After the Last Tear: Rising from the Ashes of a Broken Marriage Novel - Chapter 82

Gloria Ramirez fell hard for her dad's friend, Elijah Phillips-a man old enough to be her father. He'd commanded every room he walked into, his designer suits and athletic build drawing all eyes to him. She still remembered how he'd flashed that perfect smile, messed up her hair playfully, and gifted her that stunning evening gown.

At twenty, her world imploded. Someone slipped aphrodisiacs into his drink at a gala, and she'd made a choice that would haunt her-wearing that same gown, she offered herself as his salvation, her innocence lost in one reckless night.

The next morning, Jenna Wright-his childhood sweetheart-burst into the room to find them half-naked in bed, clothes scattered across the floor, the evidence of their night together unmistakable. Her face drained of color as she stumbled backward. She fled the mansion in tears, her Mercedes swerving wildly on the driveway. Before anyone could stop her, a truck with failed brakes plowed into her car at full speed. The impact was devastating-Jenna died instantly, her body still warm when the paramedics arrived.

After that, Elijah became someone else entirely. He handled Jenna's funeral like a business meeting, married Gloria like signing a contract, and treated their marriage bed like a chore. When she got pregnant, he'd coldly insist they weren't ready, dragging her to clinic after clinic.

During her eighteenth abortion, Gloria lay on the operating table, blood soaking through the sheets as the doctors rushed around her. Her vision blurred as she heard the surgeon urgently calling Elijah. She was hemorrhaging badly, worse than any of the previous times.