True Romance-t1

Pregnant with my husband's baby—flew to his city to surprise him for our anniversary. His call hits me at the door: "Babe! Happy five years! Got a surprise for you—arrives tomorrow." I cover the camera, grinning. "I've got a surprise for you too. Five minutes." Hang up. This blonde in the elevator smiles at me. "Wait—you're Nathan's wife? He talks about you constantly." My heart melts. Elevator opens. His office—right there. Hand on the door. She grabs me, smile like ice. "I'm Chloe. Nathan's girlfriend." "This is our time. Stay here. I'll get you when we're done." Oh. Guess this is my surprise. Door slams shut. I'm frozen. Brain screaming. Chairs scraping. Then—those sounds. "Babe, I'm still bruised from last time. Go easy on me?" No. I didn't hear that. His voice—unmistakable. "What's wrong? You're being so quiet. Come on, let me hear that pretty voice." Every nerve in my body dies. Nathan. My Nathan. The boy who begged me to marry him. My whole life. Screwing her. Right there. Last night we FaceTimed about baby names. I should burst in there. Rip his head off. My hand's on the handle. I bolt. Elevator. Two girls giggling. "Oh my god, did you see Nathan's girlfriend? She's stunning. Five years and they're still all over each other." "Right? He literally moved the company here so she could finish school. Goals." Can't breathe. Ribs cracking. Five years. Same as our marriage. His "expansion" wasn't for our future. It was for her. Voice shaking. "Wait—isn't Nathan married though?" They look at me like I'm insane. "Married? Nathan? Girl, if that man had a wife, he'd tattoo her name on his forehead." "He parades that girlfriend around like a trophy. Wedding's in a week. Whole office is invited." Something inside me shatters. No one knows I exist. Our marriage—erased. Except her. She knows. Did he tell her while they were in bed? Over coffee? Doesn't matter. I'm the joke either way. Stomach flips. I crash outside, puking into the bushes. Tears choking me. Won't stop heaving. I look up. His office window. Two shadows pressed together. Don't know how long I stand there. Sun beating down. Sweat everywhere. His call lights up my phone. New shirt. Buttoned tight. Hair perfect. Face—nothing. Like he wasn't just inside her ten minutes ago. He squints. "Babe, is that... wait, are you outside my building?" I smile so wide my face hurts. "Yeah. Surprise." Nathan's sprinting toward me. His face lights up. "Babe! Oh my god—you're here? This is the surprise?" He's ten feet away and I can already smell her perfume on him. My stomach flips. I clutch the pregnancy test in my bag. "Yeah. Surprise." He grabs my hand, practically dragging me through the lobby. Reception's gawking. Including those two elevator girls. Nathan stops, shooting them a look. "This is my wife. Next time she shows up, walk her straight to me." Right. He thinks they made me wait. He leads me to his office. The place is pristine. Every surface wiped down. But that smell. God, that smell. He's rubbing my shoulders now like I'm made of glass. "Baby, don't pull stunts like this again, okay? That flight's brutal on you." Brutal. Right. The door flies open. Chloe breezes back in like I'm invisible. "Hey babe, left something in here. Just grabbing it real quick—" Nathan's whole body goes rigid. He yanks her forward. "Whoa—this is my wife, Emma. Show some respect." Then to me, voice smooth: "This is Chloe. My buddy Jake's little sister. He's traveling, asked me to keep an eye on her." Chloe's eyes lock on mine. That smirk could cut glass. "Oh, Emma. Right. Yeah, we already met. Remember?" Nathan blinks. "Wait, when?" I open my mouth— Chloe reaches under the couch cushion. Pulls out leopard-print panties. Holds them up like buried treasure. "Found them! Must've dropped these when I was changing this morning." Nathan goes white. "Babe—no, listen—she borrowed my office before my meeting—that's all—" Chloe's already twirling the lace, grinning at me. "Exactly. Nathan's devoted to you, Emma. And me? I've got my own boyfriend. We're so in love." She tugs her collar down. Hickeys everywhere. My nails dig into my palms so hard I feel skin break. Nathan's face cycles through panic, rage, guilt. He grabs Chloe's collar, yanking it back up. His voice goes hard. "Get. Out." She flinches. Eyes go glassy. He shoves her through the door. Slams it. Locks it. Then spins around, hands up like he's approaching a spooked horse. "Babe. She's just—she's immature. Don't listen to her. I'll make sure Jake deals with her." He's so good at this. Academy Award–level. I almost want to applaud. "Does lying get you off, Nathan? Like, is this fun for you?" He freezes. "What? Babe, no—what are you even—" Still playing dumb. Something inside me shatters. "She's not Jake's sister. She's not anyone's sister. She's your