Dark Revenge Of A Jilted Bride: Till Life Do Us Part!-Chapter 107: Ugly Secret

Frenzied knocking at the door had Gianna muttering curses under her breath, sleep still holding her captive with stubborn fingers.

Considering that the previous night had been quite long—quite restless—after she had finally returned to bed following the discussions with the group, her body protested the interruption.

It needed more sleep. Deserved more sleep.

Ignoring the knocks, she curled herself into a fetal position, clutching one of her pillows tightly to her chest the way one would hug a teddy bear, seeking quiet, and drifted deeper into sleep.

When the knocking persisted, half asleep, half awake—probably thinking she was somewhere in la-la land—she buried her face into the fluffy pillows and dragged another over her head, determined to block out the noise entirely.

"GIANNA!!!"

Gianna shot upright in bed, robotic and abrupt, like the legendary wrestler Undertaker rising from the dead. Sleep released her immediately—begrudgingly.

Athena.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, already moving as she called out, "I’m coming."

As she crossed the room, her mind latched onto the note of worry in her friend’s voice. Did something happen?

She sighed, fingers curling around the doorknob. Couldn’t she get a reprieve? Couldn’t the universe grant her one deep breath without demanding payment?

When she opened the door and found her friends standing there—faces knotted with fear, worry etched deep into their expressions—her brow lifted slowly.

What has gone wrong now?

Their eyes swept over her in a frantic second, scanning her from head to toe as if checking for wounds, and her guards snapped up instantly.

Something had happened. Something they thought she already knew. Something terrible enough to make her lock herself away and weep herself hollow.

She staggered backward into the room without realizing it, her mind racing through a rapid mental inventory.

What could it possibly be?

"Athena..." she called, her voice tight, as the trio followed her in and shut the door behind them. "What is going on? What has happened again?"

Athena darted a quick glance at Areso and Chelsea. "We take it you haven’t been online this morning, then..."

Gianna’s eyes flicked instinctively to the clock. 9:47 a.m.

Good gracious. She had really slept in.

But this... this wasn’t about oversleeping. She turned toward the bedstand to grab her phone, but Chelsea moved faster, snatching it up before Gianna could reach it.

That alone sent a sharp spike of dread through her chest.

"What’s going on?" Gianna demanded, her voice rising. "Why are you holding my phone?"

No one answered.

Fear seeped in, slowly, coldly. Her hands clenched hard at her sides as she met Athena’s gaze—eyes heavy with empathy, or something dangerously close to it.

"Athena..." she whispered.

Athena finally exhaled, a long breath that told Gianna everything before words ever could. Trouble. Huge trouble.

"Please sit down, Gianna," Athena said gently. "You’ll need to. I don’t think you can handle this standing."

Trembling, Gianna sank onto the edge of the bed, her hands clasped tightly between her thighs.

Her eyes narrowed as Areso and Chelsea sat beside her—one on the left, one on the right—close, deliberate, ready to catch her if she fell.

Her heart began to pound, uneven and loud.

Athena dragged the single couch closer and sat opposite her, leaning forward, elbows on her knees, hands clasped into one tense unit.

Okay. This was serious.

Gianna drew in a deep breath. One. Two. For calm and control.

"Athena... please," she said shakily after a few seconds ticked by. "At this rate, you’re going to give me a heart attack."

Athena smiled—but it was strained and sad.

Gianna swallowed hard, fists tightening.

"You and Zane..." Athena began.

Then she stopped, blowing out a breath. "You two were almost wedded?"

The words barely landed before Athena continued, voice unsteady. "Was he the man you told me about? The one you met online... you called him Zek then... five years ago..."

Gianna’s hearing shut down at you two were almost wedded.

The room dissolved.

Her ears buzzed, rang, filled with echoes—not Athena’s voice, but memories crashing in uninvited. The altar. Standing there for over three hours. Waiting. Believing.

The day she lost her parents. The day she lost her child. The day she lost the chance of ever having another.

Whispers. Stares. The weight of shame and grief.

"Oh my God... she’s going into shock..."

She didn’t know who said it. Didn’t know when hands grabbed her, pulling her into warm, trembling bodies.

"Gianna... oh my God..."

Someone was crying. Maybe her. Maybe all of them. She thought she heard Florence’s voice. Then old Mr. Thorne.

Or maybe it was her mother—her mother’s scream before the accident tore everything apart.

Or maybe it was her baby.

Her baby.

Gianna wasn’t aware that she was clutching her stomach, fingers digging in as if searching for something that was long gone.

She wasn’t aware she was sobbing, breaking apart in Athena’s arms, Athena herself shaking, unable to reconcile the truth she had just seen splashed across the news.

—

"How is she?" Ewan asked an hour later when Athena stepped out of Gianna’s room.

He stood in the sitting room with the family, everyone present except the children, who had already gone to school.

"She’s conscious of her environment," Athena said quietly, sinking into a chair. "But she’s not talking yet. Just... staring into space."

She collapsed back, all strength drained from her.

"I don’t..." Her voice broke as a tear slipped free. She shrugged violently when Ewan reached for her. "What kind of friend am I?"

Her voice cracked. "How could I not know that the day she lost her parents... was the day of her wedding?"

She cursed under her breath, dragging a hand down her face. "How could I not know she was even getting married—worse, to Zane?"

When she turned to Ewan, her glare burned. "You caused this!"

Ewan said nothing, his eyes saying more than words could, only reaching for her hand again.

"If you hadn’t—" Athena shook her head, voice breaking. "I was in the hospital then. I remember. And even after I delivered the children, I didn’t connect the dots."

She laughed hollowly. "For God’s sake, I didn’t even ask about her mystery lover when he didn’t visit her while she was in a coma—thinking it was just a failed affair."

Her hands clenched on her thighs. "Not knowing that..."

Her eyes flashed with fury as she stared at Ewan.

"Where is that Zane?" she demanded. "Where is that fool?"