Your loser wife is a big Shot

ELENA I had the table set before sunset. Everything was perfect in the way I used to believe mattered. The plates were aligned, the candles placed carefully at the center, and the food was still warm on the stove. I had even worn the dress Mark once said he liked, soft, simple, nothing too loud. It was our tenth anniversary. I stood there for a moment, looking at the table like it would somehow look back at me and tell me I had done enough. Mark and our daughter, Sophie were supposed to be back by evening. They had gone on a short trip. With her. Bianca. His high school girlfriend. I told myself it didn’t mean anything. I had been telling myself that for years. I checked my phone again. No message. No call. Nothing. I was about to call when my phone rang. Unknown number. Something in my chest tightened. I answered. “Hello?” “Is this Elena Vale?” My grip on the phone tightened. “Yes… who is this?” “We have your husband and your daughter.” Everything inside me went still. “What?” I whispered. “They’re with us. If you want to see them alive, you’ll bring two million dollars.” The words didn’t register at first. Two million. “That’s not possible,” I said quickly. “I don’t have that kind of money, please…” “You have three hours.” The line went dead. I stood there, staring at my phone. My hands started shaking. No. No, this wasn’t real. I called Mark. Switched off. I called again. Nothing. I dialed my daughter’s number. Nothing. My chest tightened until it hurt to breathe. Then reality hit all at once. They were gone. And I was the only one who could get them back. I didn’t have the money. Not even close. Because I gave everything up. For him. My fingers hovered over my contact list. One name. The one I had not called in years. Dad. I swallowed hard before pressing it. It rang twice Then…“Elena?” His voice. Familiar. Careful. I closed my eyes for a second. “Dad…” There was a pause. A long one. “What happened?” he asked immediately. That was all it took. I broke. “They took them,” I said, my voice shaking despite my effort to stay calm. “Mark and my daughter… they were kidnapped. They want two million dollars.” “Where are you?” “I’m at home.” “I’ll send the money,” he said immediately. “Don’t go anywhere.” “I don’t have time,” I said quickly. “They said three hours.” Another pause. Then his voice changed. Firm. Controlled. “I’ll have it ready for you. Come to the office.” I didn’t hesitate. “Thank you so much Dad, I’m on my way.” The rain started the moment I stepped outside. Heavy. Violent. Like the sky had decided to break open. I didn’t care. I got into my car and drove. My hands were tight on the steering wheel, my heart racing faster than the car itself. Everything felt too fast. Too loud. Too wrong. I hadn’t spoken to my father in years. Not since I chose Mark over everything else. Not since I walked away from the life that was supposed to be mine. And now I was running back. Because I had no choice. --- By the time I reached the company, I was soaked. The rain had followed me the entire way. I barely parked properly before rushing inside. The moment I stepped in, people stopped. They stared. Of course they did. I probably looked like a mess. I didn’t care. “I need to see my father,” I said immediately. No one stopped me. They moved. Like they already knew. His office door was open. I stepped in. He was there. Standing. Waiting. For a second, neither of us spoke. Then his eyes moved over me slowly. Taking everything in. “You look like you’ve been through hell,” he said quietly. “I don’t have time,” I replied. “The money.” He nodded once. The briefcase was already on the table. Two million dollars. Just like that. My chest tightened. “I’ll pay you back,” I said quickly. He didn’t respond to that. Instead, he looked at me differently. Not angry. Not distant. Just… tired. “We’ll talk about everything later,” he said. “Go and bring them back.” I nodded. I didn’t trust myself to say anything else. I grabbed the briefcase and turned. “Elena.” I stopped. But I didn’t turn back. “Be careful,” he said. I swallowed hard. Then I left. The address they sent was far. Too far. The rain didn’t stop.If anything, it got worse. The road was slippery. The visibility was bad. But I kept driving. Faster than I should. Because every second mattered. Because they were waiting for me. Because I couldn’t lose them. Not like this. Not over money. I didn't slow down. I was thinking about Sophie's voice the last time I'd heard it, two days ago on the phone, telling me she'd found a ladybug on the windowsill of the hotel and named it Clara. My hands tightened around the wheel as I turned sharply. And then…The car skidded. Everything happened too fast. The tires lost grip. The car spun. And slammed into the side barrier. The sound was loud. The airbag hit my face like a closed fist. I sat there for three seconds, maybe five, blood running warm from somewhere above my eyebrow, the rain hammering against the windscreen. Then I reached for the case on the passenger seat, confirmed it was intact, and got out of the car. My head snapped forward. Pain shot through my arm. Heavy. Endless. I took a breath. I was still alive. That was enough. The rain hit me immediately, soaking me completely within seconds. My dress clung to my body. My hair stuck to my face. My hands were shaking, but I didn’t stop. I grabbed the briefcase. And I kept going. By the time I got there, I was drenched. The warehouse was the kind of place that exists at the edges of industrial zones, huge and lightless and smelling of rust and standing water. The place looked abandoned. Dark. Isolated. My heart pounded as I stepped inside. “They told me to come here,” I said, my voice steady despite everything. “I have the money.” One of the men met me at the entrance and took the case without a word. For a moment, nothing happened. Then shadows moved. Figures stepped forward. My grip on the briefcase tightened. “Where are they?” I asked. One of them gestured behind. “They’re alive.” That was all I needed. I moved forward quickly. And then I saw them. Mark. My daughter. And…Bianca. My steps slowed. For a second, confusion hit me. She was here too? Did they take her as well? “Mom!” my daughter cried. I rushed forward immediately, dropping the briefcase as I pulled her into my arms. “You’re okay,” I whispered. “You’re okay.” Mark stood up slowly. “Elena…” he said. I looked at him. Relief filled my chest. “They didn’t hurt you?” I asked. “We’re fine,” he said quickly. Something about his voice felt… off. But I ignored it. I turned back to my daughter, checking her carefully. “I brought the money,” I said. “We can go now.” One of the men stepped forward. “They can go,” he said. I froze. “What?” He nodded toward Mark and my daughter. “They’re free.” My daughter clung to me tighter. “Mom, no,” she said quickly. “We can’t leave yet.” I frowned slightly. “What do you mean?” She pulled back just enough to look at me. Her eyes moved toward Bianca. “She’s still here,” she said. I followed her gaze. Bianca looked terrified. Crying. Shaking. “Please,” Bianca whispered. “Don’t leave me here.” I looked back at my daughter. “We’ll come back,” I said immediately. “Let’s go first, then we’ll—” “No,” she said. Firm. .Serious. “We can’t leave her.” My chest tightened. “Sweetheart—” “Mom, please,” she said again. “Let her go. You can stay instead.” Everything stopped. For a second, I didn’t understand what she meant. Then it sank in. Slowly. Painfully. “You want me to stay?” I asked quietly. She nodded. “Just for a while,” she said. “We’ll come back for you. I promise.” I looked at Mark. Waiting. Hoping. He stepped closer. “Elena…” he started. My heart beat faster. “We’ll come back,” he said. “Just stay for now. It’s safer.” Safer. For who? I stared at him. At my daughter. At the woman crying behind them. And in that moment… Something inside me cracked. Completely. “You’re asking me to replace her,” I said slowly. Neither of them denied it. The silence was answer enough