C06
For the next few weeks, I focused on recovering at the clinic.
Nick stayed by my side, taking care of me and even covering my medical bills.
Ryder never came. In the days that followed, I stayed at the clinic to recover. Nick took it upon himself to care for
me, even covering my medical bills. Unlike Ryder, who never came. Not once.
He knew where I was–how could he not? Sage’s hospital room was right next door. But in his eyes, I was
nothing more than a liar, a manipulator.
After all, we had been together for three years without a pregnancy–how could it possibly happen now, at such a
‘convenient‘ time?
But none of that mattered anymore.
I had only one goal now: to heal and leave this place forever.
The day I was discharged, I passed by Sage’s hospital room. I wasn’t planning to stop, but a glimpse through the slightly open door froze me in my tracks.
Inside, Sage was straddling Ryder’s lap, her hands trailing seductively down his chest.
His breathing was heavy, his hands gripping her waist, though he was clearly trying to resist. “Sage, don’t
But Sage only pressed closer, her lips brushing against his ear. “Why are you so tense? The baby I’m carrying is yours. What’s there to be afraid of?”
She let out a soft, teasing laugh, her fingers tracing down his jaw. “I miss you, Ryder. Seeing you once a month in
the city isn’t enough.”
Her voice dropped to a whisper, but I heard every word.
“Or… have you started to care about Amber? Are you planning to abandon me for her? Fine, then. If you don’t want me, I’ll just leave.” She made a show of pulling away, her face twisted in mock hurt.
Ryder immediately grabbed her wrist, pulling herbaek–against–him-
No Longer Yours, Dear Husband
Ryder immediately grabbed her wrist, pulling her back against him.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he murmured, his voice low and strained. “You know I only love you.”
He cupped her cheek tenderly, looking at her with an adoration he had never once given me.
“Everything I’ve ever done–all of it was for you. Marrying her, using her–it was all for you, Sage. Only you.”
His voice softened further, an intimate confession meant only for her ears.
Ryder and Sage tangled together, their bodies pressed so intimately that I felt bile rise in my throat. My marriage -something I once took so much pride in–had always had her shadow looming over it.
She turned her head deliberately and looked straight at me, a slow, knowing smirk curling her lips.
That’s when I realized–she wanted me to see this. She had orchestrated it all.
I stumbled away, my vision blurring as I fled down the hall. I barely noticed where I was going until I found myself in the stairwell, gripping the railing to keep myself upright. My chest heaved, my breath shaky and uneven.
Then, suddenly, she was there.
“Did you hear all that, Amber?” Sage’s voice dripped with sickly sweetness, her steps light and unhurried as she approached me from behind. “Ryder never loved you. He never even wanted you. The only people in his world are me and the baby I’m carrying.”
She let out a soft, mocking laugh. “It’s just that… I was never pregnant.”
