Erased and Reborn: Rise of The Billionaire's Wife

Chapter 3

The room seemed to shrink around them.

Laura's grip loosened. The weight of the child slipped from her arms as if she no longer knew how to hold him.

“What…?” she whispered. “What did you say?”

Claire straightened herself, now relaxed and comfortable as though she had finally laid down something heavy.

“He was never mine,” Claire said gently. Too gently. “He was yours.”

Laura's heart raced painfully.

“No,” she breathed. “No, stop it. You’re lying.”

Claire tilted her head, observing her closely.

“Do you remember the hospital?” she asked lightly. “Five years ago? The complications? The confusion? You were pregnant then… just like me.”

Laura's breathing became erratic.

“They told me my baby didn’t survive,” Laura replied weakly.

“Yes,” Claire affirmed. “Because that’s what I made them tell you.”

Laura staggered back in shock.

“My baby lived,” Claire continued calmly. “Mine didn’t.”

The words hit like a physical blow.

“The records were altered,” Claire said almost kindly. “The files. The bracelets. The results.”

She tilted her head slightly, watching as Laura crumbled before her.

“You were told your child died at birth; I was told mine survived. Simple and effective.”

Laura’s knees buckled beneath her.

“No… no, that can’t be true…”

“Every bruise you cleaned,” Claire continued smoothly yet mercilessly,

“every fever you stayed awake through, every night you cried quietly so no one would hear?”

She stepped closer again.

“That was your son.”

Laura collapsed beside the bed, gripping the sheets as raw sobs broke free from deep within her.

“My son…” she whispered. “I was his mother?”

Claire observed without blinking.

“You loved him beautifully,” she said softly. “Even when they convinced you that you were incapable of love.”

Taking a step back, satisfied,

“And now,” Claire added quietly, “you finally know the truth.”

****

Time lost all meaning.

Laura couldn't tell how long she had been sitting there.

Minutes blurred into hours, and those hours fused into a heavy ache in her chest that refused to dissipate. Outside the hospital room, life went on—footsteps echoed, whispers floated by, doors opened and closed, but none of it reached her. Only him did.

She remained on the floor beside the bed long after they told her she needed to leave. Long after the nurses looked at her with pity. Long after her throat grew raw from crying. By the time she was taken home, she felt utterly hollow.

It was 1:07 p.m. when she finally noticed the clock on the wall. The house was silent… too silent. Every sound felt like a transgression, as if the very walls were mourning.

Laura sat on the edge of the bed, barefoot, dressed in black. Her trembling fingers clutched a small framed photograph…the boy’s photograph with a crooked smile and curious eyes.

Her child.

Tears flowed quietly down her cheeks, pooling on the glass as her vision blurred. For five years…five unbearable years, he had endured humiliation, anger, and cruelty under one roof—his suffering hidden beneath a woman who wore motherhood as a mask.

A Jezebel draped in silk and false tears.

Laura’s chest heaved as she pressed the photo to her heart.

The house was unnaturally still… locked away from the outside world.

No condolences came. No visitors appeared. No voices broke through the silence. Everyone had worn black that day, but only one person had truly lost something.

Jake hadn’t spoken since leaving the hospital; not even a word.

Claire, however, played her role perfectly…red eyes, trembling hands, grief donned like a costume. Laura wasn’t allowed to attend the funeral; she wasn’t even permitted to stand outside. She had been erased.

Now only her sobs filled the house, crashing against the walls like unheard whispers.

Suddenly, the front door slammed open, shattering the silence below.

The photo Laura held slipped from her shaking hands and fell to the floor.

Her heart lurched painfully as she stared at the broken frame before lifting her head at the sound of footsteps coming down the hall.”

Without hesitation, Laura dashed barefoot out of the room, racing down the stairs, her breath uneven and her chest tight with a mix of fear and hope.

Jake had returned home.

When she reached the entrance, she froze.

Jake stood there, clad in black from head to toe. His face was expressionless, his eyes vacant. On either side of him were two large men in dark suits and sunglasses. Silent. Unmoving.

Claire clutched Jake’s arm as if she needed him for support, her face pale and eyes swollen from tears that seemed rehearsed. When Claire spotted Laura, her eyes widened for just a moment.

“Jake—!” Laura shouted, rushing forward. She barely got two steps in before one of the men forcefully shoved her back.

Laura hit the ground painfully, gasping as air rushed from her lungs.

Jake remained rooted in place, his expression devoid of emotion.

“Why,” he said icily as he finally stepped forward, “are you wearing black?”

Laura struggled to get to her knees. “I—Jake… please,” she pleaded. “I know you’re hurting. I know…”

He let out a bitter laugh, a sound so hollow it made her chest tighten. “Hurt?” he retorted harshly. “You have the nerve to wear mourning clothes when you’re the one who killed him?”

Her world spun around her.

“No… no, please listen to me,” Laura cried out. “I loved him. You know I did. Just hear me out this once…”

“You’ve succeeded,” Jake interrupted sharply. “Your greed. Your jealousy. You took my child because you couldn’t give me one.”

Each word struck her like a knife.

“I didn’t…” Laura sobbed, shaking her head frantically. “Jake, please… I’m pregnant.”

The words tumbled out in desperation.

“I was going to tell you,” she continued in a panic, fumbling with her dress. Her fingers trembled as she pulled out a folded paper. “I swear I was going to tell you. Just… just look for yourself.”

She extended the pregnancy test results with shaky hands.

For a brief moment, Jake hesitated.

Claire’s breath caught in her throat.

Then, all at once, she sprang into action.

She lunged forward and snatched the papers from Laura’s grasp.

Her eyes darted over them quickly before her expression twisted with disbelief and fury.

“Jake!” Claire shouted. “Can’t you see? She’s lying again!”

She ripped the paper in half, then tore it into shreds.

“She’s not only jealous of me; she’s a cheater!” Claire screamed. “Five years! Five years, and she never gave you a child! She can’t have kids! And now she thinks she can deceive you with her lies?”

She pointed at Laura with trembling fingers. “After everything she's done, it still wasn’t enough for her! She wants to use another deceitful tactic!”

Laura watched as the torn pieces fell to the floor. Her mind went blank as her eyes widened. Her proof. Her hope. All of it was gone.

Her face felt numb; everything seemed distant and unreal.

Claire rushed back to Jake, burying her face against his chest. He didn’t push her away but looked down at Laura with utter contempt.

“You know what? I never wanted this marriage,” he said coldly. “My parents forced me into it. They threatened to cut off my inheritance if I didn’t marry you.”

Laura’s breath caught painfully in her throat.

“I vowed I’d never touch you,” Jake continued. “I thought things might improve, but I was wrong.”

He stepped closer, his voice low and final. “I’ve gotten everything I ever wanted. And you? You’re worthless now.”

He pulled a document from his coat and tossed it at her feet.

Divorce papers.

“Sign them,” Jake said sharply. “From today on, you are out of my life. Don’t show your face to me again unless death brings you back.”

Laura collapsed onto the floor.

Around her, the house felt colder than ever. With trembling hands, she held the pen as she signed the paper. Somewhere deep within her shattered heart, something finally broke beyond repair.