Another Chance At Life

Mira's POV

Pain.

That was all I felt standing outside the hospital room. Fingers curled around the door handle that I never got to actually turn. My vision blurred as I stared at the two familiar figures tangled in each other's arms from the crack in the door.

Dante. My love and husband.

With my sister, Camila.

I stared in disbelief, wondering if this was the result of all the years I spent waiting. Waiting for Dante to see me. Waiting for him to choose me. Three agonizing years of marriage and I got this.

“When do you plan on marrying me, Dante?” Camila's voice rang out again. Soft and sweet. Nothing like the tone she used with others. “I've been patient for so long. You promised to divorce Mira.”

He went as far as promising?

My hand fell away from the door handle. I told myself to walk away, not sure I was ready to hear whatever came next.

I wasn't.

Dante, who had fallen silent after her question, pulled Camila close. Before I could process what was happening, his lips met hers in a passionate kiss. Dante, who had informed me on the day of our wedding that he despised the act of swapping saliva with someone else, was willingly kissing Camila.

Looking back now, I realized how stupid I was for believing that.

As I took in their betrayal, my stomach twisted in the most painful way imaginable. I always knew Dante didn't love me, he made that quite clear, but I foolishly held on to the belief that he would come around with time.

But how could he, when he was busy running around with my sister.

Nausea rose in my throat as I tried and failed to digest the image in front of me. Tears ran down my cheeks and a strangled sob escaped me.

Just then, Camila lifted her eyes. Her sharp gaze locked onto mine, but contrary to my expectation, she didn't break away from the kiss, she didn't even look alarmed. Instead she pulled Dante closer and moaned louder.

There was no guilt or remorse as she stared back at me, just triumph.

I pressed a trembling hand over my mouth and rushed back to my own hospital room with unsteady steps. I barely reached the bathroom in time.

Hunched over the bowel, I emptied the contents of my stomach, my throat burning as I retched. When it passed, I sat on the cold tiles with my back against the wall and my knees pulled to my chest.

Then I let it all out, ignoring the fact that I was rubbing against the cool porcelain that I normally wouldn't touch. I cried till my eyes were red and puffy, my hand drifting down until my palm was flat against my belly.

My fingers spread wide, over the small, barely-there curve that I barely paid mind to until earlier today when the doctor informed me of my pregnancy.

That was why I'd gone to Camila's room in the first place. To find Dante. To tell him we were going to have a baby.

I laughed at how ridiculous it all seemed now, it came out broken, almost unrecognizable.

Earlier today, Camila and I had been in a minor car accident on the way into the city. It was nothing serious, just a fender bender but we did get bruised up a bit. The hospital visit was just routine. Except the doctor noticed something and minutes later after a brief check, he told me I was pregnant.

My first thought then had been to inform Dante.

I'd imagined him being overjoyed then pulling me close for a hug. I had hoped that this news would bring change, that from then on we were going to be okay. I'd held onto that thought the whole walk down the corridor.

The nurses told me he'd gone to room 201, Camila's room, because of course he'd gone straight to her, and that's how I saw what I did.

It broke me because I'd loved Dante since I was fifteen years old. I knew how that made me look. Naive, foolish even. But my feelings for Dante were the only thing I could make sense of when I'd just been uprooted from the only life I knew and dropped into the Laurent household as their biological daughter.

I still remember the look on Camila's face the day I walked in.

She'd made my life difficult ever since. Scheming and plotting to get me on everyone's bad side and covert everything that belonged to me. Everyone was cautious around her, especially my parents, always choosing Camila's comfort over the truth.

Dante had been different.

He had been cold, yes. Distant, yes. But he was mine according to the arrangement our families had put in place long before either of us had been born.

How stupid I was to believe I could get my happy ending with Dante.

I sat on the bathroom floor with tear tracks drying on my cheeks. The ache in my chest had reduced to a dull thrum so I washed my face, rinsed my mouth and exited the bathroom.

At the same moment, Camila strode into my room with a bright smile. Looking every bit happy with herself.

“How did you like the show, dear sister?” she asked. “I'm glad you know everything now, I wouldn't have to run around in secret.”

I sighed, completely drained of all energy and in no mood to have a conversation with anyone, especially her.

She smiled.

“Don't be like that, you should have known.” she cooed. “Dante has always loved me. You… were just in the way. Anyways you found out at the perfect time. I came here to inform you to prepare for a divorce because I'm carrying his child.”

Wait what?

My eyes drifted to her stomach in disbelief. She was pregnant?

Camila's hand trailed down stroking her belly triumphantly and she let out a soft taunting laugh as she took in my expression.

“I hope you understand.”

“Mum and Dad will never approve of this.” I said as the bitterness clawed at me.

"Don't worry about that, Mira, mom and dad already know," she retorted. "Actually, everyone knows. And none of them will ever stop me from getting what I want."

I was stunned speechless because the fact that everyone knew and I was the only clueless one was something I couldn't wrap my head around. I stumbled back, gripping the side table as my world tilted. I turned to the report on the table at the other end of the room.

Camila followed my gaze and soon she was picking up the pregnancy report, flipping through the pages. Her gaze dropped to my belly and her expression darkened.

"What on earth is this?"

“Nothing.” I said, shaking my head. "Give that…"

I stepped closer, reaching for the file but she took a step back. “You're pregnant too?”

“Camila… hand that over.” I groaned, reaching forward again but this time, she shoved me.

It wasn't very hard, but I wasn't expecting it.

Plus I was already weak from all the crying and stress of the day, so the push was just enough to disrupt my balance. Soon I was falling, and then the back of my head connected with the metallic edge of the bed stand and next the floor.

The sound it made was unlike anything I'd ever heard before. Soon, wet, warm liquid was spreading beneath my hair.

My vision blurred and for a moment all I could see was the bright white light on the ceiling above me. The sound of the door opening pulled me out of my daze, followed by hurried footsteps.

Then Dante's face appeared above me. He looked pale, jaw tight, his eyes wide in panic. His mouth was moving, but I couldn't hear anything.

Slowly, my consciousness slipped and darkness consumed me. It felt peaceful and quiet. All the pain and pressure I'd been feeling gradually dissipated, leaving me feeling weightless.

Was this what death felt like?

Before I could get accustomed to the quiet, everything shifted and I could suddenly hear distant chatter and laughter.

I forced my eyes open with great difficulty only to find myself in a very familiar room. My old room before the fire.

I sat up slowly in confusion and scanned my surroundings, reaching for the back of my head but there was nothing there. No injury.

I picked up the calendar positioned on the side table by my bed, curious as to how long I'd been out for. The information on it didn't seem accurate so I picked up my phone, it was also different, an older model I'd used before.

I checked the date on that and I was sure something was seriously wrong because why on earth was I seeing 30th June, 2019.

That was three years ago.

What the hell was going on?