Chapter 1.

"Famous Mia Brown finally returned to the spotlight in the company of a mysterious man. Who could he be??"

The reporter's voice filled the living room from the television. The question posed to the audience by the reporter wasn't a puzzle to Clarissa Brown whose face had turned clouded.

Her eyes lingered on the screen as she watched her husband, Easton Maddox wrap his hand around Mia's waist in public. Leading her out of the airport into his Lamborghini.

Clarissa felt the earth slip under her feet as she forced down the pile that raised in her throat. Shock and disbelief hitched on her face as she stared like a moron.

Uncertainty and dread filled Clarissa from where she sat.

'Mia is back.'

Clarissa's heart pounded in her chest, her breathing becoming uneven as the rowdy sounds from Mia's fans echoed in the living room. They cheered along as Mia got into the car and Easton also followed.

Mia, Clarissa's older sister was a top celebrity who has been leading for years now. She was the star, the favorite daughter of the Brown family. And her husband's Ex-girlfriend. The woman who had her husband's heart wrapped around her fingers.

But she fell sick and had to be transferred to a hospital overseas for treatment and since then, she has been off camera. But now, she was back!!

Clarissa's heart felt as if it had been pierced by numerous knives. She didn't need a soothsayer to tell her that the man on the TV was Easton Maddox. Her husband.

That morning before he left, she had prepared breakfast and arranged his clothes for him like the dutiful housewife that she was. She could recognize that particular black sleeve even behind a blindfold because she had gifted him the sleeve on their first anniversary.

It was late at night but Easton was yet to come back home. So he left to go pick up his ex-girlfriend late at night at the airport while leaving her behind to watch his dirty deed??

Was he having an affair with Mia??

Clarissa shook her head to shake off that depressing thought. Easton was distant and cold towards her, even though they've been married for three years, they were more of housemates than couples. He clearly dislikes her—something he uses every minute to show her—but he wasn't involved with Mia. Right??

Easton ghosted her and left her sexually deprived while he went out to satisfy his sexual urges, she never complained.

Clarissa maintained a perfect home for him to return to after his sexual escapades. She never cried for his attention or affection, hoping someday they would all come naturally in his free will. She kept giving but never taking.

But this public display of affection with her sister was something Clarissa couldn't swallow. It made her chest too heavy.

Clarissa's lower lip found their way between her teeth as she tried to control her sob. She grabbed her phone that lay on the center table to dial Easton's number.

Clarissa's heart ached as she waited for Easton to answer the call but to her disappointment, it was directed to voicemail.

Her breathing hitched in her chest as she dialed the number again, her hands trembling. But the front door swung open, causing Clarissa to look up from her phone.

Relief washed over Clarissa that instant when she saw that it was Easton. He came back. He didn't leave as she had thought. He came back to her.

Clarissa shot up from the couch, the side of her lips threatened to form into a smile as she started to walk towards him.

Due to the dim light, she could hardly see his expression. He was holding his black suit and a few buttons on his sleeves were undone.

"You came back.." Clarissa's husky voice called out softly.

Without saying a word, Easton brushed past her and dropped his suit on the couch close by. From his movement, he seemed very exhausted making Clarissa wonder if she had thought too much. If she had accused him in her head thoughtlessly.

'He spent the whole day at the office working, right?' She mused in her head before turning to face him. Calculating her words and scared to get him angry, Clarissa asked. "How was your day?"

"What exactly is your problem, Clarissa??" Easton spat as he turned to glare at her. His exhaustion transferred into aggression taking Clarissa by surprise.

Clarissa's breathing turned shallow as he came near her with a maniacal look on his face. He leaned closer, his breathing fanning her face and Clarissa quickly detected that he was drunk.

The smell of alcohol from his mouth made her stomach churn.

"You should try staying in your lane and avoid winding me up, Clarissa!" Easton announced his words, gritting between his teeth.

"Easton..." Clarissa's shaky voice called out.

Easton's face turned cold. "You asked for it." He grunted before roughly grabbing her by the waist making Clarissa yelped.

He roughly pushed her towards the couch, her pleas falling on deaf ears as he forced himself on her.

"Easton..." Clarissa whimpered but Easton's movement was fast and demanding as he took off his sleeve and pants. His long nails ripped off Clarissa's thin shirt, exposing her bra. "Ah. Please...." Clarissa cried out again.

Annoyed by her cries that seemed to irritate him, Easton landed a slap across Clarissa's face. The burn quickly spread across her cheeks, making Clarissa shed hot tears.

Never had Easton touched her without being drunk since they were forced into this loveless marriage. Now that he came home drunk, he became a beast to her. Again.

He grabbed a condom from his pocket and began to fix it on his shaft. His movement was incredibly fast. Before Clarissa could comprehend anything, her pantie has also been tore off, leaving her fully bare in front of him.

Sob wrecked through Clarissa's body, his disrespect towards her body was prominent. Undeniably painful for Clarissa.

Seeing him fix the condom, Clarissa felt pained. She wanted a baby. After three years of marriage—the baby should come next, right??

Clarissa dared to request. "Can-can you not use a condom,please-eee??"

Her words only made a scowl form on Easton's face as he roughly grabbed her arm, his nails dug into her skin and Clarissa's face twisted as her tears wet her cheeks. "Do not get ahead of yourself, Clarissa Brown. Don't overstep your limits. If you think I'll ever want to have children with you then you must be sick in the head."

His words were not only reducing her worth but they broke her heart. Her offense was choosing to love her sister's boyfriend, her mistake was being stupid to bed him. Now, he had every reason to crush on her feelings.

"The only person qualified to carry my babies is Mia. Not you!"

'Mia.' That name. Again, Mia was the only one deserving of everything good. Fame, education, and Easton.

"You still love her. You're still not over your first love, right??.." This realization made Clarissa's heart sink into her belly. Truly, she hadn't accused him falsely, she hadn't overthink this. It was Easton on the TV with Mia a while ago. He was back with Mia.

Easton didn't say a word. He Neither refuted her words nor accepted it. But that was enough cue for her to know that she had lost her husband to Mia.