Chapter Three Pretending

(Selena’s POV)

Again, I rang the doorbell, half praying that Maya hadn't really fallen asleep.

Seconds later, the door opened, and a redhead appeared.

Her eyes first took in my appearance before landing on the luggage beside me. Without a word, she pulled me into her arms.

"I'm sorry. Ethan is a jerk," she murmured.

The tears I had been holding back burst forth, causing my whole body to shake.

It hurt.

It had taken everything in me not to let a tear fall in front of him. I had seen the way his gaze stayed on me, waiting for it.

But I couldn't give him such satisfaction. No, he had taken more than enough.

Maya led me inside onto the couch, then went back to bring in the luggage.

I doubled over, hands on my head, the events of today replaying in my mind, especially Ethan's words.

After five years of giving my time, energy, and effort into loving him, he had coldly called me a substitute, Betty’s substitute.

For five years, he let me bear the title of Mrs. Callaway, waiting for his lover to return.

"Here," I looked up to see that Maya had returned.

She held a steaming mug out to me.

I reached for it and took it. The sweet, bitter taste of chocolate exploded on my tongue as I took a sip, it was made just like the way Ethan used to make it for me. Before…

I felt my eyes grow heavy with tears again and put the mug down, my body trembling with every sob.

Maya's hand patted my back.

"It's okay. It's okay," she said.

But I shook my head. It wasn't okay. Nothing about Ethan's betrayal was okay.

I had always thought I would grow old with him. That he loved me even though he had been cool toward me lately.

And now…

My tears swelled again, falling freely.

"He was poisoning me, Maya," I choked.

Maya's hand stopped.

"What?"

"The vitamins. They aren't just vitamins. There are contraceptives, and now I cannot bear children. I can't become a mother. I can't..."

"It's okay," Maya pulled me closer.

"We will figure something out. Okay? We will go back to the hospital. There should be something that can be done. Of course, you will have as many children as you want," Maya comforted me, but I didn't say anything.

I was exhausted and had given up.

~~~

The next day we went back to the hospital.

Maya waited outside while I met with the doctor in her office.

Dr. Tina sat behind her desk, removing her spectacles before meeting my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Callaway. There is really nothing we can do to reverse the damage."

I opened my lips to correct her about my name but didn't. My gaze lowered, the sense of foreboding I had felt since I left the house now confirmed.

"But if you get pregnant now, your child can grow to term before you undergo the surgery," she said.

I nodded slowly.

"Mrs..."

"It's Miss Mark," I corrected, unable to bear it.

A look of understanding flashed across Tina's face, and she said,

“You can try IVF. We have some healthy sperm in our sperm bank." She caught my hand from the table, holding it reassuringly.

"I understand that this is hard for you, and I sympathize with you. But if you want to be a mother, now is the right time to try. The whole procedure is safe," she said.

I nodded, wiping off the lone tear that escaped my left eye.

"Thank you. I want to proceed with the procedure."

~~~

The door opened before I could input the code.

I expected Ethan to stand by the door; instead, I came face to face with a woman whose face seemed oddly familiar, Betty.

She stood proud, eyes scrutinizing as if I were some unwanted guest, when it was the other way around.

But I wasn't here for that.

Betty was clad in one of Ethan's shirts, barely reaching her bottom. The faint marking on her shoulder gave away all I needed to know.

Ethan had already moved on even before the divorce process was finalized. He didn't wait. It didn't matter, I reminded myself again as my gaze lowered. My heart already heavy again.

Betty's voice cut through my thoughts.

"You must be Selena," she said, her eyes tingling with a bit of recognition.

My face broke into a frown.

We had never met before. It must be that Betty had done some research on me. Of course she would.

"What do you want?"

I almost scoffed.

Almost.

Just a few days ago I stayed here. I lived here, and now I was being treated like some stranger in a house I had lived in for five years.

My lips tugged into a smile.

"I came to meet Ethan." The words flew out with a coolness I hadn't realized I had in me until now.

Betty smirked.

"He is out. He just left. I had to practically kick him on his ass to."

My eyes flickered.

I had specifically come around this time because Ethan would be around.

"Selena?" Betty called as I looked past her inside the house.

"I know it's hard, but Ethan never cared about you. He merely married you out of impulsiveness, to get back at me for leaving the way I did. I'm sorry you became the collateral damage in our feud."

Betty's words sounded kind, but her eyes were nothing like it.

I knew that Betty wasn't apologizing or being kind.

She was just acting smug, rubbing their relationship in my face, as if to taunt me, reminding me of my foolishness for ever believing I was good enough for Ethan and that he loved me.

I looked away, then got around Betty's straight figure and entered the room.

"It doesn't matter now," I said. "I don't care. It's in the past now. I don't need your sympathy. It is over between us. I am only here to give this to him." I pulled out the divorce papers, which already had my signature, and put them on the table.

Betty eyed me suspiciously.

"What is that?" she asked, walking over to pick it up.

"Our divorce papers," I stated merely.

Something close to surprise crossed Betty's face, then she said,

"You are divorcing Ethan?"

“We both know that you love him and you are pretending. If you are thinking Ethan would come crawling back to you, you are wrong. Ethan wouldn't blink signing this, and once he does, it is really over between the two of you."

But I couldn't bother answering. I was done with them.

They both could rot in hell.