Read From Betrayal to Brilliance: Her Rise to a New Life

CHAPTER ONE

Chapter 1 My Husband Has Another Wife

Athena Hall stood in the kitchen, carefully arranging the last dish on the table. She adjusted the silverware, made sure the candles were lit, and glanced at the clock once more.…

Athena Hall stood in the kitchen, carefully arranging the last dish on the table. She adjusted the silverware, made sure the candles were lit, and glanced at the clock once more. Her heart fluttered a little with excitement, but also with a tinge of anxiety. Lewis Belmont, her husband, was supposed to pick up their son, Dion, from his mother Bridget's place. Athena had been looking forward to this day, imagining how nice it would be to finally have them all together, just the three of them, to celebrate her birthday like a normal family. It had been far too long since they had a night like this. When everything was finally ready, her phone rang. "I'm working late. Not coming home," Lewis said, completely flat. "Lewis, today is my—" The line went dead before she could finish. She stared at the phone, the beeping tone drilling into her ears as something heavy settled in her chest. She had only wanted him to know it was her birthday. One night. She just needed him for one night after he'd already worked six days straight. Then the world exploded. A deafening blast shook the entire building. The lights went out. Heat slammed into her. She hit the floor and pain shot up her leg as a cabinet came crashing down on her shin. Flames crawled up the walls, smoke thickening so fast she could hardly breathe. Athena clawed for her phone and dialed Lewis. "The number you have reached is unavailable. Please try again later." Why wasn't he picking up... By some miracle, firefighters dragged her out alive. She later learned the explosion had come from a gas leak downstairs. Her leg was broken, and she had burns across her body. As medics lifted her toward the ambulance, she heard someone shouting in panic: "My wife is hurt! Get her in the ambulance right now!" She froze. That… was Lewis. Wasn't he supposed to be at work? Through the smoke and pain, Athena forced herself up just enough to see him—frantic, shouting at the medics… with a woman in his arms. He held her like she was the most precious thing in the world. Eight years of marriage, and Athena had never seen him panic like that. Beside him, little Dion cried as he clung to the woman, sobbing, "Please help my mom! She's hurt!" One medic said calmly, "Sir, we have to prioritize the most critical patient. This lady is in danger. She needs to go first." "Lewis… it hurts…" the woman whimpered, burying her face in his chest. Lewis's expression twisted. "No one is more important than my wife!" But he wasn't looking at Athena when he said it. Dion's cries grew louder. "Please help my mom! Don't be scared, Mom—we're almost at the hospital!" A second medic stepped in. “Mr. Belmont, we'll get you arranged. Which floor are you on?" "Building Ten. Twenty-eighth floor." "And the injured lady here is from the twentieth floor, right below you. Can the two of you ride together to the hospital?" Athena's blood turned to ice. He had another home. Another life. Just eight floors above her—and her son was calling another woman "Mom." As if they were a real family. Athena pushed herself off the stretcher, wincing as pain shot through her body. She looked at the three of them—Lewis, Dion, and the woman he held—and her voice came out like ice. "Forget it. Give them the ambulance." Lewis and Dion both turned, stunned. They hadn't even realized she was the one in the ambulance. Athena finally saw the woman's face clearly. Nina Green. The maid's daughter. Years ago, Lewis's parents had forced them apart because she came from a poor background. After they broke up, he met Athena… and married her. Lewis's expression hardened. After a long pause, he said, "Nina's hurt. I'll explain later." And without sparing Athena a single glance, he carried Nina into the ambulance. Dion