My husband, Ainsworth Burton, had my fate exchanged with that of a woman dying of lung cancer behind my back. In an instant, I was left with only six days to live.

When I found out, he soothed me with a tenderness that felt almost genuine.

"You've already got heart disease. One more ailment won't make much difference. But Daph's different—she's been spoiled since she was a kid. A delicate girl like her couldn't handle such pain.

"I'll track down the cure for you soon enough."

I clutched his shirt, my hands shaking uncontrollably.

"But the doctor warned me last month that my condition's worsening—my heart could give out any second. With lung cancer piled on top, there's no way I'll make it."

His expression hardened, a mocking sneer curling his lips.

"In twenty years, your heart's only acted up once, and the very next day, I was railroaded into marrying you.

"So what now? You're going to use that excuse again to threaten me?"

He brought Daphne Scott into our home. Night after night, they tangled in passion on our bed while I lay awake next door, consumed by pain.

The day they rushed me into the ICU, he had his secretary deliver a divorce decree.

I laughed bitterly and signed my name with what little strength I had left.

I'd clung to him desperately for seven long years, but in the end, I still couldn't compete with the woman he truly loved.

By signing those papers, I'd finally settled the debt I owed him.

***

"Throw out all her things. They're filthy."

On the third day after the fate swap, Daphne had all my things thrown out of the house.

She saw them as tainted because I had cancer.

Numb and broken, I knelt in the pouring rain, gathering my scattered clothes from the mud-slicked ground.

Ainsworth's call came through, his tone probing, laced with feigned concern.

"I've got leads on that special medicine. You holding up okay?"

"I'm fine."

His sigh of relief crackled over the line.

"Good to hear. Daph's set on moving in here, but she doesn't like anything related to cancer. You'll have to move out.

"I'll get a new place for you. Someone will bring you the keys soon."

He didn't even pause for my reply; he just ended the call.

The downpour intensified, sheets of water slamming against me. I huddled there with my belongings, waiting through the day until night fell, but no one ever came with those promised keys.

The wind cut through me, cold and merciless. My lips went numb as I forced a smile.

It hit me then how utterly foolish I'd been, still harboring some pathetic hope for Ainsworth even now.

Lugging that heap of luggage for what felt like miles, I finally stumbled upon a dingy hotel to crash in. By then, my feet were a raw mess of throbbing blisters.

My chest burned like it was being ripped open from the inside. I curled up on the damp, mold-scented bed, staring at Daphne's latest post.

She'd posted nine photos of the house, and at the center was one of her and Ainsworth, beaming with unbridled joy.

The caption read, "Yay! He's totally on board with turning the whole place pink—what a sweetheart!"

I stared blankly at the screen, my heart cracking open.

Back when I'd moved into that house, Ainsworth had banned anything pink outright.

Once, I'd left a pink towel in the bathroom, and he'd exploded in fury, yanking me from a deep sleep and hounding me until I tossed it in the trash.

Yet now, for Daphne, he was eagerly transforming the entire space into a sea of pink.

That had to be it—the stark chasm between how he treated the one he adored and the one he merely tolerated.

Tears flooded my eyes, my body convulsing with sobs. I caught my reflection in the mirror and let out a hollow, mocking laugh at the pitiful woman staring back.

Now I was sure—he didn't love me. If he did, how could he have ever traded my life for Daphne's?

The day I learned about the swap, I'd marched toward his study, ready to demand answers.

But at the doorway, I overheard him talking to a friend.

"If Daphne sticks to treatment, she could hang on for over six months. But swapping fates leaves Estrella with only six days. Why go through with it?"

Ainsworth's voice remained eerily calm.

"I can't stand the thought of Daph enduring even the tiniest bit of pain. As for Estrella, she's no stranger to hardship. And hey, she's got that heart issue already. One more disease wouldn't change a thing.

"Besides, I'll hunt down the remedy..."

I froze in the doorway, unable to move, my mind blank.

Reflecting on it now, I knew I should have stormed in and confronted him head-on, but back then, I'd naively rationalized it, trying to make excuses for him.

I'd convinced myself that since he was still searching for medicine, maybe... maybe he still cared about me.

