I Left My Vampire Husband for the Man Who Chose Me

Before my parents died, they entrusted me to the most powerful vampire clan — the Vanderlooms. I married Jason, the heir, and spent ten years by his side — only to discover he'd gotten his vampire subordinate pregnant. He said I was just a human. That conceiving a vampire's child was nearly impossible for someone like me. That even if my parents died saving his life, it didn't mean I could hold on to the title of lady of the house forever. Vicky said she needed human blood for her pregnancy and demanded I serve as her blood thrall. Jason just watched with casual indifference. He didn't stop her. So I packed my bags and calmly handed him the divorce papers. He sneered. "That trick doesn't work anymore. You want to leave? Go ahead." "Give it a week. You'll come crawling back." But what he didn't know was that I'd already accepted another man's proposal. This time, I was done loving him for good. Chapter 1 Elena's POV The servants watched me with a mix of pity and numb. My suitcase was practically empty — not even half full. I was almost through the front door when Vicky called out behind me. "Elena, it's great that you've come to your senses. But that necklace around your neck — shouldn't you give it back to Jason?" She draped herself against Jason, her voice sweet and coaxing. "You promised, Jason. You said you'd make me your vampire bride. That necklace would be mine too, wouldn't it?" I stopped. My eyes burned. That necklace wasn't just a symbol of the vampire bride. It was the medal that Jason's grandfather — the patriarch of the Vanderloom clan — had given my parents. Ten years ago, Jason was targeted by vampire hunters. My parents had spent their lives working for the Vanderlooms, managing their financial ventures in the human world. They were the ones who threw themselves in front of those silver bullets to save him. After that day, I was taken into the estate. Before all of it, Jason and I had practically been childhood sweethearts. I'd always believed he loved me. I never imagined everything would change after my parents died. He didn't love me. He'd been forced into the engagement, bound to me for life — and he resented me for it. I was trapped in a loveless marriage for ten long years. The necklace held a blood-red gemstone, and behind it, engraved on the metal setting, were my parents' names alongside the Vanderloom family crest. Jason's grandfather had placed it around my neck himself. He'd said, "From today on, this is your home. You are the lady of the Vanderloom house." Jason knew exactly what that necklace meant to me. But he just lounged on the sofa with his arm around the visibly pregnant vampire, not sparing me so much as a glance. Vicky's voice was soft and light. "Elena, you're not going to miss it, are you?" She tilted her head with a look of wide-eyed innocence. "You're leaving anyway. It's not yours anymore." I touched the necklace at my chest, then lifted my head. A tear slipped down before I could stop it. Jason's expression stiffened for a moment, but he quickly looked away. "Why aren't you taking it off?" Vicky's voice carried a hint of amusement. "Or do you still want to be Jason's wife?" I said nothing. My fingers traced the engraving of my parents' names. Jason watched from the sidelines, cold and unmoved. No matter how anyone treated me, he never once intervened. I used to imagine he'd reach out like he used to — like when my parents were still alive. That he'd be gentle, or at the very least, show me basic respect. But he never did. Not once. Just as he said — I was only a human. A human with no family to fall back on, no parents to protect her. Vicky kept taunting me. I just stood there, knowing with absolute clarity that no one in this house would save me. Jason's face grew darker and darker, but it wasn't until he watched me unclasp the necklace that something in his expression finally cracked. He let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh. "Take it if you want it. I just want to leave." I was exhausted. I'd had enough. Besides, I knew what happened when you defied Vicky in front of Jason. It wasn't just Vicky. Even before she got pregnant, any blood thrall he took a liking to could bully me freely. My title as lady of the house meant nothing. I didn't want to have my meals rationed anymore. I didn't want my last pathetic pieces of jewelry treated as things anyone could take. And I didn't want to hold on to those ridiculous fantasies about Jason anymore. I was done. I placed the necklace carefully into Vicky's palm. The moment the necklace left my neck, every vampire servant in the room caught the scent of my blood. Seeing their crimson eyes, the image of my parents' death flashed through my mind. I lowered my head, forced myself to stay calm, and gripped the handle of my suitcase. I finally reached the estate's front gates. The iron gates creaked open. Night air drifted in, carrying a chill. I could