"The only crime I ever committed wasn't murder, Robert. It was simply loving you. I don't think anyone has ever loved you the way I did. I loved you to the point I was willing to sacrifice myself for your happiness. But not anymore. I'm over all that shit now. Sooner or later, you'll regret what you've done, and you'll realize what a huge mistake you made. And by then, it might just be too late." Lily had once believed she could endure anything for love-even a loveless marriage. Bound by a contract to her high school crush-turned-husband, Robert, a cold and distant billionaire, she sacrificed her dreams, her desires, everything for his success. But when she became pregnant-a violation of their marriage agreement-her world shattered. Betrayed by Robert, who chose his ex-lover over her and accused her of a crime she didn't commit, Lily was sentenced to years in prison, losing everything, including her freedom and even giving birth while in prison. After escaping her past, Lily fought to rebuild her life, creating a future for her children far away from Robert's shadow. Just when she thought she had found happiness, Robert reappears, desperate for a second chance. Now, Lily faces an agonizing choice: forgive the man who broke her heart to a thousand pieces or protect the new life she's worked so hard to build without him. Will love be enough to heal the wounds of the past, or will her scars run too deep to ever truly heal?
***The chapters of the book are written from the Lily's point of view except stated otherwise***
CHAPTER 1
"Congratulations Mrs. Wilson," the nurse said with a soft smile. "The test came out positive, you're a month pregnant."
I felt a cold wave of shock wash over me as though someone poured a bucketful of ice water on me. My heart jolted painfully in my chest and my lips parted involuntarily as the memories that led to this unexpected event came rushing back at me like a violent wind.
Robert, my childhood crush and husband who I was in a contract marriage returned that night drunk and overjoyed, the reason being the advertising company landed a huge advertising deal with one of the biggest luxury establishments in the city.
I knew he was drunk. I knew he wasn't in control of his actions. I shouldn't have let that night happen. But I have loved him dearly for a very long time and was unable to resist him. I was willing to do anything for his satisfaction and happiness.
For a long time, I have craved to have such intimate moments with him. Since we got married two and half years ago, that was the most intimate he's been with me, so I lost myself in that thought. Lost myself in the heat of the passionate moment, both of us forgetting to use protection.
"Here," the nurse said, handing me the test reports.
I swallowed a lump that formed at the back of my throat, my hands trembling as I reluctantly collected it, still struggling to believe it to be true.
"Are....are you sure this is correct?" I tried to confirm as I said to the nurse awkwardly, unable to keep myself from stuttering. "Perhaps there was a mistake somewhere....maybe the test wasn't properly conducted?..."
A single night of mistaken passion couldn't have led to something as life-changing as pregnancy. It was just a quick one-time something. Perhaps this was another woman's pregnancy report mistaken as mine. But my name, Lily Wilson boldly inscribed on it as I took a quick peep at it betrayed that little hope.
"Yes," the nurse said, nodding firmly. "The pregnancy test was properly conducted. Every health worker here is a professional. We do not joke with something as serious as this."
On hearing that, the remaining pieces of my heart dropped in my stomach. The day started as any other, but now everything has changed. This pregnancy will change everything.
"Good luck on your pregnancy Mrs. Wilson," the nurse said, holding my shoulder and giving me a small smile. "You are in a delicate state now. Don't overwork yourself and make sure to be coming regularly for your prenatal checkups."
She said before leaving me to roast in the flame of misery and despair she ignited.
Jane, my best friend since childhood who had come with me to the hospital for the checkup burst into the room and took the reports from me.
Going through the contents, she gasped as she looked at me, her eyes widening and sparkling with excitement. "Oh my God, Lily! This is wonderful news! A baby! It's just what you and Robert need. A new beginning! I'm so happy for you!!"
Jane's smiles reached her ears. Her joy was infectious but I couldn't bring myself to share in it.
I managed a smile, stiff and unnatural. My mind was elsewhere, grappling with the harsh reality of this situation. My marriage to Robert wasn't built on love; it was a contract, a cold, formal agreement with clear and strict terms. One of which explicitly forbids children.
