THE EX WIFE’S REVENGE

CHAPTER:8

Isabella POV

Three weeks had passed since Daniel saved me from that river, and I was still getting used to the idea of being safe. Every morning when I woke up in his luxurious penthouse, I expected to hear Victoria's cruel laughter or feel Xavier's angry hands on me. Instead, I found myself surrounded by soft silk sheets, warm sunlight, and the gentle sounds of Daniel making breakfast downstairs.

He was nothing like Xavier. Where my ex-husband was cold and cruel, Daniel was patient and kind. He never raised his voice, never made demands, and most importantly, he never made me feel like I was worthless.

This morning, Daniel noticed I was limping as I came down the stairs.

"You're still in pain," he said, looking up from his coffee with concern in his dark eyes.

I tried to brush it off. "It's nothing serious."

"Isabella, when was the last time you saw a doctor?"

The question made me realize how long Xavier had controlled even my medical care. "I honestly can't remember."

Without hesitation, Daniel called his personal physician. Dr. Sarah Chen arrived within an hour. She was gentle and professional, examining my injuries without asking too many questions about how I got them. She prescribed pain medication and recommended physical therapy for my damaged ribs and back.

"You've been through hell," she told me quietly before leaving. "But you're stronger than you know."

After she left, Daniel sat beside me on the couch. "You don't have to pretend to be okay with me," he said softly. "I want you to heal properly."

For the first time in months, tears of gratitude filled my eyes instead of tears of pain.

::::::::::;;;;;

A few days later, Daniel surprised me again. He came home carrying shopping bags from expensive boutiques.

"What's all this?" I asked, watching him set them down in the living room.

"Clothes. For you." He seemed almost embarrassed. "I noticed you only have a few things, and they're all... damaged."

He was right. The clothes I'd escaped in were torn and stained. I'd been wearing his oversized shirts and sweatpants, which made me feel small and lost.

"I don't need charity," I said, my pride flaring up.

"It's not charity. It's an investment." His eyes met mine seriously. "If we're going to make Xavier pay for what he did, you need to look like the powerful woman you're meant to be, not his victim."

I opened the first bag and gasped. Inside was a beautiful black dress, elegant and sophisticated. The next bag held designer shoes, and another contained jewellery that sparkled like stars.

"Try them on," Daniel encouraged. "I want to see the real Isabella."

When I looked at myself in the mirror wearing the new dress, I barely recognized the woman staring back. For the first time in years, I looked strong, confident, and beautiful. Not the broken, beaten woman Xavier had tried to destroy.

Daniel's smile when he saw me was worth everything. "There she is," he said softly. "There's the woman who's going to bring them all down."

That evening, Daniel took me to an upscale restaurant downtown. The kind of place Xavier used to take Victoria while leaving me at home. I felt nervous at first, worried that people would stare or whisper about me. But Daniel's presence beside me was calming and protective.

"Tell me about your life before Xavier," he said over dinner, cutting into his steak. "Who were you when you were happy?"

The question surprised me. No one had asked about my dreams or happiness in so long. "I wanted to be a teacher," I admitted. "I loved working with children. I had just gotten my certification when I met Xavier."

"What stopped you?"

"He said wives of successful men didn't need to work. That it would embarrass him if people thought he couldn't provide for me." I played with my food, remembering. "I gave up everything for him. My career, my friends, my independence. I made myself completely dependent on him."

Daniel reached across the table and took my hand. "That wasn't love, Isabella. That was control. Real love builds you up. It doesn't tear you down."

His words hit me like a warm wave. I'd forgotten what it felt like to have someone actually care about my thoughts and feelings.

"What about you?" I asked. "Why do you hate Xavier so much?"

Daniel's expression darkened. "He destroyed my family's business five years ago. Used dirty tactics, bribed officials, and spread lies about our company. My father lost everything and died of a heart attack from the stress. Xavier Blackwood has been getting away with hurting people for too long."

I could see the pain in his eyes, the same kind of pain I carried. We were both Xavier's victims in different ways.

"So when you found me in that river..." I started.

"I saw an opportunity for justice. But also..." He squeezed my hand gently. "I saw someone who deserved better. Someone worth saving."

My heart fluttered in a way it hadn't in years. Was this what it felt like to be valued? To be seen as more than just an object to be used and discarded?

"The marriage proposal," I said quietly. "Is it still on the table?"

Daniel's eyes searched mine. "Only if you want it. Not for revenge, not for strategy. Because you deserve a partner who will protect you and help you become who you're meant to be."

I took a deep breath. "Yes. I'll marry you."

He smiled, a real, genuine smile that reached his eyes. "Then let's make it official."

We spent the rest of the evening planning our next moves. Daniel explained that he had connections in the media and business contacts who could help expose Xavier's crimes. Our marriage would be announced in all the major newspapers, sending a clear message that I was no longer alone and defenceless.

"Victoria and Xavier think they've won," Daniel said as we walked back to his penthouse. "They think you're dead and buried. When they see you alive, married to me, and ready to fight back, it will destroy their confidence."

The thought of seeing their faces when they realized I had survived filled me with a mixture of fear and excitement. For so long, I had been their victim. Now, I was going to be their worst nightmare.

But as we reached Daniel's building, a sharp pain suddenly shot through my stomach. I doubled over, gasping.

"Isabella? What's wrong?" Daniel's voice seemed to come from far away.

The pain intensified, spreading through my abdomen like fire. My vision blurred, and I felt dizzy. Something was very wrong.

"I... I can't..." I tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come.

The last thing I remembered was Daniel catching me as I collapsed, his panicked voice calling my name as everything went black.

What was happening to me? And why now, just when I was finally ready to fight back?