She Chose Him Over Our Dying Child / Chapter 3: The Island and the Auction
She Chose Him Over Our Dying Child

She Chose Him Over Our Dying Child

Author: Gregg Brooks

Chapter 3: The Island and the Auction

← Prev

The bodyguards dragged me to a dark room on the island. Cold metal pressed against my skin, stripping away the last of my dignity. The underground ringmaster’s eyes sparkled when he saw me.

The room was freezing, the air thick with bleach and fear. The instruments glinted, promising pain. The ringmaster grinned, his eyes hungry.

"Been a while since we had such fresh, good-looking merchandise! Make sure you rough him up and get plenty of tempting videos. I want a big price for this one!"

His voice was slick, every word reeking of greed. The guards laughed, eager to follow orders. I braced myself, clinging to what little dignity I had left.

They forced drugs down my throat. For half a month, I was trapped in that dark room, forced to watch endless live feeds of Savannah and Dylan’s filth. Her fake moans echoed in my ears. Every filthy urge crawled out in the dark. I finally saw how low people could go.

The drugs burned, leaving me dizzy and lost. Days blurred together, each one a new hell. I watched Savannah and Dylan, their voices and bodies filling the screen. The humiliation never stopped.

The drugs made me crazy, like some wild animal. My mind told me to hold on, to keep my boundaries no matter what. But the fever in my body made me mutter like a beast. I found fleeting relief in my own hands, then felt disgusted by how easily I was controlled.

Time slipped away, my mind unraveling a little more each day. The urge to give up, to just let go, was nearly overpowering. I fought to remember who I was, but everything was blurry.

But even in that darkness, a stubborn spark of fight flared up. It felt like any woman would trigger a reaction in me, but I forced myself to hold on. That ember kept me alive all the way to the underground auction.

Somewhere deep inside, I refused to let them break me. I clung to that stubborn spark, feeding it with every scrap of willpower I had. The auction was coming—a final test.

In the middle of the drunken, wild crowd, I caught Savannah’s angry voice:

The auction room was a chaos of noise, the air thick with sweat and smoke. I heard Savannah’s complaints, her voice slicing through the mess. She sounded spoiled, entitled—her real self on full display.

"I don’t care, Dad! You control half the pharma companies in Maple Heights! How can you have no money? I’m your daughter—why give your fortune to outsiders?"

Her words were sharp, demanding. The entitlement was all over her. I wondered how I’d ever fallen for her act.

I don’t know what my father-in-law said, but Savannah shrieked,

Her voice climbed to a shriek, cutting through everything. The crowd went quiet, watching her meltdown.

"Stop lying! Rosie was faking it—don’t bring her up again! If you hadn’t set me up, I never would’ve slept with Ethan! I want to buy the original Eight Steeds painting (that famous ink piece) for Dylan—send me the money now!"

She was cruel, dismissive—blaming everyone but herself. The crowd murmured, some shaking their heads.

Curled up in the corner, I laughed at myself. Turns out, my so-called meant-to-be marriage six years ago was just a Carter family trap.

The realization was bitter, but in a weird way, freeing. I saw my life for what it was—a rigged game run by selfish people. My laugh sounded hollow and broken.

But none of that mattered. Tonight, I was going to put a bounty on them—right here.

I felt a jolt of purpose. I wasn’t done. There was still one last thing I had to do—one final act of defiance.

Before the auction began, I knocked out my guard and used my family’s old code to find our hidden contact.

The guard crumpled, out cold. My hands worked fast, adrenaline buzzing in my veins. The code was something I’d learned as a kid—simple, but effective. I tapped it out, heart pounding, and waited.

"Ethan Hayes, second son of the Hayes family in Toledo. Tonight, I want every dollar available in Maple Heights, Sea Cliff, and Tanford to put a bounty on Savannah and Dylan."

The words felt like a battle cry, the line drawn. I was done being a victim. Tonight, I was taking back control—no matter what it cost.

Once this started, there’d be no turning it off.

