Husband Saved Mistress From Fire

When the mansion went up in flames, Hudson could have saved me with a single turn of the handle.

But he chose to ignore me, locked in the basement, and raced toward the second floor instead.

Selene is terrified of the dark! I have to get her out first!

That was the third time he had abandoned me.

The first time was at our wedding, when a single phone call from Selene Vance made him desert me at the altar.

The second time was when I lost our baby in a car crash. He vanished for an entire day to comfort a heartbroken Selene.

By the time I was rescued from the basement, Hudson was screaming at the paramedics.

"Are you deaf? Selene's face is scratched! Take her to the hospital right now!"

I looked at the woman in his arms. Her face showed barely any redness or swelling.

With a numb heart, I pulled off my wedding ring, which had been warped by the heat.

I threw it at Hudson.

"Hudson Holt, I want a divorce."

Hudson barely spared me a glance.

He frowned and snapped, "Sera, can you stop making a scene?"

"Selene is traumatized. Do you really think playing the divorce card to get attention is appropriate right now?"

As soon as he finished, he went back to fussing over the nearly invisible scratch on Selene's cheek.

I was his wife. My body was covered in burns, my skin raw and peeling.

Yet all I got was a command to stop making a scene.

In his eyes, my terror and my despair were nothing more than petty tactics to win his affection.

Selene shrunk into his embrace, her voice dripping with fake apologies.

"I'm so sorry, Seraphina. It's all my fault. I'm so clumsy, I caused the fire just trying to boil water."

"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be hurt Hudson, please, let Sera take the ambulance first. I'll be fine."

She made a show of trying to push him away, but her body went limp, falling deeper into his chest.

Hudson tightened his grip on her, his eyes filled with agonizing concern.

"How could this be your fault? You're fragile, and you've inhaled so much smoke. You need a checkup immediately!"

"Sera is tough. She can wait for the next ambulance. She'll be fine."

He turned back to me, his gaze devoid of any pity.

"Seraphina Quinn, your injuries are your own fault. Don't you dare blame Selene for this!"

Once again, he used his twisted logic to justify his favoritism.

Whatever Selene did was excusable.

But because I had accidentally nudged her earlier that day, he had locked me in the basement for twenty-four hours to reflect on my behavior.

"It was just a stupid clay figurine. So what if it broke?"

"Did you really have to bully Selene over a piece of junk?"

He had completely forgotten that he had sculpted that figurine himself when he proposed.

He told me then that as long as the figurine lasted, we would be together forever.

Now, the figurine was shattered, and it was time for us to break too.

I didn't scream or argue like I usually did. I just walked toward the ambulance with a dead heart.

My silence seemed to irritate Hudson. He took an instinctive step toward me, looking unsettled.

"Sera! Please don't go! I'll make it up to you!"

Selene suddenly dropped to her knees in front of me.

"Everything is my fault. I'll bow to you, I'll do anything! Just please don't be mad at Hudson"

Hudson's eyes went red with heartbreak for her. He reached out to pull her up.

I watched her pathetic performance and suddenly burst out laughing.

I leaned down and grabbed a piece of smoldering wood from the ground, thrusting it toward her face.

"If you want to apologize, show some real sincerity."

"Let's be scarred together!"

Selene screamed in terror, scrambling backward.

"Seraphina! You've lost your mind!"

Hudson roared. Without a second thought, he delivered a brutal kick to my stomach.

I flew backward, my burnt skin scraping violently against the jagged pavement.

I left a horrific trail of blood on the ground.

I gasped, the pain so intense I couldn't even scream.

Selene cried out about the blood and promptly fainted.

Hudson didn't even look at me. He scooped her up and sprinted toward the ambulance.

He glanced back once, a flicker of guilt crossing his face.

But he quickly turned away, shouting at the paramedics.

"The patient has a history of stomach cancer! She needs immediate care!"

"I'm Hudson Holt, Head of Trauma at St. Jude's. I'll take full responsibility. Move her now!"

I lay on the ground as my consciousness began to fade. I watched him carry another woman away.

I used to cry because of his obsession with Selene.

Now, I only felt numb.

2.

When Hudson first brought Selene home as a patient, I protested.

That night, he knelt before me with bloodshot eyes.

He said Selene reminded him of his younger self, and he just wanted to help her.

I was soft-hearted. I gave in.

Hudsons mother had run away when he was a child.

His alcoholic father used to beat him with a belt and lock him in a dog crate.

If I hadn't snuck him food and treated his wounds back then, he wouldn't be alive today.

So, when he met the tragic Selene Vance, he felt an overwhelming urge to protect her.

But I was exhausted.

