Shattered (Book #1 In Heart Series)✔️

Chapter 41: Betrayal

Kritika stumbled, her cheek stinging from the force of Aditya's slap. The pregnancy test kit slipped from her hand, forgotten in the sudden rush of pain and confusion. She looked up at Aditya, her eyes wide with shock and hurt, cupping her swollen cheek with trembling hands.

"Adi, what—"

"You bitch, today will be your last day," Aditya hissed, his grip tight on her hair as he dragged her out of the room, his rage palpable. Kritika pleaded for him to stop, her voice drowned out by the searing pain shooting through her scalp.

Aditya dragged her down the stairs, his grip unrelenting, until he flung her to the floor with a callous disregard for her well-being. Kritika instinctively protected her abdomen from the impact, whimpering as the pain radiated through her body.

As she looked around, she saw her family and the Singhania's seated calmly, their eyes filled with disgust as they watched the unfolding scene without intervention.

"Aditya, what's happening? Why did you slap me?" Kritika managed to ask, her voice weak and trembling.

"You need to understand something first. But before that, I have a question," Aditya said, his tone cold and unforgiving. He turned on a projector, and a photo appeared on the screen.

Kritika squinted at the image, her heart sinking as she recognized the person. Aditya marched toward her, his fist clenched in her hair, his grip unyielding.

"Do you recognize this person?" he demanded, his voice devoid of any warmth. Kritika closed her eyes against the pain.

"Answer me," he barked, his grip tightening.

"Yes, it's Samaira," Kritika whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Do you know who she is to me?" Aditya asked, his voice barely contained fury.

"No," Kritika replied, her voice trembling.

"She's the love of my life, the girl you killed," Aditya declared, his words echoing in the room. Kritika's blood ran cold at the accusation.

"What? I didn't—" she started, her words cut off by Aditya's slap, the sharp pain spreading across her cheek as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

"You killed her brutally," Aditya accused, his voice laced with venom as he towered over her.

"I didn't," Kritika protested, her voice barely a whisper amidst the chaos of accusations and pain.

"Trust me, Aditya, please," she pleaded, her eyes pleading for understanding amidst the torrent of accusations.

But Aditya remained unmoved, his grip on her jaw unrelenting as he forced her to watch a video, each frame a damning indictment of her supposed guilt.---

The CCTV footage revealed a chilling sequence of events. In the first clip, Samaira emerged from her apartment just as a van pulled up nearby. A man stepped out, his intentions unclear but his presence ominous.

In the detailed description of the footage:

The man approached Samaira, his demeanor unsettling as he addressed her by name. Samaira, taken aback by the encounter, confirmed her identity, her voice laced with confusion.

Upon learning of Aditya's supposed critical condition, Samaira's distress was palpable, tears welling in her eyes as she sought information about the hospital. The man, offering assistance, led her away, capitalizing on her vulnerability.

In the subsequent scene, the video depicted a desolate road where Samaira, now running frantically, found herself pursued by the same man. Suddenly, her path was blocked by a figure revealed to be Kritika, her expression twisted with malice.

Kritika's actions were swift and cruel as she accused Samaira, labeling her with venomous words. The scene unfolded with Kritika's verbal assault and physical aggression, culminating in her callous directive to the man named David.

With a sinister smirk, Kritika relinquished Samaira to David's control, her words dripping with malice as she consigned her victim to a fate unknown. David, seizing the opportunity, dragged the sobbing Samaira away, disappearing into the darkness of the forest.

As the video ended, Kritika felt a cold dread settle over her, her mind struggling to comprehend the enormity of the accusations against her.

Aditya released her jaw, his eyes cold and unforgiving as he loomed over her.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" he demanded, his voice dripping with contempt.

"I didn't do it," Kritika pleaded, her voice barely a whisper amidst the weight of the accusations.

"Lies," Aditya spat, his anger palpable as he advanced toward her, his eyes ablaze with fury.

But Kritika remained resolute, her gaze unwavering as she faced the storm of accusations and betrayal head-on.

"I know her from college. I did my internship in London and met her there. The girl in the video is not me. It's fake. Please believe me," Kritika pleaded through tears.

"There's another part to this. Trust me, Aditya. Trust in our love, Adi," she implored, gazing at him with desperation.

Aditya's response was a mocking laughter that cut through the air like a blade. "Love? Ha! Who said I love you?" His voice dripped with sarcasm, shattering Kritika's heart.

"You..." Kritika's voice wavered as she struggled to speak.

"When?" Aditya's tone was cold, devoid of any warmth.

"On that... that day when I... proposed to you," Kritika stammered, her pain evident.

"Did I say those words? Did I say I love you to you?" Aditya's question was like a dagger to Kritika's soul.

"N-no, but when I asked, you said yes," Kritika replied, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh, baby, but I didn't say those three words. I said yes as part of my revenge," Aditya confessed callously, his words like a final blow to Kritika's shattered heart.

"Revenge?" Kritika whispered, shock coursing through her veins.

"Yes, revenge. I planned it a month ago, and I initiated it when you came to my penthouse," Aditya revealed, his voice devoid of remorse.

"And you fell for my act deeply, and the next day, you proposed to me, thereby my plan succeeded," Aditya admitted, his words cutting through Kritika like a knife.

"A girl like you doesn't deserve to be loved. That's why I didn't say those precious three words to you. You are a slut, a whore, a low-class bitch. And you should be treated as such," Aditya spat venomously, his words like poison.

A loud whimper escaped from Kritika's lips as she clutched her chest tightly, the pain unbearable.

"Ahana, you're my best friend, right? Please, believe me," Kritika begged, tears streaming down her face as she looked at Ahana.

"You were my best friend, and now you're not. The moment you destroyed my brother's life, our friendship ended," Ahana declared coldly, her words like a final blow to Kritika's shattered soul.

"What's wrong, baby? Feeling sad?" Aditya mocked, his cruelty cutting through Kritika like a knife.

Wiping her tears, Kritika looked at him with a mixture of pain and defiance. "Maybe you won't believe me, but my family will," she declared, her voice trembling with emotion.

" Go and try then . What are you waiting for". Aditya smirked.

With the help of the couch, Kritika rose to her feet and made her way towards her family, determined to seek the truth and reclaim her shattered dignity.