The Fatal Trade

My husband's first love was held at knifepoint by a desperate criminal.

To ensure her safety, my husband, Chase SterlingDa lead crisis negotiatorDoffered me as a replacement hostage.

The moment the trade was made, Chase abandoned the negotiation.

He rushed his trembling first love back home, leaving me alone with a madman.

I begged him to save me through the comms.

But his heart was only for her.

"Can't you just be reasonable for once? She's traumatized! I need to prioritize her right now!"

Eventually, the kidnapper snapped, and I was butchered.

......

Even as a wandering ghost, I can still feel the agony of my final moments.

Twenty-eight stabs. Every single one was lethal.

I stubbornly floated back to Chase, searching his worried face for a single trace of grief for me.

But there was nothing. All his attention was focused on Bree Whitmore.

At that moment, I finally realized that Chase truly didn't love me anymore.

"Don't be scared, Bree. It's over. You're safe now."

Bree's face was still pale on the bed, and she nodded while shivering.

"Chase, don't worry about me. Go find Stella. You used her to swap me out she has such a temper. If you're late, she'll definitely make a scene."

"I'm fine, just a little shaken. Don't worry about me"

Bree said all the right things, but her hands were gripping Chase's sleeve tightly. Her eyes were red, the perfect picture of a victim.

She knew exactly how to play him.

Sure enough, Chase pulled her closer. When he mentioned my name, his voice was dripping with pure disgust.

"It was just a hostage swap. With so many cops there, what could possibly happen to her?"

"She's just being dramatic as usual. Maybe a little hardship will do her some good! It'll save her from throwing tantrums about you every day. She's just eaten up by jealousy."

"Bree, listen to me. No one is more important than you. I won't let anyone bully you ever again."

I had heard these words many times before when Bree came to gloat in my face.

But hearing them directly from Chase's mouth still felt like being suffocated by pain.

Three years of marriage. How could he be this heartless?

I leaned down, looking at the determination in Chase's eyes. It was the same expression he wore when he handed me over to the killer.

Beside the transit bus, he had pushed meDunarmed and defenselessDtoward the blade without a second thought.

"Stella, go take her place! Bree has always been fragile. She can't handle this kind of trauma. Just go."

Faced with his demands, I turned around in disbelief.

"She can't handle it, but I can? Chase I'm your wife! You're trading your own wife for a stranger?!"

"She's not a stranger! Bree is more important to me than my own life. Stella, I'm warning you. I've tolerated your jealousy before, but this is life or death. Don't be a brat right now!"

Chase looked at me with total impatience. He practically shoved me into the killer's arms.

I watched as Bree brushed past me like a delicate butterfly, sobbing as she collapsed into Chase's embrace.

From the moment she appeared, his eyes never left her again.

"Bree, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"No Chase, I was so scared. I thought I'd never see you again!"

They hugged as if no one else existed, celebrating their narrow escape.

Chase ignored the protocol, picked Bree up, and drove her straight home. He never looked back.

The blade at my throat pressed deeper as time ticked by, but nobody seemed to care.

"Is anyone going to negotiate or what?! I'll kill this woman right now, I swear!" the killer screamed.

I heard people whispering outside. They said the negotiator had vanished. He wasn't answering any of the ten calls they made to his personal line.

It was laughable. Back then, I was worried that something had happened to him.

Looking back now, I realize he just didn't want to be disturbed while he was with his soulmate.

Bree looked down and smiled. The color had returned to her face, yet she remained draped over Chase's shoulder, keeping up the act.

"Forget it you should go back and check on her. Stella is still your legal wife. If people start talking about me, it'll break my heart."

Chase let out a cold snort. "She's barely a wife. As long as you're here, everything else takes a backseat."

"Don't worry, I won't let you suffer. I'll divorce her as soon as she gets back. She's held the title of Mrs. Sterling for three yearsDthat's more than she deserved. It's time to give the position back to its rightful owner."

His tone was cold and final. It turned my years of happiness and sacrifice into one giant, pathetic joke.

He loved her so much. So what were the proposals, the 'I love yous,' and the dreams of having a child together?

Was it all just a lie?

Chase was so sure I was safe that he didn't even bother to send a text.

After Bree finally fell asleep, he stood by the stove, patiently simmering porridge for her.

I watched the tenderness and love flickering in his eyes and felt a sudden daze.

Years ago, he used to look at me the same way.

Chase and I met during a corporate retreat. He was witty, charming, and talented. Falling for him felt inevitable.

I knew he had a high school sweetheart he once loved, but I didn't care.

I believed that trust was the foundation of love. Besides, he treated me like royalty after we got married.

He would pick me up from work and cook for me. Even putting romance aside, Chase was a perfect partner.

That is, until Bree Whitmore came back into the picture.

Our first major blowout happened the day she returned to the country.

The man who always prioritized me forgot my birthday. He stumbled home drunk, smelling of expensive perfume and covered in lipstick stains.

"It's just a work dinner, Stella. Can you stop overthinking everything? It's just one stupid birthday. Why are you being so dramatic?"

