The Unborn Vengeance

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Chapter 1

My husband, Xavier Sterling, ordered a group of thugs to beat me until I lost my eight-month-old unborn baby. All because his ex-girlfriend, Lexi Leighton, framed me.

I begged him for mercy, but he sent me straight into a surgery room for a hysterectomy instead.

He told me I was disgusting. He said I didn't deserve to carry his bloodline ever again.

My own brother, Vance, believed Lexi's lies too. He hated me so much he wished I would just drop dead.

To clear Lexi's name for a crime she committed, they personally threw me into prison.

After years of torture behind bars, I finally decided to cut them out of my life forever.

But now, they are the ones kneeling at my feet, begging for my forgiveness.

"Please... don't hurt my baby..."

I was sprawled on the frozen ground, pleading with the thugs surrounding me.

They didn't say a word. They just kept kicking me with their heavy boots.

They kicked my stomach, my ribs, my head, and my face.

The winter wind was razor-sharp. A sudden, agonizing pain bloomed in my abdomen, and I felt something warm flowing out of me.

It stained the white snow a dark, terrifying color. As the sky grew dim, I couldn't even tell what was happening to my own body.

I used every ounce of strength to crawl toward Xavier. I grabbed the hem of his pants and forced my head up. "Xavier, please... make them stop... my stomach hurts so much..."

"You know how to feel pain?" he sneered. "Did you ask Lexi if she was in pain when you stabbed her?"

"She's lying in a hospital bed because of you! You deserve every bit of this!"

Xavier's voice sounded manic. His face was twisted in a mask of pure hatred.

He knelt down and gripped my jaw so hard I thought it would snap. "You're a vile bitch, Vera. Lexi is too kind to press charges, but that doesn't mean I'll let you off the hook."

He punctuated his words by slapping me hard across the face, several times.

My cheeks burned, and my vision blurred into a dizzying mess.

Still, for the sake of the life inside me, I clung to him. "Xavier... I didn't... I didn't stab her... she did it to herD"

The pain in my lower belly intensified. It felt like someone was using a dull knife to slowly carve the life out of me.

Xavier lost his temper at my denial. He raised his foot and kicked me square in the face.

The force sent me sliding across the icy ground until I slammed against a tree.

Under the pale moonlight, I saw the pool of blood staining the snow. It looked like a scene from a horror movie.

The cramping came in waves. I knew my baby was screaming for help.

I gritted my teeth and dragged myself back to Xavier, clutching his boots. "Please... for the sake of our child... have mercy. It's our baby..."

Xavier let out a cold, mocking laugh.

He looked down at my broken form with absolute disgust.

"Our child? You think you're worthy of carrying my child?"

"Look at yourself, Vera. You're nothing. You actually thought you'd be the mother of my kids? Pathetic."

He kicked me one last time, even harder than before.

I collapsed. I didn't even have the strength left to cry out. I just stared blankly at the moon.

Just as my eyes were about to close, a phone rang.

A moment later, Xavier's voice turned frantic and desperate.

"Lexi, don't be scared! I'm coming right now! Just hold on for me!"

He turned to run but paused for a second to look back at the thugs.

"This bitch is yours to play with. Just rememberDdon't let her die. Anything else goes."

Snowflakes began to fall on my face, cold and indifferent.

I lay in a pool of my own blood, laughing a hollow, desperate laugh until the darkness finally swallowed me whole.

Chapter 2

I woke up on an operating table.

The surgical lights were blindingly bright, and the sharp scent of antiseptic stung my nose.

Every tiny movement sent a jolt of agony through my body. Strangely, the sharp pain in my stomach was gone.

A terrifying thought crossed my mind. I reached down to touch my belly.

It was flat. There was nothing there.

Something inside me snapped. I froze, my mind going completely blank.

My baby...

She was eight months old. She was supposed to see the world so soon.

We were supposed to meet, but her own father had ended her life before it could begin.

Before I could even try to sit up, the door swung open.

