Chapter two

His words hit me like a punch in the face, “How could you? How could you, Logan? What wrong have I done?” I wiped my tears, shaking my head in disbelief. 

"Wipe those disgusting tears, how long can you continue to be this dumb? She did what you can’t do, you should be congratulating me because that shows that I am not the problem but you.” he mocked, glaring at me. 

“Logan! She is my damn sister," I choked on my words, trailing off. " Is that how low you can go? Of all people, is my step-sister?” 

"ENOUGH!” Logan fumed, silencing me instantly. I dragged a deep shaky breath, feeling a painful lump in my throat. 

“I think we are done here. You’re free,”  

Logan didn’t even feel sorry, he glared at me like some piece of trash and pulled out a brown envelope from his side drawer and tossed it at me. 

My tears-stricken eyes glanced at the brown envelope on the floor and then back to him. 

“Wh…. What’s this?” I asked, my voice shaking.

Somehow the envelope scares me. 

Logan didn’t say anything else and focused back on his computer, maintaining a straight face. 

Despite the fear, my curiosity still got the best of me and I reluctantly picked up the envelope and opened it. My eyes trailed along the paper and landed on the bold blue write-up on top ‘A DIVORCE AGREEMENT’

I gasped, fresh tears rushing up to my face and before I knew it, I staggered back in disbelief. It felt like the ground had been yanked off my feet. 

“What is this?" With trembling lips, I asked, snapping my teary eyes back at him. 

Though I know what this is but I wanted him to confirm it. 

How could he? What have I done? 

He was the one who had cheated on me with Harper, so why is he presenting me a divorce paper? 

My reasons for coming here were long forgotten as my world started to fumble before me. 

Logan pulled his gaze away from the computer and snickered. "Isn’t it obvious, we are divorcing?" He paused and rubbed his temple before a grin appeared on his lips. “I am divorcing you, Victoria. Your presence doesn’t matter anymore, Herper now has the heir to the Winston household so now you are free.” He sarcastically waved his hands dismissively and turned back to what he was doing. 

I wanted to scream yet I just couldn’t open my mouth. I felt shocked, beyond broken. His words felt like a sharp blade piercing deep inside my heart, causing my life to flash before my eyes. 

Seven years of being with him flashed before my face. 

I had always loved him and that’s where I think I started getting it all wrong. 

All these years, I had tolerated everything; the constant humiliation, the neglect, his sleeping around, the disrespect….. Just name it! 

It was too much yet I had pulled through with just one hope, that he did love me back one day. 

From the moment I accepted to be the chosen bride by the Winston household, that was where my problem started. 

I could still clearly remember everything, the day my father had approached us with the news that the Winston family needed a bride for their son, Logan. 

My family wasn’t that financially stable. My father’s business had gone bankrupt, we could barely feed when Winston approached us. 

Mr. Dominick Winston had promised to help our family back to our feet only if my father would be able to give out one of his daughters to his son as his bride. 

The news came as a shock to our family and of course my greedy father couldn't let it go. The respect and power that comes with being the only and first inlaw of Winston household…. He just couldn't miss the opportunity. 

His plan was to give out, Harper, just to secure a better future for her but surprisingly, Mr. Dominick Winston had chosen me, and as usual that had attracted more hatred for me from my stepmom, Agatha, and my father.  

I didn’t oppose the idea or fight back because I had always had a secret crush on Logan for years. I was one of his social media fans, I do stalk him in all his social media handles. 

You can call me an obsessed fan, yes that was what I was. So when the offer came, I accepted it with open arms. Though not like my opinion matters anyway, whether I accept or not, I will still be given away. 

My father despised me after the death of my mother, he blamed me for her death. He said that my mother died trying to save me from the fire outbreak that I caused. 

I had lived with that stigma growing up, and the hatred that comes with it. 

After the death of my mother, my dad brought in his side chick who happened to be Harper’s mother. And ever since then, the house has become a living hell for me. 

Who could I complain to? Is it my own father who hates the ground I walk on? Not knowing what to do, I had to buckle up the pain and continue enduring whatever trash they threw on my face. 

As a child, I had watched my father showered Harper and her mother with so much love and adoration while I was treated like a stranger. 

Growing up, my life was a hell until after the marriage. I had thought that I had escaped my trauma. 

But sometimes the world is unfair to some people like me.  

I thought that entering the Winston household was the best decision I made but in reality, it was my worst nightmare. 

Only Mr. Dominick Winston was good to me and after his death, I had come to realize that Logan had married me against his own will. He only married me because of his father’s rules. 

One of the rules was to marry me if he didn't want to be stripped off from the Winston family and the other one is that before he could claim his father’s properties, he must have had an heir from his supposed wife. 

For them, I am just a means for Logan to claim his inheritance. 

Though from the look of things, Logan wasn’t ready to become a father yet but to secure the properties, he had to play along.   

So when years passed and I couldn’t give them an heir, everything worsened. Mrs. Calantha Winston doesn’t fail to ridicule and rub it in my face. 

The marriage was one hell of a thing but I had stayed back hoping for a miracle. I gave up my life, my career, my self-worth…. I gave up everything just to make the marriage work. 

Even when he goes around sleeping out with different girls, I still stay back. I still loved him despite the steady humiliation from him and the Winston household. 

And when I thought I could save our marriage with the news of my pregnancy, just what they had wanted, he presented me with divorce papers. 

What wrong have I done to deserve this kind of treatment for years? 

   “Wait! You are still standing there, really?” Logan snapped furiously, jolting me back to reality. "Sign those papers and get out of my life, you barren woman!” He snarled, causing my tears to rush down. 

Using the back of my palm, I wiped off my tears and swallowed hard. 

As much as I wanted to tell him about my pregnancy, I held back my words. 

I can’t raise my child under the same roof as Harper, I don’t want my child to grow up in a toxic environment like I did. 

He doesn't want me, it is now obvious. 

I think I have to stop fighting for something that wasn’t there. I think I have to stop fighting for a man who despises the air that I breathe.

 

This has always been what they wanted, a way to get me out of the picture and now, I think they have achieved their heart desire. 

Harper can now have him all to herself. A mean bastard is undeserving of my love. 

I smiled sadly and stared down at the divorce papers. This is what he and the Winston household have always wanted, right?

A means to get rid of me. 

I am done being desperate and struggling to fit into their life. For them, I will always be the pathetic, ugly, fat, and naive wife of Logan Winston but not anymore. 

I am done being stupid but one thing, they will never get to know about my baby. 

Not in this life, not even in the next life to come. 

I took up the pen from his desk and went to the column down the document. My heart was breaking as I signed my signature with trembling hands. 

"I, Victory Jenkins, acknowledge that I have read, understand, and voluntarily accept the terms of the Divorce Agreement with Logan Winston, dated [20/03/2020].”