My Husband’s Mistress Drained My Life to Bear His Heirs

I stood in the center of my bedroom, surveying the destruction around me. Drawers hung open, their contents spilled across the floor. Mattress slashed, feathers floating in the air like snow. Every inch of my sanctuary torn apart in my desperate search.

"Nothing," I whispered, my voice breaking. "There's nothing here."

I'd spent hours searching for the medium of the curse—the physical object that would explain the supernatural connection between Kaia and me. Some kind of hex bag, a voodoo doll, anything that could be the conduit for the Gemini Blood Pact.

But there was nothing.

A sharp pain lanced through my abdomen, and I doubled over, clutching at the bedpost for support. The curse was active, growing stronger. I could feel it taking root in my body, preparing to steal my life force once again.

"No," I growled through gritted teeth. "Not this time."

I straightened and moved to the dressing room, where Sydney waited with concern etched across her face.

"Mrs. Matthews," she began cautiously, "maybe we should call a doctor—"

"No doctors," I cut her off. "They can't help with this."

Sydney had been with me for years, loyal beyond measure. In my previous life, she'd been the one to find my body in the guest house, the one who'd mourned me when no one else cared. I needed her now more than ever.

"Sydney," I said, taking her hands in mine. "I need you to understand something extraordinary."

Before she could respond, I reached down and pinched my own arm—hard, twisting the flesh until it left a mark. The pain was sharp, immediate.

Down the hallway, we both heard a sudden yelp of pain, followed by the distinctive sound of shattering glass.

Sydney's eyes widened. "What was that?"

"That," I said quietly, "was Kaia feeling exactly what I just did."

I explained everything—the curse, the rebirth, the supernatural connection that had killed me once and would try again. Sydney listened without interruption, her expression shifting from disbelief to horror to determination.

"I don't understand how this is possible," she whispered when I finished.

"Neither do I," I admitted. "But it's real. And I need your help to destroy her."

Sydney's loyalty never wavered. She nodded once, decisively. "Tell me what you need."

---

Three days later, Sydney returned to my dressing room with a thick manila folder.

"I found what you asked for," she said, placing it on the vanity before me.

I opened it with trembling fingers. Inside were photographs, newspaper clippings, and handwritten notes—a dossier on Kaia Salazar that stretched back five years.

"There's a pattern," Sydney explained, pointing to the documents. "She's done this before—three other families, all wealthy, all desperate for heirs."

I scanned the pages, my blood running cold. In each case, Kaia had appeared as a fertility specialist or wellness coach. In each case, she'd become pregnant with multiples while the legitimate wife suffered mysterious illnesses. In each case, the wife had died shortly after the birth.

"And look at this," Sydney said, pulling out a photocopy of an ancient text. "The Gemini Blood Pact."

The page showed a ritual description in archaic language, with Sydney's notes in the margins. "It requires a willing participant and an unwilling victim," she explained. "The willing participant—Kaia—takes on the spiritual benefits of the pregnancy while transferring the physical toll to the victim. You."

I studied the text, my mind racing. "It says here the curse relies on emotional volatility and physical submission."

"Which means," Sydney said slowly, "that the more you react emotionally, the stronger the curse becomes."

I nodded, understanding dawning with terrible clarity. "I need to numb myself completely—especially toward Luca."

---

The brunch was in full swing when I entered the sunlit conservatory. Kaia held court at the center of the table, regaling Luca and Eleanor with stories of her "miraculous" pregnancy. Neither of them noticed me take my seat at the far end.

"Valeria," Eleanor acknowledged me with a dismissive nod. "We were just discussing the nursery designs."

I smiled thinly. "How exciting."

A waiter appeared at my elbow. "What can I bring you, Mrs. Matthews?"

"Iced water," I said. "As cold as you can make it."

The glass arrived moments later, condensation beading on its surface. I wrapped my fingers around it, feeling the cold bite into my skin.

"Valeria," Luca said with a frown, "you should be drinking something warmer in your condition."

"My condition," I replied coolly, "is precisely why I need this."

I raised the glass to my lips and took a long, deep swallow. The ice water burned down my throat, shocking my system with its coldness.

Across the table, Kaia suddenly went rigid. Her eyes widened as she clutched at her throat, then wrapped her arms around herself.

"Are you alright, dear?" Eleanor asked.

Kaia's teeth began to chatter uncontrollably, her words slurring through the involuntary movement. "I-I don't know what's happening. I'm so c-c-cold."

I took another sip of the water, watching as Kaia's shivering intensified. Our eyes met across the table, and for the first time, I saw fear in hers.

I smiled over the rim of my glass, a promise of things to come.