A three-person relationship was far too crowded.

He had shown me, through every abandonment, who truly mattered to him.

A sharp jolt of pain pulled me back to reality.

My clothes were fused to my raw flesh. The doctors had to peel them away inch by inch.

Every tug was a fresh round of torture.

I bit down on a pillow, my body drenched in cold sweat.

When Hudson finally entered the exam room, his face hardened.

But it faltered when he saw the massive scale of my burns.

Even if youre hurting, you shouldn't have tried to disfigure Selene. You shouldn't be so cruel, Sera.

I took a ragged breath and let out a mocking laugh.

I only regret that I wasn't cruel enough years ago. I should have never saved you or brought you into my home.

I pushed back my sweaty bangs.

The old scar on my temple looked like a jagged centipede.

Do you even remember what you promised me?

Hudsons pupils contracted.

In our senior year of high school, his father tried to kill him in a drunken rage.

I threw myself in front of him, taking a heavy glass bottle to the head.

My skull was fractured. I almost died on that operating table.

He swore at my bedside that he would never let me get hurt again.

The vow was still in the air, but the reality was different.

In the last three months, because of Selene, I was covered in scars.

Hudsons expression softened. His knees buckled, and he knelt by my hospital bed.

Sera, I won't leave you. If you don't heal, Ill give you my own skin for the grafts.

His eyes were wet, his voice bordering on a plea.

But Selene only has a month left. Its terminal cancer.

Cant you just endure this for a little longer? Once shes gone, Ill spend every second making it up to you.

I looked at the man kneeling on the floor and felt a chill in my soul.

Even when his father almost beat him to death, he refused to kneel and beg.

He used to say a man must keep his dignity at all costs.

Now, he knelt repeatedly for Selene Vance.

Hudson Holt, you make me sick.

Get out!

Hudson tried to say more, but a fit of coughing erupted from the hallway.

He practically sprang to his feet and bolted out the door.

I closed my eyes, letting tears sting my open wounds.

This was the last time I would ever cry for him.

He forgot that when I lost the baby last month, I had already filed for divorce.

The mandatory cooling-off period ended in six days.

By then, we would be strangers.

I stayed in the hospital for three days.

Hudson, my supposed husband, never showed his face.

I knew he was avoiding me.

I didn't care to ask or scream anymore.

But I didn't expect him to forget me so completely that he didn't even pay the bill.

The nurse asked for payment, and I felt a wave of humiliation.

I had nothing with me on the day of the fire.

Left with no choice, I limped toward Hudsons office.

His staff told me he had taken a few days off to care for his lover at home.

A group of interns were gossiping in low voices, their tones full of envy.

Dr. Holt is such a saint. His wife has a one-inch burn on her leg, and he called in five specialists for a consult.

I heard he pulled strings to get that imported cream from Switzerland. Its a fortune per jar.

Even though she has cancer, shes so lucky to have a man who loves her that much.

I stood at the door, feeling the bitter irony.

3.

The wife they were talking about wasn't me. It was Selene.

For ten years, I had stayed by Hudsons side as he went from a penniless student to the citys top surgeon.

I begged my parents to give him my entire dowry to pay for his medical school.

I lived in damp basements with him, shared moldy bread, and pulled all-nighters during his residency.

I even moved to this city I hated just to be his housewife.

I spent a decade teaching him how to love someone.

And then he turned around and gave all that love to another woman.

I borrowed a phone from the desk and called my best friend, Maya.

She transferred the money to the hospital immediately, and I cleared the bill.

When I stepped out of the hospital, the bright sun made my eyes ache.

I took a cab back to the mansion, wanting to pack my things and move back to my hometown.

At the gate, the housekeeper, Martha, blocked my path.

Im sorry, Mrs. Holt. Mr. Holt said no one enters without his permission.

I laughed, though it tasted like ash.

This is my house. I need permission to enter my own home?

Martha looked conflicted.

Mr. Holt said youve been unstable lately. Hes afraid youll hurt Miss Vance.

Im just doing my job, maam. Please don't make this hard for me.

I narrowed my eyes, prepared to force my way in.

Suddenly, a bucket of ice water crashed down on me from above.

It was early spring, and the cold made me shiver violently.

The unhealed wounds on my back stung like a thousand needles.

Selene stood on the second-floor balcony, holding an empty bucket and smirking.

Oh! Sera! I am so sorry!

I didn't see you down there. I was just watering the plants and lost my grip

There was only a single cactus on that balcony. It didn't need a whole bucket of water.

In the past, for Hudsons sake, I always endured.

Now, I didn't want to wait a single second.

Selene, if youre that blind, donate your eyes to someone who can actually use them.

