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💔 “I gave up everything for you,” she whispered painfully. “Everything.” Her lips trembled violently. “My pride. My self-respect. Even my dignity.” The humiliation in her voice became unbearable. “I begged you to sleep with me.” A tear slid down her chin and fell onto the floor between them. “Do you even understand how humiliating that feels?” she whispered brokenly. Her voice shattered completely. “I begged my own husband to want me…” Then suddenly— “Was even that still not enough for you?!” she screamed. The sound echoed violently through the room. Elias visibly stiffened. His shoulders locked. Amara’s breathing shook violently as tears streamed endlessly down her face. Then finally, her voice softened. Broken. Exhausted. “What else do you want from me, Elias?” she whispered through tears. “Do you even see me as a human being… or am I just another thing you own?” Elias’s jaw clenched hard. The muscles in his neck flexed visibly. But before he could answer— “I want a divorce.” Silence. For the first time that night, the cold control on Elias’s face cracked. 💔 A beautiful woman stepped out of the limousine in a champagne-colored satin dress and turned toward the massive club. Phantom glowed above the entrance in bright neon letters. Tonight was one of the most important business gatherings of the season, drawing wealthy socialites, powerful executives, and people whose names carried weight in every elite circle. As she approached, a familiar voice stopped her. “Amara, I didn’t know you were coming. I would have come later so we could spend some time together.” Vanessa stepped forward and hugged her. Amara smiled. “It’s alright, Vanessa. I came late. Let’s hang out next time.” The man beside Vanessa smiled. “Miss Hawk.” Amara pouted and raised a finger. “It’s Mrs. Creed now.” All three burst out laughing. “I knew you were going to call him out for that,” Vanessa teased. “She only likes to be called Mrs. Creed now.” Amara smiled brightly. “Alright, I’m heading into the party now. I’m already very late.” “Of course,” Vanessa said. Then she lowered her voice. “But don’t expect much. It’s the same as always. Another boring business party with snobby people.” Amara laughed softly. She had only taken a few steps when Vanessa called after her again. “Amara, wait.” Amara turned back. “You might want to go straight to the VIP room. There are too many people in the main party tonight, and I doubt Elias will stay out there long.” “Okay. Thank you.” Inside, music pulsed through the building. Near a side hallway, she spotted a black sign with gold lettering. VIP Lounge For a moment, she stood there. Then she pulled out her phone and dialed Elias's number. The call rang before he answered. “Amara?” A familiar shiver ran down her spine. “Elias, I’m already at the party. I want to go in with you. Where are you? We can meet everyone together.” There was a brief pause. “I’m going to be late. Don’t wait for me.” Amara’s smile faded. “Alright. I’ll go in by myself and wait for you to get here.” Before she could finish, the call disconnected. Amara froze. The tight ache in her chest twisted, but she swallowed it down. Instead of stepping into the VIP room, she turned away from the door and walked toward the main party. As she passed the VIP room, voices drifted through an open window. She wasn’t paying attention at first. Until she heard her name. “Yes, Amara. Hawk? She’s his wife now.” Her body stilled. “Oh my God, I can’t stand her,” a woman groaned. “Elias only married her because her grandfather begged him to after her accident. Wasn’t she supposed to be dying or something? Yet look at her now. Still alive and perfectly fine.” Amara’s fingers tightened around her clutch. She should have kept walking. Instead, she stepped back against the wall and listened. “That’s what I heard,” a man added. “Her grandfather practically begged Elias to marry her. Just because she had some pathetic crush on him. Seriously... how desperate do you have to be?” Amara’s heart dropped. Every word felt like glass sinking into her skin. Then movement near the entrance caught her attention. The crowd shifted. Elias Creed stepped into the club. Hope flashed across her face. And died instantly. Because he wasn’t alone. Bianca stood beside him in a shimmering golden dress, walking confidently at his side. Amara froze. “So... he didn’t come alone,” she whispered. “He came with her?” Amara’s breathing became shaky. Her eyes filled with tears. Before anyone could notice her standing there, she stepped back from the hallway and turned away. Then she hurried toward the exit. Her heels struck the floor rapidly as she pushed through the crowded club. The music blurred into noise. She ignored the looks around her and rushed outside. The moment she stepped into the night, cold rain poured over her. Within seconds, her dress was soaked. But she barely noticed. All she could hear was their laughter. Wet strands of hair clung to Amara’s face as tears mixed with the rain. The voices from the club kept echoing in her head. A broken sob escaped her lips. Then another. Her vision blurred as she stumbled through the storm. Suddenly— Her heel caught in her soaked dress. Amara crashed hard onto the pavement. Pain exploded through her body. Rain poured over her as she struggled back to her feet. Her head throbbed. Her knees shook. She pulled out her phone and tried calling an Uber. Nothing. No cars nearby. Of course not. These parties were always held far from the city. Amara lowered her