Please Come Back, My Love

Three years into our loveless marriage: "Julian... what would you do if I got pregnant?" I asked, clinging to a foolish hope. He thrust hard, his release hot between my thighs. "You? Bear my heir?" His laugh was ice-cold. "A maid's daughter could never be worthy of Sterling blood." --- I'm Elena—the maid's daughter who dared to love Julian Sterling. He's the ruthless heir who married me for revenge. "You're nothing but a gold-digging whore,"* he whispered. *"Did you really think I'd ever love someone like you?” He used me. Broke me. Made me beg for scraps while he paraded his first love through our home. That night, I stood on the bridge, staring at the dark water below. I'd lost everything. My mother. My dignity. My will to fight. --- Five years later, in a crowded shopping mall: My daughter tugs at a stranger's sleeve. "Mister, will you help me find my mommy? I got lost." The man freezes, staring down at her. "What's your name, sweetheart?" His voice sounds broken. "Lila! What's yours, uncle?" "Julian." Minutes later, he's walking toward me with my daughter's hand in his, his face drained of all color. "Elena." My name on his lips sounds like agony. Before I can respond, he's crossed the distance between us. His arms wrap around me with desperate strength. "God, you're alive. I thought—" His voice cracks. "I'm so sorry—" He leans down, his lips seeking mine. My hand moves on instinct. The slap echoes through the mall. "Excuse me?" I step back, ice-cold, pulling Lila behind me. "Please control yourself, sir. Do we even know each other?"