EMBERS OF BETRAYAL

CHAPTER THREE

I went home crying my eyes out. I thought I had moved on, but seeing him shattered me completely. The memories I tried so hard to bury came rushing back like a flood.

I begged the doctor to remove the embryo, but he said it was too late. Removing it now would destroy my womb.

“What am I going to do?” I whispered.

Then a selfish thought crept into my mind. This could be the perfect chance to be close to him again.

Yes, maybe this time I would prove my love. This time I would do everything right, and he would finally love me. Maybe I just wasn’t good enough before, I convinced myself. I kept blaming myself, gaslighting myself into believing I was the reason for everything that went wrong.

Later that evening, Jason called. His voice was calm, too calm.

He begged me to keep the baby. He said only my blood type was compatible, rare, and hard to find, and that the child’s life depended on it.

What else could I do? I couldn’t bear to see him suffer.

A part of me knew I was making a mistake, but I was blinded not by love, but by obsession.

Still, I dialed his number, craving to hear his voice again.

“Hello?” he said. His voice made my heart skip.

“Jason…” I stammered. “I….I’ll keep the baby.”

“Really?” he asked.

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Then you’ll have to move into my apartment,” he said quickly. “You’re not in a position to take care of the baby on your own. I can’t risk anything happening to the baby.”

He said the baby, not me. Every word was about the child. But I was too foolish to notice. I mistook it for love.

“Yes,” I said with hope in my voice. “I’ll move in.”

For the first time in months, I was happy. God is finally on my side, I thought.

---

The day I had been waiting for finally came. I thought Jason would come to pick me up, but instead, his driver came. I made excuses for him as usual. Maybe he was busy.

I dragged my suitcase behind me, as I got into the residence, I took a deep breath. Am I being selfish? I wondered. Maybe. But I’m doing this for him… for Jason.

I walked into the house. Cold air brushed against my skin as memories of my first year of marriage flooded back.

“The b***h is back,” a familiar voice sneered. “I thought you were dead.”

I turned. It was my mother.

“Mother,” I said, dropping to my knees. “I’m sorry for everything.”

“You’re sorry?” she spat. “You carefully crafted a plan to bear Jason’s child, you selfish fool!”

Her words cut through me. A part of me believed her, but I also knew I hadn’t planned any of this. I wanted to explain, but no words came out. I just kept apologizing as she walked away.

A servant soon arrived and led me to an abandoned room. It was dusty and old, but still better than where I had been living.

Just as I began to settle in, a servant returned.

“Jason wants to see you,” she said.

My heart leapt. For the first time, joy filled me. I was going to see the love of my life again.

I hurried into the main house. Jason was holding Cassy, comforting her. “Just bear it, it won’t be long,” I heard him say softly.

When they saw me, Jason’s expression changed.

“Sit,” he said sharply, his voice cold and distant nothing like the gentle tone he used on the phone.

“You obviously did this on purpose,” Cassy hissed.

“No… I wasn’t aware,” I said quietly.

“You weren’t aware? Yet you begged to keep the baby!” she shouted. “Why can’t you just leave me alone? Why are you everywhere?”

I looked at Jason, searching for help, but his eyes were unreadable. Even though he was the one who had begged me to keep the child, he stayed silent.

I walked towards him as I fell on my knees desperate. “I’m sorry,” I cried holding his hand. “I promise I won’t get in your way.”

Before I could lift my head, a sharp pain shot through my stomach. Cassy had kicked me hard her heel hitting my lower belly.

“How dare you touch my husband, you bad luck!” she screamed, slapping my face.

I held her hand weakly, trying to protect myself, but the pain was unbearable.

“Do you want to hurt her?” my mother’s voice rang out as she rushed in and slapped me across the face. “I knew you’d try to kill her!”

I saw Cassy suddenly stumble to the ground, pretending to fall. Jason’s eyes widened in anger.

“Is this your plan? To hurt her?” he yelled, kicking me hard.

I gasped in pain and shock. I hadn’t done anything but he didn’t care. He rushed to Cassy’s side as she smirked at me behind her fake tears.

“Jason… I’m sorry,” I whispered, but my words fell on deaf ears.

Then I saw it blood, pooling beneath me. Did I lose the baby? I asked myself

“Take her to the hospital!” someone shouted as my vision blurred and darkness swallowed me again.

---

When I woke up at the hospital, I saw Jason and Cassy standing by the door. The only thing Jason asked was, “Is the baby okay?”

He didn’t even look at me.

The doctor sighed. My heart pounded. Maybe… maybe the baby was still alive.

Then his words came like a dagger.

“You lost the baby.”

Before I could process it, Cassy lunged at me, shaking my weak body.

“You evil soul! You killed my baby!” she screamed.

Jason pulled her away, wrapping his arms around her. “Don’t worry,” he said coldly. “We’ll do another implantation.”

The words hit me like lightning. Another implantation?

So that was it. I was nothing to him just a vessel, a tool.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. My voice trembled as I forced myself to sit up, my body weak but my heart now burning with rage.

I looked at my mother, at Cassy, and finally

at Jason.

“You’ll pay for everything,” I said coldly.

Then my eyes met Jason’s.

“And you… I curse the day I met you.”