Till Death Do Us Part... Or I Do - Chapter 1: Chapter 1

They say the Jefferson women are cursed. Cross one of us, and you'll either end up dead or wishing you were.
The men in this city know better than to get involved—they steer clear of the drama, the heartache, the bad luck.
But Louis Anderson? He never cared about superstitions. My childhood friend, the one who ignored every warning from his family, who looked me dead in the eye and said, "Elise Jefferson, I'm not afraid of any curse. I'll never betray you."
I believed him. I married him. I thought love was stronger than some old family legend.
Five years later, his first love, Nicole, came back.
And just like that, everything fell apart.
We fought constantly—mostly about his sudden insistence on a child-free marriage. Funny how that rule didn't apply to her. When I found out Nicole was pregnant, I knew what I had to do.
I filed for divorce.
Louis just laughed, tearing the papers to shreds. "You really think I believe in your family's curse?" he sneered. "You can't kill me, Elise."
As if to prove how little he feared me, people started betting—right in front of me—on whether he'd be the one suffering in seven days, or if I'd be the one begging for him back.
I didn't argue. I grabbed my bags and walked out.
I'd given him a chance to live.
He threw it away.
Elise's POV
I barely made it past the front gate before Louis's men dragged me back inside.
"Elise," he said, voice dripping with condescension, "once you're an Anderson, you stay an Anderson. Where do you think you're going?"
Then, like it was nothing, he added, "Nicole's staying with us while she recovers. She's not used to strangers, so you'll take care of her."
I stared at him, cold amusement curling my lips. "Aren't you afraid I'll hurt her baby?"
The wine glass in his hand shattered against my face before I even finished speaking.
"You dare threaten me?" Louis hissed. "Know your place. And don't forget—your mother's still alive because of my family's medicine."
My fists clenched, trembling with fury. Blood and wine dripped down my cheek.
Funny how he forgot—she was the one who took the hit meant for him. The one left broken, comatose, because of his mistakes.
Nicole fluttered over with a handkerchief, her voice sickly sweet. "Elise, it was just an accident. Once the baby's born, I'll leave. I won't come between you and Louis."
She pressed the cloth to my cut—hard. I jerked back.
Then, like some bad melodrama, she fell.
Gasps erupted as she hit the floor, hands sliced open on broken glass.
Louis shoved me so hard I skidded across the room. "You dare hurt her in front of me?" he roared. "Get on your knees and apologize. Now. Or I'll rip your mother's oxygen tube out myself."
I coughed, blood staining my lips—but I laughed. "I'll kneel, Louis. But I don't know if she—or that baby—will survive it."
Nicole's eyes flickered with unease.
"Louis, forget it," she whispered, playing the saint. "She's still your wife. Think of the gossip."
He softened—for her. "You're too kind. Some people don't deserve it."
As the doctor rushed in, Louis scooped Nicole up. But before leaving, he paused.
"Lock her in the confinement room. She doesn't leave unless I say so."
I lifted my head, voice quiet but sharp. "You'll regret this."
He smirked. "Ah, right. The curse." Leaning in, he whispered, "Let me make one thing clear, Elise—I'm not scared of you."
I smiled.
You should be.