Chapter Nine

As a free woman , I am in the best position to be an activist for women’s rights , but before going fully into that , I wanted to increase my restaurant,when I was still married , I had less time to go to my restaurant and most of the time I avoided going there whenever I had a wound from my husbands beating or whenever I was emotionally down . Other days I spent my hours there , trying new recipes and overseeing the affairs of the management. I never had the opportunity to dream bigger about it , and even when brands called for deals I was mostly tied down by marriage affairs .

It was around 11:am when I finally figured out what my starting point should be , so I set my camera ,tapped the record button, took a deep breath, and forced a small smile.

"Hello, everyone. It's been a really long time.but I paused, glancing at the screen before continuing.

"I know a lot of you have been asking questions about my marriage, especially since the news of my divorce became public. Some of you have been supportive, some have been curious, and others have been busy telling me what you think I should have done differently."

I chuckled softly, shaking my head."Honestly, I wasn't planning to talk about this, but I think it's time we had a conversation. Not just about my marriage, but about some of the things women are expected to tolerate in the name of love."

"Four years ago, my wedding went viral. Almost everyone on the internet saw it. The expensive venue, the designer wedding dress, the luxury cars, the celebrities, the decorations, and everything else that made it look like a fairytale. People called me the luckiest woman alive because I was marrying a wealthy man who seemed willing to give me the world.

"But nobody knew what was happening behind closed doors and that is one thing about social media. You can watch someone living what looks like a perfect life and never know what they are going through when the cameras are off, though in a way you guys were right because at that moment I felt like the luckiest girl .

"I'm divorced now, and I won't sit here and pretend it was an easy decision. I loved my husband. I genuinely wanted my marriage to work but sometimes, loving someone doesn't mean you should continue accepting things that slowly destroy you."

I’m not the type of person to put my personal life out there but today I was determined and willing to tell my story because I knew that many other victims are out there.

“ I have a problem with men who believe that they can impose polygamy on their wives or partners without considering their feelings. You cannot marry a woman who has clearly told you that she wants a monogamous marriage, promise her a lifetime of commitment, and then suddenly expect her to accept you being with other women because you chose to be untamed “

"Marriage is not just about having money to pay bills. It is also about honesty, respect, communication, and understanding that your decisions affect another human being. If you want a polygamous marriage, be honest about it from the beginning. Find someone who genuinely wants the same thing. Don't deceive a woman into one kind of marriage and then expect her to adjust when you decide you want something different."

"During my marriage, I heard so many excuses. I was told that men were naturally polygamous, that wealthy men needed multiple women, and that I should be grateful because I had already enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle. As if expensive gifts were supposed to silence me whenever I was unhappy."

"At some point, I realized that people were more interested in the lifestyle my husband provided than in whether I was actually happy. And that was when I started asking myself some very difficult questions .

"I know some people will say I should have stayed. Others will say I should have fought harder. But nobody lived inside that marriage except my husband and me. I made my decision, and I am at peace with it."

"And to every woman who feels trapped because she is afraid of starting over, please understand that you can love someone and still choose yourself. You can appreciate what someone has done for you without surrendering your entire future

"Now, enough about men and marriage. Because if I continue talking, this video might become a whole documentary."

I laughed, and for the first time since I began recording, the tension in my shoulders eased.

"Let me introduce myself properly to those who only knew me as Nate Macdonald's wife .

"My name is Cassie , and I am a professional chef, an entrepreneur, and the founder of Cassie luxe Dining.I turned slightly, revealing the display of packaged products arranged on the counter behind me.

"Some of you may not know that I have been running my own restaurant and developing my food brand for years. We make signature spice blends, cooking sauces, and seasoning mixes, and we also provide catering services for private events, weddings, and corporate functions."

I picked up one of the neatly packaged spice blends and held it toward the camera.

"This right here is one of our best-selling products. And if you love cooking but don't always have the time to measure out several different spices, this was made with you in mind."

