The Accident That Exposed My Husband's Lie

After Nathaniel Cross promises to break things off and refocus on our marriage after having an affair, I give him three chances to meet with the young lady to end things between them completely. He uses every possible moment to spend time with her. They have dinner and do crafts. He even stays by her side through the night. When he comes back, he throws away everything that has to do with her and takes my hand again. "Trust me. I'll never betray you again," Nathaniel promises. One day, I collide with a young woman on the road. She makes a phone call to ask for help. The voice that answers belongs to one of my husband's friends. "Nathaniel, I don't think you should go. You've already used up all three chances. If Caroline finds out about this, she'll definitely ask for a divorce." Then, I hear Nathaniel's confident reply. "Caroline is an orphan. No one has ever loved or cared about her. She's more afraid of divorce than I am. Just keep quiet about this. I know what I'm doing. This is the last time." I feel my entire body turn cold. Only then do I realize that the sobbing woman in front of me is the mistress he has been so devoted to protecting. 20 minutes later, the man who has just sworn to return wholeheartedly to his family with me rushes frantically to the hospital. Chapter 1 Through the thin fabric of the privacy curtain, Nathaniel Cross' voice drifted over, thick with a mix of heartache and reproach. "Why didn't you call me right away? Did you think I gave you my personal number just for show?" Madeline Hart forced herself to sit up, her face the picture of obedience. "But you said your wife only gave you three chances. I couldn't—" "What chances?" Nathaniel snapped, his temper flaring. "Call me whenever you need me. What am I supposed to do if something happens to you?" I sat quietly in the adjacent bay, listening to every word, my vision blurred with tears. When the car crash happened, I had managed to keep a clear head and dialed his number first. Yet, 26 consecutive phone calls went completely unanswered. Madeline had called him exactly once, and he picked up on the very first ring. That was because Nathaniel knew that I had no family to turn to and no one to rely on. He knew I would always wait for his late callbacks, no matter how long it took. Just then, a doctor came in to change my dressing. The moment the curtain swung open, the fury Nathaniel carried for the "other driver" evaporated from his face. He froze, but the words spilled out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Did you secretly investigate Madeline and crash into her on purpose?" I never imagined his immediate reaction wouldn't be to check if I was hurt, but to instantly blame me. Ever since I first uncovered his infidelity, he had kept every piece of information about Madeline tightly under wraps. "She doesn't come from money. If you dig up her past, it'll destroy her," he had argued back then Yet, he had gladly broadcast my status as an orphan across our entire social circle, solely to show everyone how utterly codependent I was on him. As I swallowed the bitter lump in my throat, a hollow laugh escaped my lips. "This is the fourth time, Nathaniel. You broke your word." When I originally insisted on a divorce, he had climbed out onto the rooftop of our home. "If you divorce me, I'll jump right off this roof! I can't survive without you. I told you, you're the only woman I'll ever love!" he had declared. My heart had softened right then, and I gave him three chances to cut ties with his mistress. He scrubbed every trace of his affair, and I was naive enough to think I had successfully won the war for my marriage. But today, a brutal reality check smacked me right across the face. "What does it matter right now?" Nathaniel hissed, dropping his voice to a whisper, terrified that the woman in the next bay might overhear him. "She was just in a car accident! Are you honestly heartless enough to expect me just to stand by and do nothing?" What else could I say? Should I tell him that I had been in a car accident, too? Should I tell him she had only scraped her knee, while I needed ten stitches on my shoulder? Just then, Madeline called out to him. "How did the negotiation go? Do we have to pay her off?" He rushed over to soothe her anxiety, reassuring her, "The other driver is perfectly fine. Don't worry about it and just focus on recovering." As I lay on my hospital bed, hearing him refer to me as a nameless driver brought a bitter smile to my face. No matter how agonizing the pain in my wound was, it couldn't compare to the devastation ripping through my chest. The only shred of mercy Nathaniel offered me was signing a massive stack of medical bills left on my bedside table while I was asleep. But if he had cared about me at all and bothered to read through the paperwork, he would've noticed a signed divorce agreement tucked among them. Chapter 2 That night, my wound became severely infected, and my fever spiked to nearly 104 degrees Fahrenheit. I went to get a doctor and settle the bill all by myself. Behind my back, the nurses were whispering among themselves. "Ms. Hart only has a few superficial wounds, but her boyfriend pulled strings to get her a VIP ward. Meanwhile, this poor girl is dealing with all of that by herself." I let out a self-deprecating laugh and turned around, only for Nathaniel to step right into my path and slap me across the face. "Caroline, you've gone way too far!" he hissed. "Who told you