Chapter 3: The Push

(Aliana's POV)

I slowed my steps when I reached a quieter spot, just a few paces away from the graduation hall. Away from all the staring eyes and judging glances.

My tears came fast, blurring my vision. My heart thumped violently in my chest, like a bomb ready to explode.

I couldn’t tell what hurt the most... was it that Delvin, the man I called my husband, had gone to celebrate with another woman after turning down my invitation, saying he was busy? Or was it that he had brought her here, right in front of me, just to humiliate me?

The mocking smile on Belicia’s face, as she held up the present, burned into my mind, tormenting me with every breath. And worse, no one seemed to notice it. No one seemed to see the mockery in her tone and actions.

I stood by the swimming pool, staring at the calm, still water. It looked peaceful, but inside me, my heart felt like it was on fire.

“Well, if it isn’t the attention-seeking, pathetic gold-digging slut,” a voice hissed behind me. “You really thought Delvin would run after you, didn’t you?" She scoffed bitterly. "Bitch, please. You’re not even worth chasing.”

I swallowed hard as Belicia stepped closer. The warm, sweet smile she had worn for the cameras in the hall was gone.

Now her face was cold, the same sharp, icy look she always gave me when no one else was around, especially when Delvin wasn’t there.

“Next time you run, don’t stop here. Make it permanent. Disappear for good,” she added, her jaw tightening.

She had hated me from the start, but tonight, seeing that Delvin had actually tried to go after me must have made her even angrier. I couldn’t believe it either. In all four years of our marriage, he had never tried anything like that.

“Just…” I swallowed a lump in my throat. “Just stay away from me.”

"Stay away from you?" She laughed like it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. "Bitch, you can’t even leave my man alone!"

Yes… that was what she had always called Delvin... her man. And she wasn't even wrong. I was his wife, yet I couldn’t even boldly call him mine.

“Look at you… all miserable. Like some unloved child,” she continued, her voice full of mockery. “It must be really hard, playing wife to a man who doesn’t even love you.”

I wanted to argue, to tell her she was wrong... but no words came. The truth sat painfully in my chest, too heavy to push away.

Delvin didn’t love me. Not even a little. And somehow… that hurt more than all the insults.

“I expected you to leave once I returned, but you’re still here,” she sneered. “Shamelessly throwing yourself at him just for money.” She went on, her eyes narrowing with disgust.

Delvin hadn’t even mentioned divorce since she came back. Was he waiting for me to read the room and ask for it myself?

“He doesn’t love you. You are just a toy, and very soon he will toss you aside like the chaff you are,” Belicia said, dragging out every word to make sure it hurt as much as possible.

My fingers gripped the fabric of my gown as I struggled to breathe with every passing second.

I couldn’t deny that she might be right... that I could just be a toy for him. But I also couldn’t let her see how much her words affected me. So I lifted my head and met her eyes.

“Well… I guess we’ll just have to wait until then,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “For now, I’m still his wife.”

Belicia’s smile faded, her face twisting with fury. She hated that I talked back to her, and even more that I reminded her I was still Delvin’s wife.

“You bitch!” she screamed, lifting her hand to strike me.

But for some reason, she paused, her hand hovering in the air for a few seconds before she slowly lowered it.

“I see you’ve forgotten who truly matters here,” she said softly, a cruel smile spreading across her lips. “I’ll help you remember.”

I blinked, confused by her words. Belicia stepped closer to me, her fingers digging into my arm.

Before I could understand what she was doing, she shoved me hard.

Everything happened too fast. I lost my balance, and the next second, I was falling into the pool.

My back hit the water first. A loud splash filled my ears. Cold water rushed into my nose and eyes, blinding me. I couldn’t breathe properly. I couldn’t think.

The water swallowed me whole, and I sank quickly. The deeper I went, the quieter it became. The surface above looked distant and shaky.

Then suddenly… my foot slammed hard against the bottom of the pool, and a sharp, terrible pain shot through my ankle. I had sprained it.

I tried to push myself up, but the moment I moved my foot, pain exploded through my leg. It was unbearable.

I couldn’t kick, I couldn’t swim properly, and panic hit me instantly.

I tried to rise to the surface, but without my leg supporting me, my body felt heavy and unbalanced.

I struggled, using only my arms to pull myself up, but I wasn’t strong enough. The surface seemed impossibly far away.

My chest tightened. I needed air.

I opened my mouth to scream, but only water filled it, my body grew weaker, and I was drowning.

“Please…” I prayed, not even sure who I was praying to, “Please… help me.”

I didn’t want to die like this. Not here. Not because of her.

Suddenly, just when I thought it was all over, strong arms caught me. He held me from behind, wrapping his hands around my waist and pulling me upward.

In a second, I broke free of the water, choking and gasping for air.

He held me securely against his chest, keeping me afloat as he moved quickly toward the edge of the pool.