---- Chapter 8 Through a haze of pain, | forced my eyes open. My body was a mess of broken pieces, but a flicker of life remained. | saw a figure running towards me, a silhouette against the distant lights of the house. Jackson. For a single, insane moment, a spark of hope ignited in my chest. He was coming to save me. He saw. He would finally see what she was. The hope died as quickly as it was born. He ran right past me. He didn't even glance down at my broken body lying on the grass. He ran to the car, where Candida sat behind the wheel, hysterical. "Candida!" he cried, his voice thick with panic. He wrenched the car door open and pulled her out, wrapping her in his arms. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" She sobbed into his chest, a pathetic, manipulative performance. "Jackson, she jumped out at me! | tried to stop, but | couldn't! I'm so sorry!" ---- He held her tight, stroking her hair. "It's okay, baby. It's okay. It wasn't your fault." He never once looked at me. | was a casualty, collateral damage in their sick, twisted love story. He was more concerned about the woman who had just tried to murder me than he was about me, his wife, bleeding to death on his lawn. He led her away, his arm around her, murmuring words of comfort. | lay there, the cold dew of the grass seeping into my clothes, and | finally let the darkness take me. | woke up in a sterile white hospital room. A kind-faced nurse was checking my vitals. "You're very lucky," she said with a warm smile. "A jogger found you this morning. You've lost a lot of blood, and you have a severe concussion and multiple fractures, but you're going to be okay." "My husband?" | whispered, my throat raw. The nurse's smile faltered. "He hasn't been by," she said softly. "We tried calling, but he didn't answer." Of course he didn't. He was too busy comforting my attacker. Later that day, | overheard two nurses talking in the hallway. "Did you hear about Jackson Parks? The mogul? His mistress ---- was in a car accident last night on his estate. He's been with her ever since, hasn't left her side." "What about his wife? | heard she was in the accident too." "| don't know. No one has seen him visit her." | closed my eyes. It was the final confirmation. The final, brutal severing of any tie | had to him. | was discharged a week later, my body aching but my resolve like steel. | was walking out of the hospital entrance when | saw him. He was holding a box of expensive-looking pastries, a guilty smile on his face. He was on his way to see Candida. He saw me and his eyes widened in surprise. He had forgotten | was even in the same hospital. "Elena!" he said, rushing over. "You're out! How are you feeling?" "I'm fine," | said, my voice a dead calm. He looked relieved. "Good, good. Listen, about our anniversary next week... I'm planning something special. A trip, just the two of us. To a private island." He needed to get me out of the way so he could have the house to himself with Candida. The lies were so transparent now, so pathetic. "You go on ahead," he said, glancing nervously back towards ---- the hospital entrance. "I just have to... drop something off for a client." | saw the lie in his flickering eyes, the guilt he couldn't quite hide. "Alright," | said, a small, cold smile on my lips. | turned to leave, then paused. "Jackson?" "Yes, darling?" "| have a gift for you, for our anniversary," | said. "A big surprise. I'll leave it at the house for you." His face lit up. "That's wonderful! | have a surprise for you too." His phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, and his face went pale with panic. "| have to go," he said, his voice rushed. "I'll see you at home." He hurried away without a backward glance. | knew, with absolute certainty, that it was Candida on the phone. She was probably threatening to leave again. "Goodbye, Jackson," | whispered to his retreating back. | went home. The house felt like a tomb. | walked through the rooms, a ghost in my own life. Then, | got to work. First, | went to our bedroom. | took down the large, framed ---- photo of us from our wedding day. | replaced it with another photo. A photo | had found on a hidden memory card in his desk drawer. It was of him, Candida, and Joey, smiling happily together. A perfect little family. | wanted him to see that | knew. Second, | went to his office. On his large mahogany desk, | placed two documents. The first was a copy of his marriage certificate to Candida Camacho. The second was a copy of Joey's birth certificate, listing Jackson Parks as the father. | wanted him to know that | knew everything. | was not a fool. | was not blind. His betrayal was not a secret. Third, | packed a small bag. Just a few essentials. | was leaving the rest behind. The clothes, the jewelry, the life he had built for me-it was all tainted. | walked out of the house without looking back. As | got into the taxi that would take me to the airfield, | made one last call. "Hamilton," | said. "The plane. Is it ready?" "It's waiting for you, Elena," he said. "Are you sure about this?" "I've never been more sure of anything in my life," | said. The news broke the next morning. A private jet, owned by Parks Industries, had crashed in the Pacific Ocean shortly after takeoff. There were no survivors. The passenger list ---- included only one name. Elena Medina. In a hospital room across the city, Jackson was on his knees, begging. "Please, Candida, don't leave me," he pleaded, his voice raw with desperation. "I'll do anything. | love you." Candida looked down at him, a cold, cruel smile on her face. "It's too late, Jackson. You can't give me what | want. You can't bring my father back to life." His body went rigid. Just then, his assistant burst into the room, his face ashen. "Mr. Parks! It's an emergency!" "Get out!" Jackson roared, his attention still fixed on Candida. "Sir, you don't understand," the assistant stammered. "It's your wife's plane... it's gone down. There are no survivors." Title: A Princess? No! I'm the Female General! In "A Princess? No! I'm the Female General!" by CrushReel, Adela Taylor, a noble family's daughter, disguises herself as her brother to secure their Duke title by joining the army. Despite facing obstacles, she achieves remarkable success. However, upon her triumphant return, her brother betrays her, setting off a chain of events that will test her resolve and reveal hidden truths. This captivating novel delves into themes of secrets, reincarnation, revenge, murder, and drama. Adela's journey from deception to betrayal is filled with intrigue and suspense as she navigates through a world where power dynamics and family loyalties collide. 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