The Substitute Wife's Revenge

2

Rachel’s POV

I tried to ignore the furtive stares and whispers of the staff as I made my way to the courtyard, careful to keep my head high and my expression as defiant as I could make it. I wasn’t going to give anyone the satisfaction of becoming an object to be pitied.

I stepped into the courtyard and was instantly buffeted with memories. I remembered the first time Vincent had brought me to this house and I had instantly fallen in love with this place, especially since he’d told me he’d had it designed with me in mind. I had spent countless hours out here, curled up on lounge chairs engrossed in a book, while I waited for Vincent to return from work. And when he did, he would join me, sharing kisses and basking in the warmth of each other until it got too cold or too dark.

I smiled sadly. How ironic that the place that once used to be our little piece of haven was now my punishment. How cruel of Vincent to make me stand here and wait for him to return and break my heart once again. My feet and lower back began to ache, but I didn’t dare sit down for fear that one of Vincent’s spies would report to him that I had disobeyed his orders.

Soon though, the ache became nearly unbearable and I had to lean against a pillar for support, my legs nearly numb. I winced as a small but sharp bolt of pain hit my stomach. I rubbed my belly, worried for the baby but the pain went away as quickly as it came.

It started to rain and I burst into tears, my hormones, combined with my mental state turning me into a weeping mess. At this point, I didn’t care who was watching, all I could think about was how unfair everything was.

My instincts kept screaming at me to go inside. But I knew if I disobeyed Vincent’s orders, his men would just drag me back here again.

“She’s not allowed to set foot inside the house or leave the premises.” His harsh commands still echoed in my ears, hours after he’d uttered them. Did he even remember he’d left those instructions? He must have noticed the rain falling outside by now…he wouldn’t be so cruel as to deliberately leave me outside to be drenched? Or maybe he was too preoccupied with Camilla’s condition to notice. I chose to believe the latter. Vincent was many things, but he wouldn’t be so heartlessly cruel.

Right?

I pictured the rage on his face as he’d looked at me earlier and my confidence wavered. Surely he didn’t hate me that much? Shivering constantly now, I rubbed my upper arms fiercely but it did little to warm me. My eyes lingered on the entrance to the courtyard, hoping to soon see Vincent walk in and release me from this prison without walls.

Who are you trying to fool? I asked myself mockingly. Camilla was right, I was nothing but a minor inconvenience to Vincent, a mistake he’d made in the past that still haunted him till this day.

How had it come to this?

I closed my eyes, and my mind betrayed me with memories I no longer wanted to hold. I had first run into Vincent at the ski resort where my teammates and I had been staying at for the international skiing event. It was my first professional competition and I was filled with excitement and nervousness, as well as worried after seeing so many professional skiers with far more experience than me also participating in the event.

Feeling restless, I’d gone on a stroll to distract myself with a bit of sight seeing and window shopping. I’d been standing outside a window of a jewelry shop, admiring a stunning necklace when a tall, handsome man in a black winter coat over a black suit inside the shop, stopped in front of the same display. Our eyes had met through the thick glass, it had felt like his intense dark gray eyes the color of storm clouds could see right through me. For an embarrassing few seconds, I had stared at him, dazed by his good looks, until I’d noticed the corner of his mouth lift in a knowing smirk. My face had flooded with heat and I’d quickly walked away, appalled at my behavior and silently hoping I didn’t run into him again.

But fate had other plans. That very evening, during a dinner party thrown by the organisers of the competition, the handsome stranger had walked up to me and introduced himself as Vincent Thorne, his company was a major contributor to the competition and he enjoyed skiing, though as recreation not sport. Vincent had been charming, sexy and knew the right words to say and by the end of the evening, I had fallen in love with him.

Two dates. That was all it took. He proposed on the second date, his voice filled with genuine affection, his gaze burning into me as though I was the air he needed to breathe.

I said yes.

The first red flags popped up when Vincent had taken me to meet his family. The Thornes were old money rich, one of the most influential families in the country. And they had taken one look at me - an ordinary girl who had grown up in an orphanage and turned up their noses. Vincent’s older brother, Wyatt, had been the only one to welcome me warmly, and I’d met his wife, Camilla.

I knew Camilla by reputation and I’d been starstruck to meet the five time ski champion, renowned for her prowess on the diamond slopes. She’d retired after her marriage to Wyatt, the billionaire businessman. Camilla had treated me well enough, especially when Wyatt was present, but we were never close.

The second red flag I had ignored was Vincent and Camilla’s close friendship. They were childhood friends and thus seemed to have a relationship that was closer than most. Everyone around them seemed to accept their relationship at face value and despite the unease and doubt that would creep in sometimes, I ignored the signs.

Vincent loved me, not her. Back then, he would shower me with love, affection and gifts and I turned a blind eye on every red flag.

Eager to embrace being a wife and someday a mother, I had opted for an ‘early retirement’ from professional skiing. I had ignored the concerns of my friends and walked away because I believed I had found my true calling.

After the wedding, the truth revealed itself in small, cruel ways. I began to notice the way his gaze lingered on Camilla. Not just a glance, but a look heavy with unspoken tenderness. At first, I lied to myself, told myself it was nothing.

But tragedy soon struck. Wyatt was killed in a car crash and suddenly our idyllic life was shattered beyond recognition. Vincent began to spend less time at home and more in Camilla’s company.

She became his confidante. His solace. The one he sought when their shared grief and loss became too much.

I tried to understand, even though it hurt he didn’t consider me as his solace, his safe space. I tried to reason that Camilla was his long time friend, and thus he felt more comfortable in her presence, but I couldn’t ignore the pang of jealousy whenever I saw them together.

And me? I was left standing on the outside, watching him slip further and further away from me, resentment hardening in his eyes whenever they turned in my direction.

Thunder crackled overhead, drawing me back to the present and I realised I was shivering so hard my teeth were clattering. A sharp pain pierced my lower belly, so intense I doubled over as white hot heat and pain sliced through my stomach.

I cried out as the most violent cramps seized my stomach, making my knees go weak and I sank to the wet stones, as the edges of my vision blurred into darkness.

“Help!” I screamed, wrapping my arms protectively around my belly as fear clawed through my chest at the realisation of what was happening. “Somebody, please help me.”

Somewhere, I heard a shout. Footsteps rushed toward me, voices overlapping in alarm. Servants gathered, their panic cutting through the downpour, but I could barely register them. The only thing I felt was the fear that something precious was slipping away inside me.

My breaths came shallow, ragged. My lips moved, barely shaping the words I had buried in my heart for so long.

“Vincent,” I whispered, my voice trembling, “I think I’m going to lose our child…just like I'm losing you...”

The world around me dimmed and I sank into oblivion.