[2] Lies

ASHLEY

I raised my head and covered my hurting eyes with my palm while taking a glimpse at the sharp lights with squinted eyes. The lights went off, and the door to the car pulled open before a pair of sparkling heels came out.

I jerked up and wiped the tears on my face even though the rain had managed to wash them away.

I wanted to stand, but my body was too weak and broken to let me do that.

“Ashley!" The voice of my best friend pierced through the plastering sound of the rain as she rushed towards me.

“What is wrong with you!" Liliana gasped and grabbed my pale hand with widened eyes full of worry.

I forced a weak smile on my face while the tears fell and mixed with the rain splattered over my face.

“Come on, get up! I'll take you home," Liliana snapped and helped me up to my feet, then led me into the car.

Once the door was slammed shut, Liliana passed a towel to me and stared at me curiously as I tried to dry my hair and face with the towel.

“Tonight is your anniversary, you should be out having dinner with Alex, but here you are under the rain, what is going on, huh?" She asked, but I remained silent and fixed my eyes on the windshield.

Liliana sighed and ran her fingers through her wet hair, cursing loudly.

She took a deep breath and turned to look at me while I shivered in my seat.

“I'm sorry I couldn't pick up your call. I was in the middle of a movie shoot when you called,” she muttered and brushed my hair back.

Liliana gave up when I remained silent and turned on the car’s engine, then drove off to my house. A place I didn't want to be in.

Perhaps I should tell her the nightmare I had gone through. I would stay at her place until the divorce was resolved.

I took a deep breath and parted my trembling lips, then whispered the reason behind my pitiful condition.

“Alex cheated on me." 

Liliana’s hand slipped off the wheels, and the car screeched, jerking to a stop.

I lurched forward and almost slammed my forehead on the dashboard, but Liliana was quick enough to grab me.

“Are you okay?" She gasped, her voice filled with worry.

I barely had any strength left in me to worry about life or death. I was already filled with so much pain. What was the need to avoid a mild hit?

I simply nodded in response and dropped my head on the headrest, my eyes barely open.

“I'm sorry for that crazy ride, I… I…” Lilian panted, brushing her hair back.

She was as pale as a ghost, and it definitely wasn't the effect of the crash we almost had.

“Wait, what did you say?” She swung her head in my direction and asked with widened eyes.

I took a deep breath and pulled my eyes open, staring distantly at the raindrops plastering against the windshield.

“She's pregnant. She's carrying his child," I whispered, and Lilian gasped, jerking up with eyes as wide as saucers.

“That bastard!" She grunted loudly, slamming her fist on the wheel.

Her hand went into her hair, and she ruffled it, cursing at Alex. 

“I'm leaving him," I blurted out.

Lilian sighed and straightened up, then placed her hand on my shoulder, trying so hard to stop the tears in her eyes from dropping. 

She has been my best friend for over 25 years, and even though she was against my marriage to Alex, just like everyone else, she still stuck with me and cheered me on whenever I needed someone to do that.

She has never hidden her disgust for Alex, but I never listened to her. I would always swear that Alex would never leave me for someone else, but I just got proven wrong tonight. I was such a fool.

“Are you really going to let him go just like that?" Lilian muttered, and I shrugged.

"I have no strength left in me to put up with any legal battle. I'll quietly file for a divorce and leave him,” I replied.

Lilian scoffed in response and shook her head.

“You need to make him pay. Everyone needs to know that you're the victim here, that will help you take what belongs to you, including the company," Lilian muttered, squeezing my shoulder.

I looked up, my brows raised. 

“You think so?" I asked, and Lilian nodded with a smile.

“You need to catch him red-handed again, but this time, be ready to expose him. Post a video or photo on the internet, make your divorce public, and have the media drag him through dirt. That way, you'll have more respect while he loses his," Lilian said.

My eyes dimmed, and I felt her heart clench as Lilian's words echoed in my head. I was the victim. I had to let the world know. I have to take revenge on him and take him back to the way he was before he met me.

But my heart seemed to disagree with me. A little voice in my head kept whispering that I was taking the wrong step.

Even though I hated Alex for what he had done, I couldn't bring myself to ruin the man I loved.

My heart still beat madly for him, and no matter how hard I tried to convince myself, I still had doubts that I would be able to do it. 

I sighed and looked at Lilian again.

“But…”

“Wipe your tears, honey, that loser deserves none of it," Lilian muttered and handed me a handkerchief.

I accepted it and muttered a low word of gratitude.

Lilian switched the engine to life and drove to my house. Silence and my nonstop low whimpers reigned in the car until Lilian parked in front of the large white house in the estate that I've lived in for five years.

Lilian sighed and glared at the house before turning to face me.

“Hey, just act like nothing happened until tomorrow night at his pre-signing party. I’ll be able to find evidence of his affair, and we'll expose it tomorrow night,” she muttered.

I nodded and got out of the car, then slammed the door and dragged my weak feet to the gates.

I suddenly paused and turned. Lilian's brows raised as she watched me from the car.

“What's wrong?" She asked as she poked her head out.

“I don't think I want to do it. I'll take the properties I have, file a divorce, and leave," I said.

Her face paled, and she scoffed with her jaw slack.

“You're really going to let him go just like that?" Lilian asked.

I gulped hard, sighed, and nodded.

“Yes." 

The security pulled the gate open, and I turned around and walked in, leaving Lilian disappointed.

“Ma'am, I greeted you!" The security man blocked my path as he said, grinning widely.

I jumped back, panting as my heart raced.

“Oh, yes," I replied.

His smile fell, and confusion etched on his face as he slid out of the way.

I flashed a smile at him and headed into the house.

Poor man, I was too lost to hear his greeting. My head was bent down in desolation, and my belly still churned from what I witnessed a few moments ago.

“Just a few hours more and I'll be out," I whispered to myself as I trudged into the house.

The decorated table in the middle of the living room caused my heart to drop into the pit of my belly. I had prepared it all before I got that call.

The candles that were once glowing in their candelabra had all turned to wax, and the flowers that lay around the table had all withered.

The house was empty, cold, and void of love and warmth. It felt different, or maybe it had always been like this, but I never noticed.

I slumped down to the ground and coiled up, the tears showering down again.

The plans of changing the home’s decor this year, like I always do after our anniversary celebration, were over.

I wondered why I never noticed his sudden cold behavior and his late-night returns.

It was all there, the signs were all there, but I was too blinded by love to notice it.

I sniffled and broke into cries again. 

“I will make you pay, Alex, I'll make you beg at my feet," I whispered and gripped my aching heart, wincing in pain.

The horrifying scene of his humping his mistress haunted me as I sat there in that cold living room. No matter how much I tried to get it out of my head, I couldn't.

I slowly crawled to the couch where my phone lay and picked it up, then dialed Lilian's number.

“Hey, what's going on?" Lilian's voice broke out when the lines connected.

I stared at the wall clock, and my heart hardened. It struck twelve, signaling that the end of our anniversary had arrived.

I parted my trembling lips and blurted out the decision that I had made in that cold, dark room.

“I am ready… to bring Alex down. When are you getting the evidence?”