002

ARYNA

My lips trembled as the pictures flicked through. How could Ryan be so shameless?

I was here, worrying about him but all he did was flirt around with his childhood sweetheart.

Gina had never been ill, Ryan either lied for an excuse or Gina at the other hand too, told a lie to get by husband's attention.

I couldn't sleep, I kept thinking about Ryan all night. I had dialed his number countless times but he just wouldn't pick up and when I tried again the next morning, a lady answered. 

I frowned as the call connected and she spoke. Surely, that was none other than Gina's voice.

My husband had been with her throughout the night but he left me here solo and all by myself.

When would Ryan ever treat me better? To him, I was someone with no much worth. Everything that had ever mattered to him most since our three years of marriage was Gina.

"Hello, I'd like to speak to Ryan." I clenched my fist, mustering all the self-control in me not to yell out. 

"Ryan is busy at the moment and I'm not sure he'd like to speak to any stranger right now." Gina replied, her voice dripping with malice. 

My breath hitched in my throat. How dare her refer to me as that! 

"Gina, this is Aryna. I would like to speak with my husband. Give the phone to him."

"Are you hurt, Aryna? I'm so sorry, I didn't know it was you. The ID says 'Stranger', so I couldn't tell it was you who was on the line." 

Ryan did that? I really meant nothing to him. 

I muted the phone speaker so Gina wouldn't listen to my sobs. 

"Hi, Aryna. Are you there?" Gina's voice was filled with mockery and she didn't even try the least to hide it. She'd always prove to me that Ryan cherished her more than me. 

I placed the phone back on my ear, sniffing in. "What business do you have with Ryan? Why are you doing in his room?" 

She chuckled dryly and I could imagine the sneer on her face. "Ryan is the one in my room not the other way. You must have seen the news, we have some business to finish up and it might take time."

The last time I checked they weren't business partners. What business was Gina talking about and why should they share a room? 

"It's unhealthy, Gina." I gritted my teeth, boiling in anger. "Yes, you both are best friends as you claim but there should be limits. There should be some of privacy especially when one of you is married." 

"Ouch, are you pained, Aryna? The last time I checked, your were so excellent at bottling your emotions, so why do you choose to rant now?"

I gripped the bedsheets, my knuckles turning white from provcaction. 

Gina wasn't the least ashamed. She knew Ryan would never have a problem with her speaking to me this way; he had always showed her defense. 

During our last anniversary when Ryan took me on a shopping spree as his grandma had wanted. Gina suddenly showed up and just as expected, he left me at the counter and granted his best friend the bracelets I had always wanted. 

It continued and now was no different. Whenever I was close to happiness, she would always appear and snatch it away like the vixen she was. 

"You'd never have Ryan to yourself, Gina, no matter how hard you try." 

She scoffed, determination laced in her words. "I would love to see you try, darling. Whoever wins or lose, we'd see about that."

Ryan's voice sounded next and his words got me shedding more tears. 

"Come here, baby." He whined. "Let's take a quick shower together."

"Ryan, your wife is on the other end." Gina informed him but he scoffed. 

"Do I care?"

My stomach tightened with a knot. My heart bled, all hopes sinking. 

He didn't even show remorse about it. He was cheating on me with his best friend yet he was making it seem proper. 

"I need you." I heard him rasp. Gina giggled and the other end went silent. 

My phone slipped off my hand, falling to the floor. My face was soaked with tears. 

After all the love and sacrifice. This was the only way Ryan could pay me back?

My phone rang but I ignored it. It must be Gina, she was calling to mock me again. 

She had bragged about winning Ryan to herself and she had done it even without trying. 

He fell in love with her easily but neglected me— the woman who had been nothing but faithful to him. 

All I begged for was his love, care and affection. They seemed forthcoming but now I had realised it was only a mere mirage.

It would never come to pass. It was never real in the first place. 

The phone calls persisted and I had no choice but to answer it. 

"What do you want, Gina? Haven't you done enough?" I blubbered. 

"Hello, Aryna." I frowned. This wasn't Gina's voice. I recognised it so well, this was Lucy, my grandma's caregiver. 

I rose to my feet immediately, there seemed to an emergency. 

"What's the problem, Lucy? How's grandma?" I asked, worry laced in voice. 

"Her condition grew worse, Aryna and the doctor has demanded to see you."

Picking up my car keys, I left the house in a hurry. As I sped past the road, my mind thudded with guilt. 

Ryan had never allowed me to see my grandma in the past four months. Every of my decisions were made by him and as he had claimed, Lucy was enough to watch over her. 

"She's old enough, Aryna. You don't have to bother whether she dies or not. You have your life to live." He had told me that night when Grandma Grace developed an heart attack and I asked to go and see her. 

I abandoned the only woman left as my mother just to satisfy my husband's selfish will. 

Lucy would always call and tell me Grandma Grace asked to see me, but blinded by the utmost urge to satisfy Ryan, I'd decline and give excuses. 

Her case didn't only grow worse because she was leukaemic, my absence caused it too.

"She'd be fine." Lucy assured me as I watched her through the glass walls. 

I sniffed back my tears, nodding but deep down I was breaking.

I had planned to sleep over at the hospital and wait until grandma Grace woke up but then, Ryan's text came in. 

~Please come home, Aryna. I missed you and I'm sorry~

I tried to ignore the message but I couldn't bring myself to. 

His charms still worked on me.

Maybe Ryan still loved me. It wouldn't be a bad idea to give him a chance to appeal for his mistakes. 

I told Lucy I'd be back tomorrow morning. Afterwards, I left the hospital, driving back home with a tingle of hope in me. 

At first I was so sad about my Grandma's illness but that text from Ryan lifted my spirit.

Everything would be fine. We could still celebrate our anniversary tonight and come back tomorrow to check on Grandma Grace.

I halted when I reached the doorstep. The moans coming from the master bedroom got me wondering if I stopped at the wrong house but it wasn't so! This was clearly my matrimonial home!

"Oh, harder baby. I want you deep in me." 

That was Gina's moans! No, Ryan shouldn't do this to me. 

My hand gripped the doorknob and when I pushed the door open, my heart shattered at the sight before me. 

Ryan and his childhood best friend were cladded together in our matrimonial bed.