Billionaire's Mistake: Quest For Redemption

~ JESSICA ~ I couldn't contain my excitement as I walked out of the doctor's office, clutching the pregnancy report in my hand. I was finally going to be a mother! Dr. Johnson's words echoed in my mind: "Take care of yourself, eat properly, and bring your husband to your next appointment." My husband was going to go bunkers with this news. I couldn't wait to share the news with him. I hurried home, my mind racing with visions of nursery decorations, baby clothes, and everything I had dreamed of since I was a teen. Climbing into my sleek red car, I began the drive home, my mind imagining the adorable face of our future child. Would it be a girl or a boy? I knew Harrison would be thrilled to hear this news; he would give me anything I asked for. The thought gave me goosebumps. Once home, I decided to prepare dinner. As I cooked, my heart overflowed with joy and love. I couldn't remember the last time I had been this happy since Grandpa Edwards passed away. Just as I was about to serve the food, my phone buzzed with a notification from an unknown number. I peeped at it and found out it was a popular blog post. I hesitated for a moment, thinking I didn't have the time to check posts online when my husband would soon be back from his business trip in LA, but then something caught my eye, and I decided to open it. The moment I did, I wished I had followed my guts and ignored the message. I dropped the cooking spoon I was holding and sank into the kitchen chair beside me as I swiped through the post. They were pictures. Pictures of Harrison, my husband, in a hotel room with another woman. In the photographs, Harrison was fast asleep, naked with his belly to the bed and his back to the camera, but his face was tilted in a way that I could just make out his features. A slim, petite woman lay next to him, smiling, her long brown hair flowing around her naked body as she kissed his head. The images hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving me breathless and in disbelief. I couldn't believe my eyes. This post was currently trending, with about one million likes already. What the hell? "What is happening?" I couldn't help but whisper to myself as my phone started ringing. The moment I saw my mother-in-law's name flash on the screen, I knew it had to be true. Without thinking, my fingers tapped the answer button. "Have you seen the news?" Mary, my mother-in-law, asked, her voice calm and matter-of-fact. "Did you send this to me?" I asked in return, ignoring her question. "Well, I wanted to do the honors of showing it to you before someone else did—" I ended the call before she could say more. I rose from the chair and slid down the kitchen counter, unable to hold myself up or sit still. My world was shattering, and I didn't know the cause. I needed an explanation. Harrison and I were on good terms. There was no way he would just do this to me without an explanation. I knew my husband. He wasn't a man to act without reason. I would not freak out. I wasn't going to. There was no need to react without an explanation. I would give him the benefit of the doubt and hear him out. I sat in our big foyer and awaited his arrival. An hour later, I heard the sound of his car parking outside. My heart beating frantically beneath my chest, I walked towards the doorway as Harrison entered the house. Naturally, one would think I should be brimming with anger at this moment, but Harrison and I did not start as a love match. We both knew what we were getting into when we agreed to go along with Grandpa Edwards' proposal to get married. At first, I had thought it wouldn't work out, but Harrison assured me we could make it work. His kindness and niceness towards me made me fall in love with him. Honestly, I had thought everything was going well until an hour ago. I needed him to make me understand what suddenly changed. "Hello, honey," I greeted as he closed the door, pulling his suitcase beside him. "How was your trip?" "Fine," he grunted and started heading towards the staircase, not even sparing me a glance. "Harrison," I called, and he halted, his back to me. "There's something we need to address, dear. He turned slowly, and then, after a few seconds or so, he pined me with his gaze. Something flashed across his eyes. A hint of guilt, maybe, but then it was quickly masked with an unusual arrogance. "What's this about, Jess?" My gaze narrowed, but then, instead of pointing out his nonchalance, I decided to rip the bandage off. Holding my phone to his eye level, I asked, "These pictures. Care to explain?" Harrison shrugged, his eyes avoiding mine. "The picture is a misunderstanding, Jess. It meant nothing." I felt a surge of anger at his words. "A