Is this karma for being a home-wrecker? Is God finally striking you down?

Seraphina, is it really necessary to be this cruel?

Hudson stormed out of the house.

He didn't even look at my drenched, shivering form. He looked up at Selene with pure adoration.

Sera, it was an accident. Watch your mouth.

I wiped the freezing water from my face, my wounds throbbing.

An accident? She poured water directly on my head.

If I stabbed her right now, could I call it a slip of the hand?

He choked on his words for a moment, his brow furrowing.

Youre being completely hysterical.

Selene is a sick woman. Cant you just show some grace?

You go blind when she bullies me, but you have perfect hearing when I talk back.

I didn't want to argue. I just wanted to change and grab my documents.

But he stood like a wall, blocking the entrance.

I know the fire was a lot, and youre bitter.

But youre too unstable right now. I can't let you near her.

Its her birthday next week. It might be her last. I won't let anything ruin it.

I was shaking so hard I felt dizzy.

Hudson Holt, move. This is my house too!

Hudson thinned his lips, clearly feeling a shred of guilt, and softened his tone.

Go to a hotel. Ive already booked a suite for you.

Calm down for a few days. After the birthday party, Ill come and get you.

He pulled a key card from his pocket and held it out.

I didn't take it.

Im taking my ID and my clothes, and then Im leaving.

This place is all yours. I will never set foot here again.

From now on, save whoever you want. Love whoever you want. Im done.

4.

Hudsons face darkened completely.

Seraphina, what do you want from me?

Are you really going to throw away ten years because I saved her from the fire first?

Youre fine, aren't you? Why can't you just be the bigger person?

I laughed, the movement tearing at my scabs.

So, I should have just died in that basement to make things easier for you?

If the firefighters hadn't arrived when they did, I wouldn't have made it out.

A flash of remorse crossed Hudsons face.

But then, from upstairs, Selene whimpered, Hudson, my stomach hurts

That tiny bit of guilt evaporated instantly.

He pulled out his phone and called the neighborhood security to drag me away.

Get your hands off me! This is my house!

I fought back, but the struggle caused the wounds on my back to rip open.

Blood soaked through my damp clothes.

The guards didn't care. They shoved me and dragged me toward the gate.

I stumbled, my feet scraping against the pavement as I was forced out.

Hudson looked pained and took a step as if to help.

But Selene let out a faint cough.

Hudson, please help me. I think Im catching a cold.

The foot he had just lifted went right back down.

He turned and went inside.

I took one last, lingering look at the house that used to be mine.

I forced myself to walk away, one agonizing step at a time.

At the hospital, Hudson was distracted while handing out Selenes birthday invitations.

A colleague nudged him, grinning suggestively.

Dr. Holt, throwing such a huge bash for your wifes birthday? You really are the model husband.

The nurses joined in, teasing him.

Hudson paused, his hands tightening on the cards.

Selene isn't my wife. Shes like a sister to me.

The air in the room froze.

Everyone looked at each other in confusion.

During the fire, Hudson had been frantic, carrying Selene into the ER like a madman.

He had told everyone his wife was injured and asked them to take extra care of her.

Everyone assumed the girl in the VIP suite was Mrs. Holt.

One of the floor nurses whispered loudly.

Wait, so the woman with the third-degree burns who couldn't even pay her bill was the actual wife?

No way. Dr. Holts wife was in that state? She was all alone

Hudson spun around, his heart hammering against his ribs.

What do you mean she couldn't pay her bill?

A patient named Seraphina Quinn. She was covered in blood, and no one was with her.

She came looking for you before she checked out, but you were home with Miss Vance.

Hudson felt like a giant hand had squeezed his heart.

After the fire, Selene had been so traumatized she shook whenever he left her sight.

He had been so focused on her that he had completely forgotten about me.

He whipped out his phone and dialed my number. It went straight to voicemail.

The loss of control made him panic.

He tried to steady his breathing, telling himself everything was fine.

Sera always forgave him. She loved him too much to leave.

He would just give her a few more days, finish the party, and then go find her and make it right.

Selenes birthday party was the height of luxury.

Hudson sat at the head of the table, but his mind was miles away.

Suddenly, a waiter entered carrying a delivery box.

Mr. Holt, a gift from a Miss Quinn for the birthday girl.

Hudsons eyes lit up.

He knew it. Seraphina couldn't stay away from him.

This was her way of apologizing.

The weight on his chest finally lifted.

The guests began to cheer.

Mrs. Holt is so generous! Sending a gift even while she's recovering.

Lets see whats inside!

Hudson smiled as he untied the ribbon and lifted the lid.

The smile died on his face.