Rise Of The Rejected Wife

~~ RHEA ~~

“Where’s Henry? He’s running late for his own anniversary," Gwen, one of my husband’s friends' wives, said with a mocking smile as she stood in the midst of her friends.

I felt my muscles stiffen as I blinked, forcing a smile.

“He’ll be here in no time, ladies. and we’d get the party started.”

One of them waved me off.

"Oh, Rhea dear, you’ve been saying that for the last thirty minutes. Look around, people are starting to talk.”

My grip around my wine glass tightened as I turned around.

My eye caught the glowing light from the shimmering chandeliers, the velvety decoration, the flutes of champagne glasses floating on trays, and the mumbling traveling across the room.

Guests were huddled in groups, stealing glances at me and speaking in hushed tones.

I noticed most of Henry’s business associates were missing.

His entire team from Reynolds Holdings was supposed to be here.

Even the media team that usually covers both business and personal events for our family was already hanging around.

Paparazzi were lingering at the entrance while security formed a barricade to stop them from bursting in.

His close friends, and even his mom and sister, were nowhere to be found.

My best friend, Amaya, wasn’t here either.

And where’s Kayon?

“My son.” I whispered, my eyes scanning the room desperately.

Henry promised they’d be right behind me while I go check out our anniversary arrangements.

I left before them to confirm our preparations were done.

Everything was perfect down to the floral arrangements and dinner setup.

How many more minutes did someone need to walk down from our villa to the ballroom?

Besides, the ballroom was on the same property as the villa.

"Congratulations, Rhea," someone greeted me, but I only managed a wave as I hurried back home.

It was a two-minute walk.

I stepped into our villa, calling out their names.

"Henry, honey! Kayon!"

Then I heard it.

Dull music was booming from the back of our villa, and I stopped short.

Listening for it again, I followed the sound down to the poolside, and I froze.

While I was at the almost-empty ballroom, biting my nails, pacing, and panicking that they were taking too long to get ready.

I saw my husband of 10 years, Henry Reynolds, his arm around another woman’s waist, looking passionately into her eyes as he danced in the middle of the room.

His associates were they. His close friends, his mom, his sister, and even my son surrounded them, clapping and smiling joyously at the couple in the middle.

I staggered backward, feeling faint.

“Henry. What...what's going on?” I managed.

My voice must have been an awful disturbance as the whole room paused.

All their eyes on me.

Henry had a sharp, distant look as he drew the lady closer in his arms, while she breathed like a cat in heat, enjoying the affection.

“I want a divorce."

Those were his first words to me.

No guilt. No remorse in his brown eyes.

"You were so obsessed with the anniversary arrangements, so I thought it'd be better if we killed two birds with one stone.”

I moved closer to them, my heart pounding loud in my ears.

Because what did he just say?

“We thought it'd save us time if we had our engagement on the same day. That’s what he meant.”

I dug my nails into my palm, feeling a lump rise in my throat.

She didn’t give me the decency of asking my husband what he meant.

This woman.

She had great hair. A perfect figure.

High cheekbones.

Her skin glowed, smooth and flawless.

Evidence that she spent a fortune on skincare as she raised her chin in the air.

I ran my hand over my arm.

My skin was dry.

My tangled hair was packed up in a pathetic bun to save my dignity.

She looked better than me.

The more I stared at her, the more she looked familiar.

Then everything clicked.

Hannah. His first love from high school.

“You decided to have your engagement on our anniversary. Right in our house. Same house we built together."

"With another woman," I said, my voice tight.

Henry’s jaw clenched as he crossed the room, returning with a large brown envelope.

He tossed it to my chest, and the hard paper hit me hard before it bounced to the floor.

“Sign it now.”

“When did all this happen? We were happy just this morning. You said you love me."

“Not anymore. I don’t love you anymore, Rhea. Hannah is the one with my heart now, and no, this is my house, not our house.”

Hannah bit back a smile, reaching for Kayon’s hand and pulling him closer to herself.

My son.

I tried to approach him, but Henry blocked me.

“Pick it up. Sign it and leave before I have security throw you out.” His voice was filled with venom.

My chest tightened in dread.

This was the man who said I was his world a few hours ago.

Ten years ago, he had gone on his knees and asked me to marry him.

He begged me to say yes and make him the happiest man on earth.

Where did all that affection go?

How did I not see this coming?

I looked at Amaya, and she avoided my eyes, sipping her wine.

Henry’s mom, Matilda, and his sister, Sloanne, spoke in low tones.