← Prev

You may also like

He Chose Her Over Our Baby
He Chose Her Over Our Baby
4.9
Natalie’s world shatters when her husband, Gavin, abandons her and their newborn to chase after his ex in a war zone. As everyone expects her to save him, Natalie must decide whether to rescue the man who broke her heart—or finally put herself and her daughter first. Torn between betrayal and freedom, she faces the ultimate test of love and self-worth.
She Chose Him Over Dad
She Chose Him Over Dad
4.9
She broke me the day she said, 'You can’t leave—you won’t leave your little girl behind.' Five years of marriage shattered in an instant when I discovered my wife’s betrayal, but the real dagger was my daughter choosing another man over me. As secrets unravel, I face a devastating truth: the family I sacrificed everything for was already gone. In a city where no one knows my name, I try to rebuild—but the ghosts of betrayal and regret won’t let me rest. Was I blind, or just too hopeful to see the cracks? When love turns to resentment and trust to ash, can a broken man ever find his way back—or will the past haunt every new beginning? What would you do if even your own child turned away?
He Chose Her—So I Chose Me
He Chose Her—So I Chose Me
4.9
A car ride was all it took to shatter twenty years of sacrifice. When I, a devoted single mother, dared to sit beside my son, his girlfriend unleashed accusations that turned my world upside down—and my own child sided with her. I’d saved, planned, and dreamed for his future, only to be cast out and humiliated. As family lines blur and loyalty is tested, I’m forced to make a choice: cling to the son who betrayed me, or finally put myself first. Will my heartbreak become my freedom, or will the past pull me back in? When love turns to war, who gets the front seat in your life?
She Chose Him Over Our Daughter
She Chose Him Over Our Daughter
4.8
Grief is a shadow that never leaves—especially when betrayal turns your home into a battlefield. On the anniversary of his daughter's death, Ethan waits for his wife, Lauren, only to be taunted by her ex and shattered by a photo of her smiling at another man's family. When Lauren finally returns, the confrontation explodes into violence and brutal truths, forcing Ethan to face the secrets that poisoned their marriage—and the daughter neither of them truly understood. But as lies unravel and old wounds bleed, Ethan is left with a choice: hold onto the pain, or finally let go of the love that destroyed him. When trust is gone and the ghosts won't leave, who will Ethan become? Will he ever find peace, or is he destined to haunt his own empty home?
She Chose Him in the Delivery Room
She Chose Him in the Delivery Room
4.9
She said she loved me—until the day I watched her hold another man's hand in the delivery room. Seven years of marriage, and all it took was a single night to rip my world apart. Chris Lee returns home for the birth of his child, only to find his wife Savannah wrapped in a web of lies—with her cousin Tyler at the center. As betrayal after betrayal unfolds, Chris uncovers the truth about the baby, the poison in his veins, and the marriage that was never truly his. With his health failing and nothing left to lose, he must decide if freedom is worth more than forgiveness. When every secret is finally exposed, will Chris walk away for good—or has Savannah’s final act already sealed his fate?
My Mother Chose Him Over Us
My Mother Chose Him Over Us
4.9
Some mothers would do anything for love—even if it means letting their family die. When my dad’s only chance at survival rests in my mother’s hands, she chooses her dying high school sweetheart instead, shattering our lives in a single, cold decision. But death isn’t the end for me: I wake up back at the start, desperate to rewrite fate and save my father from betrayal, sabotage, and heartbreak. As I fight against a mother who sees us as obstacles, her allies close ranks—and old wounds bleed new. Each choice tears at what’s left of our family, and the truth about her devotion is more twisted than I ever imagined. How far will a mother go for her first love—and what will I become to stop her?
I Loved Her Twice—She Chose Me Last
I Loved Her Twice—She Chose Me Last
5.0
He gave up his dreams for her—only to watch her heart belong to someone else. When Logan Carter sacrifices his future in the city for Mariah, the girl he’s loved since childhood, he finds himself torn between loyalty and heartbreak after she chooses another in the mountains. But fate isn’t done with him yet: a second chance rewinds the clock, giving Logan a shot at rewriting his own story. As Mariah’s world collides with his once more—this time with confessions, rivalries, and a love that refuses to die—Logan must decide: will he risk everything for her again, or finally choose himself? When the past and present crash together, whose love will survive the avalanche? What if the one you let go comes running back when you’ve finally moved on?
I Chose Myself, They Chose Her
I Chose Myself, They Chose Her
4.9
Betrayal tastes bitter when it’s family. When Casey learns she’s the only one who can save her sister’s life, she tests her family’s love with a single devastating lie. But in her parents’ home, loyalty is a one-way street—and Casey is about to be cast out for good. Surrounded by indifference and favoritism, she faces a choice between saving herself or sacrificing everything for those who never chose her. As secrets unravel and accusations fly, Casey must decide: will she cling to the hope of belonging, or finally walk away to protect the new life growing inside her? When blood is just another weapon, can she survive the cut?
He Chose Her—Even With Me There
He Chose Her—Even With Me There
4.9
Hearts don’t break all at once—they shatter piece by piece. Cassidy flew cross-country to surprise her boyfriend on his birthday, only to find him lost in his old world—his friends, his games, and his ex, who still knows exactly how to twist the knife. As Jamie’s presence grows impossible to ignore, Cassidy’s place in Miles’ heart seems to shrink with every laugh and lingering look. But when tragedy hits and Cassidy reaches out for the man she loves, she’s forced to confront the brutal truth: some wounds can’t be healed by apologies, gifts, or empty promises. When your love is always second best, how do you finally walk away? Or is it already too late to save yourself from heartbreak?
He Chose Her Over Me
He Chose Her Over Me
5.0
Natalie always believed her childhood love with Derek would last forever—until a wild outsider named Aubrey crashes into their lives, stealing his affection and her family's loyalty. Betrayed and replaced, Natalie must fight for her place in a small town where secrets, jealousy, and heartbreak simmer beneath the surface. She’s about to prove she’s nobody’s backup plan.
I Was His Safe Choice—Now I’m Gone
I Was His Safe Choice—Now I’m Gone
4.9
He called me ‘marriage material’—but not worth loving. On the eve of our wedding, I discovered Mason’s spreadsheet: every woman ranked, every feeling reduced to a checklist, and my own column stamped ‘suitable for marriage.’ His heart still belonged to Jordan, the wild first love he’d never dare choose. My world collapsed, but instead of breaking, I ran—straight into the life I’d buried, the mother I’d lost, and the courage I thought I’d forgotten. As family secrets and old wounds ignite a public showdown, I must decide: will I keep living for someone else’s rules, or finally claim my own story? If you were chosen for convenience, can you ever become someone’s first choice—or is the bravest thing to walk away?
He Chose Her at the Altar
He Chose Her at the Altar
4.9
Natalie thought her marriage to small-town golden boy Derek would heal old wounds—but his heart is still haunted by another woman. When betrayal resurfaces at her own family’s doorstep, Natalie must decide: keep pretending for the sake of her daughter, or finally break free from a love that was never truly hers. Will she ever be more than his second choice, or is heartbreak her only inheritance?