My Baby Died, I Revenge On My Cheating Husband

They don't give you general anesthesia for a D&C. I stared blankly up at the ceiling. A yellowed water stain blotted the plaster, blurring everything in my line of sight. Isabella Evans had been my best friend for twenty-two years. Six months earlier, she'd moved in with me, saying she wanted to help take care of me through my pregnancy. She woke up early every single morning to cook me oatmeal. She rubbed my swollen, aching calves when my feet got too heavy to walk. She'd press her ear to my belly to listen to the baby kick, laughing as she said she wanted to be my little one's godmother. A bone-deep cold seared through every inch of my body. I kept my eyes open, tears streaming down my face, and I asked him, "Why did it have to be her?" My voice shook so hard I could barely get the words out, but I refused to leave without an answer. Anyone else in the world could have betrayed me. Why did it have to be Isabella? Alexander Carter rubbed my trembling ankle, his voice as soft and gentle as it had always been. "At that birthday party the other day, people were talking about you living with Leo for five years. They called you Leo's hand-me-down, said I was a fool who thought I'd hit the jackpot when I was just the sucker taking what he didn't want anymore. "They said we'll run into your ex all the time anyway, since we're tied to the Carter family. You two could rekindle things and I'd never even see it coming." I buried my face in my hands and sobbed. He let out a quiet sigh. "Amelia, I didn't take it to heart at first, but then I saw Leo in the bathroom holding that old photo of you two... "And your breathing was coming through his phone speaker. "I used to love how wild you were in bed. But now all I can think about is that Leo was the one who taught you all that. It's a lie to say I don't care. "But she's different. She's young and innocent. Every little move, every position. She'll learn all of that from me, and only me." I cried so hard I could barely breathe. The doctor's face turned dark as thunder, and she shoved him out of the procedure room. The cervical dilator was still propped open inside me, the suction tube whirred screech inside me. But I didn't have any strength left to fight it anymore. I closed my eyes, and suddenly the memories from years ago flooded back, one after another, clear as day. It was the fifth year we'd lived together. Leo Carter had cheated on me with one of his students. When I walked in on them that day, he just lit a cigarette and said, "Amelia, we've been together for eight years. We've done everything a hundred times over. Isn't it nice to try something new?" I snapped completely, lunged at that girl and wrenched a fistful of her hair out. Leo shoved me hard away from her. I stumbled back, and my whole body slammed hard into the wardrobe. He spoke calmly, like he was discussing the weather, "Amelia, be decent about this. If this isn't something you can accept, perhaps it's best we part ways." Something warm trickled out of me. I looked down. The floor was covered in blood. That day, I lost my first baby. It was Alexander who rushed me to the hospital. He severed all ties with Leo, and pulled me out of the depths of despair. He saved me for two full years. He told me he'd had a crush on me for years, and swore he would never, ever betray me. I believed him. Now it had come back to haunt me. "Mrs. Carter, it's very likely you won't be able to conceive again in the future." Right before I was wheeled out, I heard the doctor's icy words. A loud roar buzzed through my skull, and everything in front of my eyes blurred into a messy, watery haze. When Isabella saw me being rolled out, she rushed over, her face twisted with obvious heartache, and wrapped me tight in her arms. "It's over now, Amelia. I'm right here, you're safe." Her lips were swollen, just slightly. Beneath her collarbone sat a faint, dark red mark, the kind that got left behind when someone's been sucking at your skin, only a few minutes prior. The grief and worry in her eyes looked so real, so clear. But why? Why would she do this to me? I asked her, my eyes bloodshot with tears. Before the words even left my mouth, fat hot drops came crashing down onto my cheeks. "Isabella, I loved you so, so much. How could you... do this to me?" I'd fully intended to slap her across the face, to yank out a handful of her hair and hurt her like she'd hurt me. But even now, after everything, I still couldn't bring myself to hurt her. Her lips trembled, and then she crashed to her knees right at my legs with a dull thud. "I'm sorry... Amelia, I don't know how things ended up like this... I really don't know."