girlfriend, Nathan. You're marrying her in seven days." My voice cracks. "So what am I? Your side piece? Your backup plan?" I'm standing right in front of him—and Nathan's eyes are locked on his phone. His face goes white. "Babe, I've got an emergency. Just wait here, okay? I'll be right back." He's out the door. I stare at where he just was. Everything I've been holding in doesn't explode—it just caves in. Like someone punched a hole through my ch//est. He's done with me. This marriage is done. I sit there until I go completely numb. Finally I grab my phone. "Marcus. I need divorce papers. Adultery. He gets nothing." I hang up and walk outside. The city's massive and loud and I realize I have nowhere to go. My vision starts blurring. My knees buckle. A car slams into me. I'm on the pavement. Fire tears through my stomach. Something warm is spreading down my legs. Blood. My dress is soaked with it. I grab my phone with shaking hands. Hit his name. It rings. He doesn't pick up. The car door opens. Chloe steps out with her phone pressed to her ear. "Babe? Oh god, I just hit someone with my car. She's pregnant." Pause. "I won't get arrested for this, right? I'm really scared." Nathan's voice comes through her speaker—totally calm. "You're fine. Call an ambulance for her. I'll take care of everything." My heart just stops beating. He always said he'd answer my calls first. Always. Chloe squats down next to me. That smirk's back on her face. "Wonder what he'll do now. Think he'll actually come after me for hurting your little accident? Or make this whole thing disappear?" She grins. "God, I can't wait to see." I'm clutching my stomach, gasping. Can't get words out. My phone lights up. Nathan calling back. I can't lift my arm anymore. Everything goes black. I wake up in a hospital bed. The doctor's standing there looking uncomfortable. "I'm so sorry. We did everything we could, but we couldn't save the pregnancy." My hand slides to my stomach. It's flat now. Empty. The baby's gone. Chloe's smug face flashes through my mind and rage floods my entire body. I grab my phone and call Marcus. "I want her charged. Hit and run. Everything." But I don't get a court summons. I get cops showing up at my hospital room. "Ma'am, you're being charged with insurance fraud. Faking a pregnancy to extort money, causing severe emotional distress to the victim. Six days detention, ten thousand dollar fine." I'm in shock. "What? That's insane—I didn't fake anything—" They hand me a stack of documents. Medical records stating I was never pregnant. Witness statements claiming I'm a scam artist. All of it "proving" I made the whole thing up. And every single page? Signed by Nathan. Six days in jail. Darkest days of my life. Not just the mental t0rture—there's this crew inside that decides I'm their target. Beat me until I'm bleeding everywhere. Fresh miscarriage and they're making me hemorrhage on concrete. Walk out barely functioning. Sunlight bu//rns. Every sound's too loud. Get my phone back. Nathan's spam-called me. "Babe, where are you? Flew home? Could've told me. Been worried." "Why won't you answer? Still mad about Chloe?" "She's a kid. You're almost thirty—be the bigger person. This petty cr@p is exhausting." Started worried. Ended blaming me. All because I'm supposedly "holding grudges." Zero clue everything I just survived is his doing. Phone buzzes. Friend request. Chloe's selfie grinning at me. "Heard you got out. Add me. You'll wanna see this." Accept. Photo dump hits. Wedding shots—her in white, him in a tux. Kissing. Laughing. Picture-perfect couple. Like they're the ones who took vows. "While you were locked up? Nathan and I did our engagement shoot every day. Didn't think about you once." "Wedding's tomorrow! Come if you want. Unless you're gonna be weird about it." Sends venue address. I stare at the screen. Memories flood back. Grew up watching affairs wreck my family. Made me terrified of marriage. Nathan knew—so he rewrote his family's ancestral code just for me. Any Cross man caught cheating gets buried alive. That code's sacred to them. Only reason I said yes. Was gonna let him walk. Sign papers. Move on. But they killed my baby. They want me at their wedding? I'll be there. THE WEDDING Next day. Biggest venue in the city. Chloe and Nathan at the altar looking magazine-perfect. All smiles and sweet talk. I'm in the back corner. Watching. Phone buzzes. Nathan again. "Babe, talk to me. It's cool—soon as this wraps, I'm coming to find you. We'll fix this face to face." I almost laugh. Right as they're exchanging rings— Horn blares. Loud as he11. Everyone spins around. Funeral procession rolls onto the lawn. Six guys carrying a coffin. Guy up front's got a bullhorn: "Cross family law—cheaters get buried alive. Nathan Cross, you left your wife for your mistress. We're here for you."