02 – THE MISTRESS

POV: LAUREN

I grabbed the keys with determination, ready to confront Ethan. The photos on my phone clearly showed that woman sitting on his lap, laughing and drinking with him as if they were a couple. Was it because of her that he had changed so much?

Ethan's cruel words echoed in my mind, each syllable a blow to my heart:

“You will never be enough for any man. Your infertile womb makes you incomplete. You're incapable of making anyone happy.”

My anger exploded, and I screamed into the emptiness of the car:

“I made you happy for three years, Ethan! This isn’t fair!”

I pounded on the steering wheel, feeling the pain throbbing in my wrists, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my chest. My eyes burned from the tears welling up, but I refused to let them fall.

I looked at the photos on my phone again, my lips trembling, and my heart crushed with pain. The words escaped in a desperate whisper:

“Please tell me this is a misunderstanding. Tell me you're not destroying our marriage like this.”

With anger boiling inside me, I parked in front of PharmaCare Industries, where Ethan ruled everything with his usual arrogance as CEO. The security guards recognized me and let me in without question. I went straight to the executive floor, my heart pounding wildly.

In the hallway, his secretary stood up hastily, her expression tense as she saw me.

“Mrs. Lauren, what a pleasure to see you!” she said, clearly uncomfortable. “Mr. Ethan is in an important meeting. I must ask you to wait while I notify him of your presence.”

Before she could finish, I pushed her aside without hesitation.

“This is important too!” I declared, my voice firm and laced with indignation.

Nothing would stop me now. I needed answers.

I strode firmly toward the door, pausing for a brief moment to take a deep breath before pushing it open forcefully. What I saw made my world crumble. Ethan stood there with his shirt unbuttoned, his lips stained with lipstick, while a blonde woman with long hair hurriedly got up from his lap, adjusting her skirt quickly and casually.

She shot me a cold, superior look, as if my presence were beneath her. Ethan, however, didn’t look surprised. He simply raised his eyes to meet mine, wearing the same arrogant expression I had grown to despise, as if my presence was nothing but a nuisance.

“Lauren, what are you doing here?” he asked irritably, standing up to adjust his belt and button his shirt with quick, dismissive movements.

My indignation boiled over. I took a step forward, my voice breaking with hurt and fury.

“So this is your 'important meeting,' Ethan? Is this why you're so busy and can’t make time for your wife? Because you're too busy between another woman’s legs?”

He stared at me with contempt, not hesitating to fire back.

“If you had given me what I always dreamed of, none of this would’ve happened,” he said coldly, his voice sharp and filled with bitterness.

Behind him, the blonde covered her mouth, stifling sarcastic laughter, while my chest burned with humiliation.

“This is your fault, Lauren!” Ethan added, as if his words were the ultimate justification for his betrayal.

“My fault?” My voice wavered, filled with indignation, as my hands trembled with rage. “All I ever did was dedicate my life to this marriage, to you!”

Tears streamed hot down my face, but I didn’t stop them. Before Ethan could respond, the blonde stepped forward, placing her hands on his shoulders and leaning in with a provocative air.

“Love, she’s overreacting. This could turn into gossip among the staff,” she said in a syrupy voice, throwing me a look of superiority. “Have your security guards escort this… poor woman out of here.”

Ethan, unfazed, held her hands and placed a maddeningly calm kiss on them.

“Violet, darling, let me handle this. I’ll see you later.”

She smiled at him, satisfied, and as she walked past me, she deliberately bumped her shoulder into mine, pushing my body subtly backward. Before leaving, she murmured over her shoulder with a sarcastic smile:

“Oh, sweetheart, do yourself a favor and leave with whatever’s left of your dignity.”

The sound of her heels echoed, mingling with her laughter as she walked away with impeccable posture, as if she had already won. I turned back to Ethan, my throat tight as I struggled to hold back my despair.

“How can you do this to us?” I asked, my voice breaking with pain.

“I want a divorce!” Ethan declared mercilessly, his expression cold and unyielding as he stepped toward me, forcing me to back away. “I’m going to marry Violet, a woman who can give me heirs.”

“What?” The words escaped my lips as shock consumed me. The tears, already hard to hold back, fell even more freely. “How can you do this? Did you ever truly love me? Or did you just use me to climb to success?”

Before I could say more, Ethan's hand struck my face hard, sending me to the floor. Pain exploded, and I clutched my cheek, gasping for air as I tried to breathe. I looked up in disbelief, but his expression remained cold and unyielding.

“I warned you never to say things like that, you ungrateful, useless woman!” he shouted, grabbing me by the elbows, yanking me off the floor, and slamming me against the wall. He punched the wall beside my head, making me shut my eyes in fear.

“I took care of you when no one else would!”

With a harsh shove, he pushed me toward the door.

“Now get out of my sight! My lawyer will send the divorce papers. And I want you out of my house before nightfall!” he thundered with disdain.

“Divorce?” I wiped the corner of my mouth, letting out a bitter laugh that echoed through the room. Ethan raised an eyebrow, intrigued by my reaction.

“Did you forget that half of everything is in my name? I’ll take everything from you, Ethan Walker. Mark my words.”

Before he could respond, I stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind me. Anger propelled my steps as I made my way to the parking lot. My heart pounded as I glanced back, hearing the elevator doors closing. When I turned forward again, the screech of tires made my body freeze.

I lifted my eyes and saw a massive car speeding toward me. Behind the wheel, I could have sworn I saw that damned blonde woman with red lipstick—the one I had just caught in my husband’s arms. My body locked up, and everything around me seemed to stop. I closed my eyes, bracing for the impact.

“So this is how it ends? Would I die at the hands of the woman who stole the man I loved?”