Love's Sweetest Surprise: From Brokenhearted To Billionaire's Wife

"Bethany! Have you completely lost your mind?" Brodie didn't wait for an answer and jumped back into the pool to pull Karen from the water, coughing and gasping for air.

Karen could hardly muster a sound now. The earlier act had faded, replaced by the mess of her wet hair and ruined dress.

Meanwhile, Bethany stood there, every inch soaked, but there was a steely steadiness in her posture that made her look untouched by the chaos.

People all around started whispering.

"Did you see that? I can't believe Bethany really went through with it..."

"That was one wild kick. I probably shouldn't say it, but I almost enjoyed watching it."

"Enjoyed it? Mr. Wilson looked ready to explode. Bethany's in for it now."

"Still, can you blame her? He acted like Bethany didn't exist while Karen played the victim."

"I always thought they were the perfect couple, but maybe they're hiding more than we thought."

With every pair of eyes judging her, Bethany felt their scorn, but Brodie only clung tighter to Karen, his gaze fixed on Bethany, stunned and silent.

Never before had Brodie witnessed this side of Bethany. The woman who once tiptoed around him had vanished, replaced by someone unafraid to shatter the silence with one bold move.

Spotting the shift in Brodie's attention, Karen's composure slipped into desperation.

Her voice barely above a whisper, she pleaded, "Brodie... please..."

The softness in her tone was enough to snap Brodie back to her side.

Worry etched into his features, he asked, "Karen? Are you alright?"

"It's so hard to breathe... Don't blame Ms. Reid... She only acts this way because she loves you so much..." Karen's pain seemed carefully rehearsed, every word falling just right.

Bethany didn't let Karen finish. She swept up a glass of red wine from a passing server and tossed its contents straight at Karen.

"Spare us the drama. We both know what's really going on. Sooner or later, everyone gets what they deserve," scoffed Bethany.

"You're out of control, Bethany!" Brodie shouted, his anger boiling over.

"Let's divorce, Brodie. I'll send you the divorce papers. We're finished here." Bethany didn't wait for anyone to answer. She spun on her heel and strode away. Despite being soaked and messy, she moved through the crowd with a cool, distant air.

Shoulders straight, she ignored the whispers and glares as she made her way toward the lounge beside the banquet hall.

Brodie's brow furrowed at her declaration. She must just be saying it in anger. There was no way Bethany would be willing to divorce!

Meanwhile, Karen's voice trembled as she murmured, "Brodie, I don't feel right..."

His face paled in panic. "Hang in there! I'll get you to a hospital now!" he exclaimed, quickly lifting her up and hurrying out.

...

Cold water clung to Bethany's skin, making every step more uncomfortable than the last.

As she reached the corridor, someone stepped into her path.

Her heart skipped a beat when she realized it was a man dressed sharply, clearly a secretary.

Robert stood before her, flawless in his suit, giving her a polite smile and a slight bow. "Good evening, Ms. Reid. Mr. Taylor would like to see you."

Though surprised, Bethany kept her expression neutral and gave a simple nod. "What does Mr. Taylor want with me?"

Robert extended a refined paper bag toward her, his manner polite but leaving no room for refusal. "Mr. Taylor asked me to deliver this to you. There's a fresh outfit inside, and I made sure the size will work for you. Also, there's a suite ready upstairs so you can change and get comfortable."

Bethany glanced down at the bag. Tucked inside was a beautifully tailored dress, crisp and untouched.

A quick flutter of surprise caught her off guard.

Jonathan was this considerate? He had to have seen everything that happened near the pool.

But they were almost strangers—after all, they'd only crossed paths once before.

Their history went back five years, to a chance encounter on a stormy night.

After an argument with Brodie, she'd been driving home in a haze.

Rounding a sharp bend, she nearly collided with someone darting out from the darkness.

She slammed on the brakes and leaped from the car, nerves rattling.

There, sprawled on the rain-soaked pavement, was a man—drenched and bleeding from a scrape above his eye.

Even drenched and unsteady, the sharp lines of his face and the air of authority he carried were impossible to overlook.

Though his eyes drifted in and out of focus, a hint of defiance lingered around his mouth.

That night, the stranger she'd found was Jonathan.

He had just endured a vicious betrayal, pushed aside by his own family joining forces with outsiders against him.

Nothing about that evening had offered him comfort. It was rock bottom.

Bethany could have walked away, but the look in his wounded eyes stopped her. Without thinking much about it, she lifted him up and helped him into her car.

She drove him to the hospital and made sure the doctors got paid.

When he finally stirred, she pressed a warm cup of water into his hands and said, "You have to stay alive to reclaim what you've lost."

She had no idea who he was then. All she knew was that someone needed help, and she couldn't just turn her back.

After his condition improved, she slipped away quietly, leaving only an umbrella and the receipt for the bill—no name, no contact.

Weeks later, she caught sight of him on a financial news broadcast and realized she had helped Jonathan, the heir to the powerful Taylor Group.

She never tried to cash in on what happened. Her life was full enough, and she poured everything into her marriage with Brodie, thinking it was all she needed.

The last thing she imagined was seeing Jonathan again—especially in a moment as embarrassing as this.

And judging by the way he'd acted, he remembered her.