From Burning Bride to Runaway Wife - Chapter 1: Chapter 1
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Justin Stokes tried to kill himself for his dream girl—again—for the seventh damn time. And like an idiot, I gave up a kidney to save him.
After he got out of the hospital, he did a complete 180. Suddenly, I was his queen. No more talk of divorce, just endless affection—like I actually mattered to him.
And I fell for it. Finally, I thought. After everything, he sees me. He wants me. A year later, I was glowing, waiting for our baby to arrive.
Then, the moment I went into labor, Justin locked me in the house and set it on fire.
"Who cares about your damn kidney? You make me sick! You ruined me and Leah, and I'll never forgive you!"
Turns out, it was all a sick joke. He never loved me. Never wanted me. He just made me believe in a dream before dragging me straight to hell.
The pain swallowed me whole. And in those last moments, as everything faded, so did the last shred of love I had left for him.
Then—
I woke up.
My waist throbbed. My breath hitched. My eyes flew open.
I was back. Reborn. Right to the day I'd given my kidney to Justin.
My heart pounded. I knew exactly how this played out last time. Justin had staged that "accident," gambling with his life just to force his parents into letting him marry Leah.
And like a fool, I'd saved him. He had to let her go and come home, but he never forgave me for it. In the end, he wanted me dead.
Not this time.
Without hesitation, I grabbed my phone, sent Leah's location, ripped off my hospital gown, and caught a taxi home.
Two hours later, my phone rang. Monica, Justin's mother, sounded frantic. "Come to the hospital! Hurry!"
I already knew what I'd find.
Sure enough, when I got there, Leah was kneeling weakly in front of Francis and Monica, dressed in the hospital gown I'd thrown away—playing the part of the tragic, selfless savior.
"Mr. and Mrs. Stokes, I only donated my kidney to Justin to save his life. I never wanted to replace Lara," she said softly, her voice trembling just enough to sound pure.
Justin, lying pale on the hospital bed, ate it up. His eyes reddened as he gritted his teeth.
"I've told you—Leah is the love of my life," he rasped. "Now she's given up a kidney for me. How could I ever let her down?"
His breathing turned ragged, frustration boiling over. "This is the seventh time I've tried to kill myself. If you don't let me divorce Lara, I'll do it an eighth time. A ninth. Either let me go or let me die!"
And then his gaze landed on me.
The second he saw me standing there, his face twisted with rage. Before I could react, his hand shot to the bedside table—
A vase came flying at my head.
I barely flinched before it smashed into my forehead.
Pain exploded, sharp and blinding. Blood trickled down my face as the room spun. I staggered but forced myself to stay upright.
"Lara!" Monica rushed to me, grabbing my arm just as Francis stormed over to Justin. The slap that followed was loud enough to silence the room.
"You ungrateful little brat!" Francis roared. "Lara just saved your damn life, and this is how you repay her?"
Monica pressed a tissue to my forehead, her voice trembling. "Lara, sweetheart, are you okay? Justin was just upset. Don't be scared—we'll make this right."
I let out a slow breath.
They'd told me the same thing in my last life. Over and over. That if I just stayed, if I just endured, Justin would come around. That if I loved him enough, he'd love me back.
And I'd believed them. I'd given him everything. And for what? A year of empty affection before he locked me in a burning house and watched me die?
Even after I gave him my kidney, he still hated me.
Not this time.
"Justin," I said, my voice steady despite the pounding in my skull. "I've thought it through. Let's get a divorce."
Silence.
For a second, he just stared at me, like he couldn't believe what he'd heard. Then—a low, bitter laugh.
"Lara, come on," he scoffed. "You've spent years chasing me, doing everything to keep this marriage together. Now you expect me to believe you're just gonna walk away?"
Monica tightened her grip on my arm, worry flashing in her eyes. Then, as if realizing something, she pressed her palm to my forehead.
After he got out of the hospital, he did a complete 180. Suddenly, I was his queen. No more talk of divorce, just endless affection—like I actually mattered to him.
And I fell for it. Finally, I thought. After everything, he sees me. He wants me. A year later, I was glowing, waiting for our baby to arrive.
Then, the moment I went into labor, Justin locked me in the house and set it on fire.
"Who cares about your damn kidney? You make me sick! You ruined me and Leah, and I'll never forgive you!"
Turns out, it was all a sick joke. He never loved me. Never wanted me. He just made me believe in a dream before dragging me straight to hell.
The pain swallowed me whole. And in those last moments, as everything faded, so did the last shred of love I had left for him.
Then—
I woke up.
My waist throbbed. My breath hitched. My eyes flew open.
I was back. Reborn. Right to the day I'd given my kidney to Justin.
My heart pounded. I knew exactly how this played out last time. Justin had staged that "accident," gambling with his life just to force his parents into letting him marry Leah.
And like a fool, I'd saved him. He had to let her go and come home, but he never forgave me for it. In the end, he wanted me dead.
Not this time.
Without hesitation, I grabbed my phone, sent Leah's location, ripped off my hospital gown, and caught a taxi home.
Two hours later, my phone rang. Monica, Justin's mother, sounded frantic. "Come to the hospital! Hurry!"
I already knew what I'd find.
Sure enough, when I got there, Leah was kneeling weakly in front of Francis and Monica, dressed in the hospital gown I'd thrown away—playing the part of the tragic, selfless savior.
"Mr. and Mrs. Stokes, I only donated my kidney to Justin to save his life. I never wanted to replace Lara," she said softly, her voice trembling just enough to sound pure.
Justin, lying pale on the hospital bed, ate it up. His eyes reddened as he gritted his teeth.
"I've told you—Leah is the love of my life," he rasped. "Now she's given up a kidney for me. How could I ever let her down?"
His breathing turned ragged, frustration boiling over. "This is the seventh time I've tried to kill myself. If you don't let me divorce Lara, I'll do it an eighth time. A ninth. Either let me go or let me die!"
And then his gaze landed on me.
The second he saw me standing there, his face twisted with rage. Before I could react, his hand shot to the bedside table—
A vase came flying at my head.
I barely flinched before it smashed into my forehead.
Pain exploded, sharp and blinding. Blood trickled down my face as the room spun. I staggered but forced myself to stay upright.
"Lara!" Monica rushed to me, grabbing my arm just as Francis stormed over to Justin. The slap that followed was loud enough to silence the room.
"You ungrateful little brat!" Francis roared. "Lara just saved your damn life, and this is how you repay her?"
Monica pressed a tissue to my forehead, her voice trembling. "Lara, sweetheart, are you okay? Justin was just upset. Don't be scared—we'll make this right."
I let out a slow breath.
They'd told me the same thing in my last life. Over and over. That if I just stayed, if I just endured, Justin would come around. That if I loved him enough, he'd love me back.
And I'd believed them. I'd given him everything. And for what? A year of empty affection before he locked me in a burning house and watched me die?
Even after I gave him my kidney, he still hated me.
Not this time.
"Justin," I said, my voice steady despite the pounding in my skull. "I've thought it through. Let's get a divorce."
Silence.
For a second, he just stared at me, like he couldn't believe what he'd heard. Then—a low, bitter laugh.
"Lara, come on," he scoffed. "You've spent years chasing me, doing everything to keep this marriage together. Now you expect me to believe you're just gonna walk away?"
Monica tightened her grip on my arm, worry flashing in her eyes. Then, as if realizing something, she pressed her palm to my forehead.
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