Chapter 3: Cold Betrayal

Olivia's stomach erupted with a burning ache that left her stunned. Her eyes met James's cold stare, wide with surprise and betrayal. She stumbled backward, her shaking hand darting to the knife handle protruding from her stomach, while she stretched her other hand towards the sofa inching for support.

"James?" Her voice was a mix of uncertainty, anguish, and astonishment as she gasped, "what, what are you doing?" She questioned.

A loud resounding laughter coming from James echoed within the four walls of their medium sized sitting room, stunning Olivia to complete silence for a minute.

The door burst open and Sarah, Olivia's stepmother joined James, a chilling hysterical laughter announcing her presence. Seeing the dinner setting on the table, Sarah immediately walked over and poured herself a celebratory glass.

Olivia's eyes widened an extra inch as the understanding hit her, “what is going on here?” She asked, unable to still believe the obvious, despite her hand resting slightly on the knife handle.

"Our baby, James, our little one. How were you able to? What sort of monster are you?" Olivia gasped out, tears running down her cheeks.

"You planned this? Everything? The charges of fraud and embezzlement, were those of you two?” she asked again, taking in short quick breaths.

“Yes, darling,” James replied excitedly, “we did,” he continued, referring to himself and Sarah.

“I wasted two years of my life on you, finally I have the company, so I have no need of you,” he said snickering.

“Dear daughter, it feels good to finally see you this way,” Sarah said, with joy evident in her voice, “It was so infuriating watching you behave rich and all that, now all you have to do is die, at least I'll get back my rightful place as the owner of your father's company,” she concluded, snickering.

“But, what did I ever do to deserve this, James? I loved you. How about our baby? Save our baby at least,” Olivia winced as she pleaded, more from the sharp sting of betrayal than the throbbing pain that came from the knife stab wound.

“What baby? I don't need that, I already have what I need which is your company, plus, Ava is more enchanting, both in and out of bed ” he said with menacing laughter.

At the mention of Ava, Olivia's brows furrowed.

“For your information, I have always been in love with Ava. I only married you to get close to her and also to get your company. Now I have both, I don't need you anymore,’ James continued, nonchalantly sipping the glass of wine Sarah had passed him.

As James spoke, Olivia's eyes landed on her car keys that sat on a stool close to the sofa handle she held onto for support. As she had earlier removed her shoes when she heard the news, she painstakingly bent slightly and picked the keys making sure she did not attract the attention of the two traitors.

At that moment, Sarah decided to use the restroom, leaving her alone with James. Olivia mentally planned her escape, she recalled the news saying the authorities were coming to get her for questioning, so all she had to do was get in her car and drive towards the police station.

“Time's up for you honey,” James said as he moved towards Olivia with the intention of removing the knife from her body to fasten her death.

“You're a bastard, James,” Olivia said as she swung her keys across his face the moment he got close to her, a trickle of crimson seeping from her wound at the action, further staining the cream-coloured gown she had on, making her to grit her teeth in pain as she staggered to her car as swiftly as she could manage.

Olivia's eyes burned with strong purpose as she got into her car despite the immense pain she felt.

As she drove off, James quickly followed her in pursuit, the key marks forming a purple bruise on his cheek making him groan in frustration as he frantically fumbled with his keys, his heart pounding in his chest.

His car tires screeched against the asphalt as he drove out of the apartment he had shared with Olivia for the past one year. James ignored the furious honks from the other vehicles as he swerved through traffic, his knuckles white on the steering wheel, his eyes scanning the road ahead for any sign of Olivia's distinctive red Lexus NX.

As soon as he spotted her several lengths ahead, he quickly increased his speed, the grumble of the engine growing louder as he got closer to her car. James further increased his speed forcefully colliding with Olivia's car back bumper, filling the air with a terrible crunch of metal on metal.

Olivia's car jerked forward, her tires screeched as she fought to keep control of her car and as well stay conscious as she was close to losing consciousness. A massive truck blasted its horn to her left, its large reflection could be seen in her side mirror. Olivia quickly swerved the wheel to the right, narrowly avoiding the truck's way.

The sudden movement threw Olivia's car across lanes, a black Sedan, caught unaware, couldn't swerve in time, causing a deafening crash as the two vehicles collided with each other, a spray of shattered glass catching the setting sun like a shower of diamonds.

The world spun so fast as Olivia's car flipped, the sky and road trading places in a sickening blur. As the car skidded across the highway, metal shrieked against concrete, leaving a trail of broken glass behind it. When it finally stopped, upside down, there was a strange quiet that was broken only by the hiss of steam coming from the smashed engine.

James screeched to a halt, his own car forgotten as he watched from a distance.The acrid smell of burnt rubber and hot metal filled the air. Around him, other drivers were stopping, some reaching for their phones to call for help.

The world around Olivia became fuzzy as she lay on the concrete road, the smell of gasoline and smoke filled her nostrils as she remembered vividly the stark betrayal from her husband and stepmother.

As darkness started to creep in around the corners of her vision, Olivia prayed silently, “If there's a God out there, Help me, I pray thee. Give me a second chance to make them pay,” with silent tears streaming slowly from her closed eyelids, she pleaded desperately to the universe, to fate, to whoever was listening.

Olivia clung to that plea as she breathed her last.