The Cruelest Heart Lies Beside Me

The woman my husband always loved was pregnant after a violent assault. And so was I, his wife. The day I gave birth, Adrian Blackwood served me divorce papers at my hospital bed. “Isabella is planning her comeback,” he said, his voice void of emotion. “She can’t be dragged down by a scandal. You need to make way for her and the child.” I picked up the pen and signed my name with a clean, steady hand. In my last life, I had refused. I’d fought him, clung to our marriage, and gone on live television with my son, exposing everything and shattering her career. She was blacklisted, bankrupted, and finally, she took her own life. Afterward, Adrian arranged her funeral with a chilling calm. Then he stood by and allowed her loyal followers to orchestrate an “accident” that claimed the lives of both me and my son. It was only in my final moments, as the life bled out of me, that I finally understood the icy hatred in his eyes as he turned away. He had wanted me dead all along. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in this hospital room, the divorce papers lying on the sheets before me. … My son, Noah, was born premature and rushed immediately to the NICU. And it was in that moment of vulnerability that Adrian chose to hand me the papers. “You know Isabella was a principal dancer before… all this,” he said, as if reasoning with a child. “These past few months have already cost her the performance season.” “If news breaks that she’s an unwed mother, her career is over. Utterly destroyed.” I was fresh out of the operating room. Every tiny movement sent a searing pain through the stitches in my abdomen. To be reborn on this day… it meant fate was giving me a second chance. A chance to choose differently. “I’ll sign,” I said, my voice hoarse. “But first, you get our son a birth certificate. And I want compensation.” Adrian had clearly prepared a whole speech to wear me down. My calm acceptance caught him off guard, and a wave of relief washed over his face. “Fine. Two million. Is that enough for you?” He was the heir to a corporate empire, and he was offering me a paltry two million dollars. My knuckles were white where I gripped the thin hospital sheet. I knew arguing for more was pointless. I just nodded. He took care of the certificate, and after I confirmed every detail was correct, I signed his papers. With the agreement in hand, Adrian couldn’t leave fast enough to rush to Isabella’s side. He didn’t even spare a single thought, not one glance, for our son. From the room next door, I could hear laughter and the cheerful clicks of a camera as a family gathered around their newborn. But I was utterly alone. The man who had been my husband was now a stranger. Two days later, Noah was released from the NICU. I wrapped my baby in the softest swaddle I had and prepared to leave the hospital. Just as I was about to get into the car, a message came through from Adrian’s secretary. “Ms. Audrey, please cooperate by reposting the corporation’s official statement.” We weren’t even officially divorced, but I was already stripped of the title “Mrs. Blackwood.” To protect Isabella’s pristine image, Adrian wanted me to publicly state that our divorce was due to a simple, mutual drifting apart. I agreed, but my phone was about to die. I decided I’d handle it when I got home. When I arrived at the villa, I asked the housekeeper to turn up the heat, but no one answered. As I walked toward the nursery with Noah in my arms, I heard their hushed voices from the kitchen. “The nerve of her, bringing back a bastard she had with another man.” “Mr. Blackwood is too kind not to press the matter. And instead of being grateful, she has the audacity to demand a payout!” I froze, a cold sweat breaking out on my back despite the thick robe I was wearing. Drifting apart? When did the story change to me being an adulterer? “What are you all talking about!” I demanded, pushing the kitchen door open. The maids, who once respectfully called me “ma’am,” looked up at me with open contempt. Mrs. Gable, the head housekeeper, was the boldest. She sneered right at my face. “What are we talking about? The statement is already public. Are we not allowed to speak the truth about your infidelity?” I rushed back to my room, plugged in my phone, and frantically pulled up the news. The top headline was “Blackwood Heir Announces Divorce.” The article read: “Due to Ms. Audrey’s unfaithful conduct during their marriage, Mr. Adrian Blackwood has terminated their marital relationship. This