A few doctors walked in. One looked at my chart and then at the nurse. "The patient is stable. Prepare the anesthesia for the hysterectomy."

I jolted upright, my voice cracking with horror. "What surgery did you just say?"

The lead doctor looked at me with a cold, professional indifference. "Mr. Sterling specifically requested that we remove your uterus."

Xavier...

He didn't just kill my baby. He wanted to strip away my right to ever be a mother again.

I don't know where I found the strength, but I leapt off the table and shoved past the nurses.

I burst through the doors and saw Xavier standing in the hallway. He frowned and signaled his men to grab me.

"Xavier, you monster!" I screamed, struggling against their grip. "Why are you doing this to me?"

He looked at me as if I were a piece of trash. A cruel smirk played on his lips. "I told you, Vera. You will never carry a child of mine. You aren't fit for it."

With a wave of his hand, his men dragged me back into the operating room.

I fought them, but the doctor was quick with the needle.

The world faded away, and I drifted back into a dark, dreamless sleep.

When I opened my eyes again, it was night. The hospital room was dimly lit.

A man was sitting on the sofa near my bed.

It was my brother, Vance Vaughn.

Seeing a family member made my throat tighten. Tears welled up in my eyes immediately.

"Vance..."

I sobbed, reaching out for the comfort only a brother could provide.

But Vance glared at me with pure vitriol, as if I were a strangerDor worse, an enemy.

"How can you be so disgusting, Vera?" he hissed. "Lexi told us she wouldn't press charges for the stabbing, but then you had to go and harass her in her room. She's in the ICU now because of the stress you caused."

The words hit me like a physical blow. I shook my head frantically, tears streaming down my face. "I didn't... I didn't do anything..."

"Stop lying!" he barked, cutting me off.

The hatred in his eyes cut deeper than any knife Xavier had ever used.

Vance and I had raised each other.

He was only an hour older than me, but after our parents died, he became the pillar of our home.

He dropped out of middle school and worked three jobs just to keep me in school.

I tried to quit many times to help him, but he would always get angry and scold me.

Once, I skipped class to find a job. I expected him to yell at me when he caught me.

Instead, he cried. He held my hands and apologized. "It's my fault. I failed to give you a good life. but Vera, for kids from the boonies like us, education is the only way out. You have to be the one to lead us out of these mountains."

I never forgot those words. I studied until my eyes bled and eventually got into the best university in New York.

Vance was so proud. He took the money our neighbors had scraped together and moved us out of the rural backwoods to the city.

While I studied, he worked.

Money was tight, but we were together. Life was finally looking up.

Then, tragedy struck.

Vance was involved in a horrific car accident. He needed a massive amount of money for life-saving surgery.

We had no savings. No one would lend us the astronomical amount needed for the operation.

In a state of pure desperation, I found a black-market clinic. I sold one of my kidneys.

I took that blood money and paid for his surgery. It was the only reason he survived.

The operation was a success, and Vance woke up soon after.

I never told him where the money came from. I never mentioned the scar on my side.

I told him it was a school-wide fundraiser and that we didn't have to pay it back.

He was suspicious at first, but I got my roommates to play along and convince him.

Vance recovered perfectly. You couldn't even tell he had been at death's door.

But my health was never the same. I was constantly falling ill.

Whenever he caught me looking pale or weak, I'd quickly change the subject.

That secret was supposed to die with me.

Especially so Vance would never have to feel the guilt.

Chapter 3

"Vera, I raised you to have a conscience. How did you become so twisted and unreasonable?"

"You stabbed Lexi, and then you had the nerve to go and provoke her while she was recovering! Is there any limit to your cruelty?"

"You've embarrassed the entire Vaughn family. You are going to her room right now to apologize."

"Do it, or don't call me your brother ever again. You make me sick."

My brother's shouting snapped me back to reality.

I stared at him, unable to believe he was choosing Lexi over his own flesh and blood.

But then again, this wasn't the first time.

Whenever it came down to me versus Lexi, the two men I loved most always chose her.

I was always the one who was discarded.

