After my husband cheated, I sent myself to space
I nodded without hesitation. I'm sure.
Alright then. The cryo-pod is scheduled to launch into space in seven days. You'll be brought back and thawed only when medical technology advances enough to cure your terminal illness. We're looking at about fifty years.
The technician was jotting down my name when he suddenly froze.
"Wait... Your name is Angel Hayes?"
Everyone knew about Angel, the beloved wife of Lucas Shaw, Harborcrest's wealthiest man.
Ignoring his shocked expression, I gave another cool nod. "Yes. Let's get to the signing."
After ten years of marriage to Lucas Shaw, I thought I had it all. He treated me like a queen and showered me with affection every night, but we never had children.
The day I was diagnosed with a terminal illness, my perfect world shattered. I discovered he had another "family" with my sister—complete with a six-year-old son.
That was when the truth came out. He'd been secretly slipping birth control into my soup every single day.
All that love was just smoke and mirrors. It was time to wake up from this fairy tale.
After signing those papers, there was no way he would ever find me again in this vast city.
*****
I walked down the street clutching my terminal diagnosis papers while the Shaw Group's jewelry ad glowed on the billboard overhead.
"Mr. Shaw, we heard this diamond was your personal design, created to commemorate your love story with your wife. Is it true there's only one in existence?" asked the interviewer.
On screen, Lucas' face softened with tenderness. "That's right. I named it 'Angel's Heart'. It represents my wife's name and symbolizes her unique place in my heart."
The video went viral, with everyone gushing about Lucas' undying devotion to love.
But I was the only one who knew he was lying through his teeth.
I opened Twitter to see Esther Blake's latest post.
Esther: [Leon got to spend another day with Daddy at the amusement park today! The one he built just for me—I'm so blessed!]
She'd posted photos of herself and her son at Moonriver, the biggest amusement park in town. There she was, beaming at the camera, wearing an Angel's Heart ring on her finger—identical to the one on my hand.
The comments were brutal.
[This chick is so desperate to be Mrs. Shaw, she's even copying the ring? Everyone knows Mr. Shaw built Moonriver for his wife, Angel. Know your place!]
Esther fired back: [Angel? Please. That ring of hers is made from my leftover materials. She's nothing.]
My legs went weak. It felt like someone had their hand around my heart, squeezing until I couldn't breathe.
Esther and I were half-sisters. She kept her mom's last name, Blake. She'd only returned to the Hayes family five years ago, bringing along her eighteen-month-old son.
If I hadn't stumbled across her account a week ago, I never would have figured it out. That mysterious father of her son was actually my husband.
The winter wind cut through me like a knife, but it was nothing compared to the ice in my heart.
Lucas... who was the real woman in your heart—me, or my sister Esther?
When I got home, there was a small strawberry cake sitting on the table. Lucas was in the kitchen wearing an apron and cooking dinner. He smiled when he saw me come in.
"Heard the girls at the office talking about this place, so I grabbed you a slice too."
After ten years of marriage, he still tried to keep the romance alive, just like when we first started dating.
I stared at the slightly stale piece of cake, fighting back the bitter feeling rising in my chest.
In Esther's lovey-dovey post yesterday, there was a whole gorgeous cake.
Her caption read: [Our kid is already six, but hubby still knows how to make things special. Though this cake is way too big, I can't possibly finish it!]
Even with the heat cranked up all the way, I couldn't shake the chill that had settled into my bones.
Lucas came out with the soup, looking worried, when he noticed I hadn't touched the cake.
"Angel, you feeling okay?" He carefully blew on a spoonful of soup before holding it up to my lips. "You must've gotten so cold on your way back. I really should've picked you up, but work was crazy today."
There was a cutesy pin on his collar—obviously a freebie from the amusement park. My heart clenched painfully at the sight.
Looking at the bowl of soup laced with birth control, I lowered my eyes, my voice trembling. "Lucas, do I really have to drink this?"
Lucas' expression flickered with surprise, but he shut me down without missing a beat. "Of course you do. You're not exactly in top shape. This will help get your body back on track."
He placed his hand on my flat stomach, his voice going soft. "Come on, baby. Don't we both want a little one of our own?"
I bit my lip hard.
Anyone hearing this would think Lucas was the perfect, doting husband.