I stood there, frozen. I couldn't understand why his attitude had done a complete 180.

Then his phone buzzed. Bree's messages popped up one after another.

Thanks for picking me up, Chase! But today was Stella's birthday won't she be mad that you were with me?

It's just a birthday, though. I survived all those years abroad alone. I used to wish you were there, but I stayed strong.

Oh, I shouldn't have said that. You have a wife now. I'm sorry for being a burden

I read every word, feeling a fire ignite in my chest. I took the phone to confront him.

In hindsight, my anger played right into Bree's hands.

Seeing me so aggressive, Chase's face twisted into an expression of pure loathing.

"Bree told me that girls are always jealous of her because she's too nice. I didn't believe her then, but I see you're exactly like them!"

"She's all alone here with no one to help her. What's wrong with me picking her up? I know Bree better than anyone. She's an innocent soul. Stop projecting your filthy thoughts onto her!"

From then on, any mention of Bree ended in a fight.

He grew increasingly impatient with me. In his mind, I was already the 'crazy, jealous wife.'

I was the only fool who refused to let go. I kept trying to use my love to bring back the man he used to be.

Instead, I ended up losing my life.

I watched Chase carefully wake Bree up to eat the meal he had prepared. The sweetness of the scene felt like acid on my soul.

I wanted to run away, but I realized I was tethered to him. I couldn't leave his side.

"Being your wife must be heaven. I don't get how Stella could fight with you every day. Oh, by the way, aren't you going to call her?"

Bree's words triggered Chase's bad memories of our arguments. He frowned and shook his head.

"Why bother? She'll just start another fight. It's endless. It's exhausting. If she was even half as sweet as you, I wouldn't hate coming home so much."

Bree smiled. The triumph in her eyes was obvious to me, though Chase was blind to it.

"Since I'm so well-behaved can I have that Patek Philippe watch as a reward? It's not too much to ask, right?"

Chase smiled and stroked her hair. "Of course. Have I ever said no to you?"

Seeing him agree without a second thought, I finally understood something.

The money you're too afraid to spend will always be spent by someone else.

Chase and I had been planning to buy a bigger house. I had been saving every penny, putting it into our joint account.

I didn't realize I was just funding someone else's dowry.

Chase didn't leave until it was pitch black outside.

Bree tried to get him to stay, but he refused after a moment of thought.

"I'm not divorced yet. If the neighbors see me staying over, it'll look bad for you. Wait for me. Once I settle things over there, I'll come back and marry you."

I knew this man wasn't worth a single tear anymore, but hearing him plot a future with another woman still felt like a knife to the chest.

I followed him back to our house. The decor was exactly as I had left it, showing that I hadn't been home.

This was a first in our marriage.

No matter how bad the fight was, I would always be there waiting for him. I'd usually be the one to apologize first just to keep the peace.

Seeing the empty house, Chase's mood soured. He pulled out his phone and made several calls. No one picked up.

"She's really full of herself now, isn't she? Not even coming home?"

He fired off several messages. I leaned in to read them. Not a single one expressed concern.

Are you done yet? What kind of stunt are you pulling now?

I'm telling you, don't push me. Get home now so we can sign the papers and end this cleanly. I won't sue you for slandering Bree if you cooperate.

If you don't show up, don't expect a single dime from the settlement!

He threw his phone onto the sofa in a fit of rage.

I felt so pathetic. Even in death, I had to endure my husband's contempt. I wondered when I'd finally be free of him.

After waiting for a response that would never come, Chase called his mother.

My mother-in-law was one of the few people who were truly kind to me.

When she found out Chase was neglecting me for Bree, she had even come over to give me backup.

She had declared that there would only ever be one Mrs. Sterling in her house. As for Bree, she wasn't allowed to step foot inside.

The call connected. Hearing her tired voice made my eyes sting.

"You actually have the nerve to call? Stella is gone, and where the hell were you?!"

Chase frowned. "What do you mean 'gone'? I was about to ask if she ran to your place to tattle again."

"Mom, I don't care what you say this time. This divorce is happening. Tell Stella to get back here so we can finish the paperwork. Since she took care of me for a few years, I'll give her a decent payout."

My mother-in-law's voice trembled with rage. She let out a scream.

"Divorce?! You're going to divorce a corpse?! Stella was a saint. Marrying a bastard like you was the worst luck of her life!"

She didn't hold back, which only made Chase even angrier.

"Mom! Stop helping her tell these pathetic lies! Stella's attitude only got this bad because you spoiled her!"

"You forced me to break up with Bree back then. You used every dirty trick in the book to drive her away. Are you trying to use this fake death to blackmail me now?!"

"If Stella is dead, then good! I can marry Bree right away without having to argue about a divorce!"

A wave of coldness washed over my soul, shattering whatever was left of my heart.

I never imagined that the man I loved for three years would wish for my death.

He was actually celebrating it. He saw my passing as a convenience for his next wedding.

