Chapter Two

Alina POV

"Victor, you've gotten the promo…" my words died in my throat at the sight before me. 

I blinked in confusion, wondering whether I was hallucinating, but the vision remained the same. The horrifying vision of my husband and his secretary tangled up together in my marital bed.  

"What the hell is going on here!" I screamed. 

They didn't even bother jumping apart and showing shock. Instead they took their time pulling away from the kiss, and finally faced me with irritated glares. 

"What are you doing here?" Victor  asked, eyebrows pulled low in annoyance. 

"W-what am I doing here?" I echoed, feeling like there wasn't enough oxygen in the room, "This is my house." 

His secretary snorted, "Last time I heard, your name isn't on the deed” 

"Shut up!" I roared at her. 

"Don't you dare speak to her like that!”  My husband spat, anger rolling off him. 

"I don't understand, what's going on?" There was no way it was really what I thought, no way that my husband and his secretary were actually having an affair. Victor loved me and there was no way he’d ever do something like that. He would never betray me after all I'd done for him, for us.

"What does it look like?" She rolled her eyes, smirking at me, "Did you think Victor  would actually stay with a disgusting thing like you? Look at yourself, Alina, you make me sick to my stomach. Victor  is now the president of his company. How can a man in his position be with a woman who every man in the business world has been with? He needs a woman like me" 

My jaw dropped open in horror and I swung my gaze to my husband who looked completely irritated by my presence, "You begged me to help you get to the top and I slept with all those men to get you to this position!" 

He snorted, face cold, "No decent woman would have agreed to such a plan. A part of you had to have been eager to spread your legs like a bitch in heat”

His words shot through me like several swords lancing through my heart and I staggered back, tears burning the backs of my eyes, "I never wanted it. I did it for you, I did it because I love you. I did it for us, our future” 

"What future?" His mouth curled in derision, "how can I have a future with a whore like you? You want me to be the laughingstock of the business world? Hunh? Haven't you done enough already?" 

I stared at him in shock. I still remembered Victor  coming to me a year ago to complain that he was being overlooked when it came to business deals and promotions. He told me about how one of his superiors at the office had a thing for me. It took him almost half a year to convince me to go on a date with Richard. 

It feels like yesterday when my husband had been comforting me after I returned from Richard hotel. We had celebrated his first promotion the following week and that was how I'd gotten myself into this mess. 

I'd never wanted any of this.  "You told me that this would make you love me more!" I roared, "You promised to never resent me for this." 

"Don't be a fool," Laura  laughed, "A man has his pride, and a gorgeous, successful man like Victor  should only be with a woman who he can be proud to call his queen. Imagine him showing up to an event with you on his arms and all the men that have fucked you laughing at him behind his back” 

Tears poured down my eyes. How could I be so foolish? I'd given my dignity and my body for a man who used me to further his career. 

Suddenly, Victor  flung some documents at me, "Sign it”

As I read through the heading of the document, I suddenly felt sick. I began to tremble, bile rising up my throat while tears blurred my vision, "No. I won't sign this. I won't grant you a divorce!”

"Let's not do things the difficult way, Alina," Laura smirked and stepped forward with a big, brown envelope, "Inside there are photographs of you with other men. As soon as we take this to the court, the judge will grant Victor  a divorce. Let's save ourselves the time and stress and embarrassment." 

I stared at my husband, taking in his cool expression. The way he was looking at me now, like I was garbage on the street made me want to throw up. Wasn't it just yesterday he had hugged me and promised me that this was the last time. 

"I did it all with his express knowledge," I argued, "I did it for you." 

"What evidence do you have?" She rolled her eyes, "Sign the papers and stop being so pathetic. I'm sure any of those men you so eagerly jumped into their beds would be willing to make you their mistress." 

My whole life and four years of marriage to a man I thought was my knight in shining armor was slipping away from me in the blink of an eye. I rushed forward and dropped to my knees in front of my husband, "Don't do this to me, Victor ," I sobbed, "I love you so much. What about all our plans? The trip to Africa? The three kids and a dog you said we'd have." 

"How can the mother of my kids be a whore?" He said coldly, "And anyway, in about eight months, Laura will give me the child that you were too worthless to give me." 

What! So this had been going on for that long? 

"You can either sign the papers peacefully, or we'll release your sex videos and pictures to the public," his secretary spat, holding out a pen for me, "Your choice."

I stared at the divorce papers in my shaky hands, and then took the pen from her hand. As I scrawled my name on the dotted line, tears running down my eyes, I swore that this wouldn't be the end.