But now, with everything laid bare before me, I couldn't deceive myself any longer.

That night, pain surged through my chest so violently that I coughed up a mouthful of blood.

And then, everything went black as I collapsed into oblivion.

The next morning, the motel owner's frantic knocking jolted me awake from a feverish haze.

I dragged myself up and opened it, still groggy. The moment she saw me, her eyes widened in alarm.

"You're burning up! Look at you, you're pale as a ghost.

"I can't have you dying in my place. Get out, now!"

Every ragged breath felt like shards of glass scraping my lungs. Just standing there made the world spin in dizzying black waves.

The pain was excruciating.

I dragged myself outside, hailing a cab to the hospital with what little strength I had left.

"Please, just give me something for the pain," I begged the doctor.

He glanced at the lab results, hesitating for a long moment before speaking.

"You're pregnant. Painkillers might hurt the baby."

"What?"

I pressed a hand against my stomach, my blood running cold.

For seven agonizing years, I'd yearned for this—a child of my own. And now, of all cruel twists, it happened here, in the shadow of death.

My heart clenched so tightly it felt like the world was tilting.

Instinct took over; before I could think, I'd dialed Ainsworth's number.

"Where are you?" he demanded, his voice laced with urgency.

"At the hospital."

"Don't leave. I'm on my way."

I gripped the phone like a lifeline, pacing in frantic circles. The second he burst through the doors, I rushed toward him, words bubbling up in desperation.

But before I could say a word, he grabbed my hand.

"Come with me!"

He dragged me into a private room where Daphne lay sprawled on the bed, whimpering dramatically.

"Ains, my tummy hurts so bad," she whined.

I froze, confused by the scene before me.

Ainsworth pulled her into his arms, murmuring soothing nonsense until she quieted, then finally turned to me with a grave expression.

"Ella, the wizard who swapped your fates, left behind a manual of warnings. Daphne's pain means the life force is unstable."

He looked at me pleadingly, then dropped the bombshell.

"We need a drop of blood from your heart to brew a stabilizing elixir."

I stared at him, feeling my heart crack open.

"Ainsworth... can't you see?"

Anyone else would notice how frail I was, teetering on the edge of collapse—but not him. He seemed utterly blind to my suffering.

He looked at me, blinking in bewilderment.

I shut my eyes and shook my head.

"No. Absolutely not."

Daphne's sobs escalated into hysterical wails.

"It's my fault—I'm cursed! Just let me die!"

Ainsworth's gaze hardened like steel. He clamped down on my arm with bruising force.

"Estrella, what the hell are you playing at? It's just a prick of heart blood!"

My lips quivered uncontrollably, pain forcing gulps of air as I choked out the words.

"I'm pregnant, Ainsworth."

"What?"

His eyes darted to my stomach, a fleeting spark of joy igniting in them.

"Really? I..."

But then Daphne piped up from the bed, her voice dripping venom. "Ella, if you don't want to give me your blood, fine—but lying about a baby? That's low.

"Ains hasn't touched you in forever. How could you possibly be pregnant? Unless... you've been screwing around with some other guy?"

Suspicion clouded Ainsworth's features like a gathering storm. He flung my hand away, his face twisting in bitter disappointment.

"Estrella, you've turned downright vicious, haven't you? Fabricating a child as an excuse?"

I tried to explain, but he waved over his bodyguards.

"I'll be careful. It won't leave a scar, I promise. Stop with the lies."

A gag muffled my screams as they strapped me to a chair.

Tears streamed helplessly down my face while I locked eyes with the man I'd once loved beyond reason.

"Don't worry, it'll be quick," he muttered. "The real cure's coming soon. I swear."

Sweat beaded on his forehead, his hands shaking as he picked up the syringe.

"Ains, it hurts!" Daphne cried out again.

At her plea, he drove the needle straight into my chest.

Warm, scarlet blood flowed out slowly. My vision blurred into shadow.

This had to be a nightmare.

I remembered our first meeting vividly—he'd been shattered, dumped by Daphne, his company in ruins, looking utterly defeated.

He'd rescued me from that godforsaken village, and we'd clung to each other in a cramped, rundown apartment, surviving on scraps of hope.