As Jane continued to gush about baby names and nursery decorations as we stepped out into the hallway of the hospital, my mind drifted to the harsh cold words of the contract the day I signed it "NO BABIES NO MATTER WHAT."
Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes but I quickly blinked them away, forcing myself to keep smiling as I maintained a happy demeanour. This wouldn't have happened if Robert hadn't returned home drunk that night. Now I'll have to pay the price for it.
I couldn't let Jane see me in such a miserable state. She'll raise a brow and feel bad because she was caring and always shared in my emotions. She didn't know my marriage to Robert was based on a contract. I never told her. And I didn't plan to anytime soon.
She kept assuring me that this pregnancy would bring an end to my unhappy marriage and make Robert finally love me as I deserve. Little did she know this pregnancy would produce the opposite effect. Little did she know it would be the bane of my existence.
I was breaching the contract agreement with this pregnancy and if Robert finds out, I will have to suffer severely for it. I must not tell him. He must not find out. I will keep it from him for as long as I can no matter what I have to do.
Halfway through the hallway, we unexpectedly ran into Robert. I was shocked to see him with another woman who was in a hospital gown as if also going for a medical check-up.
At first, the kiss was slow, thoughtful. Tender and light like a summer breeze. But as I began opening up to him. Making him know I wanted this as bad as he did, he devoured me hungrily. Possessively. As though he’d been waiting a thousand years for this. His hand clamped my chin in place as his tongue delved deeper into me, exploring the recesses of my mouth. Sending shivers of desire racing all over me. Setting my whole body on fire. Burning me to ashes. **** Brianna Campbell, a young female Omega with beauty as charming and as enchanting as a mermaid's is abused and sold into slavery by the same Alpha king who she thought loved her and will make her his Luna. The new Alpha king that bought her was different. Way too different. He seeks not servitude, but to erase her pain, claiming not only her body but her heart, soul, and the very essence of her world. As boundaries blur and desires ignite, the question lingers: To what extraordinary lengths will he go to make her his own?
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
Due to the plight of her family, Phoebe had no choice but to embark on the path of selling herself. In an accident, she had a tangled night with Alexander. Everything began to derail, and even if she fled to the ends of the earth, she would still be found by him and entangled... *** Phoebe screamed in frustration, "What do you want from me?" What was this supposed to be? He raised an eyebrow wickedly. "What do I want? You'll find out soon enough." With that, he hoisted her up and carried her back into the office. The door slammed shut with a kick, and he cleared the desk with a sweep of his arm before laying her down on it, his body pinning hers in place, completely trapping her in his grasp. Every cell in his body was telling him he wanted her. He wanted to claim her again. This time, there would be no escape for her-he wouldn't let her slip away. Never again. If he had suffered for five years, then this woman wouldn't get off easily either!
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
" Don't say anymore word than you already have, don't..." I stuck a finger out at him, sauntering away on my heels when a hand wrapped itself around my arm. Breathlessly he whispered, "You know that I do love you and...fine, what exactly was I supposed to do?" "Protect me and stand up for me. That is what you do for someone who you claim you love!" ************ Out to spite her ex-boyfriend after he had broken up with her on her birthday, Daphne slept with a stranger who turned out to be his uncle while trying to rebuff his words that she was unwanted by others. Was she ready for the wild chase that followed when he found out years later that she had been pregnant with his heirs and that she had been hiding the truth all this while? Faced with the ruthless CEO, known as the beast, who wasn't ready to back down, Daphne does everything possible to make sure her kids wouldn't be taken from her, but what happens when love gets in the mix of it all? Would she be able to conquer these weird feelings and give in her all amidst her scars? And with how deadly he turned out to be? And faced with her ex who still wants her back, what choice is she going to make?
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
Her fiance and her best friend worked together and set her up. She lost everything and died in the street. However, she was reborn. The moment she opened her eyes, her husband was trying to strangle her. Luckily, she survived that. She signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and was ready for her miserable life. To her surprise, her mother in this life left her a great deal of money. She turned the tables and avenged herself. Everything went well in her career and love when her ex-husband came to her.