Swapped: His Dead Wife's Revenge

Chapter 8

June’s Pov

We stepped into the bedroom and Mrs. Alice waved the servants in with bags and suitcases. They moved quietly, placing everything neatly in the closet. I sat on the edge of the bed, still wearing the hospital gown underneath a thin coat. My body felt heavy. My eyes burned from crying.

Iris kept glancing at me from the corner of the room. Her stare was sharp, almost suspicious. Every time she looked away to help with the bags, I wondered if she could see through me. Did she know I wasn’t really Chloe? I stayed quiet. At this point I didn’t know who to trust.

When the last bag was unpacked, Mrs. Alice sat beside me on the bed. She took my hand gently.

“My daughter, I am really sorry this happened to you,” she said softly. “You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Don’t worry. I will check on you often. Please be respectful to your husband. I know he can be difficult sometimes, but he has been under a lot of stress. He really likes you.”

I turned to look at her. My voice came out small and tired. “Are you sure he really likes me? That man likes the person called Chloe. Not me.”

“You are Chloe,” she answered gently. “And yes, he likes you. The marriage was not only transactional. It benefits both families, but there is real feeling there too.”

I nodded slowly, though none of it felt real. Servants carried in more clothes. Beautiful dresses, expensive shoes, everything perfectly folded.

“Who owns all these clothes?” I asked. “Do they belong to me now?”

Mrs. Alice hesitated for a second. “Practically, yes. But many of them belonged to his late wife, Diane.”

“Late wife?” My heart skipped. “He was married before?”

“Yes. He loved Diane very much. That is why you need to make him love you even more, like you’ve been doing. That has always been our plan. Make him love you more. Dress nicely for him. Soften him. Obey him when you can. Do you understand?”

“What plan?” I asked, confusion mixing with exhaustion.

Mrs. Alice looked at me strangely, like I had said something wrong. Iris watched us both without speaking, her phone in her hand, fingers occasionally tapping the screen.

“You know what?” Mrs. Alice said quickly. “We will talk about this later. Right now you need rest.”

She reached into her bag and pulled out a sleek new phone. “I got this for you. You lost the old one in the accident. I already installed everything. All your old messages, contacts, and photos are back. I know the password, of course. We never keep secrets in this family.”

Relief rushed through me so fast I almost cried again. I grabbed the phone with both hands. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Without thinking, I leaned forward and hugged her. For one brief moment it felt like having a mother again.

Mrs. Alice patted my back. “Would you like me to help you bathe or change?”

“No,” I said, pulling away. “I can do it myself.”

“Okay. I will check on you later. I will also call.” She stood up and looked at Iris. “Do you want to say anything to your sister?”

Iris shrugged. “Get well soon, sis.”

Her voice sounded flat. The words didn’t feel real, but I didn’t care either.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

They left the room and closed the door softly behind them.

The moment they were gone, I turned on the phone. My hands shook as I dialed Blue’s number. It rang and rang. No answer. I tried again. Still nothing. Maybe when someone starts dating their ex again, they change numbers or ignore the world. The thought made fresh pain bloom in my chest.

I set the phone down and headed to the bathroom. I felt dirty, inside and out. I stood under the hot shower for a long time, letting the water run over my face and body until my skin turned red. It didn’t wash away the ache, but it helped me breathe.

Afterward I pulled on a soft, comfortable nightwear from the closet. I wanted to try calling Blue one more time, but exhaustion won. I lay on the bed and picked up the phone again.

Out of habit I searched for Frederick’s profile. The posts we once shared were gone. His status now read “Single.” Just like that. The man I had given everything to, the man whose babies I had carried, had erased me completely.

Pain stabbed through my heart. I had loved him. I had trusted him with my father’s empire, with my future, with my body. And he had thrown it all away like trash.

Tears slipped down my cheeks as I finally closed my eyes.

Sleep came hard and restless.

*****

A loud bang on the door woke me with a start.

I sat up quickly, heart racing. Sunlight poured through the windows. What time was it?

The banging continued, louder and angrier.

I rushed to the door and opened it.

Nikolai stood there, tall and perfectly dressed, his face cold with irritation.

“What does your clock say, Chloe?” he asked, voice sharp. “I told you we have the lawyers coming today. I don’t like waiting.”