Nights, he'd jolt awake in panic, pulling me close and whispering that he needed me forever.

As fortune smiled on us later, he cherished me fiercely, shielding me from the world's harsh edges.

After we made love, he would hold me close, begging me to give him a child.

And now... he was tearing me apart with his own hands.

As the extraction neared its end, Daphne lunged forward in a jealous frenzy, slamming her elbow into my abdomen with vicious force.

Agony exploded through me; I doubled over, curling into a protective ball around my belly. Ainsworth wrapped her in a fierce embrace, not sparing me even a glance.

Only after coaxing away her theatrics did he acknowledge me. During that time, I sprawled on the cold floor like discarded trash.

He had the guards haul me up and dump me in another room.

Perching on the edge of my bed, he gazed at me with those deep, inscrutable eyes.

"Ella, Daphne's just like you were back then. She only has me now.

"I can't bear to see her suffer. You get that, right?"

I didn't. And I didn't want to.

Hot tears carved salty paths down my cheeks, soaking into my hair. He reached out as if to comfort me, then withdrew his hand.

"Rest up. I'll bring the medicine soon."

A violent churning gripped my insides, and suddenly, a warm gush seeped between my thighs.

Panic clawed at my throat. I whipped my head toward the door.

"Ainsworth..."

But he was already bolting away, rushing toward Daphne's room.

"Daphne's crying. I have to check on her."

In the silence of my mind, I screamed, "No, Ainsworth, please turn back—just look at me!

"Please, our baby's slipping away..."

Tears blurred everything as pain gripped my chest. My vision dimmed until I collapsed off the bed.

"Ainsworth... help me..." I whispered into the void.

I woke from the cold. The world around me was pitch-black, and a searing pain tore through my stomach as if someone had ripped me apart from the inside.

My gaze dropped to the crimson pool staining the sheets beneath me, and I pressed a trembling hand to my flattened belly. Tears cascaded unchecked down my cheeks.

I knew my baby was gone.

The metallic tang of blood hung heavy in the air, nauseating and oppressive. I stumbled to the bathroom, retching violently until my stomach heaved empty.

A nurse slipped in quietly, her movements efficient yet gentle as she cleaned up the mess without a word.

Spotting me huddled in the corner like a broken doll, she knelt beside me, wiping the sweat and grime from my skin with a damp cloth and helping me into fresh clothes.

Her eyes softened with pity.

"Someone upstairs told us to ignore you," she whispered. "But you look so pitiful. You're so young—hang in there, and you'll claw your way through anything life throws at you."

Her kind gaze pierced through my numbness, and I couldn't bring myself to shatter her hope by revealing I had mere days left.

"Thank you," I murmured.

"Just... don't breathe a word that I helped."

No sooner had the words left her lips than the door burst open with a thunderous bang.

Daphne sauntered in, shooting the nurse a venomous glare before plastering a saccharine smile on her face and turning to me.

"Ella, isn't this just the funniest coincidence? I got my test results today—I'm pregnant!"

A gush of blood surged up my throat, spilling from my lips before I could choke it back.

I froze, staring blankly at her.

"It's day four since we swapped fates," she purred. "How many ticks left on your clock, hmm?

"But hey, no hard feelings. Once you're gone, I, my little bundle, and Ainsworth will live happily ever after."

Her words sliced through me like shards of glass.

I curled into a tight ball, digging my nails into the soft flesh of my arms to stifle the sobs clawing up my throat.

But Daphne wasn't done toying with her prey.

She leaned in close, her eyes gleaming with sadistic glee.

"Estrella, you're utterly repulsive. Ainsworth's my plaything. Even if I throw him away, I won't let another woman get him."

With a flourish, she fished an emerald bracelet from her pocket.

"Found this little piece of junk by accident. Ring any bells?"

It was my mother's heirloom—the last tether to her memory. I'd gifted it to Ainsworth on our wedding day, a symbol of eternal bond.

Now, it gleamed mockingly in her grasp.

"Give it back!" I rasped, desperation cracking my voice.

"Sure thing," she cooed. "Beg for it."

This bracelet was my final link to my mother. Losing it would sever me completely.

Humiliation burned through me like acid, but I swallowed my pride, bowing low. "Please..."

