Chapter One

Chapter One

Camilla

~~~~

After setting up the table I went upstairs to freshen up and wait for Raffael. It was our third anniversary and I made dinner.

I also decorated the room with some flowers and scented candles. It was currently ten minutes past 10 and he still wasn’t back. I tried calling him but he wasn’t answering his phone. I called Anthony, his assistant but he also didn’t pick up the phone.

It was getting really late but I was determined to stay awake till he came back. I went to make coffee so I could stay awake.

“Ms Edwards I don’t think he’ll be back anytime soon. You should go to bed.” Martha, my housekeeper said with a pitiful expression on her face.

“I’ll wait one more hour. You can go to bed.” I waved her off picking up my phone to try and call him again.

“Not to overstep but you know he’s not coming back. Goodnight.” She said before retiring to her room.

She wasn’t wrong. I knew he wasn’t coming back. At least not today. He’d probably show up tomorrow morning before I could wake up and then get ready to go to work again.

That’s been his daily routine for the past few weeks. I thought he would come back since it was our anniversary. I was wrong. I was still going to wait. Who knows, he might surprise me.

I felt someone tap me lightly. “Ms Edwards, Ms Edwards.”

My eyes fluttered, adjusting to the bright light coming from the window. My back ached. I’d fallen asleep on the couch waiting for Raffael.

I sat up on the couch stretching my hands while yawning.

“Good morning,” Martha said. “I prepared a hot bath for you upstairs.”

“Did he come back?” I asked, my eyes darting around the living room.

“No ma’am.”

I walked up the stairs and went into my room. Looking at the decorations from last night, I almost burst into tears. What was I thinking doing all this when I knew he wouldn’t even bother to come home?

I went into the bathtub and lay there for a good thirty minutes before coming out. I stepped out of the bathroom still dripping with water when my phone rang.

It was Skyee, my best friend. I picked up the phone.

“Hey.”

“You haven’t seen the news?”

“What news?”

“Check celebrity news, call me later.”

I hung up the phone and turned on the TV. I went to the celebrity news channel and I saw it. My husband was seen at a club with his ex-girlfriend.

The headlines said, “ Billionaire CEO Raffael Edwards spotted at a club with ex-girlfriend Tori on his marriage anniversary. Are he and Camilla getting divorced?”

I collapsed on my bed. Tori is back in the city, and Raffael went out with her. My whole world was falling apart.

So that’s why he didn’t come home last night. He was out with his ex-girlfriend. I couldn’t believe it.

The tears I was holding back came in like a flood. I started sobbing uncontrollably. It felt like my heart was broken into pieces.

Martha came into the room. “Ms Edwards, are you okay?” She pulled me up and wrapped her arms around me. “It’s going to be okay. You’ll be okay.”

Martha has been with us since I was born. When my mother died five years after my birth, she took on a mother role for me. I sunk into her embrace crying my eyes out.

We stayed in that position for a while before she stood up. “Come on let’s dry your hair and get you down for breakfast.”

She took my hand and led me to the dresser while she picked up the blow dryer to help me dry my hair which was still wet from my bath.

I went downstairs to eat and told one of the workers to remove the decorations from the room.

I was eating when Raffael walked in. He went and sat at the other end of the table.

“Good morning.” He said but my head was faced down focusing on my plate.

I looked up at him and he was smiling. He never smiled when he was around me. I didn’t reply.

“Good morning.” He repeated as one of the helpers brought him a plate to eat with.

I abandoned my food and went upstairs into the room, our room. I slammed the door behind me but after a few seconds, it was opened again.

“What is your problem, Camila?” He said as soon as he opened the door.

“What is my problem? You. You’re my problem.” I said pointing at him aggressively. “Where were you last night?”

He sighed. “That’s none of your business.”

“None of my business? You’re my husband. Your whereabouts are my business.”

He stared at me for a very long time before breaking into a laugh.

“Okay. I was out with Tori.” He said while removing his tie and throwing it on the bed.

I almost started crying. “You were out with Tori?” I asked like I hadn’t already seen the news. “On the night of our anniversary, you were out with another woman. Not just any woman your ex-girlfriend.”

“Do you have a problem with that?” He questioned.

“Do you even love me?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer to that question.

He stared at me in disbelief. “Love you? That’s a question you’re seriously asking me. What do you think, Camila? If you were in my shoes would you love you?”

I sniffed back the tears that were threatening to come out. “Get out, just go away. I want to be alone.”

He left the room.

I sat down on the bed trying to process what was happening. He didn’t care anymore. He didn’t have any respect for me again. Sure he didn’t get married to me willingly but we’d been tolerating each other for the past three years.

The door opened again and he walked in and handed me a brown file.

“Here.” He said stretching his hand towards me.

I was hesitant to take it because I had good knowledge of what might be inside.