Chapter 2

"Remember this, okay? You will always be the other woman. Did you hear me? You will be a mistress for the rest of your life!"

I couldn’t stop myself from screaming loudly as I tried to rip out all of her hair, even though I knew deep down I couldn’t actually do it.

This woman really has some nerve. She wasn’t even ashamed in front of me, even though her panties were literally at her feet while she was pulling my hair.

Then again, why would she feel ashamed? She wasn’t ashamed to steal my husband, so why would she be ashamed of this?

"Shit!" Lester hissed.

Even though I wasn’t looking at him, I knew he was clutching his manhood because of the kick I gave him earlier.

He deserves that! It’s not even enough, if we’re being honest. It’s nowhere near enough for the cruelty they both did to me. They should both rot in hell. 

We should all rot in misery the same way they made me feel right now.

If I have to go to hell with them just to drag them both there, I wouldn’t hesitate. Because of what happened, it felt like I suddenly stopped caring about my life and even the company I had nurtured for years. 

It felt like the whole world had conspired against me because of the pain they gave me.

The heaven and euphoric feeling I once had suddenly turned into hell and unbearable pain. I wanted to blame everyone for my suffering... because why? Why does it have to be like this?

Why does heaven want me to suffer this much?

"Yanna, stop it! What the hell?! You’re acting like you’re not the older one here!"

Once he regained his strength, he stood up and grabbed both of my arms to stop me. I was forced to let go of Francine’s hair. 

Meanwhile, Francine was just smirking, as if she was enjoying the scene unfolding before her.

Her hair was now a mess because of how hard I pulled it, but she didn’t seem to care. She just kept staring and grinning at me, clearly delighted by my reaction.

I couldn’t believe that even though I was hurting her, she was still smiling like she was thrilled that I was suffering. I, who had been her friend and the one who helped her reach her current position.

She’s competent, I know that, but without my help, she would still just be a regular employee. I hired her when she was a fresh graduate, when no one else wanted to give her a chance. 

And this is how she repays me? She’s going to betray me like this? 

Just like what I did for Lester. Is everyone I help just going to betray me in the end?

Francine was still smirking even after she put her panties back on. I didn’t see even a hint of shame in her, even though I had caught her and Lester in that state. 

She’s different from the Francine I knew. She’s not the innocent Francine who applied for a job with me.

She’s not the Francine who used to hug me warmly after I made her Lester’s secretary.

Was this her real intention all along?

Was her true goal to steal my husband from me? That’s why she pretended to be kind and acted like a friend, or even a daughter? I thought she was innocent because she’s only twenty-three.

She’s just fucking twenty-three.

Thinking about that sent another sharp pang through my heart. It feels like I lost my husband, my friend, and my daughter all at once.

"What the hell, Yanna?! You’re acting like you were raised in a fish market! Stop it! Let’s talk properly!"

Earlier he was the one shouting, now it was my turn. I couldn’t believe what he was saying to me. Is he really defending her instead of his own wife?

And what? I’m acting like I’m not the older one and that I was raised in a fish market?! What about what they were doing?! They were acting like horny, starving animals! Seriously, in his office at Madrid Constructions? In the office that I built?

I could only roll my eyes as my tears fell.

"Shut up, Lester! We’ll talk later, yes, but I’m the one in charge here, do you understand?! You have no right to dictate to me!" I shouted at him angrily. 

I was about to grab Francine’s hair again, but I couldn’t get close because Lester was gripping both of my arms tightly.

I wanted to pull that slut’s hair again, but I couldn’t break free from his hold. What else could I do? Lester is much bigger than me.

A few moments later, two security guards entered Lester’s office. He handed me over to them, and they immediately grabbed both of my arms.

He passed me off and had me thrown out as if I were the mistress and not his secretary. He even made it look like I was the one ruining their relationship.

"You have no respect and even decency! After I helped you get to this position, you betray me like this?!" Even then, I didn’t stop hurling insults at her. "I’m going to have you both thrown in jail and make sure you rot there! Especially you!" 

I tried to lunge at Francine, but I couldn’t because the two guards kept pulling me away.

"Do you think you can send us to jail, Yanna? You can’t. Lester has influence, and so do I." Francine smirked after saying that. "Besides, who told you to help me? Did I ever ask you to trust me?"

She sat properly on the desk and crossed her arms over her chest while looking at me as if she were judging my entire existence. As if her gaze was telling me how stupid I was for trusting both of them.

And what makes that judgment so painful? It’s because it’s true.

I’m so stupid.

"Your husband is just so handsome, you know. I only had a little taste. You’re so selfish if you won’t share, especially since you can’t even have children, right?" she added, staring at me with contempt. "Because you’re infertile, Yanna. Did you think I didn’t know?”

She added, “Everyone in this company knows. You’re not even good in bed, and on top of that, you’re infertile."

Francine’s smile widened as my own expression crumbled because of her words. 

"Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? If I were you, I would have left the country by now."

Her words made me stop moving and struggling. I know... that I can’t have children. But is that why they betrayed me? I thought Lester had accepted me despite my condition... but why?

I thought I had already accepted the fact that no matter how much I wanted a child, I would never have one. But when Francine said it, I started blaming myself again. 

I didn’t choose to be this way, but does that mean I don’t deserve to be loved by anyone?

I’m still a person. I’m still a woman. I should at least get some respect from them. I’m still human even if I can’t have children, right?

I’ve never felt this low.

"Is that the reason why you betrayed me like this, Lester?" My voice was full of bitterness and pain. "Because... because I can’t give you a child?"

I felt like cursing nonstop after asking that. I didn’t want to hear his answer because I already knew what it would be... and it would definitely hurt me.

"I’m only a man, Yanna. I also want to have children. I also want to have a family, and I can’t call this relationship we have a family because we will never have children."

As much as it hurt, his tone was so casual, as if I weren’t his wife. As if his words wouldn’t hurt me.

As if he no longer cared about how I felt. 

Where was Lester who used to treat me like a diamond he needed to protect and cherish? Was it all just an act? For what? For my money?

What a cruel life.

"You should have just told me right away! You shouldn’t have let it get to the point where you had to betray me like this! Fuck you, Lester! You should have just left me! Why did you have to humiliate me like this first?!"

After I screamed that, my tears flowed even more violently. I had been holding them back, but I couldn’t anymore. I tried to hide my face by covering it with my hands, but that didn’t erase the fact that I looked so weak and pathetic.

But my husband fucking cheated on me with my friend, and on top of that, right in front of me. What am I supposed to feel? Be happy? Jump for joy?

"I will file for divorce and a case against you, Lester. You already ruined my life with what you did, so I won’t let you destroy my company too. I will also pull out my shares from your company, and I will take back Madrid Constructions," I threatened him. 

"I am the reason you are in this position now, so I will also be the one to remove you from it and bring you down," I added firmly before harshly shrugging off the two security guards’ grip.

I had already shaken them off earlier, but they grabbed me again. Even though it wasn’t their fault since they were just following orders, I was irritated with them too.

"Don’t touch me. I’ll leave on my own. I know you’re just following your boss, but you don’t need to drag me. I have feet, I can walk."

I was about to walk out when Lester’s next words made me feel even heavier.

"That’s the main reason why I wanted to marry you in the States, Yanna," he said. 

"It will be easier for me to file for divorce in the fastest time possible... like, eleven months? But it would be better if it’s just six months," he added casually, as if his words wouldn’t hurt me. 

As if we weren’t still married.

For the second time, the memory of our marriage and the exchange of our wedding vows broke me.