"Good girl," she sneered.

In the next heartbeat, she hurled it to the floor with vicious force. It shattered into a thousand glittering shards.

"Daphne!" I roared, surging to my feet in a blaze of fury.

She seized my hand in a flash, yanking it to her cheek and slamming it against her own face with a theatrical crack. Then, a shrill cry followed.

Outside the room, Ainsworth had been talking on the phone. At the sound of Daphne's wail, he rushed in, eyes wild.

His eyes locked on the red welt blooming on her skin, and without a word, he backhanded me across the face, sending me crashing into the wall.

"Estrella, how dare you lay a finger on Daph?"

Blood trickled from my split lip, warm and sticky. I scrambled to explain, "She..."

"I came to share my happy news about the baby," Daphne sobbed, clutching at him. "And she lunged at me—slapped me hard, then smashed the bracelet I was going to give her as a peace offering!"

Ainsworth's gaze flickered to the wreckage on the floor, a shadow of guilt crossing his features for the briefest moment.

But it vanished as quickly as it came. When he looked up at me, his eyes were cold.

"Estrella, that bracelet was a gift from me to Daph. If you've got a problem, take it up with me. Why hurt her?

"Apologize to her. Now."

"I didn't..."

My defiance only fueled his rage.

"Still denying it?" he growled.

He called in the nurse who had helped me earlier.

"If you don't apologize, she's fired," he said flatly.

The poor girl's face crumpled in terror, tears welling as she begged silently with wide eyes.

She'd just graduated—it must've taken her months to get this job.

Ainsworth knew exactly how to break me.

The bodyguards gripped me with iron force, shoving me down until I collapsed. I fell to the floor, landing on the shattered bracelet. Pain lanced up my knees as glass bit into my skin, blood seeping through the thin hospital gown.

Yet Daphne craved more.

"If Estrella's got enough spunk left to hit me," she whined, "she doesn't need to be hogging a hospital bed, does she?"

Ainsworth hesitated, glancing at me with fleeting uncertainty—but one look from Daphne, and he gave in.

He ordered the guards to throw me out.

Outside, a blizzard howled. Clad only in a threadbare hospital gown, I tumbled into the swirling snow.

I huddled under the bridge, curling into a tight ball against the biting cold.

I remembered that winter when Ainsworth and I had just moved into a shabby little apartment. It had been just as cold then.

He had pulled me into his arms under the thin quilt, his body radiating warmth as he swore he'd never let me freeze again.

Later, he clawed his way back to the top. Under his watchful care, the ugly frostbite scars that mottled my skin faded away, leaving me radiant and glowing.

Now, that very allure had turned into a curse.

I heard the crunch of footsteps on snow. Several men were walking toward me, smirking.

"Hey, Mrs. Burton," one of them sneered, "why don't you come warm yourself up in our arms?"

"Get lost!"

I snatched a brick and smashed it down on the head of the one lunging closest.

He reeled back, fury igniting in his eyes like wildfire.

"You bitch! You dare hit me? Think you're still the pampered rich woman?

"Wake up, sweetheart. Mr. Burton himself sent us to teach you a lesson.

"Get her!"

The night shattered with the rip of fabric tearing like screams in the dark. My desperate cries were smothered by a filthy hand.

Someone shoved a phone camera in my face, the flash blinding.

"Smile for the camera, darling."

"No! Please, stop!" I sobbed, thrashing wildly.

Those animals descended like a pack of hyenas. Waves of agony crashed over me until I blacked out, only to jolt awake in fresh hell, over and over. Hours blurred into eternity before they finally sated their lust and shoved off, laughing.

"Alright, boys," one of them said as he zipped up his coat, "Mr. Burton's orders have been carried out. Let's go."

I crumpled into the snow, frantically scrubbing at the vile stains with my own blood.

I felt filthy, tainted to my core.

The snow around me turned crimson, and exhaustion finally dragged me under as I collapsed.

When consciousness clawed its way back, Ainsworth's face loomed over me, twisted in rage.

As my eyes fluttered open, he snarled, "Estrella, are you really that pathetic? Can't survive a day without a man between your legs?"

He hurled a stack of photos at my face.