I used to believe it, too. I thought all his running around getting me medicine was actually about improving my health.
I clutched the medical report tighter in my hand as I swallowed the soup.
Lucas finally looked satisfied.
When his phone rang, he caught the caller ID and shot me a quick, shifty glance.
"Work call. Gotta take this. Make sure you finish your medicine, okay?"
He rushed to the balcony, but the glass door didn't quite shut. His voice drifted back through the gap.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to call when Angel's home!"
He paused for a beat before continuing, "Stop being so needy. I spent the last two nights at your place. Wasn't that enough?
"Fine, fine. I'll definitely make it to Leon's parent-child activity tomorrow."
I looked down at the poorly crafted ring on my finger and slowly pulled it off.
Then, I dumped every last drop of that soup in the trash... along with any love I had left for him.
The next morning, I got a call from the hospital.
"Ms. Hayes, you need to start chemotherapy as soon as possible. We can't delay treatment any longer. Should we notify Mr. Shaw?"
"No need," I replied flatly. "I'm choosing to stop treatment. Don't tell Lucas anything."
After hanging up, I checked my phone and saw Lucas' message from a few hours ago: [Headed to work. Don't forget breakfast. I'm getting off early tonight to celebrate your birthday with you.]
My eyes darkened.
Lucas could say whatever he wanted, but Esther's Twitter was already flooded with photos of him at some parent-child event.
Dinner time had come and gone. The food on the table was stone cold by the time Lucas finally showed up.
And, of course, Esther was right behind him, carrying Leon.
"Esther said it was your birthday and wanted to celebrate with you. Since we're all family, I figured I'd bring her along."
I just stared at him silently.
Back then, he used to hate having anyone else around on my birthday. He'd always wanted it to be just the two of us.
But I guess after spending so much time in someone else's arms, he couldn't even be bothered to pretend anymore.
Noticing my mood, Lucas began, "Angel..."
Before he could finish, Leon squirmed out of Esther's arms and kicked over the potted plant beside him.
The potted plant shattered across the floor, dirt and broken pieces scattering everywhere.
He stuck his tongue out at me with a nasty smirk. "You old hag! That's what you get for trying to steal my daddy!"
"What are you talking about?" I snapped, my voice cold.
Leon's face crumpled as he burst into loud, dramatic sobs.
Esther quickly scooped him up, giving me a wounded look. "Angel, he's just a little kid. He doesn't know any better. Please don't be mad. I'll apologize to him!"
She started to drop to her knees, but Lucas grabbed her arm to stop her, his brows furrowed. "Angel, come on. It's just a plant. I'll buy you a new one, okay? Don't be so hard on a kid."
Was it just a plant?
I stared at him in disbelief. He knew exactly what that plant meant to me. My mom had entrusted it to me on her deathbed. For ten years, I'd carefully tended to it, keeping a piece of her alive with me.
"Whatever," I said, my voice going flat. As I turned to head back to my room, I caught a flicker of panic across Lucas' face.
But he didn't follow me.
I let out a bitter laugh. What else was there to understand?
Esther slipped in front of me, deliberately tugging her collar aside to reveal the trail of hickeys across her skin.
"You know why Lucas missed your birthday today? He was at my son's parent-child event instead. Still think you're the one he loves most?"
Looking at her smug face made my blood boil. "Esther, I'm not interested in your nonsense," I said.
I tried to move past her into the house, but she grabbed my wrist.
"Leon is mine and Lucas' child. If you know what's good for you, you'll get out of this place right now."
My wrist hurt from her grip, but I kept my face blank. "You should tell that to Lucas. The moment he asks for a divorce, I'll be happy to let you two be together."
Esther's face darkened. "You're such a pathetic woman, desperately clinging to a man who doesn't even love you," she hissed.
"So what if you're his wife? Leon will be his only child forever. Any baby you try to have will die if I don't want it to exist."
She leaned in close to my ear, her voice chilling. "You want to know what really happened to your baby? Lucas gave you those pills because I told him to."
Her words hit me like a thunderbolt, making my head spin.
I'd suspected she was behind the birth control pills, but I never imagined Lucas would actually kill our baby for her.
Five years ago, I lost my four-month-old pregnancy without warning.
I cried for days, blaming myself for not taking better care of the baby.
Lucas seemed so heartbroken then. He stayed by my side constantly, taking me on trips to help me heal.
