SIX YEARS EARLIER
Emma's POV
I placed a hand on my flat stomach and chuckled. Ever since I found out about my pregnancy, I had been eagerly awaiting the chance to tell my husband, Rick, and today was our wedding anniversary.
We had been hoping for this child for so long, and soon enough, our happy little family would be complete. A smile formed on my lips just at that thought.
Rick had planned a beautiful anniversary celebration out at the seashore, and I couldn't be happier. He loved me deeply, and I was grateful I had married him.
The morning breeze blew past me, and my heart thudded in anticipation. He should be coming anytime now. I kept my eyes on the water, my hand gripping the rails.
After what felt like an eternity of waiting, I finally heard voices. With my heart in my throat, I perked up.
"Rick…" I started to say, but the words died in my throat when I heard an unfamiliar voice, my eyes landing on an equally unfamiliar woman, her hands clutched around Rick's, and from their closeness, my stomach twisted.
My smile instantly faded.
"There she is!" the woman exclaimed.
For a moment, I wondered who she was. This was supposed to be for just me and Rick.
I swallowed hard.
"Honey, who is she?" I inquired politely the moment they were close.
"Save that silly question, you sneaky snake," he responded, a frown creasing his forehead.
I blinked repeatedly.
For a moment, I remained resolute, trying to process what he had just said.
"I don't understand. Isn't this supposed to be just the two of us?" I asked, frustrated.
The woman scoffed, giving me a cold glare. "Look who's pretending now."
My thoughts raced. I couldn't make sense of any of this.
"Can someone tell me what's going on? I don't understand either of you!" I snapped.
They both stared at me with disgust. My frustration grew.
"You really thought I wouldn't find out?" Rick yelled.
"Find out what?" I paused, but then it hit me; maybe he had found out about the pregnancy and was upset I hadn't told him yet.
"Oh, that?" A slight smile formed on my face. "I was going to tell you today."
"Oh, so the bitch even had the nerve to tell her husband about her affairs," the woman spat.
My heart skipped instantly.
"What affairs?"
"Didn't you just say you wanted to tell him?" She turned to Rick. "See the bitch you've spent one year with! She's a whore who…"
I cut her off. "Enough! I won't let you insult me," I snapped, turning to Rick, hoping for an explanation.
I thought today was supposed to be special. Why were they doing this? My brows furrowed in confusion.
Or… was this some cruel joke?
Rick's eyes darkened as he pulled out a brown envelope I hadn't noticed before.
"Here. Open it." He shoved it into my hands.
My heart seethed, but I tried to put on some composure.
My stomach tightened as I took a deep breath. Hesitantly, I flipped it open.
"What…" I screamed as the file slipped from my hands. Inside were pictures of me making out with another man. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. How was this possible when the only man I'd ever been with was Rick?
"Surprised?" he mocked.
"This is fabricated, I…"
"Shut that hole you call a mouth!" His eyes darkened, and my bones turned to jelly at his outburst. "I trusted you. I gave you my heart, even when it wasn't my initial intention to marry you, and yet you repay me with infidelity?" he yelled.
"Ho…"
"I said shut up!"
"Why don't you just admit it already, you lying bitch?" the woman cursed. For a moment, the urge to lash out at her surged, but I tried to restrain myself.
"You know you're just unfaithful," she spat, and that was it. I couldn't take it anymore.
Snack!
My hand met her cheek with a loud slap. The force sent her staggering. Her cheek burned with pain, and I could tell, even without looking, that my fingers had left a red mark on her disgusting face. She winced, clutching her cheek.
"How dare you!" Rick roared. Before I could react, his palm crashed against my face, twice as hard as I had hit her. The impact sent me to the floor, pain shooting through my abdomen. I held my stomach, gasping.
"It's not enough that you betrayed me by opening your legs to other men, but you also had the nerve to slap my fiancée?"
"Fiancée?" I snapped, confused.
"Yes, you heard him right. I'm Emilia Jones and we'll be getting married soon," the woman boasted, wrapping her arms around Rick's shoulders.
I watched in horror as they kissed. It wasn't enough that he brought her here, he also humiliated me and destroyed everything we had built.
"How could you?" I managed to speak, my voice trembling. The pain in my abdomen was intensifying, and deep down, I prayed that my child was safe.
I never imagined things would turn out like this.
"I despise you," Rick growled, and it felt like a dagger piercing my heart. I snapped almost immediately.
"I'm pregnant with your child!"
"That thing cannot be his! It's probably one of those men you slept with," the woman sneered.
"Which men? Argh!" I groaned in pain.
"That serves you right. Maybe in your next life, you'll choose to be faithful," Rick snapped, approaching me.
Before I could say anything, he grabbed me by my hair and dragged me across the deck like a piece of trash.
"Let go of me! What are you doing?" I cried, my body weakening. I felt something slipping away, but I tried to fight.
Unfortunately, he was too strong.
"My family will make sure you pay dearly for this," I gasped through the pain.
"Which family?" he smirked.
"It's a surprise, babe. They won't find out anything. The Peters will know nothing. Your death will be slow and peaceful. And guess what? I've got it all planned."
"Death?" I asked, shocked.
Fear gripped my entire numb body; my throat went dry.
For a moment, he stopped in his tracks, his hand still tangled in my hair. "Yes, you heard me right."
I tried to speak, but the words choked up in my throat as the fear intensified, sending a striking pull down my spine.
Tears streamed down my cheeks uncontrollably.
"Your sister Lily is also involved here," the lady smirked, turning. And immediately, Lily appeared in the distance, as though in a movie show.
My heart sank.
"Lily, please help me." I struggled with the words.
Lifting my already teary gaze toward her, I saw her smile, then move closer.
"You deserve every bit of what you are going through now, for stealing away our parents' love and care that was supposed to be mine," she said coldly, then turned away.
Then, it dawned on me; I was doomed. My heart broke at her words.
I had always known Lily didn't love me. I had tried to understand why all these years, but I never imagined she would betray me like this.
"Lily… I never stole away our parents' love. Please forgive and save me," I whispered, my voice barely there.
Tears streamed down uncontrollably.
"Enough with the drama, you slimy bitch," she spat, her eyes full of hate as always.
"Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Peters," Emilia mocked. "The storm came, and before I knew it, your precious daughter fell overboard! Help! Help!" She laughed cruelly.
My vision blurred. My body was failing me. I could feel it, I was losing the baby. My clothes were soaked, and I knew it wasn't just water, but blood.
"Please… let me go," I begged weakly.
"That's exactly what I'm doing," Rick sneered.
He yanked my hair one last time, dragging me along. The next thing I felt was the hard impact of my face against the iron railing of the ship that tore in-between, starting from my forehead, down to my cheeks and then my jaw.
Blood filled my eyes, my mouth and every part of my body as it pulled forward against the rough surface.
A loud crack echoed in the air. My head slammed hard against the lower railing of the ship.
Suddenly, my head felt numb, light and empty.
Everything blurred.
I felt my body plunged into the ocean with a loud splash.
Little did I know that their betrayal would be the beginning of my misery...