Chapter Three

Aurelia's POV

A few hours later, Sienna walked into my ward carrying a basket of fruits. The moment she saw me, she hurried towards my bed.

Sienna Chase had been my colleague at one of the design companies I worked for when I was still single. I eventually gave up my career for Caspian. He had asked me to quit, saying he didn't want me to stress myself with work because he could provide everything I needed.

"Aurelia, what happened to you?" she asked, her voice trembling as she rubbed my palm. "How are you feeling now?"

"Sienna, please calm down. Let me explain everything."

I briefly told her all that had happened the previous day and how I ended up in an accident. She listened quietly, but I could see the disappointment on her face. Her eyes grew teary, and she shook her head in disbelief.

"Oh, Aurelia." She squeezed my hand. "How could he do this to you? And with your own sister? I honestly don't know what to say."

She paused, then gently placed a hand on my stomach.

"But how is our baby?"

"The doctor said the baby is fine."

"Thank God!" She let out a shaky breath, wiping the corner of her eyes. "I don't know what I would have done if anything had happened to you or that baby."

She pulled her chair closer to my bed and held my hand.

"Listen to me, you're not going through this alone. You can come and stay with me until you're strong enough to get back on your feet. And as for Caspian..." Her expression hardened. "He will regret hurting you. I promise you that.”

As Sienna packed the few medications the doctor had prescribed, my eyes wandered to the takeaway bag the stranger had brought earlier. I had barely touched the food. Remembering the business card he'd slipped inside, I reached for the bag, took it out, and tucked it into Sienna's handbag.

Later that evening, I was discharged, and Sienna drove me to her apartment.

She made sure I had my bath and kept me entertained with all sorts of gist. She talked so much that, for a while, I barely had time to think about everything I was going through.

Later, she prepared party jollof rice, coleslaw, and peppered turkey for dinner.

We sat together at the dining table, and Sienna did everything she could to make me laugh. I smiled whenever she said something funny, but deep down I wasn't really there. The food looked delicious, but I could barely eat.

I kept thinking about how different this Christmas was supposed to be. I had spent days planning a special evening for Caspian. I had bought everything, prepared his favourite meal, and even planned how I would surprise him with the news of our baby. I had imagined the look on his face when I handed him that little box. I thought it would be one of the happiest moments of our marriage.

But instead, I had discovered that the man I loved was sleeping with my sister and planning a future with her.

The candles I had bought were probably still sitting somewhere in my house, untouched. The little box was still there too, holding the pregnancy test I had been so excited to show him.

I wondered if he had even thought about me that day. Did he remember that we had plans? Did he remember the six years we had spent together? Or was he too busy making new memories with Camelia?

I lowered my spoon and stared at my plate, fighting back tears. I didn't want to ruin Sienna's effort to make me feel better, but it was difficult pretending to be okay when my whole world had fallen apart.

And just like that, Christmas came to an end.

———————

Days passed, but I wasn't getting any better. Some mornings, I woke up feeling a little hopeful, only for the memories to come rushing back. Other times, I could barely bring myself to get out of bed. I kept thinking about Caspian, Camelia, and everything I had lost in a single night.

Sienna tried her best to keep me company, but I knew she was worried about me.

A few days before the New Year, she was telling me about a colleague at work who always tried to get their boss's attention because she had a crush on him. We laughed as she narrated some of the ridiculous things the woman did.

But just as I was beginning to laugh properly, Sienna turned towards me.

"Can I have a heart-to-heart conversation with you?"

I nodded, and her expression became a little more serious.

“Aurelia, I know you’re hurting. I won’t pretend to understand exactly how you feel, but I know this isn’t easy. What Caspian and Camelia did to you was terrible. But you can’t keep shutting yourself away like this.”

I looked down at my hands.

“I’m not asking you to forget what happened. I’m only asking you to try to take a step forward. You have to look after yourself, especially now that you’re pregnant.”

She paused before continuing.

"You also need something to keep your mind busy. Remember how good you were at designing? You were one of the best designers at Harlow & Pierce. You could start putting your old work together and apply to some big companies. You don't have to figure everything out today, but at least give yourself a chance to start again."

I stayed quiet for a while, taking in her words. A part of me still wanted to crawl into bed and pretend none of this had happened. I wasn't sure I was ready to move on, but I also knew I couldn't spend the rest of my life crying over someone who had chosen to hurt me.

I placed a hand on my stomach.

I had to try, if not for myself, then for my baby.

"I think you're right, Sienna. I want to work again.”

Her face brightened. “Really?”

I nodded slowly. “I can’t promise I’ll be okay overnight, but I don’t want to keep living like this.”

“That’s my girl,” she said, clapping softly. “We’ll take it one step at a time.”

I hesitated, then asked the question I’d been avoiding.

“Sienna, has he sent anything? The papers?”

“Nothing.”

He had said tomorrow. It had been four days.

I let out a quiet breath. I wasn't sure why I had been waiting for him to make the first move.

"What if I send him the divorce papers instead?" I asked, turning to Sienna.

She raised her eyebrows, then smiled. "Now that's something I would love to see."

I picked up my phone and called my lawyer. My voice was a little shaky at first, but I managed to explain what I wanted. I asked her to prepare the divorce papers and have them sent to Caspian Houston.

When I ended the call, Sienna clapped excitedly.

"Yoo-hoo! I wish I could see the look on his face when he receives those papers."

I smiled, though the thought of finally ending my marriage still hurt more than I wanted to admit.

But at least, for once, I had made a decision for myself.