CHAPTER 2

Bella's POV

The slap sends me crashing into the doorway, I quickly stood up biting back the tears threatening to stream down my face. I can't let myself cry in their face.

" So what do you want to do? I did all that and so what? Why are you suddenly dumb?" Charles mocked.

" Funny how just few minutes ago she was bluffing like she was up to something." Kelly laughed as she slowly hug Charles from the back. At this point I couldn't help my tears again, I let go and allow them pour. This is supposed to be my two most important people.

Kelly has always been my best friend since I know my name, she stayed with me even when I had no one especially after my parents died in a plane crash. I have never expected that the woman my husband was having affair with is her and it just hurts more knowing that it's my friend that has been stabbing me in the back all these while.

They were shocked to see me back so early from my hospital appointment, I guess they had expected my return late as usual but that would be if I stayed for the appointment. I couldn't, not after what the nurse revealed to me. I had to rush back as soon as I can hoping to hear Charles debunk those lies, only to meet them like this on our matrimonial bed.

Charles is my high school crush whom I later ended up marrying. Our marriage was a dream come true because he literally is my fantasy and I had always held on to this union even when I knew that the love was one sided. If I'm telling myself the truth, Charles never loved me and I had always wondered why until this evening.

I am a very beautiful lady, one you can call every man's dream woman. I have had men flocking at my feet since I was a teenager including those twice my age just because of my beauty so when I met Charles it was a shock that he didn't like me at the first glance like every other man. I took the initiative to confess my feelings to him which he rejected at first but later he accepted and pursued me for a while.

We started dating in senior class and since then I catered for the both of us. My parents were rich while his didn't have much so I didn't see a problem providing for us after all I love him. I continued even after my parents died. I am an only child so inherited the little my parents owned and Charles and I got married shortly after. I put together everything my parents left for me and built the fashion company, from there I was fending for a family I thought I had until now.

Charles gradually started changing down five years down the line he had become worse. He became more emotionally unavailable and a lot distant, I thought it was my fault, I thought that maybe he was frustrated because we can't have children.

During the first year of our marriage I conceived once and miscarried the pregnancy and since then I haven't conceived again. I have tried everything possible including In-Vitro Fertilization, IVF which I went for today. I kind of tried connecting Charles's change of character to our inability to have children and I tried to endure everything as much as I can. Each time I brought up his cheating he would threaten to divorce me and I would have no other option but to keep quiet and swallow the hurt.

I decided that instead of fighting him I would rather put more energy in conceiving hoping that he would change if I give him a child but never in my wildest dream would I imagine what I just discovered today.

The nurse told me everything. According to her she couldn't live with the guilt anymore. She has been my nurse since Charles and I got married.

She confessed overhearing Charles instruct his friend Doctor Ruben to intentionally puncture holes in my womb during the evacuation procedure after my first miscarriage which he had caused by infusing my beverages with abortion pills.

The nurse said that she was afraid of losing her job thus why she never open up to me all these years and only watched me go through all the painful procedures of trying to conceive knowing that everything is in vain.

I couldn't believe my ears after she was done narrating it to me, I refused to believe it until she showed me a sonographic image of my uterus with different adhesions and scars. I nearly fainted and couldn't breath for a good two hours.

I know Charles doesn't love me that much but I would never assume that he would do that to me. He knew how much I wanted to build a family after I lost my parents, he knew how much I wanted to have children I can call my blood related since it was like I was alone after I lost my parents. Charles knew all these but still robbed me of the right to have these things for a reason I can't think of. I only loved him but this is how I get paid back?

I was driving like an insane woman on my way back, I couldn't wait to come back and ask Charles himself. I still wished he would tell me that it was all a lie only for me to come back and meet him in our matrimonial bed with my best friend.

He didn't even deny anything, he didn't deny tampering with uterus and there is no string of pity as he looked into my tear stained face.

" Charles what did I ever do to deserve this? I have only loved you since I set my eyes on you." I sobs finally letting go all the emotions I had been holding. This man just took away my hope of motherhood, the one thing that ever mattered to me and he is not even showing any remorse!

" Well, unfortunately you were just a means to livelihood for me. I never wanted you and I'm sure I made it known from the start but you just didn't listen so do you think you can blame me now? It's not my fault that you thought you could get any man just because you are beautiful and had rich parents. You were useful, Bella. That’s it. Don’t confuse that with love." he scorns arrogantly.

I stumble back holding my chest, the stabbing pains is too much and I could only sob as he cursed me.

" You are so selfish and have always thought about you, you don't know how hard it is living with you all these while, now you come here trying to make me feel quilty? Let's end this now Bella, I will get you the papers to sign tomorrow but for the main time please leave. " he ordered.

" Charles this is my house. Everything here is mine! What have I done to deserve this? If anyone is leaving shouldn't it be you! " I sob still hoping that all these is a nightmare.

He laughs mocking me. " Looks like someone has forgotten something. All these is in my name so basically they are mine or did you forget? " he asks while laughing out loud and immediately realization dawn on me.

After marriage Charles brought up about how insecure he feels about our difference in status and how inferior that makes him feel. I loved him and in order to make him feel safe I changed everything I own to his name including my fashion company. He would act up each time I buys a property until I change it to his name and just now I realized that he has been planning this all along. I had wanted to make him feel secure. I handed him my life, piece by piece. And now he’s cutting me out of it. I don't know if I will be able to forgive myself for allowing this to happen to me.

Everything happened like a flash and before I knew it I found myself in the street walking bare feet with only my mobile phone in my hand, I staggered like someone drunk, not on wine, but on grief. It was pouring heavily too, the air is freezing cold that each time the wind blows I get shivers down my spine.

I could hear the scratching tires of the passing cars, the drivers were cursing at me asking me to die in my house if I desperately want to die instead of looking for a victim to knock me down. I was scared because I can't understand myself anymore, I desperately want to leave the road and not die but it looks like I can't coordinate my body either. My heart was drumming inside my chest as I look around trying to focus my vision.

I raised my phone frantically searching for Lia's number, she is the only one I can think of at this point. The rain and my tear stained eyes made it harder to see, everywhere was blurry. I was so relieved when I saw her name, I immediately dialed the number but as soon as I raised my head, I was blinded by the lights from a car speeding towards me. It all happened so fast, I heard the sound of the collision and the next second I was slipping into darkness. I didn't even fight it, I guess I was really tired and then I slept.