Revenge in Silk and Gold.

“I do not.” That was all it took for my whole life to turn upside down. The whole church went silent. Everyone stared at me with those pitiful, stabbing gazes that made my skin crawl. “I’m sorry,” he said… and walked out. Just like that. I stood there, frozen, tears slipping down my cheeks as I tried to understand what he meant. We’d been together for eight years, and just like that, he left. I had spent every penny I had making sure he finished college. I worked overtime, dropped out of school, supported him, fed him, believed in him…and now he had his own company. And he just left. Just like that. Leaving me to start from scratch. My chest tightened as whispers filled the church. I didn’t wait. I ran out of the aisle, past the stares, past the shame. I heard people calling after me, but I didn’t care. I rushed into the first cab I saw before anyone could reach me. Those dramatic heartbreak scenes I only saw in movies… They were now my reality. The cab driver didn’t say a word after asking for my address. Eternity by Alex Warren played softly from his radio, and I spiraled into memory lane. We were in love… or so I thought. Ice cream dates. Kisses in the rain. Midnight walks. He even had a tattoo of name on his arm. Where did it all go wrong? Was it the pregnancy? But he didn’t even know about it. Then it hit me all over again…I was pregnant, left at the altar, humiliated in front of everyone. And to top it all, Damian and I lived together. I had nowhere to go. No money. No relatives. My life had turned into a nightmare in a single heartbeat. Then I thought of Audrey. She was the only person who might help me. I packed my clothes, leaving behind everything he bought me. He wouldn’t return to the apartment until he was sure I was gone. I dropped the keys at the reception and left. Thirty minutes later, I arrived at Audrey’s. I didn’t call. She wouldn’t have a problem with me staying for a month or two…just until I got myself together. I opened her door using the passcode I knew. Her apartment smelled like lavender and vanilla. It calmed me. For a moment. I moved toward her bedroom. Then I heard a familiar voice. No. No, no… it wasn’t him. It couldn’t be. I opened the door. And what I saw tore me apart. My best friend…my Audrey…and my so-called fiancé… having s*x. On her bed. In her house. Without a single ounce of shame. She turned to look at me, not remorseful at all. “Courtesy demands you knock before coming into someone’s room,” she said calmly. “It’s good you know now. We can stop hiding it. Damian is mine. And we’ll be getting married soon.” Damian didn’t defend himself. He stood there like everything we shared for eight years was nothing. Like all the sacrifices I made meant nothing. I dropped out of college for him. I starved for him. I built him. He used me. All I saw was red. I grabbed the flower vase on the side table and dashed toward him. My heart felt like it was exploding inside my chest. I got closer. Closer. And then…. A strong shove from behind sent me crashing to the ground, my stomach slamming against the floor. Pain shot through me instantly. The last thing I heard was Audrey’s voice dripping with cruelty: “The baby was a mistake after all. Damian’s first child,his sole heir will come from me.” And everything went black. When I opened my eyes, all I saw was white. Bright lights stung my eyes, and the sterile smell told me I wasn’t at Audrey’s. I was in the hospital. My baby….. I clutched my stomach, a sharp pain tearing through my abdomen. A woman walked in. She was the nurse in charge and quickly called the doctor. He entered with a serious expression. “How do I say this, Miss Claudia… You must have had a bad fall. Your baby couldn’t withstand the stress.” His next words shattered me completely. “We lost the baby. My condolences, miss.” I didn’t deserve this. Not any of it. Something inside me snapped. I yanked the cannula from my wrist and ran. The hospital gown I wore was soaked in blood, but I didn’t care. What was the worst that could happen? My life was already over. I made my way up to the rooftop. I stood at the edge. Ready to end it all. Then a small voice called out behind me. “Miss… that’s not safe. What are you doing?” I turned. An old man in a wheelchair sat alone. He looked so sick. So fragile. Guilt washed over me. I stepped down immediately and walked toward him. “Why are you here alone? Where are your relatives? Your caregiver?” He gave me a weak smile. “They’re waiting for the call, my dear.” “What call?” I asked, confused. “The call from the doctor to say I died. All they want is my money. My inheritance. My benefits.” His face dropped, and sadness clouded his eyes. I wanted to help him. Anything to make him feel better. “Do you need anything? Anything that would help?” “What would an old man like me possibly need?” he asked softly. Somehow, talking to him made me forget my own pain. We talked for a long time. He seemed familiar… and then it clicked. He was the Chairman of Blackwood Co. The godfather of Julian Knight, the billionaire bachelor Audrey wouldn’t stop obsessing over. He pulled me out of my thoughts with a quiet question. “What’s your name, my dear? And why are you here?” “I’m Claudia.” And I told him everything. The ruined wedding. The betrayal. The fall. Even how I ended up on that rooftop. He looked at me with pity and I hated pity ,but he felt genuine. The media called me the daydreamer for thinking a girl like me could marry a man like Damian. If only they knew I built the company with him. Our conversation ended when his nurse came. He whispered something to her, and she nodded. Before he left, I promised to visit him during the rest of my stay. Back in my room, reality hit me again: How would I pay my hospital bills when I got discharged? Run away? Try to negotiate? Both options sounded impossible. I was exhausted ;physically, mentally, emotionally. I fell asleep the second my head touched the pillow. Days passed. I visited him every day. Then finally, on the day I was discharged, the nurse said: “You don’t have to pay the bills, ma’am. It’s been taken care of.” Damian definitely didn’t pay for it. There was only one person who could’ve done it. The man from the rooftop.