Chapter 2
I collapsed to my knees, tears streaming down my face. My body shook with sobs that felt like they were being ripped from my soul. The plush carpet beneath me – the one I’d picked out with such care for our future home – pressed against my skin like needles.
Camilla’s laughter cut through my grief. “Oh darling, look at her. Pathetic little thing, isn’t she?”
I lifted my head just enough to see her wrap herself around Dominic, her red–painted nails trailing down his chest.
“Why don’t we get back to what we were doing?” She pressed herself against him. “Let her have her little breakdown out there. I’m not finished with you yet.”
Dominic’s eyes met mine one last time, cold and empty, before he gripped Camilla’s waist. “Don’t leave, Val. We’re not done discussing terms.”
The door clicked shut, but it wasn’t enough to muffle their sounds. Camilla’s exaggerated moans pierced through the wooden barrier. The bed – our bed – creaked rhythmically.
I pressed my hands against my ears, but couldn’t block out their cruel laughter between gasps and groans. My stomach heaved. Every sound was another knife in my heart, another reminder of how completely they’d destroyed everything I’d believed in.
The tears wouldn’t stop. They blurred my vision until the cream–colored walls swam before my eyes. My parents‘ faces flashed through my mind – their warm smiles, their warnings about Dominic, their final goodbye. The truth of their death crushed my chest until I could barely breathe.
More giggles and moans filtered through the door. They were putting on a show, making sure I heard every moment of their betrayal.
I curled into myself on the floor, my forehead pressed against the carpet, and let my tears soak into the expensive fibers while the sounds of their lovemaking echoed through the hall as I fainted.
My head throbbed as consciousness crept back. Cold tile pressed against my cheek, and the kitchen’s harsh fluorescent lights stabbed at my eyes. I blinked, trying to orient myself.
A wat cound draw my attention Thora tho wer Dominic had Camilla
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wet sound drew my attention. There they were – Dominic had Camilla pinned to our kitchen table, the one where we’d shared countless meals together. His hands roamed over her body while she wrapped her legs around
his waist.
“Look who’s finally awake.” Camilla’s lips curved into a cruel smile between kisses. “Poor thing couldn’t handle the truth.”
Dominic pulled back just enough to look at me, his expression a mix of amusement and contempt. “You always were weak, Val. Remember when you fainted at that charity gala? So embarrassing.”
“God, she’s pathetic.” Camilla ran her fingers through Dominic’s hair. “At least she provided some entertainment. The way she was on the floor…” She threw her head back and laughed.
I tried to push myself up, but my arms trembled too much to support my weight. The room spun as their mocking laughter echoed off the kitchen walls. “Should we tell her the rest?” Camilla’s eyes glittered with malice. “Or do you think she’ll pass out again?”
Dominic smirked. “Maybe we should wait. I’m not finished with you yet.” He captured her mouth in another deep kiss while I lay there, unable to look away from their display.
“Besides,” Camilla broke away to shoot me another vicious smile, “watching her suffer is half the fun.”
…
Their lips finally parted, and they both turned to stare at me like I was their evening’s entertainment. My legs shook as I pulled myself up, gripping the counter for support.
“Why?” My voice cracked. “I loved you, Dominic. I gave you everything.”
Camilla’s lips curled into a sneer. “Because you’re nothing. A placeholder. A stepping stone.”
The truth hit me like a punch to the gut, but something else bubbled up beneath the pain. Heat rushed through my veins, burning away the tears.
“You evil bitch!” The scream tore from my throat. “You manipulative, lying-” I lunged at her, fingers curved into claws, aiming for her perfect face. The crack of Dominic’s palm against my cheek sent me sprawling. Before I could recover, his hand tangled in my hair. He slammed my face against the
Chapter 2
11:46 Sun, 2 Mar
table, pressing my cheek into the cold surface.
“Touch her again,” he growled in my ear, “and I’ll kill you. Slowly.” His grip tightened until my scalp burned. “Do you understand?”
Camilla’s laughter rang out behind me. “Oh, look at her now. Not so brave anymore, is she?”
“I asked you a question.” Dominic yanked my head back, then slammed it down again. Stars exploded behind my eyes. “Do. You. Understand?”
“Yes,” I whimpered, tasting blood where my lip had split.
Dominic released my hair, and I slumped against the table. My head throbbed where he’d slammed it, and the metallic taste of blood filled my
mouth.
“Should we tell her now?” Camilla’s voice dripped with honeyed malice. “I think she’s ready for the grand finale.”
“Go ahead, love.” Dominic’s hand stroked down Camilla’s back. “She needs
to understand exactly what she lost.”
I pushed myself up, my arms trembling. Blood from my split lip dripped onto the pristine white tablecloth
- no.
Camilla’s hand drifted to her stomach, and my heart stopped. No. Please,
“You see, Val,” she purred, “Dominic and I have been planning our future for months. And now…” Her perfectly manicured fingers splayed across her abdomen. “Well, let’s just say you’re not the only one who thought they’d be giving him his firstborn.”
The room tilted. My knees buckled, but I caught myself on the edge of the
table.
“Three months along.” She beamed up at Dominic. “We found out last week. Isn’t it wonderful?”
My stomach heaved. Three months. The same time I’d been trying to convince Dominic we were ready to start our own family.
“A son,” Dominic said, his hand joining hers on her still–flat stomach. “The heir I always wanted. With a woman worthy of the Ricci name.”
“No,” I whispered, but the evidence was there in their matching cruel smiles.
Camilla reached into her purse and pulled out a small black and white
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photo. She slid it across the table toward me. “Would you like to see your replacement?”
My fingers trembled as I picked up the ultrasound image. There, in grainy black and white, was the proof that everything – my relationship, my dreams, my future – had been a lie.
“Congratulations,” I choked out, the word tasting like ash in my mouth. “You’ve won.”
Camilla’s triumphant laugh echoed through the kitchen. “Oh, darling. I won a long time ago. You just didn’t know it yet.”
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