"Take a good look at your slutty self."

I glanced down and saw the pictures—every humiliating moment, every wound, frozen in vivid, brutal color. A bitter taste rose in my throat.

I met his glare with ice in my veins, my voice raw with pain.

"Isn't this exactly what you wanted?"

Ainsworth's fury exploded; he flipped the table with a crash that shook the room.

"Still playing tricks, huh?"

He clapped sharply, and a door swung open.

"We tracked down that special drug," he said, "but you'll have to earn it. Spend one night with him, make him happy, and I'll hand it over."

The blood drained from my face, my nails digging crescents into my palms.

"Ainsworth, have you lost your mind?"

He smirked, venom dripping from his lips.

"Cut the innocent act. Isn't this your favorite game?

"Stop pretending to be pure when we both know what you are."

Nausea surged in relentless waves, washing away the last flicker of hope I'd clung to for him.

If this was his twisted desire, fine—I'd play along.

Bracing against the wall, I hauled myself up on trembling legs. Ainsworth watched, his expression darkening like storm clouds.

In a flash, I slammed my head against the unyielding stone.

"Estrella, what the hell are you doing?"

He lunged, catching me as I slumped, his hands frantic as he dabbed at the gushing wound on my forehead.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" I whispered.

"No, damn it!"

He bellowed for the doctor, who rushed in to stitch and bandage the gash.

Once patched up, I lay there in stony silence.

"Here's your medicine."

"Don't I have to whore myself out anymore?"

A shadow of hurt flickered across his face. He gripped my chin roughly, forcing the pills down my throat with a swallow of water.

"Estrella, don't you dare try dying to escape me.

"You're mine—for life."

His fingers clamped around my wrist, his eyes burning with obsessive fire.

After the chaos settled, Ainsworth lingered, perched by my bedside like a sentinel.

I closed my eyes, pretending to sleep.

Convinced I was out, he finally slipped away.

Sleep evaded me, so I wandered the halls. From the study, I heard voices.

"You really can't bear to let her die, can you?" Daphne's voice was sweet and venomous.

Ainsworth pulled her into his embrace, his tone dripping with adoration.

"How could I? It's all for you, love. If she kicks the bucket, who's left to test the drugs? This stuff's unproven—I wouldn't risk it on you."

I'd sworn off grieving for him, yet those words ripped through me like shards of glass.

What a fool I'd been. Just minutes ago, when he held me in his arms, I had almost believed he still cared.

My eyes burned, but no tears came.

It turned out that when pain reached its limit, it numbed everything.

I slipped away, step by silent step.

When Ainsworth discovered my absence, he tore through the villa like a tornado.

"Where the hell is she? You're all useless! You can't even keep track of one woman?"

The butler cowered in silence. Then the guard burst in, breathless.

"Sir, there's a man outside named Kyson Greville. He says he's a sorcerer and came to treat Mrs. Burton's heart condition."

Ainsworth sneered.

"Heart condition? So that's her new trick to get my attention?"

When Kyson was brought in, he frowned.

"Where is she? Had enough fun yet? How many times will she trot out this heart disease excuse?"

Kyson blinked, then spoke evenly.

"She's not faking it. She really has a heart condition..."

"So that's her angle now? To make me feel guilty? Not a chance."

With a curt wave, he had Kyson booted out.

Kyson shook his head, a bitter chuckle escaping.

"Ainsworth, mark my words—you'll regret this."

Ainsworth ignored him, barking orders to scour the city for me.

I collapsed on the roadside and was rescued by a kind stranger who rushed me to the hospital.

"You've got severe heart disease," the doctor said, frowning deeply. "We need to operate immediately—your life's on the line."

Just then, the OR doors burst open.

Ainsworth's secretary strode in, slapping a divorce agreement onto my gurney.

"Mrs. Burton, Mr. Burton's fed up with your dramas. Sign this, or crawl back home and beg forgiveness."

Amid the beeping monitors, I heard my heart shatter like fragile crystal.

This time, no tears fell. I grasped the pen with shaking fingers, channeling my fading strength to scrawl my name.

I whispered, "Ainsworth, I don't owe you anymore.

"From this moment on, we're strangers."