---- Chapter 10 Eliza Todd POV: Kamala gave birth to a healthy baby boy that night. And Dante, finally, signed the divorce papers. Walking out of the courthouse, | breathed in the free air, a real, genuine smile on my face for the first time in what felt like a lifetime. "Eliza." His voice stopped me. He looked older, defeated. "Was it worth it?" he asked, his eyes searching my face. "Was he the reason?" "| met Jace the night you left me bleeding on our apartment floor, Dante," | said, my voice cold and clear. "He was my neighbor. He was a kind stranger who helped me when my own husband was too busy climbing the social ladder to care. That's all." | looked him up and down, this man who had become a stranger to me. "But you and Kamala... you were colleagues. Friends. Confidantes. You built your entire campaign, your entire future, on my back, all while you were emotionally and financially supporting her. So you tell me, Dante. Was she ---- worth it?" | didn't wait for an answer. | got into Jace's waiting car and didn't look back. A year passed. A year of peace, of healing, of falling slowly and beautifully in love with a man who saw me, truly saw me, for who | was. On the anniversary of my divorce, | found out | was pregnant. This time, there were no complications. No stress. Just joy. At a routine check-up, | saw him. Dante was in the hospital lobby, looking even more haggard than the last time I' d seen him. His clothes were rumpled, and there was a dark stain that looked disturbingly like dried blood on his sleeve. He was pacing frantically behind a gurney being wheeled towards the emergency room. On the gurney was Kamala. She was clutching her head, moaning in pain, her face swollen and bruised. | couldn't help it. | was curious. | asked a nurse | knew from my frequent visits what had happened. Her eyes widened with gossip. "Oh, honey, you haven't heard? It's the talk of the town." She told me everything. Dante's company had officially gone bankrupt. Kamala, who had married him weeks after our divorce was finalized, couldn't handle being married to a ---- failure. She had filed for divorce, demanding a massive settlement. Dante and his mother fought her for custody of the baby, their precious male heir. That's when the bomb dropped. "She told them right there in court," the nurse said, her voice a hushed whisper. "In front of the judge and everyone. She stood up and said, 'You can't have him, because he's not your son, Dante.' The nurse shook her head in disgust. "Turns out, she used a different donor. Never told him. He's been raising another man's child for a year. He lost his business, his wife, and the son he thought was his, all in the same week." The scene at the gallery a year ago flashed in my mind. Kamala, tripping and falling. Her convenient, dramatic early labor. It hadn't been an accident. She had done it on purpose. She was so terrified of her plagiarism being exposed that she created a medical emergency to get out of it, to gain sympathy, to secure her hooks in Dante. She had risked her own child's life to win a game. "So what happened today?" | asked. "He finally snapped," the nurse said. "Found out she's been cheating on him with the baby's biological father. They got into a huge fight. She says he pushed her down the stairs." The nurse lowered her voice even more. "But some of us think ---- she might've thrown herself, just to get him arrested. She's done it before, you know." | just nodded, a slow, cold understanding dawning on me. Kamala Wong had never loved Dante. She had despised him, probably since they were rivals in college. This was never a love affair. It was a long, calculated game of revenge. She had systematically dismantled his life, piece by piece, taking his career, his money, his heart, and his heir, leaving him with nothing but ruins And she had used me, my love for him, as one of her most effective weapons. Jace came up behind me then, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his hand on my small, swelling belly. "Everything okay?" | looked at the chaotic scene across the lobby-Dante, broken and yelling at a police officer; Kamala, wailing for doctors-and then | looked at the calm, steady man beside me. The man who had shown me what real love, real support, looked like. | turned in his arms, away from the wreckage of my past, and placed my hand over his. "Everything," | said, a genuine smile spreading across my face, "is perfect." In "A Relationship Kept in The Dark" by CrushReel, the storyline unfolds as renowned photographer Jane finds herself drawn to the charismatic rookie model, Hector. Little does she know that Hector harbors a secret—he is actually the heir to a powerful business empire. As their romance blossoms, Hector grapples with concealing his true identity to capture Jane's heart. However, their love story takes a tumultuous turn when jealousy rears its ugly head, threatening to unravel the delicate balance they've built. This modern romance novel delves into themes of hidden identities, unexpected love, and the complexities of maintaining a relationship shrouded in secrecy. With its blend of sweet romance and suspenseful twists, "A Relationship Kept in The Dark" stands out for its exploration of hidden feelings and the consequences of revealing long-held secrets. For readers seeking a captivating tale that combines elements of romance, intrigue, and emotional depth, this ongoing story is available to read at CrushReel. Immerse yourself in the world of Jane and Hector as their journey unfolds against the backdrop of hidden truths and heartfelt revelations.