But now I knew the truth—it was all just guilt.
My chest felt unbearably tight like someone was squeezing my heart in a death grip.
Before I could even process what was happening, Esther grabbed my hand and used it to slap herself hard across the face.
Then, she burst into dramatic sobs. "Angel, please don't hit me! I'm sorry, I was wrong!"
Lucas came running into the room. When he saw the red mark on Esther's face, he shot me an icy glare. "Angel Hayes, when did you become so petty? She's your own sister!"
He didn't even give me a chance to explain. He just wrapped his arm around Esther and walked out without looking back.
As they left, Esther turned her head to give me one last look—a mix of triumph and mockery in her eyes.
I tasted iron in my throat and then violently coughed up blood before everything went black.
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying in the research facility.
"Ms. Hayes, we were trying to reach you for your pre-freezing checkup. When our staff couldn't contact you and found you unconscious at home, we took the liberty of bringing you back here."
It was ironic. On my birthday, my husband of ten years left me for dead. Yet here I was, saved by a research facility I was only connected to through a piece of paper.
"Ms. Hayes, your condition is critical. We'll need to start the cryogenic process sooner than planned."
I realized I had breathing tubes in my nose and bandages wrapped around my hands. Closing my eyes briefly, I asked in a raspy voice, "How long do I have?"
"One day left."
"I have unfinished business." I pulled off the breathing mask and got out of bed, ignoring the searing pain in my organs. "I'll be back tomorrow night, on time."
The staff exchanged glances before nodding sympathetically. "Going to say goodbye to Mr. Shaw? You must still care about him."
"No." My voice turned ice cold. "I'm going to divorce him."
Even if I was about to leave, I didn't want my future life to have any connection to Lucas.
I hailed a cab, and when my phone screen lit up, I realized I'd been out cold for two whole days.
The real kicker was that Lucas hadn't sent me a single message.
Meanwhile, Esther was living it up on social media. One day, it was a fancy restaurant. The next it was some luxury hotel.
I ignored all the notifications and headed to the law office, where they told me the divorce papers wouldn't be ready until tomorrow.
When I got home, Lucas was waiting to tear into me, just like I knew he would.
"Where have you been for the past two days? You couldn't even reply to messages? Was it really that hard to just apologize to Esther?"
I just stared at him, saying nothing.
I'd been MIA for two days, and instead of worrying about my safety, his first words were about Esther.
After ten years of marriage, I'd never felt like I was looking at a stranger until now.
He glanced down, finally noticing my pale face and the bandages wrapped around my hand.
Lucas' expression flickered. "What happened to you?"
I made up some excuse. "Got dizzy from low blood sugar that night, took a fall."
Guilt flashed across his face, and his tone finally softened. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Not necessary," I said flatly.
Lucas' shoulders tensed up, but I just walked past him into the house.
While searching through my room for the documents needed for tomorrow night's cryogenic process, my eyes landed on a small box sitting on the nightstand.
Inside was a necklace—Lucas' wedding gift to me. He'd bought the naming rights to a star and had a gemstone custom-made to match its shape, meant to be our symbol of love.
The memory made me space out for a moment.
When they sent me up into space, I guessed that star would be my only companion.
But as I picked up the box, something felt off. The weight was wrong. Opening it confirmed my suspicions—the necklace was gone.
My heart went cold.
It was here just days ago. There was no way it just disappeared while I was away. This wasn't some random coincidence.
Right then, Lucas knocked on the door. "Made you some soup. Come have it while it's hot."
His expression softened when he saw me holding the box, and he moved to wrap his arms around me.
I pressed my lips together and tossed the empty box onto the bed.
The hollow sound made Lucas freeze. "It's okay, Angel," he said weakly. "I'll get you another necklace in a few days."
I felt nothing but disgust. Pushing him away, I walked straight to the living room.
Ignoring the steaming soup on the table, I grabbed some random pastries from the fridge to fill my stomach.
Lucas lingered behind me, obviously wanting to say something but holding back. Then came a knock at the door.
He changed course to answer it, but the moment he opened the door, he slammed it shut just as quickly, like he was trying to hide something.
I pulled up my phone and checked the video doorbell feed. Sure enough, there was Esther's face on the screen, wearing that necklace around her neck.
My eyes narrowed.
