CHAPTER 00002

NATHALIE’S POV

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“What are you saying?” My eyebrows furrowed as I ask. “I signed nothing like this.”

“Are you sure? Examine the divorce papers. They bear your signature.”

I scan at each paper with my signature attached one by one. My whole body froze upon observing my signatures on them. 

No matter what I look back in the past, I have no recollection of signing such a documents. Or maybe there’s something I just didn’t notice in the amount of work I’ve been doing in recent months. 

There are things he makes me sign that sometimes I can’t afford to read because of the amount of work I do.

“Pack your things and leave my house. I don’t want to see your face again.”

“You can’t do this.”

“I can and I will. Our marriage is no longer valid, so you have no right to my house,” he heartlessly said.

“I have nowhere to go—”

“And I don’t care.” He cut me off as if he hadn’t even listened to my plea.

I recently sold the house and land my late father had given to me. I used the money I sold to pay off his and his parents’ creditors.

I didn’t know the man I married had such unacceptable behavior. I’m sometimes aware of his anger; he often raises his hand at me. I forced to understand him, I thought he was just stressed at work and his creditors.

Some of his biggest creditors reached the point where they threatened our lives, and after they found out about my mother in the hospital, they said they would involve my mother’s life. So I had no choice but to pay all his debts for the safety of all our lives.

“Give me back the money I paid your debt with,” I pleaded.

Based on my observation, he shows no sign of retracting his words, especially after his disrespectful disregard for our marriage.

“I paid all my money in your debt.” I continued.

He snickered for a second. “I didn’t force you to pay my debts. We didn’t even sign an agreement I would pay the debts you paid. I didn’t rob you because you did it on your own and you have no evidence.”

I shook my head as my mouth slackened in disbelief. My eyes hurt from the tears welling up.

I felt a mixture of anger and disappointment with myself. How come in four years of marriage and four years of relationship back in college, I never saw the true nature of the only man I loved?

“Give me back my money,” I cried. “Give me back all of that!” I shouted between my sobs.

Joshua left and proceeded to the second floor.

I didn’t plan on following him or even looking at him. Utterly drained, I was both physically and mentally.

I gave all my money to his debts. I kept nothing for myself. He promised he wouldn’t leave me and I was confident he would stand by all of that because we’re married.

I came back to my senses after he threw something in my face and as I looked at it, it was my clothes.

“Get out of here. You can only bring your clothes,” he said to me with firmness.

“Give me back my money. I need the money for my mother’s surgery—”

He came up to me, took hold of my arm, and threw me out of the house.

“What a scene.”

I looked at the owner of that familiar voice, Hazel. She was carrying two large suitcases.

“Hi baby,” Hazel said as she approached Joshua and kissed him right in front of me.

Hazel faced me with ridicule. She observed my situation for a few seconds then she scoffed and laughed at me.

“I didn’t notice my boyfriend’s ex-wife was still here,” she looked back at Joshua. “Baby, I thought when I got here she was gone? She’s spoiling the night. I still have a surprise for you,” she said flirtatiously. “For our seven-year anniversary.”

“Seven… years?” It felt like something was stuck in my throat, making it hard to speak.

Hazel faced me again with a smile on her lips. She sat in front of me. “Joshua just came back to you so you could pay off his debts plus do his works so he can stay there longer in the company, to show he’s capable at his job. You grasp the idea, when you often take me on your dates, I laugh because you look like a pathetic in front of me. You are being sweet to him, despite Joshua’s clear irritation with you. Oh, did you realize every time I was with you during your date, Joshua and I would embrace while you waited at the table like a fool, so that he might quell his frustration with you?”

“We broke up for three years…”

“Joshua broke up with you because I was the one he truly loved, and we immediately had a relationship. When you left, you didn’t know how happy he was with me, unfortunately we needed so he could stay at his work.” She smiled in a sweet, yet scornful.

As Hazel spoke with a smile, I was unable to look away from her face. 

She’s been with my friend since middle school. She’s the one who protects me from the bullies who always pick me. Even though I went to college and she didn’t, she visits me almost every day to make sure she sees no one is picking up with me.

“You’re going to throw our friendship away because of him? Our friendship lasted longer.”

She laughed as if she heard a funny joke. “You are smart, but your stupidity still dominates?” She right away dropped her smile. “Joshua, should be mine in the first place.”

My eyebrows furrowed in surprise. I was unaware of her statement.

“You took him away from me in college because I didn’t study in college. Do you know why I forwent college studies? Are you aware of why I forwent my desired course? It was because of your parents.” She said with some resentment. 

“Your parents owe a lot to my parents. Because your parents squandered my parents’ college savings for me and never reimbursed them. My parents placed too much trust in your parents. If I’d attended college, Joshua and I would then be together since college days. My affection for him began in high school, but you took him from me.”

“I didn’t know you liked Joshua, I didn’t know my parents owed your parents anything. Why didn’t you tell me all this?”

“If I told you, would you be able to bring my father back? My father died because we couldn’t afford his medicine.”

Hazel stood up as Joshua came out again. She took my clothes from him.

“Since you lack the funds for your mother’s surgery, let’s see what happens to your mother.”

I stood up and gaze at Joshua. “I beg you, give me back my money. Even if it’s only for settling my mother’s hospital bill.” I pleaded with him, hoping he would have some mercy, but he refused to listen and went back inside the house.