Taking careful steps, a lady ascended the grand staircase of her lavish mansion with poise and grace, her billowing gown elegantly trailing behind her.
Her blue dress was a masterpiece in itself, featuring intricate lace detailing and a flattering fit that accentuated her curves. She wore a matching clutch and sparkling diamond jewellery that sparkled in the dimly lit hallway.
Irrespective of all the affluence around her, her eyes, once vibrant and full of life, now held a shadow of sorrow with wrinkles around them.
Coming to the top of the stairs, she stood with a sad face, her features etched with an unmistakable melancholy.
She had just returned from an event hosted by her company and signed two great business deals.
As exhausted as she was, she was more concerned about her sick husband and returned home on time to tend to him.
As she drew closer to the door of her matrimonial room, her heart raced with anticipation for what lay ahead.
However, her steps faltered when she heard muffled voices emanating from within the room. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she strained to decipher the owner of the voices.
One she recognized as that of her husband and the other… Just as she strained her ear closer to listen, her body froze on the spot, her eyes widening in their socket.
“I told you, Nick, I am pregnant for you. You should treat me with more love and pamper me. I want your hands to be wrapped around me as we make love to each other.”
“Oh Cristal, I told you, we cannot make love tonight.”
“Why? It is not like your wife is at home. Come on,” she whimpered, “You said you love me. And, I am three weeks pregnant. Do it for our baby and me,” she pleaded once more.
“But…”
“Forget about Kiera for a minute and think about me.”
From where she stood, she felt her body shudder from the shock. Her heart ached as her brain tried processing all that she heard.
It felt like a betrayal of an entirely different kind, one that went beyond infidelity.
It was hard for Kiera to believe Cristal given that she and Nicholas had been married for three years and thought she knew him inside out.
He had asked her to take the pill, claiming he didn't like children. Being the loving wife, she put his needs first and took pills to avoid getting pregnant.
The more Kiera thought about it, the more it hurt. Not only had Nicholas lied to her, but he had also made her sterile as a result of his deception. It was like he had taken away her choice altogether.
She thought he had forgotten about his first love, but no.
However, the idea that he had been seeing Cristal behind her back and even fathered a child with her was too much for Kiera to process.
As she listened to them conversing, she couldn't help but feel a rush of emotions. Tears rushed to her eyes, threatening to spill as the reality dawned on her.
She was angry, hurt, and betrayed all at once.
Kiera’s mind raced with possibilities as she hesitated and deliberated on her next move.
Anger riled up inside her, her pain channelled into something else. Finally, she let her pent anger lead as she reached out and turned the doorknob, pushing the door open with force.
To her shock she met them kissing as they broke it and turned to face her, slightly shocked.
She looked at Nicholas, hoping for an explanation, but he avoided her gaze, clearly ashamed of himself, she thought, but when her gaze landed on his protective hold on Cristal, her heart sank even more.
“Nicholas! How dare you cheat on me?!”
“Cheat?” He scoffed, snapping his head to face her. “Shouldn’t that term be used only to those who are in love?”
Kiera’s brows knitted. What nonsense was he sprouting?
“Yes. Or did I say something wrong?”
Her lips opened to speak but he beat her to it.
“You claim to be brilliant but I wonder why it took you this long to realize I do not love you, Kiera.”
“But… we’re married. We were married and we made love countless times…”
“Yet you never carried my child.” A cunning smile crept up his lips. “I think that should tell you just whom my heart belongs to.”
Her pain intensified as the tears she had held back streamed down her cheeks.
“T-Then, why did you marry me and not her?”
“Take a wild guess, Kiera,” Nicholas began and stepped away from Cristal to stand in front of Kiera. “I have never loved you and only had to marry you because my company needed your help.”
“So you just took my money, you thief?”
“No. I did not just take. I paid for it. Those nights I spent forcing myself to make love to you whereas who I ever thought of was Cristal. I did not take what wasn’t mine. You offered it willingly out of your own delusions.”
Nicholas let out a bitter laugh once more and spread his hands to the side, his gaze darkening further as he threw away every form of guilt.
“You were nothing more than a means to an end.”
Nicholas whom she had trusted with her whole being, had not only deceived her but also showed a complete lack of remorse.
His indifference stung Kiera deeper than any physical pain ever could. He had never loved her, he claimed, and their marriage was a mere convenience to him.
Cristal chuckled lightly. She seemed to be enjoying the conversation as a self-satisfied smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth.
Kiera’s head snapped to the side, her anger rising with every second and she pointed at Cristal.
“You!”
She blinked and masked all of her earlier joy and put on an innocent façade.
“What?” Kiera’s eyes burned with rage but Cristal walked forward, placing a hand on Nicholas’ shoulder as she walked past him to stand at the side of Kiera.
“Kiera you should know that… Well, Nick loves me. I am sorry that it had to be this way but you will definitely find someone who would love you as you are. Nicholas did not mean to be cold to you.”
“What?” Kiera could not believe the words coming from her lips.
“I care for you,” Cristal added. “I would not want to see you hurt, please calm down. We can talk about this. I am so sorry it happened this way.”