Lexi Leighton was my college roommate. Unlike me, she was wealthy, beautiful, and possessed an effortless grace. She was the IT girl on campus from day one.

Back then, we were close. She never looked down on me and introduced me to a world I never knew existed.

If anyone called me her lackey, she'd snap back at them and tell everyone I was her best friend.

I was truly grateful for her back then.

When Vance found out, he insisted on taking her out to dinner to thank her.

He spent his meager savings to take us to a high-end restaurant.

But when we got to the door, Lexi just smiled and said, "I'm bored of fancy food. Let's go grab some burgers instead."

She never acted like she was better than us. She fit right in.

Naturally, Vance fell in love with her.

I just didn't realize it would turn into a full-blown obsession.

I didn't realize he would turn on the sister he promised to protect just to please her.

The sound of his voice was making my head pound. I covered my ears, wanting it all to stop.

Vance took my silence as defiance. He stepped forward and slapped me across the face.

The sting was sharp.

"It was Lexi..." I whispered, my voice trembling.

But he didn't let me finish.

"Vera, you stole Xavier from her years ago and almost drove her to suicide. Now you're trying to blame her for your own mess?"

I met Xavier through Lexi, that much was true.

But I never stole him.

Xavier was the student body president and was supposed to host a major gala with Lexi. She got sick and couldn't make it, so she recommended me to fill in.

Working with him during rehearsals, I fell for him.

But I knew life wasn't a fairy tale. A guy like Xavier Sterling was meant for a girl like Lexi, not a plain girl like me.

I hid my feelings. I was content just being his friend, cherishing the small moments we shared.

Everything changed when Lexi decided to move to Europe.

The night she left, Xavier asked me out for drinks.

We both drank too much. We made a mistake that we couldn't take back.

The next morning, Xavier was cold, but he said he would take responsibility.

So, I married him. I became the envied Mrs. Sterling.

Vance never missed a chance to mock me, saying I was a peasant trying to play queen.

He was convinced I had seduced Xavier to spite Lexi.

I tried to explain the truth so many times, but he never believed me.

He only ever believed Lexi.

After the wedding, Xavier was busy, but he was kind.

His family looked down on me, but he would always hold my hand and tell them I was his legal wife.

I thought we would live a quiet, normal life together.

Then Lexi came back, and everything shattered.

Chapter 4

"Is Vera awake?"

The moment I thought of her, Lexi's voice drifted into the room.

It felt like a poison needle pricking my heart. I instinctively tried to hide under the covers.

But Lexi walked right up to my bedside.

She pulled back my blanket and leaned over me with a gentle, worried look. "Vera, are you feeling any better?"

I looked up at her, and the memory of what happened ten days ago flooded back.

A fuse blew in my brain. Without thinking, I pushed her away.

I barely used any force, but Lexi acted as if I'd shoved her with all my might. She stumbled back several steps and collapsed onto the floor, clutching her stomach in feigned agony.

"Lexi!"

Xavier and Vance both rushed to her side, their faces pale with worry.

I shook my head, trying to explain, but Lexi's soft, sobbing voice cut me off.

"Vera... what did I do to make you hate me this much? We... we were supposed to be best friends..."

She looked like the ultimate victim. She made me look like a monster.

Xavier was so enraged by her tears that he lunged at me and slapped me across the face.

I was already unstable on the edge of the bed. The force of his blow sent me crashing to the floor.

The cold tile sent a chill through my post-surgery body, making me shiver uncontrollably.

Xavier grabbed me by the throat. "Vera, Lexi came here the second she heard you were awake just to comfort you. And you have the nerve to attack her? She just got out of surgery!"

The pressure on my windpipe made it hard to breathe. Tears of pure injustice leaked from my eyes.

But... I just got out of surgery too.

I had just lost my baby and my ability to ever conceive again.

Vance helped Lexi over to the sofa and then walked over to join the verbal assault.

"Vera! I am so disappointed in you. I should have ended you years ago instead of watching you turn into this demon."

