I Married The Same Man As My Best Friend Chapter 02

I Married The Same Man As My Best Friend Chapter 02

The private hospital room smelled like expensive lilies and expensive lies.

Vanessa sat up against the pillows, looking pale and fragile, cradling her two-year-old son Leo in her arms.

And Julian—the man who was supposed to be overseas—knelt beside the bed, holding Vanessa’s hand like she was made of glass.

“Julian, forget it,” Vanessa whispered, her voice soft and weak. “Elise probably didn’t mean it. She’s just… adjusting.”

But her eyes met mine over his shoulder.

And they were laughing.

“Elise. Kneel.”

Julian didn’t even turn around.

I didn’t move.

My whole body was shaking. Not from fear. From pure, animal rage.

Outside the hospital, Julian’s security had taken Lily from my arms. Julian had smiled and said, “Throw that dirty doll in the county biohazard disposal facility. I don’t want it near Leo.”

A biohazard facility.

He wouldn’t even let me keep her ashes.

“Julian, your son didn’t even scrape his knee. Lily was burned to nothing.”

I stared at him, each word sharp with pain.

“And you want me to apologize to her? She should be apologizing to hell.”

Slap.

Julian stepped toward me sharply, and his tone turned icy.

Then grabbed my arm and pressed me toward the bed.

“Elise, when are you going to stop being crazy? Leo has a fever from the shock! You’re crying over a doll?”

He turned to Vanessa and softened his voice. “Ignore her. No one hurts you or Leo while I’m breathing.”

“Julian, don’t be so hard on her.” Vanessa curled into his chest, fake-crying into his shirt.

“I’ll forgive her if she just admits it. If she admits she pushed Leo because she’s jealous of how you treat me.”

Jealous.

I looked at my best friend of five years. At the woman who had been my “sister” across the street.

She was cuddling my husband like he was hers.

My stomach turned inside out.

“Fine. I’m sorry.”

My voice came out weirdly calm.

Julian blinked, surprised.

I lowered myself to my knees. Slowly. Deliberately.

Thud.

The sound of bone hitting tile.

I looked at the floor and memorized every detail. The shine on Julian’s shoes. The tiny dark speck was still dried on the leather.

I would remember this.

Every second.

And when the time came, I’d make them pay a thousand times over.

“I’m sorry I was ‘jealous’ of how you treat Vanessa,” I said quietly. “I’m sorry I’m so ‘evil.’ I don’t deserve to be a Roth.”

“Good.” Julian exhaled, relieved. “You can keep your spot as Mrs. Roth. Just behave. Don’t touch Vanessa again.”

He wrapped his arm around Vanessa and carried her out like a trophy.

The door clicked shut.

I stayed on my knees.

The TV above the bed was playing financial news. “Roth Industries CEO Julian Roth will attend tomorrow’s charity gala. His brother Dorian remains abroad for medical treatment.”

I touched my empty arms.

They still remembered the weight of Lily’s body.

Julian, you wanted fame. You wanted money. You wanted two women and two lives.

But you forgot something.

Julian and Dorian can’t both survive.

If you thought Lily was just a prop… let me show you what a real performance looks like.

I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I hadn’t called in years.

“Harrison Cole? I have evidence of fraud, double identity, and a cover-up at Julian Roth. Are you interested?”

You burned my daughter.

Now I will expose every lie you’ve ever told..

I will make sure you face everything you’ve done.