already see the white Maybach waiting at the corner of the street. I was about to step through. "Wait." Vicky's voice stopped me. I didn't turn around. I could feel the weight of countless vampire gazes on my back. Without the necklace's protection, a cold dread crawled over my skin. "What now?" She laughed softly. "Oh, it's nothing really. I just… feel a little dizzy." The words had barely left her lips when her body swayed. She collapsed into Jason's arms. "Jason…" Her voice was faint. "I think I'm… hungry." The air in the hall turned tense in an instant. When a vampire said "hungry," it only ever meant one thing. Jason's hand steadied her waist. But his gaze drifted slowly toward me. Those red eyes, deep as blood. Then I heard his voice. "Bring her back." The moment he spoke, two shadows materialized behind me. I didn't even have time to react before my wrists were seized. My suitcase crashed to the floor. I was dragged back into the hall. Chapter 2 Elena's POV Vicky leaned against Jason, her face pale. She looked at me and licked her lips. "I'm sorry, Elena." Her smile was gentle. "The doctor said… pregnant vampires need human blood for nourishment." The study reeked faintly of blood. Two servants stood behind me, pinning my wrists in an iron grip. A sharp silver needle broke the skin, and a crystal goblet was placed beneath my wrist. Bright red blood dripped into the glass, one drop at a time. Through the half-open door, I heard the physician speaking to Jason in a low, urgent voice. "Sir, too much blood loss at once is dangerous for a human. Elena is already frail. If the bloodletting continues, she could go into shock." "And Vicky's cravings are just a pregnancy symptom — animal blood would work just as well." "No need." Jason's voice was cold as ice. "Your only job is to keep Vicky healthy. I'll handle the rest." I heard his footsteps approaching and slowly closed my eyes. "Does it hurt?" He stood before me. Maybe it was the blood loss playing tricks on me, but I thought I heard something tender in his voice. I turned my head away. "Once you've taken enough, let me go." My eyes stayed shut. Ever since watching my parents die, I couldn't look at that shade of red. I could only fight to keep my voice from trembling. I'd hoped our last moments together could at least be dignified. But looking back, Jason resented me for tying him down his entire life, for failing to give him an heir while occupying the seat of his wife. Of course he wouldn't let me go easily. Vicky nestled against Jason, watching the bottles fill with my blood. She sighed softly. "I've always felt sorry for Elena, honestly. Living here all these years and leaving with nothing." She sipped my blood as she spoke, her tone impossibly gentle. Jason glanced at the blood in the bottle, his expression flat. "She was only ever a human." Vicky laughed. "But the clan spent quite a bit on her, didn't they?" "I heard they brought in physicians from the oldest bloodlines just to help her conceive a vampire child." Her gaze drifted to me — half-collapsed on a narrow medical cot, thin as paper. "What a shame. Ten years, and she couldn't produce a single heir." Jason didn't argue. He simply said, "The Vanderlooms don't keep dead weight." A buzzing sound broke the silence. My phone. I forced my eyes open and stared at the dim screen as notifications piled up. Vicky glanced over and smirked. "You're popular. All these messages — who's looking for you?" Jason's gaze flickered to me with a hint of displeasure, but he quickly smoothed it over with the same mask of indifference. "Debt collectors? If you apologize to me now, I might consider settling the debts your parents left behind." Listening to the sound of my blood filling those bottles, my mind drifted. Years ago, Jason's grandfather had officiated our wedding. Afterward, the old man went north to expand the family's business and rarely returned to the main estate. Without him here, Jason had grown bolder in disregarding our marriage. Even the assets my parents left behind were carved up by other clans. Funds they'd legitimately withdrawn for investments were repackaged as debts I could never repay. My parents never could have imagined that the gratitude they'd bought with their lives would become chains around my neck. I looked down at my phone. [Elena, the driver says you haven't come out yet? Don't tell me you've changed your mind.] [You promised to marry me. Why won't you let me come get you?] [You still care about that vampire, don't you? … It's okay. I don't mind. As long as you're willing to come with me.] Message after message lit up my screen. My finger hovered for a few seconds before I tapped the reply field. The glow of the screen fell across my face. Jason suddenly noticed something different in my expression. Not the despair and humiliation I usually wore in front of him — but something he hadn't seen in a long time. A quiet tenderness. His brow furrowed slightly. Vicky