Chapter Three

Tracy had called the cops on her in her own house.

“I am not a thief. This isn’t what it seems like,” she tried protesting as the policemen drew nearer and cuffed her hands behind her back.

But the policemen were not ready to listen to her.

How does she explain trying to jump the fence of her house around 1:00 am in the middle of the night?

She struggled as they dragged her like a thief towards their car. “I am not a thief. How can I be a thief in my own house? My husband is inside; you can call him to ask him.”

No one was listening to her. They seemed to be listening to Tracy, who kept calling her a thief, claiming she was trying to harm her.

“That lady over there is the thief. She is trying to steal everything from me.”

The police ignored her and dragged her into the bus. She could see Tracy smile as the police shot her up and then drove off.

They drove her to the station and locked her in a cell. She sat in a corner, thinking about how her husband had betrayed her despite her giving him everything.

By dawn, she was looking all tired and miserable in one of the police cells. She had exhausted her energy from begging the police to let her go, but they claimed they needed proof that she indeed lived in the house, and she couldn't provide any. 

The only option she had was to wait till the next morning when the workers resume so they can identify her. Where did they all go, anyway, leaving their duty posts? Tracy definitely sent them away for the night because of her plan.

As she waited patiently for morning to arrive, her stomach sang. She sat down and thought about how life had dealt with her in the last twenty-four hours. She had gone from being the CEO’s wife to ending up in the police cell.

When morning came, the police eventually confirmed her status as the wife of the CEO and then let her out of the cell. She checked the time, and it was 9:00 am, and her husband was still not there to pick her up.

She borrowed a cell phone to call him. The phone rang for some time, but no one picked up. She tried it again, and eventually it was picked.

“Thank God.” Her mind was at rest. The thought that the night’s event will be buried. It was a new day, and they could both forget about everything that had happened. He just needed to come pick her up at the station and take her home.

“Hi” 

Her hope became shattered when she heard a feminine voice from the other end of the call. She recognised it as Tracy’s.

“I have just been released from the station now, and I would be glad if…” she heard the phone cut off before she could conclude her statement.

She tried calling again, but her call ended.

She wondered what kind of sins she must have committed for her husband to ignore her calls, allowing Tracy to respond to her.

She thought of going elsewhere but couldn't figure out any. She thought about her baby and the need to protect her regardless of whatever.

I have to survive no matter what it takes.

But how was she going to do that without a dime on her? 

An idea came to her head. She will leave the city and start all over. But first, there is something she has to obtain.

***

Outside the billionaire mansion, Isabella stood in one corner. It was almost 10:00 am. The workers were back to work, and she waited until she got an opportunity to speak to one of her househelps, Nikky, who sneaked her into the building.

She walked stealthily into her house and observed that her husband was still in bed with Tracy. It must have been a long night. That is the least of her problems at the moment. Her husband had made it clear that he didn’t want her again. He even abandoned her in the cell.

She went into her husband’s study and picked up a document. She checked under the locker and found some cash too. She carefully placed the document and the money into a briefcase she found in one corner. 

As soon as she was done, it was time to go out and close the door, moving as slowly as she could so she wouldn’t make any sound that would wake Tracy or her husband. 

Her leg mistakenly hit the artwork on the table, and that fell on the ground, making a loud noise that left Tracy running into the sitting room.

Isabella hid behind one of the couches as she spotted Tracy coming out of the bedroom. Tracy looked around the room but found no one. She was about to check the corners when Nikky told her that the noise came from the kitchen. 

“I am sorry, ma’am. The cooking pot fell from where I left it to the floor. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“You old fool. Can’t you do your job properly?” 

“I am really sorry.”

“You are so incompetent. I will make sure to replace you soon when Alex marries me,” she said as she walked away.

Isabella felt at ease knowing that she had walked away. But the thought of Alex marrying Tracy made her uneasy at the same time.

As soon as Tracy was out of sight, Nikky helped Isabella, and she walked out of the building with the briefcase.

She signalled for a taxi driver to stop. “Take me out of here, please.”

“To where?”

“I don’t know, just somewhere far away from here.”

As the taxi drove off, she stared at the building until it slowly disappeared from her sight. The place she has gotten used to as her home now feels strange to her. The last twenty-four hours replayed in her head as she felt a deep pain in her heart.

The only thing that matters to her now is raising her child, and she will do everything it takes to make that happen.