CHAPTER 2

At first, I didn't know how to react.

My mask came back on. The one I had built for three years.

A mask made with three years of pretense, and deep down, I knew something had changed as I read that message again.

My mask had gotten cracked, and it was huge.

Cheating.

As I walked back into the ballroom, my mind couldn't put it together.

Carter was cheating on me.

Despite how unloved I felt in this marriage, it didn't come to my mind to cheat.

Or find a man so I can leave this place.

Anger raged in me, and then I exhaled, my eyes fixated on Carter, as he gave his speech.

“Calm down Yilena. It could be a joke.” I thought about it. Carter was always busy with work, and trying to raise opportunities for his business, there was no way he would have time to visit another woman.

I bit my lips, it was something I did when I was overthinking and a wound was starting to fester.

Even as I sat in the car, and he talked on the phone, I couldn't stop the thoughts while we drove back home.

Our anniversary was in three days. Was Carter trying to give me such a heartbreaking gift?

Two days passed, and I had tried to forget about the message.

“Carter is such a darling. He even got this Birkeein Bag for you. Yilena, you are the luckiest girl ever.” My friend, Wendy, gave me a big smile.

“Thank you.” I said softly, but I wasn't really into gifts like this.

“Also, there's a ticket here. It's a solo date to the opera show coming to town.” Wendy held the ticket like it was the prettiest thing she had seen.

I chuckled at her whimsiness, “Wendy, you know I can't go anywhere on my anniversary.” I said to her, massaging my ring finger. I had taken the ring to be examined.

The results of the authenticity of the stone would arrive tomorrow morning.

In my heart, I knew Carter wouldn't give me a fake ring, but what if?

“Yeah, you have that big plan for your husband. I know he's going to love it, Yilena.” Wendy said.

Although I felt like she was holding back something else, I didn't care.

For now, I didn't want to think about her hate for Carter.

My anniversary was going to be perfect.

“You can have the ticket, Wendy. I'm sure you'd enjoy it more than me.”

The woman let out a squeal, before thanking me profusely, and running off.

I bid her goodbye, as I went ahead to prepare for the feast I'd be making the next day.

Powering on my phone, I wanted to get some recipes from social media when a post caught my eyes.

“Carter?” I said, narrowing my gaze.

The picture was of a man whose hand was around a woman's waist.

“It couldn't be.” I shook my head. “Carter said he was at a business meeting.”

My eyes went down but there was no caption.

I thought about the night at the ball.

“Don't overreact, Yilena. Just text him.”

It was a good plan, so I went to his message box.

My finger hovered over the keyboard but on second thought, it moved to the call button.

The call rang for a while, and then it stopped.

My heart didn't calm down, was that really him? The picture had been blurry, but it was exactly his silhouette.

Ten times. I called Carter ten times, but there was no reply.

Just when I was about to give up, my phone rang with a ring. It was a text message.

‘Stop calling my husband. You are disturbing our time together.’

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe but my fingers hovered over the reply button.

Why would Carter cheat on me?

I know he hated me but didn't he swear to wait for Fiona?

‘Who are you?’

I typed the message without much thinking, and my mind raced more.

Maybe Carter was playing some kind of joke on me, to hurt the more.

Whatever he was doing, it was absolutely working.

Time ticked and I still waited for a response, while I stood outside the kitchen.

Another ring but this time, it wasn't just a message, attached to it was a picture.

It was Carter's arm around a woman's waist, while her hand held on to his arm.

It was Carter. The silver watch on his hand was unmistakable, and my eyes zeroed in on the finger of the woman.

There was no mistaking the similarities between the one Carter gave me.

‘I’m his wife, so take your luggage out of my house, so I can come stay there.’

I wanted to cry but tears didn't fall. Was it because I felt like some chains had finally been lifted off?

Three years. I had waited for three years, thinking Carter would accept me if I had just been a patient, obedient wife.

“No.” I shook my head. There was another number he had given me, I'd call him there.

It didn't take long for the line to connect.

“Carter…” My voice shook no matter how I tried to make it steady, “Please where are you?” I said, biting down on my lips.

There was a long silence before I heard him sigh.

“Is that why you called on the emergency line, Yilena? Can you grow up and stop being so clingy? I'm in a meeting, and won't be coming home tonight.”

And then the line went dead. He didn't wait for my response or cared how his words made me feel.

A notification appeared on my phone. It was an email, and I clicked on it.

‘Sorry to inform you this early, Mrs Stone, but the stone on your ring is fake and was forged with high quality metal.

If you choose to purchase an original, there's also another problem. The last original one was purchased three weeks ago, by a Mr. Stone.’