statement serves as official notice.” A roar filled my ears, the world tilting on its axis. To pave the way for Isabella, Adrian was willing to utterly annihilate my reputation. I was about to type a furious rebuttal in the comments when my phone vibrated, startling Noah awake in my arms. It was the police. “Ms. Audrey, we have a breakthrough in your case!” the familiar officer’s voice was filled with excitement. “Your abduction originated in Crestwood!” “We’ve cross-referenced their missing children files with local police. We need you to come in for a DNA test as soon as possible!” My heart, shattered by Adrian, suddenly reignited with a flicker of hope. Tears streamed silently down my face. Since being kidnapped at the age of six and brought to this city, I had never known the warmth of a family. I thought marrying Adrian was a new beginning, but it was just another nightmare. But now… now I might find my real parents. My son could have a family that would truly love him. After hanging up, I quickly packed a small bag and turned to the nursery to grab a few essentials for Noah. My hand had just closed around the doorknob when the front door of the villa was thrown open. “Audrey! Who said you could touch anything in there?” Adrian stood in the doorway, his brows furrowed in annoyance. “I was just getting a few changes of clothes for the baby.” “Those were prepared for Isabella’s child,” he snapped. “If you need something, go buy it yourself.” Every single item in that nursery was something I had picked out with love and care during my pregnancy. Now, he was giving it all to Isabella’s child. A child that wasn’t even his. I swallowed the bitter pill of his cruelty, knowing it was a battle I couldn’t win right now. But then Mrs. Gable suddenly grabbed my arm, her face a hard mask, and began dragging me toward the door. “Mr. Blackwood has ordered us to go to the rehabilitation center to look after Miss Frost.” A sharp, tearing pain shot through my stitches. “I just gave birth too!” I cried out. “I need to rest!” Adrian didn’t even look back. “Which means you have experience.” “Stop whining,” he said dismissively as he slid into his sedan. “You grew up doing manual labor. Your body can handle it. You don’t need bed rest.” He drove off, and I was shoved into an SUV heading for the center. When we arrived, Isabella was reclining on a lounge chair, surrounded by a team of at least five or six nurses. Seeing me, she made a show of trying to sit up. “Audrey, you’re here! Please, sit down. You must be exhausted from childbirth…” Adrian gently pressed her back down, then shot me a glare. “She once worked through a high fever. This is nothing for her.” He turned his cold eyes on me. “Audrey, if you take good care of Isabella, I’ll add another half a million to your payout. A fair deal, don’t you think?” Another half a million. It was tempting. I bit my lip. “I can’t. My baby is home alone with no one to watch him.” A flash of impatience crossed his face, but Isabella softly took his hand. “Adrian, darling, if she doesn’t want to, don’t force her. I don’t want to make things difficult for you.” Adrian’s grip on her hand tightened, and when he looked back at me, his expression was pure disgust. “Letting you take care of her is a favor. You’re an orphan with nothing and no one. Marrying you brought me absolutely no benefit, and you can’t even do this one simple thing. Serving Isabella is the only value you have left.” He belittled me with the ease of habit, completely ignoring my pale, drawn face. He waved a hand, telling Mrs. Gable to go back and watch the baby. But Mrs. Gable had always despised me. How could I trust her to care for my son? Adrian ignored my silent plea and ordered me to feed Isabella her nutritional meal. I looked back at the closed door, realizing I was trapped. Dragging my weak body, I prepared the food. As I brought a spoonful of the warm broth to her lips, she suddenly recoiled, crying out in pain. “It’s hot!” Adrian snatched the bowl from my hands and slammed it down at my feet. Hot liquid splashed all over my pants. “What is your problem? If you’ve burned her, you won’t be eating today!” Isabella nestled against his shoulder, her eyes shimmering with tears. “Adrian, please don’t be angry. I’m sure she didn’t mean it…” “Stop calling her that. She won’t be Mrs. Blackwood for much longer! We’re signing the papers tomorrow!” I was left standing there, stained and humiliated, while no one offered me so much as a glance. The next day, Adrian took me from the center to the