My Husband Quickly Got Married to His Ex-girlfriend

“How much longer are you going to play this pathetic charade?” Duke roared, ripping the golf club out of my hands. The force threw me off balance and I hit the ground hard. My head slammed against the sharp corner of the table and in an instant, a warm line of blood began tracing its way down my cheek.

“Camila—are you hurt? The baby… is the baby alright?” Duke dropped to his knees, his hands hovering over my stomach in a mix of panic and urgency.

Before I could answer, Jessie cut in, half-smiling with a falsely sympathetic tone. “The baby’s fine,” she said, her gaze flickering with amusement. “No blood between her legs; nothing to worry about.”

The way she emphasized her words sent a chill down my spine. And then I felt it—a strange, creeping suspicion began to unfurl, connecting threads I hadn’t wanted to see before.

Once he was convinced I wasn’t seriously hurt, Duke’s expression darkened. “You’re insane!” he spat, shoving me back. “This—” he pointed to the shattered pieces of the glass table, “is worth more than you’ll ever be. Do you think you can just come in here and smash things up?”

Beside him, Jessie’s smirk only widened, her pleasure thinly veiled. “Camila, maybe you should be grateful,” she sneered, eyes gleaming. “Duke has been so loyal to you all these years. Honestly, I don’t know why he puts up with your behavior now.”

I tasted the metallic mix of blood and tears at the corners of my mouth, a sharp bitterness that only deepened as I looked at the two of them, standing together, united in their cruelty. I could feel my restraint breaking and a bitter laugh escaped me, bubbling up uncontrollably.

“Grateful?” I choked out, unable to hold back any longer. “For what? Wasting five years of my life? Ignoring every sacrifice I made?”

Duke’s gaze flickered, but Jessie rolled her eyes. “Oh, save it, Camila. You always have this poor little martyr act going.”

I let the memories roll over me, each one as jagged and painful as broken glass. I had nothing left to hold on to, no more patience for their lies. For the first time, I laughed openly, letting the blood and tears spill freely.

“She’s losing it,” Jessie muttered, her smile fading into unease. She shrank back, instinctively stepping behind Duke.

Later, alone in the bathroom, I scrubbed the blood from my face and chest, trying to erase the pain of their words. Jessie’s voice drifted in from the hallway outside, dripping with venom.

“People like you,” she sneered, “should know your place. An orphan with no family? You’re lucky to even be here. Being with Duke is probably the best thing that ever happened to you. You should thank me.”

Her words struck deep and in the reflection, I could almost see the faces of my parents. I had been a happy child once. My parents, despite their struggles, had given me so much love. Even after my mother’s cancer diagnosis, they still managed to buy me a small strawberry cake every year on my birthday, no matter the mounting medical bills. But when I was eleven, she passed away, her face twisted with pain as she tried to smile at me.

“Sorry, Camila,” she’d whispered with her final breath, tears in her eyes. “I’m so sorry… What will you do all alone?”

My chest heaved as tears blurred my reflection. My parents had been my world and they had loved me unconditionally. And now, here I was—treated as nothing, surrounded by people who saw me as disposable.

Jessie’s mocking laughter continued outside the bathroom, louder now. “Honestly, it’s pathetic to watch her cry,” she said, scorn lacing every word. “Like she even deserves to carry Duke’s child.”

A fierce anger rose within me and I clutched my stomach instinctively. Jessie’s laughter quieted as I emerged from the bathroom and her face twisted with anger.

“I was just thinking about the baby,” I said, brushing a hand over my stomach, letting my words sink in. “Duke was so excited. I mean, why else would we be together, right? For the future?”

Jessie’s eyes flashed with fury and she grabbed my wrist, squeezing it tightly. “Stop pretending,” she hissed, her voice low and cold. “The baby’s long gone. Did you forget? You were lying there, bleeding out. We were there. You think I’d let someone like you give Duke a child?”

I stared at her, feigning shock. “You’re lying. You’re lying! Both Duke and his mother loved that baby—they were looking forward to it!”

Jessie’s grip tightened as she sneered, her voice dropping to a taunting whisper. “You’re too stupid to understand, aren’t you? That car accident wasn’t some coincidence. Duke’s mother arranged it herself. A nobody like you doesn’t deserve to have his child. Do you understand now?” Her laughter turned sharp, cold. “No matter how much you hope, you will never be more than a pathetic charity case.”

My heart pounded and I felt my hands trembling. Jessie didn’t notice the tiny recorder I’d just turned off in my pocket. Every word had been captured. The truth was all I needed now—enough to finally hold them accountable for the damage they’d done. Let them believe they had broken me; I would find justice on my own.

As I moved toward the door, Jessie’s hand shot out, grabbing my arm and yanking me back. Her eyes were sharp, narrowed. “You don’t have a recorder on you, do you?” she demanded, her voice icy, her eyes like daggers.

I managed to keep my face neutral, shrugging off her grip. “Of course not,” I replied, my voice steady.

The commotion must have drawn Duke’s attention, because at that moment, he opened the door, his eyes widening as he took in the scene. Jessie, catching sight of him, instantly adopted an expression of hurt and innocence. In a sickeningly practiced move, she fell to the floor, a look of shock and pain plastered across her face.

“Duke! She—she hit me! She’s gone insane!” Jessie wailed, reaching for his hand as if I had attacked her.