Kiera snickered and shook her head. She knew the truth behind that mask. “Get your rotten care out of my face you two-faced conniving cheating whorish bitch!”
Immediately, Cristal's lips parted as her jaw fell and her eyes softened, hurt by the words said to her. “You do not have to be mean, Kiera. I am only trying to help.”
“Help my foot. Was that how you were helping by bedding my husband? I wonder if you will still be saying that when I sink my heels into your brain.”
She knew Cristal was a cruel and manipulative person, only revealing her true colours in her presence.
Watching her play the role of a helpless victim, drawing Nicholas’ protective instincts to her side further made Kiera irritated.
Just as she said, she pulled her shoe, kicking one off and holding the other. At once she lounged for Cristal who took to her heels running out the door.
Kiera had no plans of letting her go scot-free and chased after her as she backed away slowly when she got to the top of the stairs.
“You know you were never worthy of him wench. Now that you know, shouldn’t you take your lousy self and run away?” Cristal whispered to her hearing.
Just then she caught sight of Nicholas rushing towards them and her facade once more returned.
“Kiera, please. This is all a misunderstanding. We can talk this out,” she voiced meekly, fear dancing in her eyes.
“Kiera stop this, this instant. She is not to blame for my decisions,” Nicholas spat out, taking closer steps to her.
She turned on her heels and glared at him. “You’re wrong. She is as guilty as you are and deserves to pay. You two spent my money without conscience. I will ensure you pay for this.”
She turned around once more, a dark glint flashing in her eyes as she took hurried steps forward.
“Aahh don’t hurt me, ahhhh… my ankle!”
With a sharp cry, Cristal stumbled backwards and fell on her butt with her tears unleashed, successfully triggering Nickolas’ misguided need to defend her.
“I–I… I did not touch her,” Kiera defended and turned to explain to Nicholas.
“Kiera you’ve gone too far. She is pregnant!” Nicholas thundered.
In a moment of blind rage, Nicholas's hand swung towards Rosalyn, delivering a powerful slap across her face.
Kiera’s world spun. Her fragile body was unable to withstand the assault and the force sent Kiera reeling as she stepped on her dress and plummeted down the stairs, her body crashing against the unforgiving steps as her world descended into darkness.
Pain radiated through her, but it paled in comparison to the anguish and betrayal that consumed her heart.
Blood trickled from the back of her head, mingling with the tears that streamed down her face as she lay helpless on the floor.
As her consciousness waned, memories flashed before her eyes.
The moment she first met Nicholas, the love that bloomed between them, and the promises they made to each other on their wedding day. But now, those memories felt like cruel illusions, shattered by the revelation of Cristal’s pregnancy.
With her vision fading, Kiera felt a wave of regret wash over her. Regret for the choices she made three years ago when she blindly followed Nicholas’ wishes and took the contraceptive pills—a decision made out of love, wanting to honour his desires, but it had left her forever barren.
She couldn't help but wonder if things could have been different. If she had spoken up and fought for her own desires and dreams, would she be in this painful situation?
But it was too late for what-ifs now. All she could do was accept the cruel fate life bestowed on her and the consequences of her choices.
In the darkness, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed towards her. Nicholas’ panicked and anxious voice pierced through the haze, but it held no comfort for Kiera.
“Oh my God, what have I done? Kiera?”
“Nick I am sorry but if not for you, perhaps that would have been me and our baby. She deserves it. It was either her or me,” she heard Cristal’s not-so-hurt voice call out.
It was a stark reminder of the shattered trust, and the irreversible damage inflicted upon their relationship.
As Kiera surrendered to the embrace of unconsciousness, a single tear escaped her eye—one borne from her pain, regret, hatred, anger and wishes.
