The True Colors

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

Aryan walked slowly towards his mansion. He didn't take a taxi. He couldn't. His credit cards were useless pieces of plastic now. His expensive suit was completely wet and ruined by the mud. He was shivering from the cold wind, but the cold inside his heart was much worse.

He finally reached the big wooden doors of his house. He pushed them open. The house was quiet.

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

There was no answer.

He walked up the grand stairs, leaving dirty water marks on the expensive carpet. He pushed open the door to his master bedroom.

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

Rhea was standing near the bed. She was wearing a stylish travel coat. She was trying to close a large, heavy suitcase.

Aryan stared at her. His brain was working very slowly. "Rhea? What are you doing? Where are you going at this time of the night?"

Rhea looked up. When she saw his dirty, wet clothes, she made a face full of disgust. She took a step back, away from him.

"Oh, good. You are finally here," Rhea said quickly. Her voice was not sweet anymore. It was sharp and cold. "I was just leaving. I called a private cab. It should be waiting outside the back gate."

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

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

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

"Don't blame your stupidity on me!" Rhea yelled back. She picked up her expensive handbag. "I loved the CEO of the Singhania Group. I loved the billionaire Aryan. I didn't come 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 word she said felt like a knife hitting his stomach. She was right. He was the biggest fool in the world.

"I bought you diamonds," Aryan whispered, tears finally mixing with the rain water on his face. "I gave you everything."

"And now your bank accounts are locked," Rhea replied easily. She pulled 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 out of the bedroom, her high heels making loud clicking sounds on the stairs. A minute later, Aryan heard the front door slam shut.

He was completely alone.

The large bedroom suddenly felt too big and too empty. Aryan looked at the dressing table. There was a small, cheap wooden box sitting in the corner. It belonged to Kiara. She must have forgotten to pack it.

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

There was only a stack of small, handwritten notes.

Aryan picked up the top note. The handwriting was neat and beautiful. It was 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 fell from Aryan's eyes. They dropped heavily on the paper. For three years, Kiara loved him purely. She never cared about his money or his power. She only cared about him.

He fell to his knees on the cold floor. He clutched the small paper to his chest and cried like a child. The loud sound of the thunder outside hid the sound of his broken sobs.

He realized his mistake. But he also knew Kiara was never coming back. The sweet girl who wrote these notes was dead. And the Boss of the Rathore Empire was coming tomorrow to finish him completely.