Chapter 1: Echoes of an Empty Marriage
The rain lashed against the hospital's glass doors, and a relentless downpour blurred the outside world. Cecilia Smith stood frozen at the entrance, the crumpled pregnancy test results trembling in her delicate hand. The glaring word negative stared back at her, its finality cutting deeper than the cold wind that whipped around her.
“Three years of marriage and still nothing?”
The sharp voice came from behind her, each word slicing like a blade.
Cecilia turned to see her mother, Paula Escobar, elegantly dressed in a tailored suit and stiletto heels. Her posture radiated sophistication, but her expression was a storm of contempt.
“You’re useless,” Paula spat, her lips curling into a sneer. “If you don’t get pregnant soon, the Rainsworth family will discard you like trash. And where will that leave the Smith family?”
Cecilia’s lips parted, but no words came. Her hollow gaze fell to the floor, and when she finally spoke, it was a faint whisper. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” Paula snapped, her voice rising above the pattern of rain. “Sorry won’t save this family. If you can’t do it, then find someone who can. Let Nathaniel have another woman if that’s what it takes.”
The words struck Cecilia like thunder. Her mother had just instructed her to offer her husband to someone else. The betrayal left her breathless, her heart sinking under despair. Paula turned on her heel and walked away, heels clicking against the marble floor, leaving Cecilia standing in the shadow of her humiliation.
As Cecilia returned to the car, the storm outside seemed to mirror the one brewing within her. Her phone buzzed, breaking the silence. She glanced at the screen and saw the familiar message: “I won’t be coming home tonight.” Nathaniel’s texts were always brief and devoid of warmth.
Her mind drifted back to their wedding night three years ago. She still remembered the coldness in his voice as he declared, “Since the Smith family deceived me into this marriage, prepare yourself for a lifetime of solitude.”
That memory, as vivid as the rain streaking the car windows, haunted her. The Smith family’s betrayal had poisoned her marriage before it had even begun. Every month, she faced the same exhausting cycle of hope and disappointment. Tonight was no different.
By the time she arrived home, her exhaustion had become unbearable. She tossed the crumpled test result into the trash, not bothering to cook or clean. The sofa became her refuge, her body sinking into its cushions as her ears filled with the constant ringing—a cruel reminder of her worsening hearing loss.
The clock struck five in the morning. Cecilia stirred, realizing she had fallen asleep on the couch. Panic seized her as she rushed to prepare breakfast. Nathaniel valued punctuality above all else, and Cecilia feared his silent punishments.
At six o’clock sharp, the front door creaked open. Nathaniel stepped inside, his tailored suit and polished shoes immaculate as always. His chiseled features exuded a cold elegance, his every movement precise.