phone and kept walking. Her feet hurt. Her head hurt. But none of it compared to the ache inside her chest. Then— Bright headlights appeared ahead. A car sped toward her through the storm. The driver swerved violently and slammed on the brakes. But before the car could reach her, Amara’s vision darkened. Her knees gave out. Everything went black. Two hours later, Amara sat quietly in a hospital waiting room. A bandage wrapped around her arm. A swollen bump sat on her forehead. Around her, doctors and nurses moved through the hallways. She barely noticed any of it. “Mrs. Creed?” Amara slowly looked up. An older doctor stood nearby. “I need you to come with me.” Minutes later, she sat across from him in his office. “Did I break my arm or something?” she asked weakly. The doctor didn’t smile. Instead, he slid several papers across the desk. “There’s bad news.” Amara frowned and lowered her eyes. Brain scans. Confusion flickered across her face. Then she looked back at the doctor. And the words that came next changed her life forever. The doctor adjusted his glasses. “You have a mass pressing against your frontal lobe.” Amara stared at him. Her lips parted. “A brain tumor?” The doctor nodded. “Yes.” Silence filled the room. Her mind went completely blank. “The tumor is operable,” the doctor continued. “But the location is extremely risky. We can attempt surgery, but there’s a possibility you may not wake up the same.” Brain cancer. The words echoed through her head. Like a nightmare she couldn't escape. Finally, she gathered the papers with trembling hands. “I should leave now?” she asked quietly. The doctor nodded. As she turned toward the door, he spoke again. “Mrs. Creed, I think it would be better if you called someone to pick you up.” Mrs. Creed. The words hit her harder than the diagnosis. She remembered the first time she heard them. The excitement. The happiness. The way her heart fluttered every time someone called her by Elias's name. She had loved being Mrs. Creed. Loved it so much that even hearing it from strangers could make her smile. Because she loved Elias. Her first crush. The first man she had ever truly fallen for. Marrying him had felt like a dream come true. But now... Everything felt different. Cruel. Mocking. As if she had spent years clinging to a dream that had never been real. Everything inside her chest rose and crashed like violent waves before she could fully understand any of it. She walked out of the office with the papers clutched tightly in her hands. But the moment she stepped outside— Reality hit her again. For the first time since hearing the diagnosis, fear settled inside her. Her fingers trembled around the papers. Three months? How could someone die in just three months? Just three months ago, she was planning anniversary gifts for Elias. And now suddenly— She was dying? Amara stopped in the middle of the hallway as panic rose inside her chest. She lowered herself into a chair, the papers trembling in her hands, and pulled out her phone. Then she searched for Elias’s name and pressed call. The phone rang. And rang. But he didn’t pick up. Amara quickly ended the call and dialed again. Slowly, her eyes dropped to the wallpaper on her phone. It was a photo from the first dinner she and Elias had attended after getting married. She remembered how happy she had been that night. She had spent nearly two hours choosing her dress because it was their first dinner as husband and wife. In the photo, she was smiling brightly while holding Elias’s arm. Back then, just standing beside him had felt enough to make her happy. Now, looking at the picture again, it almost seemed as though he had only smiled because she looked so happy beside him. The picture suddenly felt painful. Then a terrifying thought crossed her mind. If I died from this illness... would he even come to pick up my corpse? Her heart broke all over again. *** Amara slowly walked inside the house. Everything was dark and quiet. All the servants had gone to rest, and the huge mansion felt empty and cold. Elias still hadn’t returned home. Amara walked upstairs and entered their bedroom. The moment the door closed behind her, exhaustion crashed over her completely. The soaked dress she had been wearing all night suddenly felt unbearably heavy. Her head still hurt faintly. Her chest hurt even more. She walked to the closet and slid the doors open. Soft lights flickered on automatically inside. Her eyes moved across the shelves. Jewelry. Rows of expensive dresses. Perfumes. Luxury heels. Silk nightdresses still folded exactly as they had been when she moved in. So many things remained untouched even after an entire year of marriage. Not because she didn’t want to. But because she never got the chance. There had never been real intimacy between her and Elias. She had entered this marriage believing that one day things would change. That one day he would look at her differently. Love her back. But tonight, the truth hurt deeply enough to break her. Their marriage looked perfect in front of everyone else, but behind closed doors, it was cold and distant. A year of marriage. And they hadn’t even kissed. Amara stared at the untouched nightwear hanging inside the closet. Her chest hurt. But before the little courage left inside her disappeared, she forced herself to move. Her gaze landed on a delicate red lingerie hanging near the back. Her fingers hesitated before reaching for it. Then, clutching it tightly against her chest, she hurried toward the bathroom. The warm light illuminated her pale