Swapped: His Dead Wife's Revenge

Chapter 18

June’s Pov

I sat at the table with Blue, my hands still shaking from everything I had just poured out. The bar felt too bright now, too full of eyes that kept glancing our way. I kept my head down, hoping no one was recording. Blue stared at me like she was seeing a ghost.

“So you really don’t remember who took you after the shooting?” she asked quietly.

“No,” I whispered. “Everything after the gunshot is just darkness. Then I woke up in the hospital and everyone was calling me Chloe.”

Blue rubbed her forehead. “This is insane. Nikolai shot you? You’re sure it was him?”

“I will never forget his face,” I said, my voice cracking. “He was the last thing I saw before I thought I was dying. And now I’m married to him. In her body.”

Blue looked around quickly, then stood up. “I need a drink. Stay right here. I’ll be back in a second.”

She walked toward the bar. I tried to smile to myself, but it felt broken. For the first time in days I had someone who believed me. Someone who knew the real me. It was the best thing that had happened since this nightmare started.

A guy approached my table before I could collect my thoughts. “Hey, beautiful.”

I tried to ignore him. I did not have the energy for this.

He leaned in. “I saw you from across the room. You’re Chloe, right? Chloe McCoy?”

I forced a small nod. “Yeah. I’m kind of busy right now.”

“Oh, sorry to disturb you,” he said smoothly, sliding a card across the table. “I’m Daniel. Call me if you ever want to talk. Or more. I know you’re married, but one man can’t have all that. I’ll treat you like the queen you are.”

My stomach turned. Before I could tell him to leave, I felt a cold presence behind me. Nikolai.

Daniel turned and saw him. “Oh, your husband.”

Nikolai ignored Daniel’s outstretched hand completely. His eyes locked on me, dark with anger. “Let’s go. Right now.”

Every other sound in the bar seemed to fade. People were watching. Phones were probably already out. Nikolai’s hand closed around my wrist, tight enough to hurt, but his voice stayed soft for the crowd.

“Hey babe,” he said loud enough for people nearby to hear. “I’ve been missing you. Come on, we have to go.”

He leaned down and kissed me quickly on the lips. It was not gentle. It was for show. Then he pulled me up and started walking me out, his grip like iron on my wrist. I looked around desperately for Blue, but she was still at the bar. I couldn’t call out. Not with everyone watching.

Outside, he almost pushed me into the car, but he did it gently enough that it looked caring to anyone still snapping photos. The moment the door shut, his mask dropped.

“You never cease to amaze me,” he said coldly as the driver started moving. “You told me you were going to see your father. You did that. Then instead of coming straight home, you come to a bar? With a man? What if someone had seen you? They would say Nikolai McCoy’s wife is a w***e even in marriage. Is that what you want? To make me look incompetent?”

I stared out the window, tears burning. “I just wanted to cool my head. That’s all. I wasn’t doing anything.”

“Cool your head from what?” he snapped. “The whole house has air conditioning. There is a swimming pool. There is everything you could possibly need. You don’t even have work right now. So what exactly are you cooling off from?”

“You,” I whispered, voice breaking. “You frustrate me so much. You hate me. You treat me like I’m nothing. I feel suffocated. Nobody believes me. Nobody understands.”

He looked at me like I was pathetic. “Stop with the crying. What is all this for?”

The rest of the ride was silent except for my quiet sobs. When we reached the mansion, he dragged me out of the car and into the sitting room. His parents and Betty were there, relaxing and watching a movie.

Nikolai pushed me forward into the middle of the room. “Ask your daughter-in-law why she was in a bar with another man. If I had not shown up, they would have f****d right there.”

His mother looked shocked. “Nikolai, don’t say that.”

I tried to explain, voice trembling. “That is a lie. I just went to cool off. A guy approached me. That is all.”

His father shook his head, disappointment clear on his face. “I thought after the marriage you had calmed down, Chloe. This is disappointing.”

They both stood up and left the room without another word. Nikolai gave me one last cold look and walked out too.

Only Betty remained. She came over, took my hand gently, and led me upstairs to my room.

“I’m sorry for everything,” she said softly once the door closed. “My brother can be hot-tempered. But I’m here for you.”

Before I could react, she pulled me close and kissed me. The kiss was deep, hungry. Her hands moved under my dress, sliding between my legs, fingers stroking me intimately. I froze. This was wrong on every level. I was not Chloe. I was not into this. But I was too shocked, too drained to push her away immediately.

Betty moaned softly against my mouth. “Tell me how he f****d you last night. I want to hear everything.”

I pulled back, heart racing. “I… I have to go. My father asked me to sign some documents. I forgot.”

Betty licked her fingers slowly, eyes dark with want. “Okay. I’ll be waiting for you later. See you soon.”

I dashed out of the room and ran straight to my own bedroom. I locked the door behind me, leaned against it, and slid down to the floor.