PART- 001

Tessa

“Ma’am, I have put Master Lucas to bed.” A maid’s voice forced me to tear my gaze from the window.

“Thanks, you can take your leave now. It’s quite late.” I said with a forced smile and my eyes again darted on the main gate.

The house was silent and cold.

I anxiously peeked out of the window but I could only see darkness accompanied by occasional lightings, it was raining cats and dogs since the evening.

My heart was sinking with negative thoughts. My husband wasn’t home yet.

It had been my life. I chose it willingly because I couldn’t disagree when my uncle told me to marry the man whom I loved secretly for years.

The honking of familiar car put an end to my thoughts again and I found relief washing over my restless mind when Logan’s car entered the premises. I rushed outside the house to welcome my husband like always.

It was around ten in the night, still he managed to look handsome. My heart always leaped whenever I looked at him.

“You should come home early in such weather, Logan.” I said with a radiant smile as I approached him but when our eyes met, my heart sank.

His face was blank, no smile, no soft gestures. He was always an introvert but no matter how exhausting his days was, he reciprocated a smile.

“Tessa, come inside. We need to talk. It’s very important.” He said, his tone laced in impatience.

I didn’t feel good about it yet I nodded my head and masked my worries. He never behaved like this. I assumed it was work pressure.

He directly headed towards his study room. I followed his footsteps and once we were inside his office, the air fell quiet.

“Lucas was asking for you until he slept. You know our son when he-”

“Raelynn is back.”

Rest of my words died in my throat when I heard his words.

I was frozen, my mind went numb to process anything he just uttered. My eyes stared at his face blankly.

It must be a nightmare. Yes, a bad dream because never in my wildest dream I’d want to believe it.

Raelynn, my cousin and his ex-lover met a fatal accident a few days after she gave birth to Lucas, her car drowned in the river. Logan searched her like a crazy man but they didn’t find a trace and she was assumed dead but I always found it fishy. Her death brought me the chance to be in Logan and Lucas’ lives.

“What did you just say?” I asked, still not recovered from the shock.

“You heard me right, Tessa. Raelynn is back. She is alive. I always knew that she couldn’t die and see, my faith has won. My Raelynn is here.” A smile broke on his lips, his eyes sparkled.

Whereas my world crashed. If it was happening in real then it was the end of my fairytale. I had been living in a romantic oblivion. Everything was so perfect. Logan didn’t love me but he was treating me well in our marriage and I was contended because he was loyal in our marriage, it just his heart belonged to someone else.

My vision got blurred and my lips quivered.

“Your family called me in the morning. I also didn’t believe them for a moment but when I heard her voice and when I met her in person, it was real, my Raelynn was in front of my eyes, in flesh.”

I tried my best not to break down in front of the man who was clearly over the moon.

After all, Raelynn was his one and only love whom I couldn’t replace.

The woman who was his true love, the woman who swooned Logan Wilferd  and I must step away to give her place back.

“She’s coming over here to meet Lucas. She wanted to come with me but I stopped her since it was risky to drive in this weather and I don’t want anything happen to her again. I have lost her once.” His voice sounded so vulnerable and full of fear.

My role was preinstalled. Logan Wilferd married me because his son needed a mother figure and I fit the role which I accepted merrily. I loved the boy and also his father, though I never dared to confess it to him.

Deadly silence dawned in the room. I wasn’t ready to hear his answer because my fragile heart wasn’t ready for heartbreak.

“You know since the start of our marriage that we married for the sake of Lucas. I really appreciate your dedication and selfless love for my son but now his biological mother is back, I think there’s no reason for us to continue this marriage. I want to marry the woman I love.” He said without a pinch of hesitation.

It was easy for him to discard me. His words were like sharp thorns piercing my soul.

“So, I was just a caretaker for him? You want to end everything just like that? Logan, for God’s sake think rationally.” I finally lost my patience.