"We also have our homemade sauces, prepared with carefully selected ingredients to give your meals that rich, delicious taste. I have spent years experimenting with recipes, improving our products, and trying to build something I can be proud of."

"And I will be honest with you. I have not given this business the attention it deserves. Between my marriage, my personal life, and everything else that was happening, I allowed myself to become distracted from something that has always been important to me."

"I am ready to take this to another level. I want to expand the restaurant, increase production, get our products into more stores, and make this brand known beyond the people who already patronize us."

"So, if you love good food, please support my business. If you own a supermarket, restaurant, or food distribution company and you would like to work with us, our business contact is in my bio. And if you have tried our products before, please tell me what you think in the comments."

The moment I stopped recording, I let out a long breath and reached for my glass of water.

"Finally," I muttered, rubbing my cheeks. "I hope I didn't sound like a woman who has completely lost her mind."I picked up my phone and replayed the video, watching myself talk about my failed marriage, my experience with polygamy, and the things I had learned over the past four years. There were a few moments when my voice had trembled, but I wasn't about to start recording all over again just because I hadn't sounded perfect.

Besides, I was more concerned about promoting my business than spending another day discussing my ex-husband.

I trimmed the beginning of the video, added captions, and attached the details of my restaurant and food products. After writing a short caption, I posted it across my social media platforms.

"There," I whispered, dropping my phone on the kitchen counter. "Let's see what happens."

That video and that little act of bravery turned out to be one of the best decisions I have made in a while because it gave me a perfect beginning of a new phase and an amazing patch to my wounded life . Slowly the pieces of my life that were once broken and chattered into pieces started coming together. While my old restaurant was blooming with orders and customers.

The moment I stepped into my office and saw the final sales report on my desk, I was so proud of myself

" Is this correct?" I asked my manager, lifting the document and staring at the figures.

My manager chuckled, looking almost as excited as I felt. "Every figure has been verified, Cassie. Between the orders, restaurant sales, catering bookings, and the first batch of endorsement payments, we've had our most profitable month since the business started."

For a moment, I couldn't speak. I had spent years watching my husband throw money around as though it grew on trees, while I quietly nursed dreams of building something of my own. Now, I was looking at the results of my own hard work, and the feeling was almost impossible to describe.

For the first time since my divorce, I wasn't celebrating because I had survived something painful. I was celebrating because something beautiful was finally growing out of all the effort I had put into rebuilding my life.I was already working on a new project , opening branches and adding new products happily . Elija was always there for me and especially on Sundays, he was the only reason I hadn’t entirely condemned men.

I picked up my hand bag from my desk, adjusted my dress and walked out of a meeting where my successes were discussed ,so this time around I didn't think of myself as a princess in a fantasy land , I felt like an empress taking over empires and building a dynasty, as I walked to the entrance I saw Elija inside his car waiting for me to get off .I flashed him a smile and walked towards him with a lot of things in mind to say because he was indeed the only reason I hadn’t condemned men entirely, Elija has always been gentle , easy to be around and also the best person to share a secret, he was the type of person who knew the right things to say and the right expressions to make.

As we drove round town that evening we talked about the things I achieved and much more that I could .

“Look at you, celebrity chef,” he teased, glancing at my phone before returning his eyes to the road. “Should I start booking appointments before I can see you now?”

I laughed. “Don't be dramatic. You'll always have special treatment.”

I continued telling him about the comments, the new customers, and how I was already thinking of expanding the restaurant. He listened patiently, occasionally asking questions and smiling whenever I got too excited to finish a sentence.

Then he said, “I'm proud of you”

I looked at him. “You say that as if you helped me build the restaurant.”

“I did help you. Who stayed up with you when you nearly gave up? Who ate all those terrible experimental recipes before you finally got one right?”

I burst out laughing. “You are never going to let me forget that, are you?

For a moment, we both laughed, and I returned my attention to the messages pouring into my phone.