Chapter 2

The words stung like someone had punched her straight in the gut.

Even though she had seen this coming ever since she discovered she was nothing but a substitute wife for her husband’s first love, it still shattered her heart without mercy.

She had at least expected a better way for their marriage to end. This was cliché, wicked, disrespectful. and she hated the way her chest twisted in pain, the way he didn’t seem to care that he was hurting her.

This explained all the late nights he had been keeping for the last two months.

Laurie-Ann glanced at Ethan.

“You couldn’t even take her to a hotel room?” she asked, her hands trembling.

He had the decency to look remorseful, but it lasted only about five seconds before his face contoured into a snarl.

“You weren’t supposed to come home this early.” He said it was the perfect explanation for his infidelity.

“I think it's perfect timing, my love.” Jane stepped forward, “You were going to divorce her by the end of the month, weren’t you? This just makes things move a little faster.” she smirked. “No reason to keep her around when the original is here.” She rubbed his chest. The sight made Laurie-Ann vision blur with emotion especially since she had never been this close to Ethan for months now.

Laurie-Ann was not a violent woman, but she couldn’t help, but feel the urge to slap her across the face. How could someone be so shameless? And how could Ethan be so blind? This was the woman he wanted to be with?

A woman that left him for another man for the sake of her career?

Yes, she did her research after she had found out about her two weeks ago. She never even thought she would be back, at least not this early.

No wonder he never allowed her to pursue acting. It wasn’t because he was protecting her from the industry like he always said, it was because the one, and only woman he had ever loved had left him, and he didn’t want a repeat of that from the copy of the same woman.

“I see. You already have it all planned out.” Laurie-Ann said, her calm and smooth voice, a huge contrast to the storm brewing in her chest. She wanted to cry, scream, but what good would that do, but give them the satisfaction they had broken her.

Her mother always used to say this to her before she passed away.

“You can’t break invisible tears.”

“Yes, we have. We have been planning this for months, and you are welcome to take your things. Ethan will get the divorce papers ready by the end of the week, and don’t even bother trying to play any games. We have the best lawyers, and we will make sure you don’t get a dime more than we are willing to give.”

“I would like to hear the words from my husband, Jane.” She gritted, her hands curling into fists beside her.

“Husband?” Jane scoffed. “Don’t be cocky. You were merely business partners, a convenient copy of me to warm his bed while I was away. The only problem was that you were blind to it. You should have left when you had the chance.”

Ethan stepped forward just as she was about to respond.

“You knew this was coming. I want you out of this house by the end of the week. I'll get my lawyers to compensate you for your time as my wife.”

Those words stung her so badly that before she could stop herself, her hand shot out, and slapped him across the face.

“How dare you?” She spat, her hands shaking with fury.

“Was that all I was to you?” His voice broke. “A glorified prostitute to warm your bed ?” she gritted “I loved you, Ethan, and all you ever did was lie to me. Fuck you, and your compensation. I don’t need it.”

Ethan was frozen in place as he held his cheeks that were now stinging. In the three and half years he had been with her, she had never spoken to him like this before, not to mention hit him.

“You bitch! How dare you slap my husband to be!” Jane marched forward, already raising her hands to return favor. But Ethan stopped her.

“Let it go, my love. She is not worth it. This is her true nature, a vile woman. Do not stoop to her level, you have a career to protect unlike her.”

Laurie-Ann’s stomach tightened on hearing that. His words stung harder than any slap either of them was going to give. The worst part was that he was right. She had given up her career, and what she loved for him, and he had just thrown it back in her face.

“You’re right. She is just trying to jeopardize us.” Jane said. “You’ll be hearing from our lawyers.”

Laurie-Ann let out a sarcastic laugh. “Good bye, Ethan, I wish you the life you deserve.” She sneered, then turned around, and walked away without a second thought.

……

Laurie-Ann took a taxi to her god mother’s, fidgeting as they drove.

She should have left the day she found out about Ethan’s intentions, but she was too emotionally raw to be alone. Her mother had died only a week before, and she needed to hold on to someone in her life. It was too bad that the only person she loved did not feel the same way.

As she stepped out of the taxi, she made her way inside her god mother’s mansion, tears blaring from her vision as the body guard led her up the stairs of the front door.

She knocked, her heart beating widely against her rib cage, the tears threatening to burst out from her tear ducts.

The door suddenly opened, and Vivian appeared with a bright smile on her face, and a glass of wine in her hand. She was wearing a gold robe.

“I was wondering where on earth you were. I came back home thirty minutes ago, and you weren’t-“ Her smile faded when she saw the look in Laurie-Ann’s eyes.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” she asked, and as if the words were the push she needed, she burst into full blown tears. He is leaving me.

…………………………………………………………

“I can’t believe you stayed with him after he told you the truth,” Vivian said, pacing her kitchen twenty minutes later.

Laurie-Ann had just told her everything that has been happening between her, and Ethan over the last two weeks, and she was fuming.

“I guess I didn’t want to believe he had lied to me about loving me.” She admitted, shivering from the betrayal

Vivian sighed. She couldn’t pretend to understand her god daughter’s thought process, but she was glad she had come to her senses.

“I loved him, Aunt Vivian. I really did.” She said, wrapping her hands around her body, and hugging herself.

“We need to sue him. I'll get a smear campaign running against him. I will not allow this…this insanity.”

“No, no.” Laurie-Ann’s head snapped up. “ I want a peaceful divorce. I just want to put this behind me, and focus on my dream.”

“But…” Vivian protested. She had never liked Ethan for her. Not because she thought she was a bad man, but because she saw right through his bullshit when her god daughter was too in love. She had been married three times, so she knew these things.

“No, Aunt Vivian. If I am going to pursue a career in acting, I don’t need any scandal following me. I just want to forget about all of this, and move on with my life.”

Vivian stared at her god daughter for a long while before letting out a sigh.

“Fine. I will stay out of it, but begrudgingly, and do not expect me to be nice to him.”

Laurie-Ann chuckled. “Promise.”

“Good.”

“So, is that role perhaps still open?” Laurie-Ann asked, and Vivian grinned wide.

“I’d open it even if it wasn’t.”