The Billionaire's Ex-wife is a Brilliant Lawyer

*Bella's POV*

The world had felt lighter that morning.

Sunlight spilled through the curtains, soft and golden, painting the walls in gentle warmth. For the first time in weeks, I woke with more than hope. The test results were tucked neatly in my purse, a secret too precious to speak aloud.

Every time I imagined Alex's face when I told him, my chest fluttered. He'd grin that boyish grin, the one that crinkled the corners of his eyes. Maybe he'd pull me into his arms and whisper, We're going to be parents, like it was the only truth that mattered.

Our life was supposed to begin now. Not three months from the wedding. Not someday.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand. I smiled before even looking, expecting his name, expecting him. But it wasn't him.

It was Clara.

I frowned, thumb hesitating over the screen.

"Bella, I don't know how to say this... I'm so sorry."

And then a link. I tapped it. A photo opened.

For a moment, I didn't understand what I was seeing. A man in a dark tuxedo, standing beneath an arch of white roses. A woman beside him, veiled in lace. Guests laughing, petals flying.

Then my eyes found him. Alex. My Alex. Smiling and sliding a ring onto another woman's finger.

My breath snagged somewhere deep in my chest.

"No," I whispered. "No, this isn't...."

My phone buzzed again. Another image. Then, a video. His voice came through, steady, solemn.

"I take you to be my wife..."

The phone slipped from my hand, clattering against the hardwood floor.

"No," I gasped, backing away as if the sound could burn me. "No, no, no..."

My stomach lurched. I stumbled toward the sink, gripping the counter, choking on air.

A soft knock came through.

"Bella?" My mother's voice trembled slightly from the doorway. "Sweetheart, what's going on?"

I couldn't answer. My pulse roared in my ears, a storm of disbelief and pain.

My mom stepped inside, laundry basket in hand, and froze.

"Bella?"

I turned slowly, tears streaming freely now. "He..." I pointed to the fallen phone. "He got married, Mum. He married someone else."

For a second, my mom just stared. Then she set the basket down carefully, like the world might shatter if she moved too fast. She crossed the room, picked up the phone, and looked.

Her face tightened. "What? When?"

"Today," I whispered, voice breaking. "He said he was traveling. He said it was a business trip. I believed him."

"Oh, my baby..." She gathered me into her arms, and I clung to her blouse like a child, trembling. "How could he?" she asked fiercely. "How could he do this to you?"

I shook my head against her shoulder. "I was going to tell him. About the baby." My voice cracked. "I was so happy, Mum. I thought..."

My mom stiffened, pulling back slightly. "The baby?"

I nodded, tears spilling again. "I found out yesterday. I was waiting for the right moment."

Her breath hitched. "Oh, Bella..."

The bedroom door banged open. Sophie appeared, phone in hand, eyes wide. "What's happening? Why are people posting Alex's wedding photos? Tell me it's fake."

I said nothing. My silence was enough. Sophie looked from me to our mother, then back.

"That bastard," she whispered. Louder and furious. "That bastard!"

"Please," I sobbed. "Don't..."

"No, I will. He proposed to you, Bella. You were planning a wedding. And now he's...." Sophie's hands trembled as she scrolled through the images. "He didn't even tell you? Didn't even warn you?"

I covered my mouth to quiet my sobs. "I thought he loved me."

Sophie sank onto the edge of the bed, running a trembling hand through her hair. "He's trash. Absolute trash. God, I want to hurt him."

My mom sat beside me, cupping my face. "Listen to me, sweetheart. This child-this isn't his redemption. It's yours. Do you understand?"

I blinked through the tears.

Her voice softened, but there was steel beneath it. "You will not crawl back to him. You will not let this define you. You will stand, Bella. You will raise your baby with dignity. With strength. That's how you win."

I pressed a trembling hand against my stomach. Something inside me depended on me now. Pain mingled with purpose.

Sophie leaned closer. "We'll help you. Whatever you need, Bells. We'll get through this together."

I couldn't speak. I only stare at the phone, still glowing faintly on the table. Alex's smile, frozen in that perfect wedding moment, felt like a knife I'd never stop feeling.

I rose unsteadily and walked to the dresser. The engagement ring slid off my finger, cold and unyielding. I set it down gently, reverently, beside a photo of the two of us from happier days, then turned the frame face down.

"I'm done," I whispered.

My mom wrapped me again, holding me close. "Let this be the last night you cry for him," she murmured.

I nodded faintly. Tears kept coming, softly, silently, and unstoppable.

Hours later, long after my mother and sister had gone to bed, I lay awake. The city hummed quietly outside my window, lights twinkling like indifferent stars.

My phone lit up. A new message from him.

Sorry, I couldn't call. Busy day. We'll talk soon. Promise.

My thumb hovered over the screen. Then I deleted it.

The word "promise" made my chest ache.

I whispered it to myself, tasting the lie. "You already broke it."

Turning on my side, I cradled my stomach, whispering to the child who would never know him.

"It's just you and me now," I breathed. "And I swear, I'll never let anyone break us again."

The night stayed still around me. Deep inside, something changed, a faint trace of strength, enough to survive.

Since the moment my world had shattered, I closed my eyes and let myself imagine survival.