reflection. Her eyes were swollen. Her makeup slightly smudged. She looked like someone trying desperately not to fall apart. She turned on the shower and washed away her makeup with trembling hands. A few minutes later, she changed. Her heart was beating painfully fast. She felt embarrassed. Nervous. Vulnerable. Then suddenly— Footsteps. Amara froze. She recognized them immediately. Elias. Outside, she heard the faint sound of keys being tossed onto the table before his voice broke the silence. “You came home with Juliet? I thought you were coming home with me. Couldn’t you at least inform me?” Amara swallowed hard before stepping out of the bathroom. Elias stood near the bed, loosening his tie. Then soft arms wrapped around his waist from behind. His entire body stiffened. He immediately turned around. And froze. His eyes landed on her. For a moment, complete silence filled the room. Amara stood there nervously, her damp hair falling around her shoulders. Elias’s movements stopped completely. His gaze darkened slightly before returning to her face. Amara’s throat tightened under his stare. Still, she forced herself to speak. “We’ve been married for over a year, Elias…” she whispered shakily. “Can we sleep together tonight?” There was nervousness in her expression. Hope. Fear. Everything she had left was placed in that single question. But she couldn’t stop herself anymore. Not after hearing she only had three months left to live. Not after realizing she might die without ever being kissed by the man she loved. Amara looked up at him desperately. Anything. She wanted any reaction. Elias gently removed her arms from around his waist. The warmth of his body disappeared instantly. Then he stepped away. “There’s no hurry,” he said calmly. “We will do it later.” The words shattered her completely. He sounded so unaffected. As if she didn’t matter at all. Amara felt her heart crack. Then— The doctor’s voice echoed inside her head. “You only have three months left to live.” The words suddenly became unbearable. Because later was the one thing she didn’t have. Her fingers curled tightly as she fought back tears. Before she died, she wanted to kiss the man she loved. She wanted him to hold her. She wanted to know what it felt like to truly belong to him. And if she had to tell him about the tumor for him to finally understand— She would. Her breathing shook as she gathered the remaining courage inside her chest. Slowly, she stepped closer again. Her trembling hand reached for his. “Elias…” She swallowed hard. “I have something to tell you.” Elias looked down at her hand holding his before lifting his gaze to her face. But before she could continue, his phone suddenly rang. The sharp sound cut through the silence. Immediately, Elias pulled his hand away and reached for the phone. “Yes,” he answered coldly. Amara stood frozen, watching him. After a few moments, he ended the call. “I need to go back to the office.” His tone was dismissive as he grabbed his coat. “There’s something important I need to handle.” Then he turned and started walking away. Panic instantly crossed Amara’s face. “No—” She hurried after him and grabbed his wrist. “Elias…” Her voice cracked softly. “Don’t leave.” He yanked his hand from hers and stepped back as if her touch disgusted him. Amara froze. Shock flashed across her face before it twisted into anger. Pure humiliation. Her chest rose and fell sharply. “Why the hell are you always trying to run away from me?” she cried. “We are married, Elias!” She took a shaky step forward, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Am I really not even as important as your work? What matters more to you? Your company or me?” Her voice broke harder with every word. “We’ve been married for a year! I’m your wife!” Her hand slammed against her chest. “Do you even care if I live or die?” His expression didn’t soften. His jaw tightened. “You need to stop threatening me with your life,” he said in a deadly calm voice. Amara stared at him in disbelief. “You’re not a child anymore, Amara. Stop throwing these tantrums your parents spoiled you with. This kind of behavior might work on them, but it won’t work on me.” Every word felt like a slap. Amara’s lips trembled. Then Elias turned around. Without another glance, he strode toward the door while she completely broke down behind him. “Elias!” she screamed. But he didn’t stop. The moment he stepped out of the room, something inside her finally snapped. Her tear-filled eyes landed on the crystal vase beside the wall. In blind anger, she grabbed it and hurled it toward him. But the door slammed shut before it could reach him. The vase crashed against the door. Glass exploded across the marble floor. Water splashed across the furniture while white roses scattered everywhere. Amara’s body gave out completely. She collapsed onto her knees beside the shattered glass, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. Her chest hurt. Everything hurt. Just then, the door opened again and Kaya, one of the maids, hurried inside. “Madam—” She froze before quickly kneeling beside her. “Please don’t cry,” the maid said softly. “Mr. Creed cares about you. You just need to have patience—” Amara let out a broken laugh. “Patience?” Her hands pressed against her chest. “For a year…” she sobbed. “For a whole year I’ve done everything just to become his wife.” Her shoulders trembled violently. “But he treats me like I’m nothing more than a roommate he’s forced to sleep beside.” The maid’s eyes filled with sympathy. Amara laughed bitterly through