scoffed. "Texting someone at a time like this? Elena, your creditors really don't give up." I ignored her. I typed slowly. [Just a little longer. I'll be there soon.] My vision began to dim. I could no longer make out what Jason and Vicky were saying about me. The usual things, probably — that I couldn't produce an heir, that I was draining the Vanderloom fortune, that I was clinging to their charity. In my memory, the image of the bright, smiling vampire boy I'd once known faded to nothing. I sat there quietly. As if none of this had anything to do with me anymore. Only one message remained in my mind. [As long as you're willing to come with me.] In ten years, I'd had countless chances to leave — to walk away from this hopeless marriage. But I kept letting myself believe that Jason still loved me, staying like a fool to be humiliated and tormented. Now he had a child on the way. He had a woman carrying it for him. There was no reason for me to stay. This blood — consider it my final repayment to the Vanderlooms. Soon, I'd be free. Chapter 3 Elena's POV When I woke, the sky outside was already fading to dusk. My body felt hollowed out. Even breathing brought a faint sting. The ceiling was an unfamiliar white. It took me a few seconds to realize I'd been moved to a guest room. My wrist was wrapped in thick bandages. The air carried a faint smell of blood. "You're awake?" Jason's voice came from the direction of the sofa. I turned my head slowly. He was leaning back, flipping through documents, perfectly composed — as if the person who'd drained half my life just hours ago hadn't been him. When he saw me looking, he closed the folder and stood. "The physician says it's just blood loss. You'll live." His tone was flat, like he was reporting the weather. I didn't speak. My throat was so dry it burned. I coughed twice. Jason walked to the bedside and held out a glass of water. I didn't take it. He didn't push. He set it back down, looking faintly uncomfortable. "Vicky just woke up." A beat of silence. His voice held a barely perceptible gentleness. "She feels guilty. Says she shouldn't have taken so much." Jason watched me, as if waiting for something. I just stared at the ceiling. No response. He frowned. "She's actually a good person. Just exhausted from the pregnancy. That's why she wanted your blood so badly. She went a little overboard." His eyes stayed on my face as he spoke, searching, testing. In the past, words like that would have broken me. I'd once lost control completely — screamed at him, shattered the glass coffee table with my bare hands. I'd stood there with blood running down my fingers, crying, interrogating him. "Jason, why do you treat me like this?" "Did you ever love me?" "Or was I just a joke from the very beginning?" I'd been half out of my mind, clinging to him like a last straw, desperate to hear even a shred of an answer. But Jason had just stood there, watching me with eyes that held none of the warmth they once had. "Love?" He turned the word over like it tasted strange. Then he scoffed. "Elena, I think you've misunderstood something." "I never needed a human wife." His gaze dropped to my flat stomach, cold as a blade. "What I needed was an heir. A woman who could carry and bear my child." "As for you—" He paused. As if searching for the right word. Then, with devastating casualness: "You're just a trouble my grandfather left behind." After that day, I never asked him again. Now, Jason was still watching me, waiting for the familiar reaction. Anger. Jealousy. Devastation. He liked seeing me fall apart. He savored my pain, as if the years we'd spent as childhood sweethearts had never existed. But I gave him nothing. I just said, quietly: "That's great. Vicky suits you. I know she's always been in love with you." Jason blinked, clearly caught off guard. "What?" I turned to look at him. My voice was so calm that even I found it strange. "You two should be together. Don't waste what you have. I'm fine. I won't die. Go take care of her." His frown deepened. This wasn't the reaction he was used to. After a long silence, he said, "What kind of tantrum is this?" I shook my head. My fingers twitched, then strained to reach the glass of water. I brought it to my lips, weak and trembling. Jason stared at me for a long time. Then, suddenly, something seemed to cross his mind. "By the way — Grandfather is coming back for his birthday celebration." "He says he hasn't seen the younger members of the family in a long time." Jason straightened his cuffs and rose from the edge of my bed, his voice settling back into its usual chill. "There'll be many guests. I need you to handle the invitation list and prepare a gift." I froze for a second, then struggled to sit up. "But we're getting divorced." Jason's hands stilled. Then he moved to the head of the bed and pressed down on my shoulders, leaning over me. He looked down at me, a glint of mockery in his eyes. "Until I sign, you're still Mrs. Vanderloom." "So