They nudged each other, fighting back smiles.

I walked up to Amaya, holding her shoulders.

“Tell me this isn’t real. You didn’t know about this right? You just found out today just like I did?

A flicker of guilt crossed Amaya's expression, but she brushed it off immediately.

“Everyone else knew you were just forcing the marriage to work. Let go of it so your son can be happy with a new family.”

My eyes widened at her and my hands fell limp at my sides.

“She’s right. Have some self-respect and leave already.” Sloanne added.

Cold sweats ran through my skin as I turned to face my son, Kayon.

I cupped his face with trembling hands, going on one knee to meet his eye level.

“Baby, do I make you unhappy? Did Daddy bring you down here without telling you what was going on?”

Kayon drew back, creasing his face like I irritated him.

“I’m not a little baby. I know what’s going on.”

He swatted my hand away from himself, clinging to Hannah’s hand, and for a moment, I felt numb in my chest.

“You’re boring, and all you do is work, work. You never play with me like Dad does, and you’re always cleaning up. You don’t listen to me.”

“Other moms listen to their kids and play with them, and they all have fun like I do with Dad and Hannah.”

My hand flew over my mouth at my son’s confession, and tears gathered in my eyes, but I blinked them back.

“I do listen to you. And I work so the house is always clean and you have a warm meal to eat."

"I do it for you and Dad."

“Come on, Rhea. Don’t traumatize the poor boy anymore than this. You could have just hired a maid for that.” Matilda snorted, and some of his business associates laughed under their breath.

I was taken aback.

After years of loving him.

Cleaning after him and my son.

I sacrificed everything to be with Henry, to be called Mrs. Reylnolds.

I cooked. I cleaned. I made the beds. Watered the garden.

I was only 4 months pregnant when doctors advised we get rid of Kayon.

They said I could die if I went through with the pregnancy.

I did. Despite all odds, I did.

I temporarily went blind and lost my memory during postpartum, but my little baby’s cries kept me going.

I survived that horrible phase of my life because he was breathing and alive in my arms.

And this was how the most important people in my life pay me in return.

They replaced me with another woman.

Made me into a spectacle.

I caught Amaya's eyes on me as she smiled into her glass.

I was a joke to everyone.

“Mom, can you sign it already? Dad says once Hannah becomes my new mom, she’ll take me on a big trip.” Kayon’s little voice urged me.

At first his plea knifed through my chest, but I shut it out.

I staggered back to the envelope.

Picked it up and signed with trembling hands.

Henry collected it from me with a complacent expression, while Hannah rested her head against his shoulder, and I caught a similar necklace clinging around her neck.

I had something like this.

A Tiffany Diamond Necklace.

He’d worn it around my neck on our fifth anniversary.

In front of the media.

Confessing his love for me and how he was fortunate to be my husband.

“Now leave.” He ordered harshly.

I looked back at my son one last time.

I was tempted to fall on my knees and beg him to leave with me.

Tell him to take me back, as I would work on myself and become a better mom.

A wife. A friend.

But the way he smiled in contentment as Hannah ruffled his hair and kissed his cheek made me stop myself.

I looked into Henry’s eyes, once filled with love for me, now replaced with anger and disgust.

Or maybe it was never there. I was just delusional. Blind.

Amaya stepped closer.

“You do know your presence is making everyone uncomfortable. I’ll take care of Kayon. Just go.”

Same girl that got me suspended from school.

I snuck her into my dorm to squat back in boarding school.

Her parents couldn't afford her living arrangements anymore, and she had nowhere to go.

I fed her. Gave her my clothes.

She said she’d kill for me.

I guess this was the killing.

I turned around, my legs heavy as I did the long walk back to the ballroom.

The media team flashed cameras at me, capturing my humiliation as they forced their mics in my face.

Paparazzi rushed at me, their eager eyes and the loud buzz of their voices leaving me rooted to a spot.

I was shoved, jostled, and surrounded.

Mobbed.

But I didn’t feel a thing.

"What's going on back at the house? Is your husband cheating on you?"

"Mr. Reynolds seemed to have held a private engagement under the same roof. Do we call that you’ve been holding onto a failed marriage?"

"Guests are saying you snatched him from his first love. Did you cover up your husband's affair to keep your marriage?"

"How does this affect the Reynolds Foundation that you both co-own? Who's getting the property?"

Just as we got to the entrance, someone hit me in the head with a mic, and I gasped, reeling back.

That was when someone caught my arm, just before my back hit the ground.

“Riri.” A familiar voice called, and then I saw him.