city registrar’s office to finalize the divorce. As we stepped out of the building, he walked straight to his car. “I’m going to order a custom performance gown for Isabella. You can get back on your own.” He paused, his face grim. “Audrey, if you’re not back at the center in forty minutes, you’ll regret it.” The car sped away, leaving me in a cloud of exhaust. I hailed a cab, but instead of going to the center, I went back to the villa. The moment I stepped through the gate, I heard a baby’s cry coming from the storage shed in the backyard. That’s where they kept the gardening tools! I burst in and found Noah lying on a cold, stone slab. There was formula and fresh diapers right beside him, but his tiny face had a bluish tint, his cries were faint whimpers. He hadn’t been fed or changed since yesterday. There was no time to confront Mrs. Gable. I snatched up my son, feeding him and changing him with trembling hands. As I burped him, Noah gave me a blurry, unfocused smile. My eyes burned, and a tear splashed onto his clothes. Isabella’s child was being coddled by a legion of staff, while mine was forgotten in a shed, starved and cold. “It’s okay, Noah,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Mama’s going to get you out of here.” Suddenly, there was a loud banging on the front door. I had just opened it when Adrian’s hand flew out, and the force of his slap sent my head ringing. “Audrey! How dare you bring trash like this into my home!” I shielded Noah as Adrian shoved me into the living room. Isabella followed, wrapped in a cashmere shawl and flanked by her nurses. The scene inside made me gasp. Several strange men were sprawled across the carpet, the stench of cheap liquor hanging heavy in the air. The entire villa was in disarray, looking like the aftermath of a wild party. There were men passed out in the bedrooms and the study. On our master bed, three people were tangled together, their clothes in disheveled piles. I shook my head, horrified. “It wasn’t me! I wasn’t even here yesterday!” Mrs. Gable stepped forward, her expression one of deep disappointment. “Sir, a group of men forced their way in last night. They said Ms. Audrey gave them a keycard and invited them for a party…” “They complained the baby’s crying was annoying them, so they moved him to the shed…” I was trembling, my voice desperate. “I don’t know them! I was at the rehab center all day, how could I have given them a keycard?” “That’s true…” Isabella said softly, tugging on Adrian’s sleeve. “Audrey was taking care of me yesterday. Adrian, dear, why don’t we just ask one of them?” Adrian’s hard expression softened slightly. He ordered his men to wake the nearest man. “Who let you in here!” he roared. The man blinked, his eyes bleary with drink. “Some chick named Audrey gave us a keycard. Said the place was empty and told us to have some fun… Hey, where’s the booze?” He waved his hand, and dangling from his fingers was my keycard, instantly recognizable by the small, hand-braided lanyard I’d made myself. I instinctively checked my pocket. It was empty. “No, my keycard was stolen! It wasn’t me!” “Still lying!” Adrian’s face was contorted with rage. “If Isabella hadn’t been worried about you and insisted on coming back, I would have never known about your filthy little secrets!” “You wanted this house so you could cheat with these degenerates!” His patience snapped. He ordered Mrs. Gable to lock me in the storage shed. As the door closed, I heard Isabella’s gentle voice. “Adrian, darling, she was probably just having some fun. Don’t be so angry…” “She needs to be taught a lesson! This house is disgusting now. We’re staying at the city apartment.” The shed door was bolted shut. Through the grimy window, I watched them drive away. Just before she got in the car, Isabella glanced back at the shed. She gave me a triumphant, venomous smile. Late that night, after I finally managed to soothe Noah to sleep, the single lightbulb in the shed flickered and died. It was probably old wiring. I turned on my phone’s flashlight to check the bus schedule. Suddenly, I heard the sound of the bolt being drawn back. Isabella stood silhouetted in the pale moonlight. With no one else around, the pure, naked malice in her eyes was terrifying. “You got divorced and you still want his money? Audrey, have you no shame?” I immediately clutched Noah tighter and backed into a corner. There was nowhere to run. “Isabella, I have never done anything to you. Why are you so determined to destroy me?” “Never done anything?” she hissed. “If