little to ease my worry; instead, it made it worse. But nothing could prepare me for what Blake said next.

"Don't wait up because I won't be coming back home."

"What?" I gritted my teeth, shock evident in my tone.

"I'm sorry, babe, but it's really urgent, and I have to go," he apologized.

"Well, you have to tell me where you're going because that apology is not going to cut it," I replied in a rather loud tone. I'd never raised my voice at him before, but the way he'd been acting was weird, and I didn't like it. For goodness' sake, it's our anniversary. He's supposed to put all work aside for me-I mean, for us.

"Why do you always have to make everything so complicated? It's not a big deal," Blake's sharp tone cut through me, leaving an ache in my chest.

"Not a big deal?" I scoffed, my voice trembling.

He ruined our anniversary and had the audacity to dismiss it like this. Blake ran a hand through his hair, exasperated.

"Nichole , I don't have time for this. I have to work. If I don't, how can you afford this life?"

His words felt like a slap.

"Wow," I muttered, tears brimming. "So that's how you see me?"

Straightening his posture, he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Yes, Nichole . That's how it is. I work to provide, and this is how you repay me?" Without waiting for a response, he slammed the door, leaving me alone.

I collapsed onto the floor as my chest heaved with sobs. How could he treat me like this? The man who once promised me everything now made me feel like nothing. My vision blurred, my head pounded, and darkness pulled me under.

The steady beep of a monitor brought me back to reality. My eyelids fluttered open to find Jennifer, my best friend, leaning over me, her face pale with worry.

"Nichole, thank God you're awake!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around me.

As she pulled away, I caught a glimpse of her face, confirming it was her.

"Jen, what are you doing here?" I asked urgently, gripping her hands tightly. My eyes darted around the room. "Why am I in the hospital?"

The last thing I remembered was arguing with Blake after he ruined our anniversary celebration.

I sighed inwardly, not wanting to think about it. Then my body froze as I recalled collapsing after he left. My hands tightened over Jen's.

"How did I get here?" I asked slowly, anxiety rising in my chest. I honestly expected to hear that Blake had brought me here.

But it seemed heaven had closed its doors to all my expectations.

"I came over to your house because I'd been trying to reach you. I had something really important to tell you," she said, hesitating.

"I got to your house, and I may have twisted the doorknob... and it kind of opened."

My mouth hung open, and I pressed my lips together. She held her hands up dismissively as she stuttered.

"It's not like I was stalking you, but I was just really worried given the way Blake..." She bit her lip, stopping herself from saying too much.

Her words brought a flood of memories-Blake's cold words, the argument, my collapse.

"Blake..." I croaked. "Was he here?"

Jennifer's lips pressed into a thin line. "Blake wasn't there, Nichole. And I've been with your phone since morning. He hasn't even called to check up on his wife." Her eyes rolled dramatically. "How cliché is that?"

I shook my head. "He must've been busy."

"Busy? Nichole, when are you going to see the truth? Blake doesn't love you!"

"Stop it!" I snapped, my voice breaking. "He loves me. He's just... stressed."

Jennifer stood abruptly, her frustration boiling over. "You're in denial. Everyone at home is worried, especially Uncle."

I froze when she mentioned my dad.

"I'm not going back. I won't."

"Your father's sick, Nichole. He wants to see you," she pressed, her tone softening.

But I knew this tactic too well. My father wasn't sick-he wanted to drag me back to a life I'd fought to escape.

"I'm not going home," I said firmly.

Jennifer sighed, sitting beside me. "Nichole, you deserve better than this. Blake is using you."

"He loves me," I whispered, a hand resting on my stomach.

Her eyes widened. "You're pregnant?"

I nodded, a faint smile forming despite the tension.

"Nichole, you can't keep this baby," Jennifer said, her voice trembling.

My chest tightened. "This baby is mine. Blake will change once he knows."

"Blake is cheating on you," she said bluntly, pulling out her phone.

"That's not true," I protested, but my hands trembled as I took her phone.

The photo on the screen shattered me-Blake with a woman. Her face was blurry, but I recognized the dress she wore. It was the same one Lydia had worn yesterday when she came to our house.

Blake was holding her in a way he never held me. The headline below was the final blow: H.Group CEO picks up 'wifey' from the airport.

The phone almost slipped from my hands. My husband, the man I sacrificed everything for, was flaunting someone else.

This was overwhelming-nerve-breaking. I grabbed my phone, dialing his number, but it went straight to voicemail. Again and again, I tried, each failed attempt fueling my anger.

"Where is he?" I cried, my voice hoarse.

"Nichole, please," Jennifer pleaded. "You need to rest."

But I couldn't. Not until I got answers.

My eyes widened. "He's at home," I blurted out, my breath ragged. Ignoring the pain, I ripped the IV drip from my arm.

When I reached home, I rang the doorbell. Relief washed over me as I heard footsteps approaching.

But something felt off-the steps were too light against the floor.

The door swung open.

I froze, my vision blurring instantly.

"You? What are you doing here?"

Nichole's POV

My whole world turned sideways when I saw Lydia standing in front of me. She was clinging to my robe that barely covered her body. My head spun with annoyance as my eyes dilated for a moment before regaining focus. She was wearing my night robe. The realization hit me like a dagger to the heart.

What was she doing here in my house? Wearing my clothes? God, where was Blake?

He really had some fucking explaining to do.

"Why are you here?" My brows knotted together as I stared at her. At the very least, I expected some sort of shock or remorse from her. Instead, she gave me a weird smile.

