The Billionaire Widow's Redemption

HAZEL POV: The door swung open. Carter's eyes, cold and sharp, scanned the empty hallway. A stray cat, startled by the noise, darted out from behind a curtain and fled. He relaxed, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. He closed the study door, and the soft sounds of their intimacy resumed. I was pressed flat against the wall in the shadows, my heart hammering against my ribs. Back in my room, I stared at the piles of things I had bought for us. Matching coffee mugs he never used. A set of cashmere sweaters he never wore. A framed photo from our wedding that sat on my nightstand, not his. Each item was a monument to my foolishness. Without another thought, I started grabbing them. I stuffed everything into black trash bags—the mugs, the sweaters, the photo. I dragged the heavy bags to the front door just as Carter was leaving. He was dressed in a sharp suit. His eyes fell on the trash bags, then on the corner of the picture frame sticking out. "What's all this?" he asked. "They're old," I said, my voice empty. "I'm throwing them out." He didn't press the issue. His attention had already shifted. Jodie was coming down the stairs, dressed in a stunning new dress. "Ready for your reunion, darling?" Carter asked her, his lips curving into a genuine smile. He was taking her to her college reunion. He turned to me as an afterthought. "I'll bring you back some dessert." I watched them walk out the door, side by side, a perfect couple. Later that night, Jodie's Instagram lit up. Photos of her and Carter at a fancy restaurant. A picture of their hands intertwined, a huge diamond winking on her finger. A video of them slow-dancing. The caption read: "The best date a girl could ask for." My phone rang. It was the police. When I arrived at the station, it was to a scene of chaos. Carter was there, his face bruised, shouting at a well-dressed man. Jodie ran to me, her face streaked with tears. "Hazel, thank god you're here! You have to bail him out! That man was saying horrible things about me at the reunion, and Carter... Carter just stood up for me." The other man scoffed. "I just made a couple of jokes! He acts like I tried to sleep with his wife. Oh, wait, you're his wife," he said, looking at me. "My mistake." After I posted his bail, Carter went to get the car. Jodie stood beside me, not-so-subtly flashing the diamond ring. "Carter gave it to me," she said, her voice smug. "Just to wear tonight, you know." I didn't bother calling her out on the lie. As we stood there, a dark van screeched to a halt beside us. Two masked men jumped out. One grabbed me, pressing the cold, flat blade of a knife against my neck. "Carter Hancock ruined my life!" the man snarled. "Now he's going to know what it feels like to lose the one he loves." Jodie screamed. Then, her eyes met mine, and a cold, calculating look passed over her face. "Wait!" she cried, pointing at me. "Take her! She's the one he loves! I'm just his sister-in-law! He would do anything for her!" The man's grip on me tightened. Just then, Carter came running around the corner. "Don't hurt her!" he yelled. "Carter, tell him!" Jodie shrieked. "Tell him she's the one you love! Tell him you'll do anything to save her!" He looked at me, his eyes wide with panic. He knew what Jodie was doing. She was making him choose. "It's true!" Carter shouted, his voice strained. "She... she's my wife. She's everything to me. Let her go. Take me instead." The kidnapper hesitated. "I love her!" Carter yelled, his voice cracking with a desperate, false sincerity. The man seemed convinced. He shoved me towards the nearby riverbank. "If you love her so much, let's see you watch her die!" He kicked me hard in the back. I stumbled, lost my balance, and plunged into the dark, icy water. The current was strong, pulling me under, filling my lungs with the cold, unforgiving river.