2

"Gib-Gibson," it came out like a whisper, and I could feel my lips quivering.

"I never wanted you to find out like this," he said, but I couldn't ignore the nonchalance interwoven in his tone. "But I'm glad you did."

Gibson waved at his secretary, ushering her away. The sounds of her heels clicking on the tiles indicated her retreat.

My face fell flat, and my head spun, still trying to make sense of why my husband would do such a cruel thing to me. I gave Gibson my all. My late grandfather kicked against our marriage, stating Gibson was a phoney, but I didn't believe him.

The weight of their betrayal locked around my neck like a vice, threatening to cut off my supply of oxygen. "How could you?"

Tears stung my lids, turning my sight of the duo foggy. Gina retreated into the bathroom and swiftly shut the door.

Gibson reclined on his seat, staring at me with no iota of remorse. Even the shock that was once in his green eyes disappeared, now replaced with a bored look.

"It hasn't been easy living with you all these years. You're just a truck load of trouble, Heather." His deep voice reverberated off the walls of his office, and his last sentence echoed over and over in my head.

A lump grew in my throat, grating the dry walls. I breathed heavily as my heart writhed in pain.

"How?" Was all I could say amidst my ceaseless thoughts. "What was the problem that couldn't be communicated? What was I doing that was so bad? Was it the sex?"

"Everything, damn it. Even the way you breathe irks me," Gibson responded with his nose wrinkled in disgust, sinking my heart.

"Why did you–I thought–" I hesitated, swallowing a deep breath to keep my tears at bay. "–I thought you loved me," my voice broke. "Why didn't you just say you fell out of love?"

"Fell out of love?" Gibson echoed in question, and then he threw his head back, and a mocking laughter flew out of his lips. "Can a person who was never in love fall out of love?"

My breathing hitched, and my body trembled at this revelation.

"I expected you to see the signs, but you practically chose not to. Just so you know, I've been cheating on you from the very day we said our vows," he continued, shredding my heart into pieces.

The lump in my throat fattened up, and I gulped, trying to push it down. Instead, my saliva scorched my throat.

"Oh, my goodness," I said breathlessly, holding the door for support. "Is that why you've been giving me those pills?"

"Oh, you found that out, too?" Gina's voice slipped from under the bathroom door before it swung open, and her menacing smile greeted me. This time, she was wearing a short, black dress. "That was me. I had to make sure you'd have nothing of his."

I began to vent with a heaving chest, saying, "But why? I trusted you. I loved you, Gina. I took you like a sister, you–"

"Oh, shut your face hole," Gina snapped, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. "It has always been about you. Heather, this, Heather, that."

Gina's eyes burned with hatred as she paused to have a once over at me. Her lips curled up in disgust.

She continued, "You have always been stealing my shine. The world practically revolves around you. I fell in love with a man, and as usual, you snatched him from me simply because you were rich. And guess what?"

I parted my lips to speak, but the words were stuck in my throat. I snapped my mouth shut, feeling my stomach churn.

"I decided to pay back by taking back everything you stole from me. I found my way back into his heart and bed. He was mine and will always be mine. I hate you, Heather!" She snarled.

Anger seemed through my veins, prompting my fingers to curl into fists. "You bastard." I gritted, narrowing my eyes into slivers.

"Hey, watch your tongue," Gibson warned, and I averted my gaze to meet his.

I released my fists, badly wishing this was nothing but a dream.

"Why—" I was halted, and the biggest shock was thrown at my face.

"Because she is the mother of my child," Gibson announced, and all the air rushed out of my lungs.

"What child?" My voice was barely above a whisper.

"Celine," Gina answered.

My muscles tensed, and I could feel the veins on my temples throbbing. Fire combust in my chest like a pressure pot had exploded, spreading throughout my entire body.

Driven by anger, my mouth curled up into a snarl, and swiftly, my feet willed me towards Gina. Instinctively, I flung my hand in the air, aiming for her cheek, but a firm grip hung my arm in the air.

"Get your filthy hands away from my woman," he growled, and I could feel his anger as his grip tightened around my wrist and his nails bit into my skin, stinging me.

My heart skipped numerous beats, and I locked gazes with Gibson. Fear gripped me at the dangerous clouds in his eyes.

With a shove, he released me, sending me to the ground. I fell on my buttocks, wincing as pain shot up my coccyx.

"Are you okay?" He cupped Gina's face, and she nodded.

My stomach knotted itself, and I rose to my feet, still filled with rage. "I'm getting a divorce," I stated, wishing I could set them ablaze with my eyes.

"I've been waiting for you to say that since the beginning of this conversation," Gibson spoke, releasing Gina and walking to his desk. He tapped a button on his desk and then picked up some papers. Walking up to me, Gibson hurled them at my face. I caught them before they reached the ground. "They're already signed by me. Sign and send them back."

My throat burned, and I was consumed by the urge of screaming down the building. I was going to make them pay!

I turned to Gina, saying, "I will sue you for aborting my child. You will pay for this," in the most menacing tone I could muster.

Gibson and Gina eyed each other and then guffawed. "Well, it's a good thing you transferred all assets to me before we got married. Now, you just have to leave empty and wouldn't be able to sue my wife to be."

My heart stopped for a minute, and I felt like I was going to black out. "What?"

"Never sign papers when you're drunk, dumbass," Gibson said with a dark chuckle.

"No, this can't be," I said, vibrating.

"Sir, you called for us," a man said behind me, but I couldn't move, I was in shock.

"Throw this baggage of liability and shit out of my office," Gibson instructed.

Their fingers curled around my arms, snapping me out of my trance as they dragged me out of his office.

"Let go of me!" I screamed, struggling to free myself. "Let me go. I'll walk myself out."

They ignored me and effortlessly dragged me past all the inquisitive eyes to the exit door. With a rough shove, they threw me out of the building.

Once outside, the breeze frolicked with my hair, tossing it around my face. I sucked in deep breaths, grunting each time they burned my lungs.

I plodded down the streets, taking unknown routes. My heart bled, and my chest was heavy like a grand piano had been placed atop it. My frenzied thoughts struck me with a head-splitting headache.

"I'm doomed," I rasped, sinking my fingers into my scalp, gripping tresses of hair until they began to hurt.

Taking another route, my soul left my body when a sharp sound cracked through the air, almost rendering me deaf. Startled, I threw furtive glances around, now aware of my surroundings.

The sounds of women screaming filled the place, and people zapped past me, running for their lives.

The loud sound cracked the air again, and another followed it. Soon, I could see the bullets flying in the air and rough looking men shooting at each other. My pulse quickened, and I turned pale.

Swiftly, I pivoted on my heels but stopped dead in my tracks when I felt a bullet piercing into my back. I opened my mouth, gasping as a burning and sharp sensation dug deep into my back.

I held the area, feeling like a burning knife had been driven into my back. Removing my hand to look at it, I wheezed when I saw blood smeared around my fingers.

My vision blurred, and my legs turned to jelly. The gunshots and screams faded out. A scared man ran past me, nudging my shoulder, and the impact sent me to the ground.

My eyes snapped shut, an I plummeted into a void of nothingness.