Chapter 1. Our Shameful Divorce

YVONNE'S POV. 

"You fool, Yvonne! Do you want to harm Jessy?!"

I was carrying a tray of four glasses, and it fell over. Someone hit me pretty hard. The broken glasses almost hurt Jessy—my step-sister's— leg. 

In front of all the VIPs, Kale—my husband—yelled at me. My body fell among the broken glasses and my hand was hurt. But Kale ran quickly to Jessy to check on her legs. 

Then Dad and Georgia—Jessy's mom and Dad's mistress—approached Jessy with worry.

Meanwhile, my palm was bleeding. No one was checking on me. All eyes were on Jessy. 

"Are you okay, Jessy? Did your body get broken glass?" Kale asked Jessy worriedly. 

I'm his wife, why did he more care to Jessy? 

"No, I'm just in shock. I didn't expect Yvonne to drop those glasses on me," Jessy replied, looking at me with an accusing gaze. 

Playing manipulation, that was the only thing Jessy had done to me so far. 

Everyone believed Jessy's words, and I was the guilty one in their eyes. 

"I'm sorry, Jessy, I didn't mean to... Someone pushed me, and—"

"Oh, so you want to put the blame on someone else?" Kale cut me off. The frown lines on his forehead showed anger.

I was gaping. I already knew no one would believe me, my self-defense only made me look worse. 

This wasn't the first time. 

Kale would rather run quickly to Jessy when she was hurt. On the other hand, Kale would leave me standing alone without help. Blaming me, or cursing me. 

"Yvonne, I told you not to mess up at Jessy's party!" Dad yelled at me too, looking at me with his burning anger eyes. "If anything happens to Jessy, will you take responsibility?" 

What about me? Didn't they see the blood on my hands? 

Was Jessy the only thing that mattered in their eyes?

I stood up slowly and showed my bloody hands to Kale and Dad.

"Kale, my hands are bleeding. Can you help me?" I asked, knowing Kale would definitely let me blooding. 

Kale laughed sarcastically. "Hey, you can heal your own hand. It's your fault for not being careful, it's lucky Jessy didn't get hurt like you." 

Kale's words stabbed me in the chest. There was no concern on his face, he even looked at me coldly. 

I looked at Jessy who was grinning slyly, as if satisfied that I was humiliated. 

At this party I had been ordered by Father to serve all the guests, while Jessy enjoyed serving her. I didn't stand with them as a family member in front of the VIPs. 

To them, I was just trash to be pushed aside. They became even more abusive to me after my mom fell into a coma and grandpa died. 

"You worry about Jessy not getting hurt, but you let me get hurt?" I expressed my annoyance. 

"Why are you being so dramatic? You're not a kid and you're jealous of your own sister?" Kale said sternly. 

"No, I'm not jealous of my sister," my voice began to tremble. "But you see I'm hurting more, can't you pay attention to me once in a while?" 

This was sickening. I still expected Kale to look at me with concern, run to me like he ran to Jessy, and show his love. 

The three years of our marriage were cold. 

There was no love from Kale. After all I did to him, he gave me nothing but pain.

"You better get out of our sight, Yvonne!" Dad suddenly grabbed me to pushed me away. His voice was loud. 

I was forced to walk away from the back garden of the mansion. I secretly hoped Kale would come after me, asking what I was feeling, but my hopes were in vain. 

I was alone. Tears blurred my vision. My heart was pierced with a thousand thorns. After all I had done for them, I was still worthless. I thought I'd never get someone on my side—

"Hey, Yvonne, I have something urgent for you to know right now." 

Someone appeared from the side. It was Theo, Jessy's fiancé. 

"What is it?" I asked. 

Theo handed me a brown document folder. I furrowed my brow, looking at it curiously. 

"Open this, you should know," Theo said as if he realized the question on my face. "Oh, your hands are bleeding..."

"It's okay, what's in this folder?" I asked as I opened the brown folder in my hand. 

Some printed photos and papers. I took them out, then was dumbfounded by what I saw.

The printed photos featured Kale and Jessy's abnormal togetherness: hugging, kissing lips, wrapping their arms around each other's waists in a nightclub, and getting naked. 

Something heavy hit my chest. I fell silent for a moment. My mind began to imagine all the things Kale had done to Jessy. I thought Kale was just being caring because Jessy was my family, but what was this? 

Kale was betraying me behind my back? 

With Jessy—my own step-sister? 

"Yvonne, this—"

I didn't wait for Theo's words and took another step towards the back garden where they were gathered. As I walked, my hand gripped the brown document folder tighter and tighter.

Now I arrived in front of Kale, Jessy, Dad, and Georgia, they immediately stopped the conversation. 

"Yvonne, what else do you want?" Dad asked. The smile on his face gave way to a stern look. 

I directed my gaze fully at Kale and Jessy. Now, I understood why they were so tight that I thought they were inseparable. 

I laughed sadly—laughing at my stupidity all this time. 

"You guys were having an affair behind my back?" I asked without preamble. "I've been so stupid not to realize the closeness between you two isn't normal." 

Kale and Jessy stiffened. But Kale immediately looked offended. 

"What nonsense are you saying?" protested Kale. 

I didn't wait long. I took out all the printed photos from the document folder and threw them in Kale's face. 

There was only one print, of Kale and Jessy naked, left in my hand. I showed it to Dad. I smiled with satisfaction. 

"Look what you guys did," I said firmly. 

Kale and Jessica picked up the printed photos that were scattered on the ground. 

Meanwhile, Dad and Georgia were completely silent. They seemed to be in disbelief, but the evidence was in front of their eyes. 

"Well, it's finally out," Kale grinned as he looked at the photos. "Who gave you these?"

"Me."

Theo came over, standing next to me. All eyes were on him. Including Jessy who immediately showed panic. 

"Theo, it's not what you think," Jessy said softly. "All of those photo's are fake!" 

"Don't argue, Jessy. We did have a relationship behind their backs all along," Kale said without any guilt on his face. 

"No, Kale..."

"So, what are you going to do, Yvonne? You love me so much, right? You won't be able to divorce me." 

My lips curled sarcastically. My heart was breaking into pieces, but I tried to look normal. All my hopes for Kale disappeared. 

"We're divorced, Kale. I finally have a reason to separate from you."