"I told you to stop messing with Angel's stuff. Give that necklace back right now!" Lucas hissed.
"We've already hooked up in her bed. Why are you getting worked up over some cheap necklace?"
"Keep your voice down! What if Angel hears you?"
"Wouldn't that make it even more exciting? Hey Lucas, wanna see what I'm wearing underneath?"
She let her strap fall, revealing lingerie underneath as she leaned in close to Lucas' ear, her breath hot against his skin.
Lucas' serious expression melted away instantly. He grabbed her waist hard and kissed her.
The room started spinning around me, my insides twisting with pain. But nothing could compare to the ache in my heart.
I stumbled to my study and locked the door behind me, covering my ears to block out everything happening outside.
?
When I woke up, it was already past noon. My head felt foggy, and I could barely breathe—my condition was getting worse.
The research facility wasn't lying—my time really is running out.
Lucas made me breakfast himself, probably feeling guilty after finding my room empty last night and the study door locked.
He made me some oatmeal and asked, "Haven't you been sleeping well lately? It's not like you to sleep in this late."
My throat felt like rusty metal as I croaked out. "It's nothing, just having some trouble sleeping."
Lucas nodded. "I'll get you some medicine tonight."
I stayed quiet, but he kept going, his voice careful and testing the waters.
"Something urgent came up at work yesterday. That's why I got back so late."
When I didn't react, Lucas let out a tiny breath of relief.
My stomach was still in knots, so I only managed a couple of sips before trying to get up. That was when he spoke again.
"Angel, I cleared my schedule today. Want to go for a drive around town?"
I looked up at him, memories flooding back.
Harborcrest's weather was perfect year-round, and back when we were dating, Lucas and I loved nothing more than cruising around the city together.
I was about to shake my head, but he'd already grabbed his jacket and was pulling me toward the underground parking garage, not taking no for an answer.
Whatever, I might as well take one last look at the city before I go.
Lucas held my hand tight as he helped me into the passenger seat, leaning down to carefully buckle my seatbelt.
To anyone watching, he'd look like the perfect, attentive husband.
But then I glanced down and spotted a bright red lipstick on the seat cushion.
Lucas' face went pale for a second as he quickly snatched it up and tossed it aside.
"Must be Esther's from when I drove her to the hospital the other day. I'll have her pick it up later."
I didn't bother arguing. I just rolled down the window to let the breeze hit my face, which actually made me feel a bit better.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Lucas pushed two gift boxes toward me.
"I found the necklace, and the other box is to make up for your birthday gift."
When I didn't move, he tilted his chin. "Want to open them?"
I let out a sigh, ignoring the box with the necklace and casually opening Lucas' gift instead.
Inside lay an exquisite emerald pendant, small and delicate. It was beautiful.
I might have actually loved it if I hadn't seen the exact same one hanging around Leon's neck before.
The fact he'd give such an inappropriate gift made it obvious who put him up to this.
I picked up the emerald pendant, feeling its substantial weight in my hand. This definitely wasn't cheap.
His brow relaxed at this sight. "I'm glad you like it, Angel. We'll definitely have an adorable baby together someday."
Before he could finish speaking, I raised my hand and hurled the pendant out the window.
A truck roared past, crushing it to dust.
Lucas' face turned ashen. "What are you doing?"
"I don't like secondhand things," I said coldly.
And I wasn't just talking about the pendant.
Lucas caught my meaning, instantly becoming flustered. "Angel, there must be some misunderstanding."
"What misunderstanding?" I scoffed. "Lucas, you know exactly how disgusting your actions are."
Lucas pressed his lips together. "Angel, let me explain."
His phone suddenly rang, cutting him off. It was Esther.
"Lucas, Leon got food poisoning. He's throwing up everywhere. You need to take him to the hospital right now!"
The woman's voice on the other end was frantic, almost crying.
Lucas' expression changed instantly as he pulled over to the side of the road.
"Angel, take a cab home. I'll explain everything when I get back tonight." He rushed out those words before speeding away.
Night had completely fallen. I looked up at the sky and let out a bitter laugh. If he'd just driven a little further, he would've seen I was heading to the law firm.
I picked up the divorce papers alone, signed them, and left them on the table. After forwarding Esther's Twitter profile to Lucas, I hopped on the cab to the research facility.
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