it weren’t for you, I would have been the one to marry Adrian!” I stared at her, stunned. She was right. Someone with my unknown background had no business marrying into the Blackwood family. Years ago, Adrian’s grandfather had collapsed from a stroke on the street, and I was the one who found him, got him to a hospital, and paid his initial medical bills. To repay this debt of gratitude, the old man had forced Adrian to marry me, threatening to cut him off completely if he refused. We got the license, but we never even had a wedding. Adrian treated me like I was invisible, until one night he came into my room, drunk. One time was all it took. His grandfather passed away two months into my pregnancy, and with him went my only protector. So Isabella truly believed I had stolen her life. “You have what you wanted now,” I said, my voice shaking. “Why can’t you just let me go?” “No!” she shrieked. “If you hadn’t married him, I never would have gone to that bar to drown my sorrows! I never would have ended up with this… this bastard growing inside me!” “It’s all your fault! Audrey, I’m going to make you pay with your life!” She grabbed a pair of garden shears from the corner and lunged at me. I dodged, my heart pounding. But in the next second, she let out a piercing scream, slammed herself hard against the edge of a metal shelf, and collapsed to the floor. Adrian burst in. “Audrey! Are you insane!” Blood was streaming down Isabella’s arm. She fell weakly into his embrace. “Adrian, darling… I was just worried she wasn’t comfortable here, so I came to check on her…” “But she… she called me a cheap dancer and she attacked me…” Adrian pressed his hand against her wound, his eyes blazing with fury as he looked at me. “Audrey! Isabella has shown you nothing but kindness, and you push her, again and again!” “She has to perform again! Are you trying to destroy her career, her entire life?” Noah, terrified by the shouting, began to wail. I tried to comfort him while defending myself. “Adrian, you just believe everything she says?” “Who else could it be! I am sick to death of your pathetic, vicious act!” Adrian lifted Isabella into his arms and nodded at Mrs. Gable to restrain me. “You’re coming to the hospital with us! If that cut leaves a scar and affects her performance, I’ll make you pay a thousand times over!” In the hospital corridor, Mrs. Gable couldn’t be bothered to watch me. She wandered to the end of the hall, scrolling on her phone. Noah was still crying, unsettled and scared. A kind-looking woman with a gentle smile came out of a nearby room. Seeing me struggling with the baby, she offered me a pack of tissues. “Here, wipe your brow,” she said softly. “The little one might just be hungry.” I nodded my thanks, her simple act of kindness a stark contrast to the cruelty of my child’s own father. After changing Noah’s diaper, I saw Mrs. Gable was still engrossed in her phone. I clutched Noah and made a move for the stairwell. But I ran straight into Adrian, who was rushing down the hall with Isabella. The moment he saw me, he struck. Another slap, sharp and brutal. “You bitch! I should have taken your ID and passport!” I stumbled backward, and Mrs. Gable rushed over to block my path. As I regained my balance, Isabella, her arm now wrapped in a clean white bandage, began to sob for all to hear. “Audrey… before you and Adrian divorced, we were just old friends. How could you go online and slander me as a homewrecker? If you want to ruin me this badly, I might as well just die!” Adrian pulled her into a protective embrace. At his silent command, Mrs. Gable lunged and snatched Noah from my arms. “Give me back my son!” I screamed, scrambling forward. But Adrian’s hand shot out, closing around my throat. He squeezed, holding me there until my vision started to spot and my lungs burned. Only then did he release me. “Get your phone. Start a livestream. Now,” he commanded, his voice deadly calm. “You will confess that you were the one who cheated. That Isabella and I are innocent.” “Do it. Or you will never see your son again.” I gasped for air, my throat raw. Over his shoulder, I saw Isabella give Mrs. Gable a subtle nod. The housekeeper then took out a handkerchief and pressed it firmly over Noah’s mouth and nose. She was trying to suffocate my child. Noah’s cries began to weaken. And Adrian just watched. He didn’t care. He had never once seen Noah as his own flesh and blood. Panic, cold and absolute, seized me. I dropped to my knees. “Okay! I’ll do it! Please, just don’t hurt my baby!”