Chapter 3

Yara

We had never met before, but I had seen her in the news enough to know what she looked like..

"Mrs Fox." I acknowledged with a small nod before ushering her in.

She was beautiful, elegant and classy. Clothed in the most expensive fabrics, bathed in an air of authority and power.

There was a look of disapproval on her face as she scanned my house. It was more like she couldn't believe that her precious son had been living in such a tiny, cramped space for years.

Ever so slowly, she turned to look at me, her gaze deep, penetrative, more than I was comfortable with.

Then, she took slow steps towards me, and her strong cologne assaulted my senses, and I had a pressing urge to puke, but I swallowed it down.

A self-mocking smile tagged at the corners of my lips as I observed her face. She had a displeased look as she scanned my outfit.

Well, I was in a black nightdress, the dullness of its colour perfectly matching my mood. My eyes were puffy and swollen from all the crying, and I looked all groggy and tired. Not in the best frame to meet your mother-in-law, I suppose? But mother-in-law? It was more like an ex-mother-in-law at that point.

Do you know? There were times when I had dreamed of meeting Adrian's parents. Yes. We were orphans, raised in the orphanage, and everything, but it didn't mean that we were hopeless. Unless one's parents were confirmed dead like the majority, the others still clung to the hope that their parents were alive, out there, perhaps even looking for them?

Yes! That was Andrian and me. Back then, although he couldn't tell me, although I couldn't tell him, we each wished to, even if by sheer luck, meet our parents, and I had also wished to his parents.

So, back then, I had imagined several scenarios. A hearty scene, a mother's eyes filled with tears for not only meeting his long-lost son, but also for finding a daughter-in-law. But now? I couldn't mask the mockery on my face as I looked at Adrian's mother. A beautiful and unkind woman, with a face twisted in judgement. Absolutely nothing close to what I had ever dreamed of.

" You haven't showered. You are still in your sleepwear." She lifted her nose in the air, more like she was sniffing the room, and there was a hint of disapproval in her eyes as she criticised.

I was too tired to talk back, so emotionlessly so, I slowly walked to the couch, without sparing her a glance.

Her son had already broken my heart, and the mother was all mean. Why would I waste my energy on her? It was good enough that I didn't barge the door on her face instead.

"You are beautiful, quite pleasing to the eyes." Unbothered by my attitude, she added as she took a seat next to me, her movements deliberate and elegant as expected of a lady of her status, of course.

To that, I just nodded with disinterest. If I didn't look at the look on her face, I would have taken it as a compliment, but no, it was not.

Besides, I already knew that I was beautiful, many had praised my looks, including his son, and yet, here I was, rejected and heartbroken, even with the beauty.

"Yara Coast. " She called my full name, the expression on her face unreadable.

" Beautiful. A twenty-two-year-old, Married." She paused, stressing the word married.

" Very hardworking but poor." Her lips were pursed into a thin line as she revealed. Even though I knew that I was poor, hearing her casually toss my status around didn't stop me from frowning in displeasure, especially since her son was the reason I was poor. If I hadn't been giving all my money to him, I wouldn't have been so poor. I would have pursued my career.

" Thank you for stating the obvious. Now, why are you here, Mrs Fox?" Despite the storm raging within me, I still maintained a calm demeanour as I asked, surprising even myself.

" Smart girl. I want you to divorce my son." Her expression shifted, her tone all icy cold as she revealed the reason for her visit.

I already expected it, but hearing it from her didn't hurt less.

After everything, Andrian couldn't even be bothered to say it in my face. He had to send his mother with divorce papers. So, that's how lowly he viewed me?

Clenching my hands into fists, I wore a composed smile, but heaven knew how hard it was. With everything in me, I wanted to cry, shout, and vent, but I didn't.

I had already mourned enough.

"Don't take it the wrong way. Andrian is currently very busy. He is still adjusting to his new role as the heir to the Fox conglomerate." She wore a proud smile as she informed, and I swallowed down a scoff. Busy? It was more like he couldn't be bothered to face me.

" Here. Look at the divorce agreement. If anything is not to your liking, feel free to list your conditions." She offered, wearing a benevolent smile, like she was giving me a one-way ticket to heaven. How kind!

" Don't worry, you will be well compensated. You have been by my son's side for all these years, after all." As I flipped through the divorce agreement, she added, casually so.

" You finally have a chance to change your life. With that kind of money, you may never need to work again for the rest of your life." She added, with a convinced smile.

It was fifty thousand dollars. My youth, my love, my sacrifices were worth only so much in their eyes.

Fifty thousand dollars. I couldn't help but laugh, bitterly so as I stared at the so-called compensation. My one-way ticket to riches. Just how much did they look down on me? Just how much did Andrian look down on me?

" If the word gets out to the media that the rich Fox family offered five thousand dollars to buy me out of their son's life, how well will that reflect on your image?" I wore a casual smile as I stated, and I didn't miss how tense she became before wearing back her composure.

" It won't, sweetheart. You are a smart girl and you know how much is at stake. " She whispered, wearing a sweet smile.

" Take your dear life, for instance. " She paused, as if thinking. "If you get into an accident, and heaven forbid die, will it be worth it?" She asked, a sinister glint crossing her eyes, and a cold shiver ran down my spine.

" And the orphanage director? Your father figure. He is already so old. What if he sleeps and never wakes up after having a meal from his favourite restaurant?" My heart went cold as her words seeped through my ears.

She was threatening me.

" You are a wise girl. Choose wisely. Don't be too greedy, otherwise you might end up with nothing. " As I looked at her cold face, I was reminded of Adrian's face as he told me the previous day to forget about him. Her mother's look mirrored his, sinister and heartless. It ran in their DNA.

"You can't take nothing either. You have been good to our son for all these years. We don't like owing people favours. The Fox family has noble roots." She declared self righteously, and once again, I was shocked silly by their blackbelliedness. Moments after threatening me with my life, she had the guts to call herself noble.

"Here." I scribbled an amount on the paper before handing it over to her.

"Pay that to me and we will be even. From today on, Andrian and I are strangers. " Surprisingly, my voice was unusually calm as I said my part. I didn't want anything to do with Andrian or his dirty Fox family.

"Are you sure about this?" She asked, disbelief crossing her eyes.

"Yes. " It was all I said.

" As expected of a poor person. They don't know what's good for them." She scoffed before handing the papers to me after cancelling the part that stated fifty thousand dollars to one dollar.

Yes. I only wanted one dollar from them, and that too, just for formality. Otherwise, with the same passion that I once loved their son, I hated them in the same measure, and I didn't want anything to do with their filthy money."

As I flipped to where my signature was required, I saw Adrian's familiar signature, bold and decisive, reminding me of how bold he was as he humiliated and rejected me.

Pushing back the tears that were threatening to spill from my eyes, I scribbled down my signature, but still, my true emotions were betrayed by my shaking hands.

It was over, wasn't it? The once beautiful story had come to an abrupt end, just before it began.

" If that's all, please see yourself out, Mrs Fox." Weak and vulnerable, my voice rang, threatening to crack the facade that I was trying so hard to maintain.

I was both physically and emotionally drained. I just wanted to be alone, to think to...

" Perfect, don't ever show yourself in front of my son, and..." She paused, a devious glint crossing her eyes as she eyed my belly, and I got a bad feeling about what she was going to say next.

" I know that you are pregnant. "