her tears. “Every month he barely spends seven days at home. I don’t even know where my husband goes when he disappears.” Her breathing turned uneven. “In the end, what am I?” Her fingers dug into her dress. “I’m just Mrs. Creed. Not the woman he loves.” Her voice dropped into a broken whisper. “Just a woman he was forced to marry and endure.” Another sob escaped her. “Just a fucking charity case wearing his ring.” After a long time, Amara slowly pushed herself up from the floor. She curled herself up, hugging her knees to her chest while staring out the window for the rest of the night. To her surprise, Elias returned home the next morning. The bedroom door opened quietly. His gaze immediately landed on her curled figure on the couch. But only for a second. Then he looked away. He casually tossed his phone onto the side table before sliding off his watch and dropping it beside it. The sharp metallic clink cut through the silence. “This is the first time since we got married that you haven’t called me when I wasn’t home.” His deep voice filled the room casually, as if nothing had happened the night before. Amara slowly lifted her swollen, red-rimmed eyes toward him. Elias loosened his tie with one hand while crossing the room. “You call me several times on the nights I don’t come home,” he said casually. “So what is it this time? Tired of fighting? Or are you still sulking?” His gaze finally landed on her. She was still wearing the same red dress from the night before. Her hair was messy, her eyes hollow, and her body sat stiffly curled on the couch. Elias paused. Something about her silence made his brows tighten slightly. Then Amara finally spoke. “It’s been a year since we got married.” In the quiet room, every word echoed painfully. “Elias, I do everything you want. I follow your rules. I accept everything you do.” Her voice was hoarse from crying all night. “I don’t understand what I’ve done to make you hate me this much.” Elias’s jaw tightened. “What exactly do you want from me, Amara?” A pained expression crossed her face. “I want love, Elias!” Her voice broke. “Can’t you give me even a little of it?” She lowered her legs from the couch, her bare feet touching the cold floor. But her eyes never left his face. “Is it really that hard,” she whispered, “to love your own wife?” Tears gathered in her eyes. “Is it really that hard to touch me?” Her voice cracked. “Is it that hard to spend one goddamn night with me like a real husband?” He looked at her coldly. “Yes.” The words struck Amara so hard she stopped breathing. A broken laugh escaped her throat. “Is it because you love someone else?” Elias’s expression darkened instantly. “Where the hell did you get that idea from?” Amara stared at him for a moment before pushing herself off the couch. She walked toward him and stopped right in front of him. Close enough to smell his cologne. Close enough to make everything worse. “Then what do you even think I am?” she cried. “Some dog cowering under your roof, waiting for scraps of attention whenever you decide I’ve earned them?” Her breath caught sharply. “Or a woman so desperate for her own husband’s touch that she has to beg for it like a whore?” “Amara!” The name tore through the room like thunder. “Have you lost your fucking mind?!” Amara flinched violently. Startled, she stumbled backward. Her lower back slammed against the edge of the table. A gasp escaped her lips before her knees gave out and she fell hard onto the marble floor. “Ah—” She sucked in a sharp breath, wincing immediately. Elias looked down at her. His expression remained hard. “Aren’t you already my wife?” he said sharply. “Wasn’t that what you wanted from the beginning?” His jaw tightened. “You proudly call yourself Mrs. Creed everywhere, don’t you?” Amara’s fingers curled against the floor. She laughed. A broken, bitter sound. “Mrs. Creed?” she repeated softly. Slowly, she lifted her tear-filled eyes toward him. “Is that supposed to make me feel grateful?” Her voice shook harder with every word. “Is that all I am to you? A woman you handed your last name to out of pity?” A bitter laugh escaped her lips. “So you can stand there feeling generous for throwing a title at me like charity?” Her tear-filled eyes locked onto his. “Like I’m some beggar who should be thankful just because you let me call myself Mrs. Creed?” She swallowed painfully. “What do I actually have, Elias?” Her voice cracked. “Tell me… what do I really have as your wife?” She pushed herself upright slightly, though her body still trembled. One hand clutched her chest while the other wiped furiously at the tears that wouldn’t stop falling. Her eyes turned redder and redder. “I gave up everything for you,” she whispered. “Everything.” Her lips quivered. “My pride. My self-respect. Even my dignity.” She looked away for a second. “I begged you to sleep with me.” A tear slid down her chin. “Do you even understand how humiliating that feels?” she whispered. “I begged my own husband to touch me… to want me…” She let out a shattered laugh. “Was even that still not enough for you?!” The sound echoed through the room. Elias visibly stiffened. His shoulders locked. Amara could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. Then her voice softened completely. “What else do you want from me, Elias?” she whispered. “Do you even see me as a human being? Or am I just another thing you own?” Elias’s jaw clenched. But before he could answer— “I want a divorce.” Continue Reading: 💔 King of Jealousy by Ava Selwyn Read the Complete Novel on Amazon Kindle!🎯