Chapter 1

MIRANDA

“Did Adrian really marry her?”

“She gets bigger each day.”

“Look at her. She looks like a pig.”

I heard the whispers, the murmurs, and the insults that followed me as I walked into the hall.

It had always been like that. I’d been body shamed since childhood, but it grew worse after I married the billionaire heartthrob of almost every woman in the city.

Adrian Wellington.

Our marriage wasn’t based on love. I loved Adrian long before we got married, but he only saw me as the woman his grandfather had chosen for him.

I ignored the nasty remarks and walked into the hall, my eyes glancing around for Adrian. It was his birthday party, and I’d spent the last few months preparing for it.

I caught him standing far away from where I was, and there was a woman next to him. Her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, their foreheads only an inch away from touching.

They were so close… too close. His hand was wrapped around her waist in possessiveness, and she raked her fingers through his hair.

I was his wife, and I was the only woman he was supposed to be holding like that. But Adrian never looked at me twice.

And whenever he did, his eyes always glared at me like he was irritated by my sight.

My heart fell at the sight, and I stared at the woman, watching as she tilted her head in laughter.

Joanna Lane.

Adrian’s personal assistant. They were always together, people shipped them, and just three days ago, I’d caught her making love with Adrian in his study.

In the same house we lived in together.

But they had no idea as I didn’t confront them or make a sound to inform them they’d been seen by me.

I kept my calm, walked away, then returned to the bedroom, where I’d sobbed my eyes out.

I approached them slowly, and Joanna raised her head to me. Her lips curled into a taunting smile immediately, her fingers tightened around her glass of wine.

“Mrs. Wellington,” she whispered. Joanna always called me that name with a mocking voice. “I didn’t think you’d attend tonight.”

Of course, they weren’t expecting me. Earlier that afternoon, Adrian had given me a glass of milk, but I’d poured it down the kitchen sink.

He was unaware that I’d found out that he’d been lacing the glass of milk he occasionally gave me with sleeping pills whenever he wanted to go somewhere without me.

“Why wouldn’t I?” I forced a small smile. “I threw this party for my husband, remember?”

Adrian turned squarely to face me, his eyes glistening with hatred as he pulled away from Joanna. He dragged his eyes over my body, his voice ringing out in irritation as usual.

“What are you wearing?” He asked mockingly. “Miranda, you look disgusting in this dress,” he said bluntly.

The music stopped playing, and laughter erupted from the crowd. Even his business associates were laughing and flashing their cameras to record the moment.

“Don’t say that, Adrian,” Joanna reprimanded, feigning concern as her eyes glared at me. “The dress isn’t ugly. It’s just the person wearing it.”

Then she stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with maliciousness. “Maybe if you lost a little weight, you’d actually fit in any dress without looking like a pig in it.”

My breath hitched. I darted my eyes away from her, still wearing a forced smile on my lips.

That wasn’t the first time Adrian and his mistress were humiliating me. It was something they did at the slightest opportunity.

“Thanks for the advice, Joanna,” I said curtly. “I appreciate it.”

Adrian scoffed. “I bet she’ll eat a bowl full of burgers and fries right now if they’re in front of her.”

Everyone laughed again, and Adrian joined them. I’d gotten used to the nasty comments, but hearing it from a man I loved, a man I’d been married to for three years… It broke me.

Three nights ago, I overheard Adrian and Joanna having a conversation about my body while they made love loudly.

“She looks like a pig,” he’d uttered disgustingly. “I can’t make love to Miranda. You’re the only one I want, Joanna.”

I understood then why he never touched me, not even for once. My size was his biggest problem, and he hated me more than anything.

Tears stung my eyes but I refused to let them fall. Adrian kept making hurtful jokes… anything to make the crowd laugh.

But every part of me broke down painfully without showing.

“Would you like some cake, Miranda?” Joanna asked tauntingly. “We already cut it before you came but I was kind enough to save you a slice.”

“You mean, half of the cake,” Adrian added.

“Why not?” Joanna walked closer and grabbed my wrist. “She can eat it all. Right, Mrs. Wellington?”

I tried to wriggle my wrist free, but her grip was tight. Joanna pulled me towards the cake forcefully, ignoring my words to stop.

“What are you doing, Joanna? Let go of me.”

“What is the matter, Mrs. Wellington?” She sneered. “Don’t you want cake?”

Adrian said nothing. He did nothing to stop his mistress. I summoned my strength and pulled roughly away from Joanna, but she’d already retrieved her hand.

“You want cake?” She snarled, pushing me forward. “Have it.”

Joanna pushed me roughly and I staggered forward, crashing into the cake I’d made for Adrian. My face slammed right into the middle, and I felt the cold icing on my skin.

Gasps erupted from the crowd again, and flashlights were on my face. I gasped softly, the laughter triggering something inside me.

Slowly, I wiped the icing off my face, my stomach lurching at the humiliation. I’d been embarrassed at the same party I’d thrown for Adrian.

The same one I’d spent months planning, and invested all of my life savings into.

My finger brushed off icing from my face, and I tasted it. I turned around slowly, the remarks echoing from every corner.

“Did she just… taste that?”

“She’s really disgusting like a pig.”

“Miranda is weak. She’s going to cry and run out.”

Cry? Run out? Absolutely not.

That was something I usually did whenever Adrian humiliated me publicly, but this time was different.

I was done being his weak, fat wife.

Adrian stared at me with narrowed eyes, laughing with Joanna by his side. She curled her lips into a sneer, asking me…

“How was the cake, Fatty?”

I ignored her, fixing my eyes on the man who’d hurt me more than anything. Taking a deep breath, I let the words out loud and clear.

“Adrian, I want a divorce.”