misunderstanding? You call cheating on me a misunderstanding? How did you misunderstand your way into her bed? I thought you cared for me. Why would you do this?" He sighed, his expression unrepentant. "Look, Jess, let's be real. You and I both know you married me for my family's wealth and status. I'm not expecting you to be hurt by this. It's just a reality check." My eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Are you saying I'm just a gold-digger, and I shouldn't care about your infidelity?" Harrison nodded, his voice cold. "That's right, Jess. I've been investigating you for two weeks now. Do you think I don't know you've been going to the hospital to see Dr. Johnson every day for the past month when you are not sick? I know both of you are having an affair. I have pictures that show you both holding hands and even going on dates! It is clear you're not in love with me, and I'm not in love with you. I know the only reason you married me was to please Grandpa Edwards." I felt a sting from his words, but what I felt more was shock. Where did he get all this information from? Yes, I've indeed been seeing Dr. Johnson more frequently for a month, but it was not for the reasons he was portraying right now. "Where on earth did you get this information from, Harrison? Because it's not true. I—" "Save your lies for someone else, Jess. I don't care. I never loved you anyway. You are free to do what you want, and I can do what I want." I shook my head, refusing to back down. "Who investigated me, Harrison?" His silence was all I needed to know. "Don't tell me you asked Detective Derrick to investigate me when you know he is loyal to your mother!" "And so? If he is loyal to Mary, how does that relate?" "It relates because she hates me!" Harrison scoffed. "Oh please, not this again. Get over it! My mother not liking you doesn't mean she will lie against you. If this is how you want to prove your innocence, then I'm sorry, I don't have the time for it." "Harrison, please, if you love me—" "Well, I don't," he snapped, cutting me short. "I'm sorry, Jessica, but I don't love you. Don't make an issue out of this. I just got home, and I need to rest," he said, shoving his way upstairs to our room. I followed Harrison into the room, my heart still heavy with disbelief. I couldn't believe he just said that. "Look into my eyes and tell me you don't love me, Harrison." He shook his head, his eyes cold and distant as he said, "Jessica, I don't love you. I've just been pretending to be the perfect husband to make Grandpa Edward happy and get what I want. I hope you can leave me alone now." I froze, my eyes wide as I stared up at him. Today was supposed to be a good day. It was supposed to be the start of something perfect between us, but right now, it all felt like I’d been living a lie. All the moments we shared, the laughter, the apologies, the promises... were they all just an act? His accusations of me were too far-fetched for me to believe that was his real reason for cheating. What if he made it up to have an excuse to leave me? What if he'd been planning this all along? No. Harrison could not betray me like that. He wasn't that kind of man. My husband was a good man. Watching him pull off his suit jacket, I said, "How can you say such hurtful things to me, Harrison? After everything we've shared? Tell me this is all a joke. Tell me you are not using a flimsy accusation to get away with cheating on me," I asked, my voice shaking. Harrison turned to me angrily, his nostrils flaring as he growled, "Woman! Since you've decided not to let me be, I will leave this house for you." With that said, he picked up his car keys, turned, and walked out of the bedroom in his white shirt and suit pants, leaving me feeling hurt, devastated, and confused. I couldn't believe the man I thought I knew, the man I thought could do anything for me, could say such hurtful things to me. I didn't know what to do or how to feel. All I knew was that I needed answers, and I needed them now. Jerking myself out of my frozen state, I ran out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and after my husband. I'd heard the foyer door slam shut a while ago, but I ran towards the door anyway. Maybe he had not yet left. Maybe he was still outside. Maybe he was just sitting in his car, trying to get away from me. Whatever it was, I needed to talk to him and make this right now. I needed to tell him about our baby. I swung the door open, hoping to see Harrison standing outside his car in the driveway, but instead, I found a stranger on my doorstep, his eyes cold and menacing, with something sharp glinting in his hand. My breath caught in my throat when I realized he was holding the sharpest knife I'd ever seen.