be good. Grandfather adores you. Keep him happy, and it'll work in your favor." He straightened up. "Isn't that convenient? Once the celebration is over, I'll sign the divorce papers." He studied me for a moment, then added with a contemptuous smirk: "Not that it matters. You'll be begging me not to divorce you by then. Why bother with this act, Elena?" The room was quiet for a long time. I slowly closed my eyes. I had no energy left to argue. After a moment, I said softly, "Fine." "I'll prepare a gift. I'll make sure Grandfather has a good birthday." Jason nodded, clearly satisfied. He turned to leave, reaching out of habit to pat the top of my head — but I tilted away before he could. The moment the door closed behind him, I finally allowed myself a small smile. If he wouldn't let me go, then I'd stay. I'd give the Vanderloom patriarch the birthday celebration of a lifetime. And I would give Jason a gift he'd never forget. Chapter 4 Elena's POV I waited until the sound of footsteps disappeared down the corridor before picking up my phone. The screen barely lit up before the other end answered — as if he'd been waiting by the phone. I explained that I needed to stay until after the patriarch's birthday. The voice on the other end was tight with worry and frustration. It wasn't until I promised — repeatedly — that I would leave with him, that the man on the line finally calmed down. After I hung up, I leaned back against the headboard. When I'd first reached out to him behind Jason's back, I'd felt a strange, misplaced guilt. But now — now that the other woman had moved in and was literally drinking my blood — that guilt evaporated in an instant. Two days later, my body had recovered enough to function. The estate buzzed with preparations for the patriarch's celebration, and every tedious detail was dumped on me. I spent nearly every day on the phone. Some calls were about the event. Others were to soothe the man who grew more restless with each passing day. Meanwhile, Jason and Vicky went out every night and didn't return until the small hours, always making a point of waking me with their affection on full display. I couldn't have cared less. I was busier than ever. Sometimes I'd be typing replies on my phone even while Jason was in the room. When I finally looked up, I found him staring at me. I had no idea how long he'd been watching. That heavy, searching gaze made my skin crawl. I was about to leave when Vicky materialized behind him, wrapping herself around his arm. "Jason." Her voice was syrupy, her chest pressed deliberately against him. "You haven't spent any time with me today." She'd clearly bounced back — spirits high, belly rounded, preening like a pampered cat. Jason didn't push her away. He just looked at me, his tone flat. "You've been busy lately." I nodded. "The celebration takes a lot of preparation." Vicky's smile widened. "Funny — I've noticed Elena's been getting a lot of calls and texts." She tilted her head, her pupils tinged red, her gaze a provocation. "Jason, don't you think that's odd?" Jason was silent for a moment. Then: "Give me your phone." The air went still. I looked at him — at Vicky practically fused to his side — and slowly smiled. "Jason, are you seriously accusing me of cheating?" Every servant in the corridor froze. I held his gaze, my voice unhurried. "You got another woman pregnant, and now you want to check my phone?" "What — afraid I might find someone too? That I might bring a man home, just like you did?" Vicky's face twisted. "Shut up!" Her hand flew toward my face. I saw it coming. I simply reached up and caught her wrist in midair. The corridor went dead silent. Vicky stared, clearly not expecting me to fight back. Jason's expression darkened. He pulled Vicky to his side and turned to me. "Let go." I released her. Vicky retreated into Jason's arms, eyes brimming red. "Jason, she just—" "Enough." His voice was frigid. He wasn't looking at her. His eyes were locked on me. "When she tried to hit you just now — why didn't you look at me?" I blinked. Jason went on: "You used to run to me the second something happened." His voice dropped low, as if he was barely holding something back. "Why didn't you ask me for help?" I looked at him and asked, quietly: "Would it have made a difference?" Jason's expression shattered. Chapter 5 Elena's POV The air felt like it had turned to stone. Jason's breathing grew ragged. Fury flooded his pupils, turning them blood-red — the way a vampire's instincts betrayed them when emotions ran too high. Those crimson eyes looked just like blood. That color always dragged me back to my parents' final moments. And Vicky — she loved wearing red. Months ago, her red dresses floating around the estate had given me nightmares every night. I flinched instinctively. The aversion was reflexive, bone-deep. Jason caught it. His expression froze, and his gaze locked onto me. I stiffened too. Because this moment was painfully