The Betrayed Wife and Her Rise

City Ashford.

Eight o'clock in the evening.

Lightning flashed across the night sky as heavy rain poured down.

Leonora Sedgwick curled up on the cold ground, the blood beneath her body continuously washed away by the rain.

Her fingers, turned pale by the wet cold, tapped on her phone screen, searching through her contacts and dialing the numbers one by one.

An automated female voice echoed over and over through the downpour:

"Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable."

Eventually, the screen light faded into the heavy rain, refusing to turn on no matter how desperately she pressed the button.

...

Nine o'clock.

City Ashford General Hospital.

The urgent footsteps of a doctor broke the silence of the corridor.

"The patient has suffered a miscarriage. Have you notified her family yet?"

"I did, but..." The nurse hesitated.

"But what?" The doctor asked impatiently.

"Her family said they were celebrating a birthday and didn't have time..."

...

11:30 PM.

Leonora stared blankly at the pale fluorescent light above and the clear liquid dripping steadily into her IV line.

She heard the ward door swing open, followed by a weary voice.

"Leonora."

An hour ago, after being moved out of the operating room, she had borrowed a phone under the nurse's sympathetic gaze to send a message to Easton Frye, asking him to come pay her medical bill whenever he was free.

And now, her husband had finally arrived.

Easton was wearing a white shirt, his sharp features etched with a subtle hint of fatigue.

She turned her head away, tears quietly welling up in the corners of her eyes.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Easton sat on the edge of the bed, his expression as cold as ever.

He had rushed over right after seeing the message, completely unaware of the tragedy that had just shattered her world.

Leonora felt a sudden, agonizing ache in her chest. Had she not witnessed with her own eyes how gentle he could be with someone else, had she not nearly died out in that stormy night, she might have believed he was simply born incapable of warmth.

As he leaned closer, the smell of alcohol on him made her stomach turn with nausea.

"My phone is broken. Please pay the bill for me," Leonora said, her voice raspy and drained of energy.

As for everything else, she would deal with it after the physical pain subsided.

Easton caught the faint trace of barely suppressed aversion in his wife's tone.

Frowning slightly, he explained, "Today was Susannah's birthday, as you know."

Leonora stared at the ceiling. Yes, she knew. She knew it was Susannah Sedgwick's birthday, and she knew they were throwing her an exceptionally lavish party.

Her husband and her own family had spent the entire night by Susannah's side.

So much so that when she was screaming in agony, not a single one of them picked up the phone.

"Yes, I know," Leonora replied softly, her tone eerily calm.

Easton, however, grew irritated by her reaction. "Susannah invited you to her party, but you refused to show up. What are you making a scene for now?"

A scene?

His accusatory words pierced straight into Leonora's heart like a blade, leaving her bleeding inside.

He knew nothing.

He had no idea she had been kidnapped, nor did he know their child was gone.

The bitterness in her chest boiled over.

"Easton, are you saying I checked myself into the hospital just to make a scene?"

A suffocating silence fell between them. Easton's eyes remained dark and unreadable, but Leonora easily caught the unspoken affirmation in his gaze.

Her heart went completely hollow. A bitter, self-deprecating smile touched her lips.

Three years of marriage, and this was all she meant to him.

Perhaps sensing that staying would only lead to another argument, Easton stood up. "I'll handle the bill. Get some rest. Dr. Kyler is on his way."

Dr. Kyler was her obstetrician, the one who had been managing her care ever since she found out she was pregnant.

"Easton, do you even know..." Leonora began, suddenly wanting to tell him about the child.

"Sister." A sweet voice interrupted her as the door swung open again.

Susannah Sedgwick stepped into the room, wearing an elegant pink gown with her long dark hair styled neatly, topped with a dazzling diamond tiara. She looked delicate, graceful, and radiant.

"Sister, are you alright?" she asked, rushing to the bedside.

Leonora choked back the words on the tip of her tongue. Seeing Susannah now only brought back memories of the endless unanswered calls and the terrifying sensation of her life slipping away in the freezing rain.

A wave of uncontrollable hatred surged from deep within her bones.

"Not dead yet," Leonora said coldly.

Susannah's eyes instantly welled up with tears of guilt. "I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have kept Easton at the party with me."

Leonora closed her eyes, exhausted in both body and soul.

"Susannah, this has nothing to do with you," Easton interjected, his brows furrowed in visible displeasure at Leonora's harsh tone.

To him, Leonora was simply being unreasonable.

She had never gotten along with the rest of the Sedgwick family, and she had been hostile toward Susannah ever since her return from abroad. In fact, they had argued several times over the past month alone.

Susannah continued timidly, "Sister, your baby comes first. Please don't be upset. I promise I'll stay away from Easton from now on."

"So you knew I was pregnant," Leonora said, a mocking smile on her pale face.

In the month since Susannah returned, she had managed to call Easton away every chance she got.

Susannah looked up, her wide eyes brimming with tears, her lower lip trembling with aggrieved innocence.

"Susannah, wait outside for a moment. Let me talk to her," Easton comforted her softly, coaxing her toward the door.

Susannah bit her lip, whispering, "Please don't fight with her, Easton. She's still pregnant."

She walked out reluctantly, glancing back at every step.

Leonora looked up at her husband, her eyes cold and distant.

Here she was, lying in a hospital bed, while her husband looked down at her with cold contempt, assuming she was using petty tricks to ruin Susannah's birthday-and in the end, it took another woman to convince him not to lose his temper.

The gentleness in Easton's voice instantly vanished as he turned back to Leonora. "Leonora, leave Susannah out of this. She hasn't done anything to hurt you."

His defensive tone sent another wave of crushing pain through her chest.

They had been married for three years. What started as a marriage of convenience had gradually grown into something real for her-she had poured her heart into this relationship.

She had foolishly believed Easton felt the same way.

It wasn't until Susannah came back that she realized he had never developed a single thread of affection for her over those three years.

All of his tenderness had been reserved for Susannah all along.

For three years, she had naively hoped that patience and devotion would eventually win his heart. But reality proved that some hearts were simply impossible to warm.

"Easton, let's get a divorce," Leonora said, staring blankly at the IV bag. Her words were soft and barely audible, yet heavy with unshakeable resolve.

She had actually contemplated divorce ever since Susannah returned, but she had been too weak to let go, clinging to empty illusions.

Easton's stern expression softened slightly, though his tone remained patronizing. "I know pregnancy makes women emotional and overthink things. But Leonora, Susannah is your sister, and there's nothing inappropriate between us."

Leonora turned her face away, tears sliding quietly down her cheeks as her hand rested gently on her empty lower abdomen.

"There is no baby anymore," she whispered.

"Easton, the child is gone."