to settle the bill with my supplementary card? Madeline's going to figure out who you are! "I've already made myself clear. I'll end things with her, but I just need a little time. I've already bent over backward for you. What more do you want?" My already weak body swayed, on the verge of collapsing right then and there. The bright-red handprint on my cheek only accentuated my bloodshot eyes. Only then did Nathaniel finally soften his tone, stepping forward to wrap his arms around me. "You have to know that I'm the only person in this entire world who truly loves you. You should be able to feel that. As long as you're willing to wait, I swear I'll completely commit myself back to our family." Years ago, when I was just a discarded, unloved orphan, Nathaniel had dropped to one knee and proposed to me. At that moment, I genuinely believed I was the luckiest woman alive. Our entire social circle was in complete disbelief, often sighing in envy. "What did you do to deserve a man as fiercely devoted as Nathaniel?" I had drowned in that illusion of love, utterly unable to pull myself free. That was until… Until the day Madeline threw a temper tantrum, and he publicly aired a humiliating video of me being bullied just to make her laugh, leaving me to be ostracized by the high-society wives. Then came the night he abandoned me in the middle of nowhere over a single phone call from Madeline, forcing me to hike miles back home while wild animals stalked the brush. After that, things only grew worse. He stood by and let Madeline call me in the dead of night just to blast the sounds of their heavy breathing during intimacy. The sheer rage from that night caused me to miscarry our unborn child. Yet, he turned the blame right back onto me, accusing me of being petty and useless for failing to carry a baby to term. Cold sweat beaded on my face from the pain. Nathaniel shoved his car keys into my palm. "Madeline can't focus on recovery with you around. Get yourself discharged right away." I was burning up, my vision flashing dark in waves, but I still managed a quiet hum in acknowledgment. A complicated look flickered in his eyes. Just then, I received a call from Rebecca Langford, the orphanage director. When I learned that she had suffered a heart attack, I quickly stumbled upstairs, only to find Rebecca's face was turning a suffocating shade of purple as she struggled to breathe. As the doctor was resuscitating her, he explained, "A young woman came over earlier and got into an altercation with her. She even physically assaulted the poor woman and said some absolutely horrific things to her!" My pupils tightened. To a person who grew up without a mother or a father, Rebecca was closer to me than any blood relative could ever be. I whirled around, only to see Madeline throwing herself into Nathaniel's arms, crying a river of tears. "Nate, that old hag just snapped and started calling me a homewrecker!" she claimed. "I was only trying to explain myself, but then she threw herself onto the floor and tried to blame it on me…" A wave of anger washed over me. "You're lying!" I snapped. Madeline shot me a glance, shifting her clothes to reveal a few poorly faked "bruises" on her skin as her wailing intensified. In stark contrast, the skin on Rebecca's arms was marred by fingernail marks and obvious bruises. Catching the smug, mocking look she was giving me, I couldn't take it anymore. I lunged forward, my hand connecting with her cheek in a slap. But the very next second, a far heavier blow caught me across the face. Chapter 3 The metallic taste of blood instantly bloomed in my mouth. Nathaniel held up his hand, which was visibly shaking, a fleeting look of guilt crossing his eyes. "How dare you put your hands on Madeline? That woman started this by running her mouth. Is this how you were raised?" I blinked away my tears, unable to believe the words coming out of his mouth. Everyone loved to look down on orphans, treating us like wild, uncultured animals raised with zero manners. Years ago, he had been the one to smash a liquor bottle across a counter to shut up anyone who dared to mock me. When he saw my eyes pool with tears, a flicker of heartache crossed Nathaniel's features. But Madeline threw herself into his chest, trembling. "Nate, if you hadn't gotten here right when you did, the two of them would've teamed up on me…" Nathaniel pictured a vivid image of Madeline being brutally attacked, disgust coloring his gaze. "Tomorrow night, you're going to publicly apologize to Madeline at the charity gala. I know what you're up to. If we don't clear her name right away, Ms. Langford is going to run around spreading lies about Madeline on your behalf." I shook my head helplessly. "And if I refuse—" "If you don't apologize, I'll stop all donations to the orphanage. I'll also freeze the card you use to cover Ms. Langford's medical bills," he threatened. "Think about it, Caroline. How long will it take you to find her a matching heart donor on your own, huh?" Looking at Rebecca, who was wasting away by the day in that hospital bed, I gave in. At the charity gala the following evening, Nathaniel shoved an apology statement into my hand. Madeline glided over, discreetly digging her nails deep into the flesh of my arm. The smile never left her face as she whispered, "Mrs. Cross, if you're going to apologize, you'll need to show some actual sincerity." The next second, she drove the tip of her high heel into the back of my knee. My leg buckled, and I crashed face-first onto