familiar. On our wedding night, I'd seen his true form for the first time. Red eyes. Sharp fangs. He'd been holding me, trying to say something. I'd pushed him away, stepped back, and turned to clutch a pillow, forcing down the terror, desperate to hide my weakness. I was still in love with him then. I didn't want him to know how badly my parents' death had scarred me. I didn't want him carrying that guilt. I'd believed that as long as we had each other, we'd find our way through the darkness. But after that night, he became a different person. I couldn't find a single trace of love left in his eyes. From that day on, Jason became my new nightmare. Chapter 6 Elena's POV I never understood why Jason resented me so much. Under the pressure from his Grandfather, he had indeed married me — but he could have simply ignored me and lived his own life. Why did he insist on parading those women in front of me, feeding off my misery? The corridor had gone deathly quiet. Vicky started to speak, but Jason had already seized my wrist. His grip was crushing, almost out of control. Before I could react, he was dragging me into a side room. The door slammed shut behind us. The heavy wood sealed off every sound from the corridor. It was just the two of us. Jason's breathing was ragged, as if he was fighting to contain something. One hand still locked around my wrist, the other braced against the wall, caging me between his body and the stone. "What the hell is going on in your head?" His voice was dangerously low. I didn't answer. I already knew what he wanted to hear. I just didn't care to say it anymore. His gaze lingered on my face, searching for something familiar. Rage. Heartbreak. Tears. In the past, I'd always crumbled in front of him. But now I just stood there, still and quiet. That calmness unsettled him more than any outburst could. Then he lunged forward. Before I could react, he had me pinned against the wall. Cold stone pressed against my back. Jason's breath fell against the side of my neck. His pupils had gone fully crimson — a vampire's instinct, laid bare by loss of control. Those eyes were deep as a pool of blood, holding something dangerous and suppressed. Then I felt his fangs settle against my throat. Sharp. Cold. One fraction more pressure and they'd pierce the skin. The silence was suffocating. Jason didn't bite down. He held the position, waiting — for me to panic, struggle, or cry. I did none of those things. I simply tilted my head back, looked at the ceiling, and asked calmly: "Is that all?" He faltered. "What?" I turned to face him. Even I was surprised by how calm my own eyes were. "If I let you drink my blood — if that's what it takes — will you agree to the divorce?" The words landed like a blow. His grip tightened violently. Those red eyes bored into me, searching for any sign that I was bluffing. "You really want to leave that badly?" His voice was barely above a whisper, ice-cold. I didn't answer. Jason let out a hollow laugh. There was no warmth in it — only something edging toward madness. "I see." He murmured to himself, as if working through a realization. "So that's what it is." His hand tightened further. His expression grew tangled and dark. "You hate me because of your parents. That's it, isn't it?" His voice went suddenly quiet — as if speaking a truth he'd always known but never dared acknowledge. "You blame me for their death, don't you?" I said nothing. Even now, he was grasping for excuses. Who was it, really, who couldn't accept what had happened? He was the one who survived. He was the one who'd spent ten years tormenting me. I'd never once blamed him. What right did he have to stand here playing the victim? Jason stared at me, searching my eyes for any flicker of longing or tenderness. There was nothing. My silence only pushed him further. He let out another low, bitter laugh. "Vicky was right after all." "You really do look at me like I'm your enemy." His voice kept dropping. "So it's true. You really do hate me." No matter how hard he searched for proof that I still loved him, he would find nothing. It was useless. He pressed his fangs forward another fraction. The skin broke. A tiny sting. The faint scent of blood drifted into the air. I didn't flinch. I didn't struggle. I just tilted my head back, letting him do as he pleased. Jason's breathing stuttered. "Why aren't you pulling away?" His whisper was hoarse. "You used to be terrified of this." When we were young, he'd flash his fangs to tease me and I'd burst into tears, scolding him through the sobs. He'd always take my hand, guide my fingers along his fangs, and tell me not to be afraid — that he'd never hurt me. Looking at him now, I felt nothing but exhaustion. Ten years. Fights. Resentment. Tears. Hysteria. Every last drop of those emotions had been wrung out of me. Now, after all the wounds, all that remained was a complete and utter emptiness. I didn't want to think anymore. I didn't want to salvage anything. I