Her lips curled as she crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe. At this moment, she was a stark contrast to the frail girl I saw yesterday.

"Why are you even here? A part of me was wondering when you'd die in that hospital," she said with a sigh, her gaze shifting to her nails as she examined them, turning them from side to side. She clicked her tongue before looking back at me.

"But not all of us get what we want, isn't that right, love?"

Okay, what the flipping flamingo was going on? This Lydia girl just switched up her aura. It was almost intimidating, but I was never one to get so intimidated.

My fists tightened as I moved closer to her. I was going to give her a piece of my mind, once and for all.

I stepped closer, and her smirk only widened, which made me want to smack her across the face. If she kept running her mouth, it was only a matter of time before I actually did it.

"Listen, you-"

My voice caught in my throat when I heard my mother-in-law's voice.

"Honey, why are you here? You should be resting. The doctor strictly warned you not to do anything strenuous."

I scoffed in disbelief. How does opening the door count as something strenuous? What a joke.

Her voice came closer, and I could see the way she rolled her eyes. In all the years I'd been married to Blake, she had never once pretended to like me.

"Mother, it's alright. I'm fine. I was just coming to open the door for the visitor-"

"I think you mean Blake's wife," I snapped, cutting off her pretentious tone.

God, everything about her got under my skin.

My mother-in-law scoffed and turned to Lydia, her voice softening with tender care I had never received.

"Come inside, dear. You need to lie down. Your health is our top priority," she said, placing a hand on Lydia's shoulder and guiding her inside the house.

There wasn't an ounce of remorse in her eyes when she glanced at me. I hadn't been home since yesterday, and no one had bothered to call me. Lydia showed up wearing my clothes, and no one cared.

"You, girl, come inside and make breakfast. It's about time you made yourself useful, given all the money my son spends on you daily," my mother-in-law barked.

With determination, I pushed myself off the doorframe and stumbled inside. That's when my eyes met his.

"Nichole, where have you been?" Blake asked, his eyes scanning me skeptically.

I bit my tongue, shaking my head with a scoff.

"Where did you go last night? The night of our wedding anniversary, Blake Hamilton William?" I swallowed hard, tears pricking the corners of my eyes. "Do you even care about me?"

Blake ran a hand through his hair and exhaled heavily.

"Nichole, what is your problem, honestly? You've been acting out lately. It's not like you work, so we can't even call it work-related stress-"

"That's a fact. Blake, you've spoiled her too much, and now look how pompous she is. A lowly orphan like you should be grateful you even married into this family," my mother-in-law interjected.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

"I never really thought all of you felt that way about me," I muttered, my voice laced with disbelief.

Gasps filled the room as I grabbed Blake's suit.

"If you hated me so much, then why did you marry me, huh?"

Blake rolled his eyes, gently taking hold of my hand. His other hand tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

"Because I love you. I don't know why you're so insecure about things that don't matter. We're a family, okay?"

The tears welled in my eyes as my fists clenched. How dare he say those words without a proper explanation for what was going on with Lydia?

"Yesterday, I saw that you-"

Blake placed a finger over my lips, silencing me.

"Shh. It's not what you think. The media is just trying to stir up drama. You know how they photoshop things."

I searched his eyes, desperate for anything to comfort me, to make me believe him. But nothing settled the unease in my heart.

"That doesn't explain why she's here, in our house," I said warily, casting a glance at Lydia, who was curled up against my mother-in-law like a puppy. "Or why she's wearing my robe."

Blake pulled me into a hug. The scent of his cologne did little to ease the tension in my heart, but I found myself sinking into his embrace.

"She came over with Mom. She spilled something on her clothes yesterday, so Mom gave her yours," he explained, rubbing my back. "Would you have preferred she wore mine?"

"NO!"

Blake chuckled, lifting my chin.

"You're so cute when you're jealous," he teased.

I wasn't amused.

"Blake, we need to-"

"We'll talk later. For now, why don't you make breakfast? Mother doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"Blake, I-"

He hushed me and nudged me toward the kitchen. I wanted to protest, but I didn't know how to say no to him.

"Fine. After breakfast, we'll talk. Okay?"

He nodded, and I sighed in relief.

Despite needing rest, I found myself working tirelessly in the kitchen. After thirty minutes, I set a buffet on the table.

Lydia squealed with joy.

"My God, this looks amazing! I can't believe you made this for me. Thanks, sis!"

My stomach churned.

"I didn't make anything for you," I muttered.

My mother-in-law scoffed, brushing past me.

"Don't be so rude. Even if you don't have parents, you're old enough to know better."

I frowned, setting the plate on the table with more force than necessary, surprised it didn't break.

"At least I don't try to ruin people's marriages," I snapped.

"Nichole, enough! It's too early for this," Blake said, diffusing the situation.

I moved to sit with Blake, but Lydia nudged me aside, dropping into the seat next to him and clinging to his arm.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed.

"Nichole, not now. Just let Lydia be," Blake said calmly.

I closed my eyes, exhaling deeply before forcing a smile.

"Sure."

I poured myself a glass of wine and downed it.

The sound of shattering glass made my head snap toward Lydia and Blake.

My heart raced in fear and shock.

"Lydia!" Blake called out as she jerked against his body, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

"What's happening to you?" I asked, horrified.

I stayed frozen in place as Lydia's face twisted in fear.

"The food... I think... it was poisoned," she stuttered, and my heart dropped.