~Kiera’s POV~If I could turn back time, I may have made different choices.Three years ago, I offered $5 billion from the Campbell Group to save Relish from financial ruin—a selfless act, driven by my love for Nicholas and my desire to secure a future together.Although at the time he did not have feelings for me, I hoped that in time, those feelings would bloom.My big mistake. Now I wonder if it had been in vain.I blinked my eyes, disoriented by the sudden change in surroundings. Instead of lying at the bottom of the stairs, I found myself on the edge of a tranquil lake, surrounded by an atmosphere of surrealism.The frigid breeze grazed my face, and as I looked around, confusion enveloped me. There, standing before me, was Nicholas.But something was off.It wasn't the familiar setting of my home or the painful aftermath of our confrontation. But…I lifted my hand to the back of my head, and my fingertips gingerly touched, searching for the blood I had expected to find.But there
Standing in front of the calendar picture frame of her and Nicholas on their wedding day on her make-up desk, Kiera’s eyes settled on the year—2021.It was hard to believe that she stood here, reborn after the tragic event that happened. But as much as she wished to doubt it, the pain that coursed through her body was too big of a reminder for her to forget.It was 2023 when the incident happened and looking at the date now, the mishap that occurred in her past life certainly hadn’t happened now.Kiera sat in front of her desk in her new apartment (after moving out of Nicholas’ mansion the previous day), her heart pounding with a mix of determination and anxiety as she read the content of the mail on her laptop screen.She made up her mind to break free from the nightmare that her marriage to Nicholas had become.Taking in a deep breath, she pressed the send button, sealing the fate of their relationship. The express mail containing the divorce papers was on its way to Nicholas’ offic
The reason why Kiera slated their meeting for Friday was because she needed to go to work in her family's company—Campbell group the next day.In her previous life she had used a big sum of money to save the Relish group from decline but in turn jeopardized the future of her own company, accelerating its decline.Not long after, her grandfather fell ill and was hospitalised, his health deteriorating further.On his last day, he had wished to see the face of his granddaughter once more before passing on but even that became impossible.Back then, her love for Nicholas was so strong that when her grandfather had called her number, she had offered to leave home to get pastry for her husband, missing the call and in turn, missing her grandfather's last moments.With her rebirth, Kiera felt she was sent not only to save Campbell group from its ultimate end but also protect her grandfather.Stepping into the company, Kiera made her way into her office at Campbell Group, her footsteps echoin
Kiera stood at the car park corner, her gaze fixed on the sleek black limousine. Nicholas loomed beside it, a brooding figure that sent a shiver down her spine.Her heart felt heavy, burdened by the weight of her decision.She had made up her mind—tomorrow, she would meet Nicholas to finalize their divorce and put an end to their tumultuous marriage.She wanted to avoid him now, to gather her thoughts and find the strength to face him one last time.The second she got close enough, he stepped forward, his face a mask of anger and confusion."Kiera! Where do you think you're going? We need to talk!" he demanded, his voice sharp and commanding.Kiera recoiled, her eyes narrowing. She did not intend on evading him but the menacing glare in those eyes of his sent a shiver down her spine.The past memories of his abuse flashed through her mind, igniting a fierce determination within her.She had never dared to resist him before, always yielding to his wishes, but not anymore.She had learn
After leaving the company, Kiera placed a call to Iris and the two of them met up in front of a club.Stepping into the executive club Styling Royals, a sanctuary for celebrities and the elite, Kiera swept her gaze around, taking in the magnificent designs of the place.“You like it?” Iris’ voice cut through the music to reach her friend’s ears.Stunned, Kiera could only nod her head in response.“Hehhe, how does it feel to finally break from the shackles of your past and experience the thrill of a club for the first time?”“I don’t know but it sure feels great. You come here all the time?”“Seldomly but yeah.”Styling Royals was a club with an invitation-only membership. It ensured that only the most prestigious figures in society could enter its doors, some of which were high-end celebrities.“Come let’s find a seat.”As they navigated through the vibrant atmosphere, Kiera couldn't help but feel a sense of liberation. She had finally found herself, breaking free from the suffocating
The tension in the room crackled like electricity as Nicholas’ face contorted with anger, staring at the stranger in his path. His eyes burned with a mixture of fury and fear.Behind him, Kiera’s heart raced, unable to tear her gaze away from the man, Jace, who had been her defender.At the same time, Jace turned his head to the side, his gaze holding her as though asking a silent question.What she had seen wasn’t what she had expected. To her surprise, he looked more striking than Nicholas.The thought alone made her heart skip a beat as she stared at Jace.She had never seen anyone so captivating before. And despite her fear of Nicholas, her eyes remained drawn to Jace like a moth to a flame.He stood tall, his broad shoulders adorned with a fiery-maroon suit that hugged his muscular frame perfectly.His jet-black hair was styled impeccably, framing his chiselled jawline and prominent cheekbones.Amidst all of that, it was his mesmerizing blue eyes, shining with a mixture of intens
Jace turned to Kiera, his hand still on her waist as they left. "What was that all about?" he asked in a whisper as concern etched on his features.Kiera shook her head, not wanting to think about it. Instead, she focused on Jace, taking in every inch of him."You should come with me," he said suddenly. "I can make sure you're safe."Kiera hesitated, uncertain whether it was a good idea to follow a stranger. But there was something about Jace that made her feel as though she could trust him."Okay," she said softly as she nodded.He gave her a reassuring smile and Kiera couldn’t help but feel grateful for his timing.She felt safe with him like she had finally found someone who could protect her from the dangers that lurked in the shadows.By the time they arrived at his private bar and made their way to the shelf where they sat on their respective stools, Jace let her have her way and drown her sorrows with a few drinks while her lips fed him with her problems.Thanks to the fact tha
I opened my eyes, the room spinning around me, as the throbbing ache in my head intensified."Arrgh… Bloody hell! What did I do…?" I groaned out.Confusion washed over me as I tried to piece together the events of the previous night.My memory was a hazy canvas, fragmented and scattered.The last thing I remembered was drinking with Jace, a man whose presence brought both comfort and mystery and my very saviour.As the memories slowly trickled back, I was struck by a wave of shock and embarrassment.Hell, I was a mess yesterday.I recalled my frenzied behavior, my desperate plea for him to sleep with me, and even attempting to undress him.The way I kissed him, the need, how I stroked his hard on through his trousers.Gosh! Shame and regret coursed through my veins. I feel my cheeks become hot and flushed crimson from embarrassment as I realized the extent of my actions.I cover my face with both palms as the memory replayed in my head all over again.With every second, the more I fel