looked back at Athena once—hesitating for the briefest second—then followed them without a word. … Half an hour later, Athena was in the hospital when she overheard nurses whispering. Apparently Nina only had a few scratches, yet Lewis acted like she was dying. He'd pulled an ER doctor straight from a critical patient and demanded he treat Nina first. The nurses giggled about how lucky Nina was—to have a man so devoted. Athena looked down at her cast, a bitter smile twisting her lips. First her hand, now her leg. Her whole life was breaking. She wheeled herself down the hall, searching for Lewis and Dion. But when she passed an open door, voices inside made her stop cold. "Athena's in the hospital too," Nina said softly. "Aren't you going to check on her?" Lewis's voice was low and cold. "Nina, you're Dion's real mother. No one is more important than you. Years ago, I made sure Athena's daughter would never live—so she could raise yours instead. My Nina is a princess. You deserve a carefree life. Athena's just a little injured. You're the one who matters." Nina's sweet laugh floated out. "Lewis, I love you." Athena felt something tear inside her. Her fingers dug into the armrests of her wheelchair until her nails bent backward. Dion isn't my child! Lewis killed my baby! My daughter—she's your daughter too, Lewis! How could you... All those sleepless nights she'd spent rocking Dion to sleep. Every scraped knee she'd tended. Every birthday she'd celebrated with him. Every moment she'd loved him with her whole heart— He'd never been hers. For eight years, she'd been nothing more than a nanny. A stand-in for the woman Lewis truly loved. She didn't remember how she got back to her hospital room. She lay on the bed, numb, hollow, barely breathing. My daughter. My little girl. I never even got to see you. The door opened. Lewis walked in, expression blank. "I just finished everything and came to check on you." Athena let out a soft, humorless laugh. "You should be checking on Nina, not me." Lewis frowned, annoyed. "Athena, what's with you? I brought Nina here, that's it. Why are you being so dramatic? I treat her like a sister. Why are you jealous?" Sister? The same "sister" you had a baby with. How disgusting. Right then, Dion burst in. He had overheard enough. His small face twisted with anger as he glared at Athena. "Mom, why are you fighting with Dad? Nina is my godmother! Dad didn't do anything wrong—you're the one being mean! How dare you get mad at him?" To him, Athena was the problem. "Of course I don't blame you," Athena said quietly. "And since everything is so perfect for the three of you… fine. I'll step aside. Let's get divorced." Lewis's face darkened. "What nonsense are you talking about? Just because I brought Nina to the hospital? If that's what upset you, fine—I'll apologize. Happy now?" No apology could bring my baby girl back. Tears slipped from Athena's eyes as the weight of everything crashed down. She wished she had never saved Lewis years ago. She wished she had never met him. She hated him so much it made her shake. She wanted him to bleed for what he had taken from her. Seeing her tears, Lewis's expression softened. He stepped forward, touched her head gently, and spoke in a coaxing tone. "Athena, relax. Nina's father works for our family. I only brought her here because it was an emergency. Don't overthink it." He smiled softly, as if talking to a child. "You're upset right now. Once you calm down, we'll talk again." Dion huffed, arms crossed. "Mom, I'm hurt too and you didn't even care. Nina was the one asking if I was okay. "And you're always poking me with those needles. You force Dad to drink that awful soup you make! Your cooking is horrible. Not like Nina—her food is so good!" He stomped his foot. "I wish you were even half as good as her!" Every word stabbed deeper. He didn't know those needles kept his allergies under control. He didn't know that "soup" was herbal medicine Lewis needed for his stomach. And Athena—silently—had given everything.