My heart was bleeding with the cruel rejection but my pride wasn’t ready to yield against an old flame.

His eyes softened for a moment but he quickly composed himself.

“Tessa, our marriage was only an arrangement. Don’t forget it. I made it very clear since the start. I can’t abandon Raelynn. She has gone through a lot. I won’t let her feel more pain.” He sounded frustrated with me and desperately wanted to put an end to our conversation.

He was straightforward with the cruel reminder. At that time, I was too thrilled to marry him that I didn’t see it coming. He never wanted to give me Raelynn’s place even if his father forced him to marry me.

“I agree that we had an arranged marriage but ending things like this, what are we going to tell Lucas and your family.” I made a futile attempt to change his mind.

 “This is going to end soon, it’s better if we end it with dignity. My family can’t force me to adopt their decisions every time.” He spoke quietly but I couldn’t miss the finalty in his tone.

I wiped my tears and looked at his face. Gone was the man who was gentle, caring and attentive towards me.

He was Raelynn’s lover who desperately wanted to get back with her and I was standing in his way.

“Did you ever feel something for me in all these years we have been together?”

I didn’t know why I felt the urge to ask him this.

He remained speechless and his silence was my answer.

“Let’s get divorced, Tessa. I don’t want Raelynn to suffer more.”

My heart bled seeing how badly he wanted to get back with Raelynn. But I couldn’t show him my broken heart. It was better to take my exit from his life.

“Fine but I have one last request if you have already made up your mind and wants to end this marriage, I don’t want to fight over this anymore.” I paused and gulped my tears and then matched his frowned faze.

His eyes stared me for a couple of seconds before he slightly nodded his head.

“I hope it’s not what I am unable to give you.” He said.

I shook my head and masked my emotions from this heartless man.

“Two weeks, give me two weeks and I’ll sign the divorce papers after that.”

A frown itched between his brows.

“What does it mean, Tessa?” He asked me.

“It’s Lucas’ kindergarten gala. I promised to perform a dance with him and we have been practising for it. Please, just for the gala, let me stay and perform with Lucas because he really worked hard for his first performance.” I made a small request.

“Tessa, what nonsense is this? I am asking you for a divorce and you are asking for another two weeks because you planned something so trivial.” He ridiculed me in his frustration.

“For Lucas’ sake. He is looking forward to the gala. I’m giving you my word, I’ll leave your life forever the next day but till then, let me stay.”

“It’ll be more complicated for us. Lucas loves you, he is attached to you and it’s undeniable. Sooner or later, he needs to accept his real mother and your presence will hinder him. Let Raelynn be there for him. She can participate with him.” He tried to reject my plea.

It was clear, he wanted me gone from their lives but I knew it’d only break the innocent child.

I blinked my tears.

“What are you going to tell his kindergarten and everyone who doesn’t know the truth? Do you really think it’ll be healthy for Lucas’ mental health?” I questioned him.

It was getting difficult for me to stay composed and not to cry because he was ripping my life.

“I promise, I’ll give him the space to welcome Raelynn in his life in these two weeks. He’ll eventually love his biological mother and forget me but no one knows at his school that I am not his real mom. Let me be there with him for his event and then I’ll go.” I said with difficulty because I never wanted to share my son, not even with his real mother.

“Tessa, it’ll be more difficult for him.” He shook his head.

“It’s only the matter of two weeks, Logan. I’ll prepare my exist from yours and Lucas’ life. for all these years, I have been his mother. Please, don’t rip me off this title at once. I am only asking for fifteen days. I’ll leave after the show.” I insisted.

After a brief moment of silence, he reluctantly agreed.

“Alright, you can stay until the show and after that, I don’t think I can wait any longer. Raelynn deserves to have her place in mine and Lucas’s life.” He said.

I didn’t know whether I should be happy that he didn’t kick me out of his life or make most of these fifteen days so I’d have a lifetime memory to live the rest of my life.