Her REV LOVE

C-5

I came to, experiencing a burning sensation at the base of my head, my wrists and ankles duct-taped down to a chair. The air was cool and heavily permeated with mold; the lighting within the room, very low. My heart thumped in my chest as slowly, my eyes adjusted to the grotesque view-an abandoned warehouse whose walls of metal had corroded and discolored with time. Fear ran in my veins.

I tried to move, but the ropes dug into my skin. Swallowing my fear, I made my voice steady. "Where am I? Help! Somebody, help me!"

"Ruth, calm down. Yelling won't help… trust me, I tried."

My breath hitched. That voice—I knew that voice.

I turned my head toward Ivy W, who was also bound, much like myself. Her hair was disheveled and clung to her forehead where the skin was dampened with sweat, while her wrists had angry red welts from her struggling.

"What's going on?" I whispered. "Why are we here?"

A cold dread twisted in my stomach. My hands instinctively wrapped into my stomach, protective. The life inside me was all I could think about. If something happened to me… if something happened to my child—

I had barely framed the thought when the sound of footsteps echoed across the warehouse. Heavy. Deliberate. A group of four men emerged from the shadows; the dim light obscured their features. The leader stepped forward; the pungent stench of alcohol seemed to cling to him like a second skin. He had a bald head, yellowed teeth, and an unsettling grin.

"Well, well," he drawled. "The wives of Frank Lee sure do scream a lot."

Ivy straightened beside me. "Frank will come for us," she said with conviction.

Frank. My husband. My heart wrenched painfully at the thought.

He would come, yes. But not for me.

Ivy's k********g had turned him into a lunatic this afternoon, barging out upon hearing about her being missing without giving me as much as a second glance. It spoke volumes about whom he considered the most important in his life. Three years of marriage, standing in the shadows and watching him love another woman-only I deserved that for expecting anything different now.

Muy mala idea.

A metallic clang echoed at the warehouse doors. The men stiffened. The bald leader grinned. "Speak of the devil."

The doors swung open, and there he was—Frank Lee.

He still wore the same suit he'd had on that morning, now rumpled and stained with sweat and dirt. His sharp eyes scanned over us, narrowing as they landed on me. But his face only softened as it landed on Ivy.

"Let them go," he ordered, his voice like steel. "Your business is with me. Not them.

The bald man's chuckle flipped the knife in his hand. "Oh, but that's where you're wrong. See, these two women are very important to you. That makes them our leverage." He leaned sideways, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "I'll give you a choice, Mr. Lee. You can save one of them. The other. stays with us."

A cruel game. A twisted test.

I took in a sharp, shaking breath; my fingers started to quiver.

Ivy tilted her face up to him, her face pale but determined. "Choose Ruth," she whispered. "She's your wife."

Frank's fists clenched at his sides, veins bulging beneath the skin. He looked at me. For a moment.

Then he looked away.

"Let Ivy go," he said.

The breath whooshed from my lungs.

I shouldn't have been surprised. I knew deep down he wouldn't pick me. Still, the ache of it sliced through me far deeper than any blade ever could.

The thug grinned. "You sure? No take-backs."

Frank's face was unreadable, his voice devoid of emotion. "Yes.

Ivy's hands were shaking as they untied her, her pale fingers clutching Frank's sleeve the moment she was free. He held her like she would break, like she meant something.

Like I never had.

My vision blurred. I wasn't sure if it was from fear or heartbreak.

The thug that was bald leaned in closer, breath hot against my cheek. "Guess you're not his priority, sweetheart.

I wanted to scream. Break free. Fight. But I had nothing left.

Frank turned his back on me. He was leaving.

I didn't even have the strength to call his name.

The thug flipped his knife in the air and caught it with ease. "Since Mr. Lee made his choice, I suppose there's no need to keep you alive.

The others laughed. One pulled out a gasoline canister and began dousing the floor. My blood ran cold.

"Boss, are you sure about this?" one of them hesitated.

"She wants her gone," the bald man grumbled.

She? Who was she?

I didn't have time to dwell on his words before a match was struck. The little flame danced at the tip, ready to set my world in fire.

My eyes fluttered shut. I had so many regrets.

A loud explosion shook the ground.

The force sent a shockwave through the warehouse, knocking my chair over. Fire erupted in bright, searing waves. Smoke filled my lungs, choking me as I coughed violently.

Through the chaos, I heard my name.

"Ruth!"

The warehouse door slammed open once more. A figure emerged, running towards me through the fire and debris.

Frank.

His suit was smeared with dirt, his face smeared with soot, but his eyes—those cold, unreadable eyes—were filled with something I had never seen before. Desperation.

"Hold on," he said, kneeling beside me. He ripped the ropes from my wrists, his hands moving frantically. "We have to get out of here."

"Why?" I choked out, coughing. "Why did you come back?"

His jaw clenched. He didn't say a word. Instead, he swept me into his arms, shielding me from the debris that rained down. The heat was intense, the smoke thick enough to cloud my vision, yet Frank held me like he would never let me go.

We stumbled out into the night air as the warehouse collapsed behind us, shooting embers into the sky. The roar of the flames was deafening.

Frank didn't let me go. Not when we were safe.

I turned my face up to him, searching his expression. "You chose Ivy," I whispered. "Why did you come back for me?"

His eyes darkened, conflicted. "Because… " He swallowed hard. "Because I couldn't let you die."

Tears spilled down my cheeks. "You didn't have to save me out of guilt.

His arms tightened around me. "It's not guilt," he whispered, low and barely audible. "It never was."

My breath caught. My heart, shattered and in pieces, fluttered at the words.

But before I could utter a word, Ivy called out, "Frank?"

He turned to her.

And just like that, whatever spark of hope I had… was doused.

I was the first to let go this time.

This time, I wouldn't be left behind.

This time I would walk away first.