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CHAPTER TWO

Chapter 2 Soon I Won't Be Mrs Belmont

Athena lowered her eyes, a faint, humorless smile tugging at her lips. To them, everything she'd done was nothing more than her "torturing" them. Her pain? Her burns? Her broken leg? Just a tantrum in their eyes. She rolled over in bed, turning her back on father and son. She didn't want to see their faces anymore. She wanted them gone—shut out completely. Lewis's brow tightened, irritation flashing across his sharp features. “Athena! Who are you putting on this show for? Dion's right—you've taken this way too far." Dion crossed his arms, chin raised. "Mom, you're gonna regret treating Dad like this!" Before Athena could even open her mouth, Lewis's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, expression shifting. Then he answered. The room was pin-drop silent, so Athena heard it clearly: Nina's soft sobbing pouring through the speaker, begging him to come. Lewis stiffened. "Dion, let's go." He shot Athena a hard, cutting look before walking out with their son. The silence they left behind hollowed out the room. Athena let out a bitter, breathless laugh. Her life really had become a joke. A husband who wasn't hers. A son who wasn't hers. A family that never belonged to her. She swallowed the ache rising in her chest, pulled out her phone, and dialed. "Riley, I need your help. I'm filing for divorce." The voice on the other end practically exploded. “Boss? Boss! You finally snapped out of it? We all thought you had lost it! Vanishing for eight years, pretending to be a stay-at-home wife, hiding your identity—seriously, we thought you were gone for good!" Athena went still. Maybe she really had lost her mind. So many years ago, she had met Lewis when he was being hunted. She had stepped in to save him—taken a blade that severed her hand tendons. Surgery helped, but she would never touch a scalpel again. She would never race a car again. Her piano was the only thing left. But her hands never healed well enough. Her fingers had grown stiff. Her music became uneven, clumsy. Eventually, even that slipped through her fingers. Eight years. Eight years of silence. Eight years of living as someone she wasn't. "Boss, relax," Riley said. "If you want a divorce, we'll make it happen." Athena blinked back into focus. "How long?" "For normal people? A week. For the Belmonts… maybe a month." “Fine.” She hung up and lay back, staring at the ceiling. If something wasn't hers, she didn't want to hold onto it anymore. One month. After that, she and Lewis would be done—forever. Outside the hospital, Dion clutched Lewis's hand. "Dad… is Mommy really mad? Are you guys gonna get divorced?" "No," Lewis scoffed under his breath. Then he added firmly, "She will never divorce me." Athena had been a stay-at-home wife from the moment she married him. Eight years of isolation from the world. No family to rely on. No friends left. Lewis was her only support—at least, that's what he believed. Without him, she'd crumble. She had no choice but to stay. Dion whispered, "But Dad… if you guys did get divorced, that wouldn't be so bad. Then Nina could be my mom. And maybe… maybe I wouldn't have to get shots anymore." Lewis's expression darkened. "Stop talking nonsense. Let's go." ... Later, Athena saw the news footage. Her condo was burned beyond recognition—nothing but blackened ruins. It felt like fate itself was cutting the final thread between her and Lewis, burning their past to ash. She wouldn't even need to pack. There was nothing left to salvage. Her leg was shattered from the explosion, wrapped in a heavy cast, but she didn't need to stay hospitalized. She checked herself out that same afternoon. She called her assistant, Kit Rice, to pick her up, then waited in the lobby. Suddenly, a little girl collapsed not far from her, clutching her chest, face pale and contorted in agony. Athena's instincts surged forward. This wasn't ordinary pain—this was respiratory distress. Grabbing her crutch, she hobbled over, lowered herself beside the child, and checked her condition swiftly, methodically. Despite the girl's eyes being squeezed shut, Athena could see her features—delicate, striking. She would grow into a stunning young woman one day. The symptoms were painfully familiar. Just like Dion's rare allergy. Unpredictable attacks. No permanent cure. But they could be eased. Without hesitation, Athena reached into her coat and pulled out the silver needles she always carried. Her movements were fast, precise. She placed them at the right pressure points one by one. Color slowly returned to the child's face. Her breathing steadied. Athena let out a long breath of relief. Just then, a pair of pale, strong hands reached down as a man moved in to lift the girl. Athena looked up—and blinked. Zaden Storm. Tall, sharp and coldly handsome, with a commanding presence that made people instinctively obey him. She knew him. He and Lewis belonged to the same wealthy circle. They'd crossed paths at events, though never spoken much. Rumor said he had a daughter. Rumor never said who the mother was. And now Athena knew who the girl was. "Wait," Athena said. She carefully removed each silver needle before giving him a nod. “Alright. You can pick her up." Zaden's dark eyes lingered on her, something unreadable there. Clearly, he hadn't expected her to have skills like this. The little girl finally opened her eyes. When she saw him, she lifted her hand weakly. “Daddy…” Zaden gathered her into his arms at once. His voice softened, low and warm. "Don't be scared, Teri. Daddy's here." He turned to Athena. "Thank you, Mrs. Belmont." Athena forced a smile at the title. Soon, she wouldn't be Mrs. Belmont anymore. Doctors rushed in then, pushing a wheelchair for little Teri Storm. By the time Zaden looked back to check on Athena, she had vanished. Outside, Athena pulled open the SUV door and climbed in. Kit turned, eyes wide. “Ms. Athena, what happened? You look like you've been through a war." Athena let out a small, ironic laugh. Why had she ever let herself fall this low? She should've never let it happen. "How's your task going?" she asked. Kit brightened. "Already working on it. The law isn't exactly on the side of housewives, but we'll get him another way. I'm gathering evidence on Lewis as we speak." Athena nodded faintly. She didn't care about the money. She was just tired—tired of playing the dutiful wife her father had wanted her to be. She had done her duty for eight years. In one month, the divorce would finalize. Then she could finally be herself again. "Let's go." The SUV pulled away, disappearing into traffic. Not long after, Lewis's car rolled out of the hospital. Nina sat beside him, Dion nestled comfortably against her. They looked like the picture of a perfect, happy family. "Lewis… our house burned down. What should we do?" Nina asked nervously. "We'll move into one of my villas," Lewis said. Excitement lit Nina's face—followed quickly by worry. "But… what if your mother finds out?" "No one will know—unless someone talks." His eyes slid to the driver. Lewis's assistant, Ned Hum, stiffened and quickly said, "Mr. Belmont, I won't say a word." "What about Athena?" Nina whispered. Lewis let out a dismissive scoff. "She wouldn't dare." Unless Athena wanted a divorce, she would never tell his mother. And divorce? Athena would never leave him. She could sulk, cry, or pout for a few days… but in the end, she'd crawl back. Lewis was sure of it. He knew Athena too well.