Chapter 3: Betrayal Beyond Forgiveness

Hubert West was lying on top of Vanessa on the couch, their lips locked together in a heated kiss while his hands roamed possessively around her body.

A short distance away sat Wendy Hudson, Petra's mother, in her wheelchair, tears streaming endlessly down her cheeks as she cried helplessly.

Neither Hubert nor Vanessa paid any attention to her as they remained completely engrossed in their romance.

The front door suddenly opened and Petra stepped inside. The moment her eyes landed on the scene before her, she froze completely.

Her husband was making out with another woman.

Worse still, they were doing it openly right in front of her mother. The sight was so shocking that for several seconds she couldn't even process what she was seeing.

Neither Hubert nor Vanessa noticed her presence.

Wendy's crying continued to grow louder until Hubert could no longer tolerate it.

No one knew exactly why the old woman was crying. Perhaps it was because she was hungry.

Since the previous day, and now that it was almost eleven in the morning, they had refused to give her any food.

Furiously, Hubert jumped off Vanessa and grabbed a pillow before storming toward Wendy.

Petra's eyes widened in alarm.

"Shut the fuck up, old bitch!" he cursed, pressing the pillow hard against her face as the old woman struggled desperately for breath beneath it.

The horrifying sight snapped Petra out of her shock.

"Stop!" she shouted as she rushed forward and grabbed Hubert's arm, forcing him away from her mother. "Let go of my mother!"

She shoved him backward before immediately dropping beside Wendy, who was now gasping desperately for air.

"Mom," she called shakily as she held her mother's shoulders.

Wendy's breathing remained weak and uneven.

Fear tightened around Petra's chest.

Without wasting another second, she pulled her phone out and quickly typed the emergency number.

"I'll call the ambulance!" she said hastily.

Just before her finger could press the dial button, Hubert spun around and snatched the phone from her hand before shoving her violently.

Petra gasped as she crashed onto the floor.

"You monsters!" she thundered from the floor. "Give me back my phone! Aren't you afraid of retribution?"

Her furious gaze shifted from Hubert to Vanessa.

Vanessa merely chuckled from the couch. She was calmly brushing her hair while holding a small mirror in front of her face as though nothing unusual had happened.

"I'm an heiress," she said casually while continuing to admire her reflection, one leg crossing elegantly over the other. "What am I afraid of?"

Petra stared at her in disbelief.

How could someone be so heartless?

How could someone enjoy another person's suffering this much?

Tears filled Petra's eyes as she slowly turned toward Hubert.

"Hubert, you were the one who pursued me then. You insisted I be with you after graduation. We just got married. Why are you doing this to me?" she asked, pain and desperation filling her voice as hot tears rolled down her cheeks.

During their undergraduate days at the university, Hubert never lived a day without seeing her. They loved each other so deeply.

Or so she thought.

He wanted them to get married while still schooling, but she refused, suggesting it’d be better after graduation.

He agreed. And immediately after graduation, both proceeded to the alter to be joined as husband and wife.

Hubert's expression immediately darkened.

"If I had met Vanessa earlier, do you think I'd have proposed to you?" Hubert shot back, his voice dripping with venom.

Vanessa's smile widened proudly.

Hubert scoffed before reaching into his pocket.

"It was just my luck," he said as he tossed Petra's phone carelessly onto the floor.

He then turned away and walked toward Vanessa, who had already risen from the couch and was carrying herself as though the entire world belonged beneath her feet.

"Baby," Hubert called romantically as his arms wrapped around her waist.

Vanessa smiled and leaned into him. "Let's have fun somewhere else."

He lowered his head and captured her lips in a deep kiss.

"Let's go," Vanessa replied playfully.

Together, they walked toward the door and disappeared from the room without looking back.

The moment they were gone, Petra immediately turned toward her mother.

"Mom! Mom!" she cried as she grabbed Wendy's trembling hand.

The old woman was barely breathing now.

Panic immediately seized Petra.

She quickly checked Wendy's pulse and her heart nearly stopped.

The pulse was frighteningly weak.

Fear gripped her entire body.

No.

No, no, no.

Nothing could happen to her mother.

Not now.

Not after all the suffering.

Petra turned sharply and grabbed her phone from the floor, dialing 911.

****************

Moments later, Petra sat beside her mother's hospital bed.

The room was quiet except for the occasional beeping of medical equipment.

Wendy lay unconscious beneath the white hospital sheets.

The sight made Petra's chest ache.

The old woman looked so fragile lying there.

Petra reached forward and gently held her mother's hand.

"Mom," Petra whispered, her teary eyes fixed on Wendy's pale face. "I'm sorry... I was wrong about him. I made you suffer..."

Her voice broke under the weight of guilt.

For years, Wendy had warned her about Hubert even before their marriage.

She had tried to make Petra see what kind of man he really was.

But Petra had refused to listen. She had chosen love over caution.

Now she regretted every mistake she had made.

The hospital room door suddenly flew open before she could continue.

Petra startled and immediately turned around.

Hubert walked into the room.

Beside him was his mother, Mary West.

The older woman's face was filled with disgust as she stared at Petra.

Without saying a word, Mary raised the large nylon bag she was carrying and threw it fiercely toward Petra.

The bag slammed onto the floor.

The plastic instantly tore apart upon impact. The clothes contained inside, scattered across the floor.

Petra’s stomach sank, recognizing they were her clothes, her belongings.

"Sign the divorce papers," Hubert thundered as he threw the documents and a pen onto her lap. "You'll get nothing. I've already packed your things."

Petra’s eyebrows widened in shock and confusion, stretching up from Hubert down to the papers. And then, slowly picked up the papers.

Her trembling fingers tightened around the edges.

Her eyes remained fixed on the documents as though she were staring at a ghost.