chapter 2

Emily

“Alex, where are you going? Please don’t leave!” I begged, my voice weak and broken as he turned to walk away.

He left without answering, Not even a glance back, shattering what little remained of my heart.

I collapsed onto the floor, clutching my stomach as pathetic tears of heartbreak fell down my cheeks. 

How did things get this bad? How did the love we shared turned into something so broken, so cruel? 

Today, which was supposed to be my happy day, has now turned into my worst nightmare. 

Why is this happening to me? Who have I offended that can't forgive me but choose to ruin my happiness and marriage? 

My heart clenched with pain as I cried like a child, the kind of crying that comes from the deepest, most vulnerable part of you. The part that believes in love, in second chances, in hope. 

I didn’t even get the chance to tell him the news that I was pregnant, the news that I thought would change everything. 

I squeezed my chest to suppress the pain in my heart as it was indescribable, making tears and snot run down my face. 

How could I tell him now? How could I tell him that I am carrying his child? Would he even believe me? Would he believed the child was his? 

I waited for him that night, my tears soaking the pillow as I lay in bed, staring at the door. 

"He will come back," I told myself. He has to. We can still fix this. But an hour passed and Alex never returned. 

I called and sent countless messages but he never replied before switching off his phone. 

Hot tears of agony kept spewing down my cheeks as the silence of the empty room pressed down on me, a suffocating weight. 

I curled up, clutching my stomach, hoping that the life inside me would give me the strength to endure this heartbreak but all I felt was emptiness.

By the time morning came, my eyes were swollen from crying, my head pounding from the sleepless night. I wiped the tears from my face and glanced at the clock.

" 7 a.m. I'm late." I gasped as I stumbled out of bed, my limbs heavy as I rushed to the kitchen. 

I was supposed to have breakfast ready by now. My mother-in-law wouldn’t take it lightly with me and the last thing I needed was her wrath on top of everything else.

I scrambled to put the food together, my hands shaking as I chopped vegetables and fried eggs. The sound of the sizzling pan did nothing to drown out the voice in my head, reminding me of how Alex had looked at me with such hate. How he had said he regretted marrying me. How he had left without even looking back.

I was just finishing up when I heard her voice, shouting my name with fury. “Emily!” 

My mother-in-law’s footsteps echoed in the hallway and I felt my heart thumping in my chest. 

I dashed out of the kitchen and met her halfway. 

 “What is the meaning of this? You were supposed to have breakfast ready an hour ago!” She lashed out, her face twisted in anger.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “I overslept…”

“Overslept?” She questioned, tilting her head with her eyes flashing with disdain. 

“My son picked you up from the gutter and this is how you repay him? You can’t even do the one thing you’re good for and that’s making breakfast on time?”

I flinched at her words but said nothing. There was nothing to say. She has never liked me, she has never thought I was good enough for Alex and now, with the way things were, I couldn’t even argue. I wasn’t good enough.

I served the food in silence, tears blurring my vision as her insults continued. 

“Useless,” she muttered. “No wonder you couldn't give my son an heir. I knew you weren’t fit for this family.”

I bit my lip, holding back the sobs that threatened to escape. The food was set and I tried to retreat, hoping to find a quiet corner where I could let my emotions break free but just as I was turning away, Jennifer, Alex's younger sister ran into the dining room with her phone clutched in her hand and her eyes wide with shock.

“Mom!” she exclaimed, waving her phone in front of her mother’s face. “Look at this! It’s all over the internet!”

My mother-in-law grabbed the phone, glancing at the screen before her eyes widened in fury. 

“What… what is the meaning of this?” she hissed, her gaze snapping to me as she flashed the screen of the phone to my face. 

I froze and my heart pounded rapidly. It was the pictures that Alex shown me yesterday. The picture was all over the internet. 

What is going on? Who is doing this to me? 

“What have you done, Emily?” Her voice was venomous. “You’ve disgraced this family. You have stained this family's name. How dare you!”

My body trembled, shame washed over me and I felt the ground should just open and swallow me whole. 

"What is the meaning of this, Answer me!!" She roared with terror, making my heart almost jump out of my mouth. 

“I didn’t do it. ” I tried to explain, my voice trembling as I stared at the floor.

“You bring shame and disgrace to this house!” Her voice filled with disgust, "You are just like your mother, a mistress who gave birth to a slut like you!" 

Her words were like a punch to the guts. I looked at her, my heart clenched with pain as I couldn't hold back anymore, 

"My mother is not a mistress. She was legally married to my father before they had me."

My stepmother made everyone believe that my mother was a mistress whereas she was the mistress. My Father told me my Mother caught him cheating with my stepmother while she was carrying my pregnancy. She couldn't take the shock and she went into premature labor. She died after giving birth to me. 

So, how was my mother the mistress? Why did everyone keep on calling me the daughter of a mistress? 

"You dare talk back at me? Have you lost your manners?" She sparks, "Get out of this house!" she shouted, pointing toward the door. 

“You’re not welcome here anymore. I’ve had enough of your lies, your filth. Leave before I throw you out myself!”

"Please... please. I..." I was pleading when the room suddenly went silent as I felt the presence of someone. 

I spun around to see who it was and my breath suddenly caught in my throat as my heart skipped a beat. 

Vanessa? What... What is she doing here?