the floor in front of everyone. Like a puppet on strings, I read from the apology statement. "Ms. Langford was the aggressor in the altercation. I offer a sincere apology to Ms. Madeline Hart on her behalf, and I'll fully cover her medical expenses." Whispers rippled through the crowd below the stage. "What do you expect from an orphan with no parents to teach her any better? She just goes around physically assaulting people. Honestly, I have no idea how a man like Mr. Cross fell for her in the first place." "Like mother, like daughter. Even if they're not related by blood, her behavior is just as trashy." "Honestly, Ms. Hart looks far more refined. I wouldn't be surprised if the title of Mrs. Cross changes hands soon." … Their contemptuous stares burned into my skin as Madeline looked down at me, her eyes radiating the smugness of a victor. I forced my feverish body up from the floor, swaying violently on my feet. Nathaniel instinctively took a step toward me. "Are you sick? You look pale." When I slapped his hand away, he cleared his throat and said, "Don't flatter yourself. I just don't want you ruining the gala." Madeline stepped forward, pretending to help support me, only to drop her voice into a whisper beside my ear. "Hang in there, Mrs. Cross. Though… I did just hear that the donor suddenly changed their mind and backed out of giving their heart to your precious Ms. Langford. Looks like you'll be waiting another decade. "Oh, wait. That's assuming she can even survive until then." Her taunting expression grew larger and larger in my field of vision. Unable to endure it any longer, I lunged forward and seized her by the throat. "How dare you play with her life?" I thundered. The next instant, Nathaniel spared no effort in shoving me aside. "Are you out of your mind, Caroline?" he roared. "I forced you to apologize so you would learn your lesson, not so you could turn around and violently assault her again!" I tumbled backward down the steps of the stage, a dense, aching pain shooting through every bone in my body. Madeline didn't even bother hiding her triumphant smirk, mocking me from a blind spot where Nathaniel couldn't see her. Just as I shoved Nathaniel aside like a woman possessed, getting ready to lunge at Madeline for a second time, a call from the hospital interrupted me. "Ms. Ellis, Ms. Langford has vanished from her room!" Chapter 4 My heart seized in my chest. Looking up, I saw Madeline's expression grow increasingly smug. Surrounded by the disdainful stares of the crowd, I stumbled toward her, my eyes bloodshot. "She is the only family I have left. Don't you dare touch her!" I couldn't stop my voice from cracking, and my body was shaking. The crowd began murmuring. Embarrassed, Nathaniel shoved me away with all his might. "Caroline, enough is enough!" he thundered. I crashed into the champagne tower, and the shards of glass cut into my skin. Nathaniel instinctively took a step toward me, but Madeline reached me first, leaning down as if to help. "You really are clever, Caroline," she whispered. "You figured out right away that I took her. But why don't you try guessing what I have planned for her?" Panic flooded my mind. Before I knew it, I had already seized her by the throat. "I won't let you hurt her!" In the next second, a massive force threw me back, followed by a sharp slap to my face. "Caroline, I've been incredibly patient with you. What exactly did Madeline do to you? Look at yourself. You're acting completely unhinged!" I could see myself in Nathaniel's eyes—deranged and pathetic. But my mind was consumed by the thought of Rebecca's safety. All of a sudden, I snatched up a nearby knife and charged toward Madeline. "Nate, save me!" Madeline cried. Nathaniel threw himself in front of her, taking the blow in his back. He whirled around and furiously ordered the security guards, "She's lost it! Hold her down and make her apologize for what she's done. Maybe that will clear her head!" I was forced down and slapped repeatedly. But when I managed to lift my eyes, I saw Madeline smugly waving her phone at me. The orphanage where I grew up was engulfed in flames, and the sound of Rebecca's desperate cries for help echoed from the device. Panic consumed me. "Let me go! Nathaniel, please! Just let me out of here!" I tried to break free, but Nathaniel caught me in his arms. "Don't even think about leaving through that door until you've learned your lesson!" Nothing else mattered anymore. I dropped back down and slapped myself hard, my vision blurring. My eyes swept across the room, burning with resentment. A flicker of shock crossed Nathaniel's eyes, and he instinctively reached down to pull me up. But I flung him off with all my strength, then turned and ran out of the gala without looking back. Nathaniel stared after me, an inexplicable weight settling over his chest. … By the time I arrived at the orphanage, the fire had already spread through the entire attic. I rushed inside, my hands shaking as I frantically worked to untie the ropes binding Rebecca. But she looked up and gave me a faint smile before taking her final breath. I froze where I stood. In that instant, it felt as if my heart had stopped. Then, a deafening explosion suddenly ripped through the air, and everything went black. Meanwhile, Nathaniel, acting as the primary donor for the charity gala, arrived at the orphanage flanked by a crowd of reporters. But the moment he pushed his car door open, the sight of the flames lighting up the sky froze him in his tracks.