Lexi put on her best "saintly" act. "Don't be too hard on her. I'm sure she didn't mean it."

I looked at her and started to laugh. It was a jagged, broken sound.

Lexi was a pro at this.

With just a few words, she could make herself look like an angel while I became the villain.

Lexi shrank back, pretending to be terrified of my laughter. She hid behind Vance. "Vance, Xavier... what's wrong with her? She's scaring me."

The two men immediately stood in front of her like human shields.

Lexi was the princess, and they were her loyal knights.

And I? I was the wicked witch, jealous of the princess, trying to kill her and take her place.

Lexi peeked from behind them, shooting me a triumphant, mocking smirk before speaking softly.

"Vera, stop targeting me. What happened ten days ago... I've already forgiven you."

Ten days ago was Lexi's solo piano recital.

Xavier and Vance had both attended in tuxedos, carrying massive bouquets.

I hadn't wanted to go, but Lexi had handed me a ticket in front of them, saying she wouldn't be happy unless I was there.

So, they dragged me along.

I didn't understand classical music. I sat there for hours, feeling like I was sitting on needles.

Afterward, we went backstage. Lexi said she was thirsty, so the men went to get her coffee.

The moment we were alone, Lexi stared me down and smiled. "Vera, did you really think that being pregnant with Xavier's baby made you untouchable?"

I knew this was her true face. I didn't want to talk to her. "Why did you insist I come tonight?"

Lexi laughed. It was a chilling sound.

She picked up a letter opener from the vanity and walked toward me. "Because you're the star of tonight's show. How can the play go on without its lead?"

I didn't understand what she meant. I thought she was just being unstable.

She didn't explain. She just sat down and started reminiscing about the old days.

Then, without warning, she lunged forward and grabbed my hand.

Before I could react, the blade was in my palm.

Lexi gripped my wrist and forced the blade into her own side.

I screamed, my eyes wide with shock.

The door burst open. Xavier and Vance rushed in.

They saw me holding the knife, standing over a bleeding Lexi.

Lexi collapsed into Xavier's arms, gasping for breath as she looked at me with tear-filled eyes. "Vera... why... why would you do this to me..."

Vance was closest to me. He slapped me so hard I spun around. Not satisfied, he kicked me away, his face contorted with rage. "What the hell is wrong with you? You're trying to murder her!"

I shook my head, sobbing. "It wasn't me... I swear it wasn't me..."

But no one believed me.

Everyone assumed I was jealous of Lexi and had attacked her in a fit of rage.

Lexi's final words before she went into surgery were:

"Please, don't call the police. I'm sure Vera just made a mistake. I want to give her a chance."

See? Lexi was so kind.

She was willing to forgive the person who tried to kill her.

And I was forever branded as an attempted murderer.

Chapter 5

I didn't see any of them for two weeks.

When the nurse finally told me I was being discharged, I went straight back to the house I shared with Xavier.

As soon as I opened the door, I realized everything had changed.

Our wedding photos were gone. In their place were photos of Xavier and Lexi.

Every trace of my life in that house had been erased. Instead, the place was littered with Lexi's favorite designer bags and shoes.

I realized then that while I was suffering in the hospital, Xavier had moved Lexi into our home.

She was probably sleeping in my bed, using my things.

The thought made my skin crawl. I hurried into the bedroom, grabbed a suitcase, and started packing.

I didn't want to be with Xavier anymore.

I didn't want to be entangled with any of them.

I had some savings from over the years. I checked into a hotel and started looking for a small apartment.

I found a place quickly. It was small, but it was furnished and ready for me to move in.

A few days later, I was settled. I had even contacted a lawyer to start the divorce process.

I thought I was finally free from their drama.

Then, there was a knock at my door.

I opened it to find several police officers standing there.

One of them flashed a badge and asked coldly, "Are you Vera Vaughn?"

I nodded, confused as to why they were there.

They immediately pulled out handcuffs and snapped them onto my wrists.

"You're under arrest for a hit-and-run. Here is the warrant."