My Revenge Starts at Their Altar

The kidnappers had strung us up—me and my husband's precious Carol Wilson—on two separate trees at the edge of a steep cliff. I was six months pregnant, every muscle aching, every moment pure agony. Hanging there, helpless, I begged Bruce with what little voice I had left.

"Bruce, please… the baby. If I fall, I'll lose them. Carol set this up—I heard her talking with them in the car. If you choose me, she'll be fine. Just save our child, please."

But Bruce just looked at me like I was something dirty, something pathetic.

"I can't believe how low you'll sink, Flora. Trying to pin this on Carol? Even if we lose the baby, we can try again. But Carol saved my life—I owe her. I choose Carol."

My heart stopped. I thought… I thought he'd at least want to save his own child.

But he didn't.

The rope gave way.

I fell.

The impact shattered me—bones broke, organs ruptured, blood pooled beneath me. They found me three days later. I lived. The baby didn't.

I was lying in a hospital bed, hollow and broken, crying silent tears for the child I'd never hold, when Bruce stormed in.

He didn't ask how I was. He didn't look at my bandages or my IV. He slapped me—hard.

"Carol told me everything," he snarled. "You set her up. You had this whole thing planned, and you still had the nerve to blame her? You got what you deserved."

The slap tore through me—ripping wounds open, shaking my whole body. I stared up at him, blood in my mouth, disbelief turning to rage.

"Are you insane? If I hired them, why would I end up half-dead at the bottom of a cliff?!"

He just smirked. "Who knows? Maybe you overplayed your hand. You always were dramatic. But Carol's innocent. I've told you—she's like a sister to me. And you… you killed our baby with your jealousy."

I actually laughed. A raw, broken sound. He brought Carol into our home. He picked her over me—over his own child. And he had the nerve to call me jealous?

Tears ran down my face, but my voice was steady when I finally spoke.

"I want a divorce. Since Carol means more to you than your wife and child ever did, I'm setting you free."