I struggled to pull away, wanting to run far from him, but an invisible force dragged me back to his side.

On the other end of the line, everything went chaotic. My mother-in-law, overwhelmed by his cruelty, suffered a heart attack and collapsed.

When Chase rushed to the hospital, his mother had already woken up. The moment she saw him, her lips began to tremble with fury.

"What are you doing here?! You killed her I'll kill you!"

"Seriously, Mom?! You're still using that script to threaten me?"

He rolled his eyes. Even when looking at his own mother, he couldn't hide his resentment.

"You seem to have plenty of energy to hit me. I bet that fainting spell was fake, too. You and Stella are the perfect pairDone fakes an illness, the other fakes her death, all just to manipulate me."

"Mom, I'm telling you the truth. It's not working. I lost Bree once; I won't lose her again. Maybe I loved Stella once, but now that Bree is back, she's nothing to me."

"Bree suffered so much when you kicked her out of the country. I'm going to make it up to her, and no one is going to stop me!"

Chase spat the words out, ignoring his mother's labored breathing. He dropped a gift basket and walked out.

For the sake of Bree, he was willing to burn every bridge he had.

But the truth was something Chase didn't know. His mother had told me about it once.

He thought his mother was the villain who tore them apart. In reality, Bree had taken a bribe to leave because she was afraid her secrets would come out.

Back then, my mother-in-law knew Bree was sleeping around with multiple men.

She even had photos of Bree entering hotels with different guys.

She showed Bree the evidence and offered her a payout to disappear quietly.

Bree took the money and ran. But before she left, she told Chase a sob story about being threatened and coerced.

She even convinced him the photos were photoshopped by someone trying to destroy their love.

Chase was so blinded by his obsession that he never doubted a word she said.

From that day on, the bond between mother and son was fractured. It only started to heal when I entered the picture. Now, it was completely destroyed.

On the way back, I watched Chase irritably dial my number over and over.

He was furious that I had 'used' his mother to get to him. He never considered for a second that I was actually dead.

I watched with cold eyes as he returned to Bree's place. In front of her fake, surprised gaze, he pulled her into a deep kiss.

"They're just trying to keep me away from you. Well, it's not going to work."

"The more she pushes, the more I'll show her how much I don't care!"

The rest of the night was both disgusting and predictable.

I tried to cover my ears and hide in the next room, but it was useless. I had to feel my heart being shredded until I was nothing but numb.

The two of them slept until noon the next day. The first thing Chase did upon waking was check his phone.

When he saw there was still no reply from me, a flicker of unease finally crossed his face. He called his colleague, Zack.

To prevent public panic, the news of my death had been kept quiet. Officially, I was 'undergoing treatment.'

Only close family and friends knew I was already gone.

Zack answered the phone and thought for a moment.

"I heard she was injured. She's at the hospital, right? That's what the higher-ups said. Probably nothing serious."

Chase let out a silent sigh of relief.

I laughed bitterly. He was probably just glad his career wouldn't be ruined because of me. He didn't give a damn about my safety.

But Bree was still annoyed by his small gesture of concern. She put on a pouty face.

"It's my fault Stella got hurt, isn't it? I'm so useless. You should go see her."

"You two should be together. I'll just back out quietly. We'll pretend last night never happened. You don't have to feel guilty, Chase. Just forget all the promises you made me"

This little act of 'self-sacrifice' made Chase's heart ache. He cupped her face and began whispering sweet nothings.

"Bree, you are the most important thing to me! Stella is just manipulative. She's probably just scratched and convinced my mother to lie about her death to make me feel guilty!"

"A woman like her isn't fit to touch a hair on your head. Don't worry. I'm going to the hospital right now to demand a divorce. Let's see where she can hide then."

I remained silent. I didn't know who he expected to find.

After some more cuddling, Chase drove to the hospital Zack had mentioned.

He stormed toward the front desk, looking like he was ready to drag me to the courthouse by my hair.

But the nurse's response hit him like a physical blow.

"Stella Lansbury yes, she was brought in yesterday. But she was pronounced dead on arrival. The family has already claimed the body."

Chase froze. He repeated himself, "That's impossible my colleague said it was a minor injury."

"Minor? How could it be minor? She was stabbed twenty-eight times. Most of them were in vital organs. She had bled out before she even hit the ER doors!"

I didn't expect that the man who was just celebrating my death would suddenly look so shattered.

"No check again, nurse! There must be someone else with the same name! Stella Lansbury!"

Chase grew frantic, grabbing the registry to look for himself.

He scanned the list until his finger stopped on my name.

Just as the nurse said, I was dead.

"We tried calling her emergency contact yesterday, but the phone was off. I don't know what kind of husband he is. What could be more important than your wife dying?"

Chase's face turned ghostly white. He seemed to remember that yesterday, because he didn't want to be bothered while he was with Bree, he had turned his phone off.

Because of that one choice, he didn't even get to see me one last time.

But why was he looking so devastated? He was the one who cheated. He was the one who wanted me out of his life.