said softly: "If this is what it takes for you to let me go." "Then drink." Jason's pupils contracted sharply. I closed my eyes. My voice was quiet, but perfectly clear. "It doesn't matter." "I stopped being afraid of this kind of pain a long time ago." Chapter 7 Elena's POV Jason practically fled the room. The door slammed behind him so hard the heavy wood rattled the wall, and the entire corridor fell silent. I didn't move. In that final instant, I thought I'd seen his eyes glistening — as if he were about to cry. But I no longer cared to figure out what was real and what wasn't. Ten years of half-truths and false tenderness had killed any interest I had in reading between the lines. My phone buzzed twice in my pocket. I glanced down. Luke's name on the screen. [Are you okay?] [I can't stop worrying about you.] Two short lines — but something in my chest loosened. Like a pair of hands, steady and sure, reaching for me from a distance. I used to believe Jason and I would be together forever. Back when we were young, he'd walk with me through the hills behind the estate. He'd drape his jacket over my shoulders when I was scared. I'd told myself that no matter how much it hurt, I'd never leave him. But now I knew — people change. So do hearts. I typed slowly. [I'm fine. Just a little longer. It'll all be over soon.] The message had barely sent when the click of heels echoed down the corridor. The door flew open. Vicky stood in the doorway. Her face was ugly with anger, her flowing red dress in disarray. "Jason's drinking." She glared at me, her voice edged with venom. "He locked himself in the wine cellar. He's been going through bottle after bottle since you two were in that room." I said nothing. I just looked at her, calm and still. That only made her angrier. "Feeling smug, are you?" A cold sneer. "Seeing him like this — you must be thrilled." I still didn't respond. Vicky's nails dug into her own palms. Her eyes darkened. "You don't actually think Jason is doing this because of you?" Then she laughed. A vicious, deliberate laugh. "Keep dreaming." "Jason never loved you." She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a near-whisper — each word sharpened to a point. "The one he's always loved is me." I leaned against the window, my expression unchanged, as though listening to a story about someone else entirely. That reaction pushed her over the edge. She stared at me for a long moment, then shifted tactics, wearing a mask of feigned sympathy. "You’re quite pathetic, actually." A soft sigh. "Ten years of marriage, and you couldn't even give him a child." Her gaze dropped to my stomach, heavy with scorn. "Humans and vampires were never meant to reproduce. What a pity." I still said nothing. Seeing that nothing got through to me, she suddenly smiled. "Oh, wait. I misspoke." "It's not that you couldn't conceive. It's that you couldn't carry to term." My hand clenched. Vicky caught the reaction, and satisfaction flickered in her eyes. "You remember that car accident, don't you?" Her voice was airy, careless. "You called Jason on video, begging for help." "Too bad." A soft laugh. "He was with me. He didn't have time for you. Those photos you saw? I'm the one who sent them." The air went dead. Something detonated inside my skull. Vicky's voice grew even lighter. "And that car — the one that hit you." She tilted her head, smiling like a child. "Who do you think arranged it?" In that instant, my last thread of reason snapped. I was on her before I knew it. We collided. A chair toppled. The table crashed to the floor. Vicky clearly hadn't expected me to attack. But the gap between a human and a vampire was too vast. She recovered in a heartbeat, swinging her arm. The force sent me sprawling. The back of my head cracked against the floor. My vision went black. She stood over me, her expression completely changed. "How pathetic." Her voice was low. "So you really knew nothing. You've been a blind fool this entire time." Then hands seized my wrists. Several servants rushed in and dragged me, still dazed, into the next room. The door slammed. The lock clicked. A sharp, chemical smell filled the air. I looked down and saw oil pooled across the floor. From outside came Vicky's gentle voice. "Elena. Jason doesn't blame me. " "After all..." She chuckled softly. "It’s just an accident. And, you deserve to die." The next second, flames burst in beneath the door crack. Thick smoke spread swiftly, and a wave of scorching heat washed over me. I leaned against the wall, my vision slowly fading.At the very moment my consciousness was about to slip away. Bang! The window was suddenly shattered from the outside. Shards of glass flew everywhere, and a figure burst into the flames. I could barely make out his face, only that he rushed to me and held me tight.With the last of my strength, I clutched at his clothes. My voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible. "Take me away." I whispered. "Luke."