The True Colors

The rain was falling heavily. Lightning flashed across the dark sky.

Aryan walked slowly towards his mansion. He didn't even bother trying to get a taxi. He couldn't. His credit cards were useless pieces of plastic now. His expensive suit was soaked through and ruined by the mud. He was shivering from the freezing wind, but the cold settling deep inside his chest felt much worse.

He finally reached the tall wooden doors of his house and pushed them open. The hallway was completely dark and quiet.

"Rhea?" Aryan called out. His voice sounded weak, almost broken.

No answer.

He walked up the grand staircase, his wet shoes leaving dirty marks on the expensive beige carpet. He pushed open the heavy door to his master bedroom.

The room was a complete disaster. The closet doors were wide open. All the expensive dresses, designer bags, and diamond shoes were entirely gone from the shelves.

Rhea was standing near the foot of the bed. She was wearing a stylish beige travel coat, struggling to zip up a large, heavy suitcase.

Aryan just stared at her. His brain was processing everything too slowly. "Rhea? What are you doing? Where are you going at this time of night?"

Rhea looked up. When she saw his dirty, dripping clothes, her face twisted in pure disgust. She took a quick step back, creating distance between them.

"Oh, good. You're finally here," Rhea said quickly. Her voice wasn't sweet or loving anymore. It was sharp. Cold. "I was just leaving. I called a private cab. It should be waiting outside the back gate by now."

Aryan felt a sharp, twisting pain in his chest. "Leaving? Why? I need you right now, Rhea. Kiara threw me out of her party. She... she is taking over the company. I have nothing left."

Rhea gave a short, cruel laugh. "Exactly, Aryan. You have nothing left. Did you honestly think I was going to stay in this freezing house with a broke man?"

"But... you said you loved me!" Aryan shouted, taking a step forward. "I left my wife for you! I threw Kiara out of this house because you asked me to!"

"Don't put your stupidity on me!" Rhea yelled right back, picking up her expensive handbag. "I loved the CEO of the Singhania Group. I loved the billionaire Aryan. I didn't travel all the way from Paris to live with a beggar. You are a fool, Aryan. You had the richest woman in the country cooking your meals, and you threw her away for me."

Aryan couldn't breathe. Every single word she said felt like a physical punch to his stomach. She was right. He was the biggest fool in the world.

"I bought you diamonds," Aryan whispered. The rain water on his face mixed with hot tears. "I gave you everything."

"And now your bank accounts are locked," Rhea replied smoothly, pulling up the handle of her suitcase. "Listen, it was fun while it lasted. But my life is too precious to waste on a sinking ship. Don't call me again. Goodbye, Aryan."

She didn't even look back at him. She walked straight out of the bedroom, her high heels making loud, sharp clicking sounds on the hardwood stairs. A minute later, Aryan heard the heavy front door slam shut.

He was completely alone.

The large bedroom suddenly felt suffocatingly empty. Aryan looked over at the dressing table. There was a small, cheap wooden box sitting quietly in the corner. It belonged to Kiara. She must have forgotten to pack it when he kicked her out three years ago.

Aryan walked over slowly. His hands were shaking. He opened the small box. Inside, there were no diamonds. There were no expensive necklaces or luxury watches.

There was only a stack of small, folded paper notes.

Aryan picked up the top note. The handwriting was neat and familiar. Kiara's writing.

Date: October 14. Aryan had a fever today. He didn't eat the soup I made. I hope he feels better tomorrow. I prayed for him.

Aryan's hands shook harder. He picked up another note.

Date: May 3. Our second anniversary. Aryan didn't come home. He must be very busy with his work. I will try to be a better wife so he doesn't have to work so hard.

Tears spilled over Aryan's eyelashes. They dropped heavily onto the dry paper, blurring the ink. For three years, Kiara had loved him purely. She never cared about his money, his status, or his power. She only cared about him.

He fell to his knees on the cold floor. He pulled the small pieces of paper to his chest and cried. The loud crash of thunder outside drowned out the sound of his broken sobs.

The crushing reality of his massive mistake finally broke his stubborn pride. He had traded a flawless diamond for a cheap stone. Sitting alone in the freezing, empty mansion, a desperate thought crossed his mind. Was there any way to fix this? If he surrendered completely, if he went to her and begged at her feet, would there be any chance for redemption? Could she ever forgive him after what he did?

Suddenly, his phone lit up on the wet carpet. It vibrated violently against the floorboards.

Aryan reached out with a trembling hand. It was a text message from an unknown number. He swiped the screen to read it.

“The Rathore Empire will officially take over the Singhania headquarters at 8:00 AM sharp tomorrow. Be there to hand over the keys personally, Aryan. Or I will cut off your mother's medical trust fund before noon. Don't be late. — Kiara.”

Aryan stared at the glowing screen. His blood ran completely cold. The air caught painfully in his throat.

She didn't just want his company or his money. She wanted to strip away his pride, his name, and his dignity in front of the entire world. She was targeting his sick mother to make sure he had absolutely no way out. His personal hell wasn't ending tonight; it was just getting started.

Tomorrow morning, he wouldn't be facing his heartbroken ex-wife. He would be facing his ruthless executioner.