CHAPTER 3

Chapter 3

Justina's POV

I spent that night in a hotel, my face buried into a pillow soaking it with my tears of betrayal and hurt.

What I thought was supposed to mark the beginning of our forever was just a preamble to the end. I hardly slept for most of the night, awakening several times to weep and cry, mocking myself for being so foolish.

The next day I got a call from the receptionist.

My husband was here to see me.

I didn't want to see him.

That alone should have been obvious enough, he broke my heart, and he did it with a straight face, assuming I should have gone along with it.

Even if he apologized to me, there was no way to fix this.

I thought about it, and I still had to see him if we were going to have an easy divorce. I didn't even want any of his property, alimony, or anything like that. I just wanted to cut off all ties with him once and for all.

I splashed some water on my face, put on the same dress that I had last night, and came down to see him in the lobby.

He was dressed in fresh clothes, hair styled meticulously, and wearing a cologne that I complemented every chance I got.

This cheap move at seduction made the anger inside me to only churn deeper.

Did he think that he was going to get out of this by setting a honey trap? How Ridiculous!

We settled into the hotel's restaurant, and he dared to order a quick meal.

“Aren't you going to order anything?” He asked me as if this was just one of our regular meetups.

“No I'm good,” I replied stiffly.

“Are you sure? I know you just and I know you didn't have anything to eat last night, you wouldn't have been able to stomach the food.”

I chuckled bitterly, “You know what, I could just jump over this table right now and slap you right in the face. Don't you have any shame at all? Still talking like what best friends or something,”

He swallowed.

“Justy, no matter what happens, we will always be best friends. You've always been supportive of my relationships. What's different now? Is it because Lucia is a maid and not well off?”

“Don't you dare play dumb,” I said through gritted teeth, “... You made me think that you were interested in me, you fed me with crumbs leading to the altar so that I could cover up for your little affair, that's very different from being a supportive best friend.”

He backpedaled but only slightly, “Okay I'll be honest, I knew you had a crush on me…and I knew you might not be thrilled about Lucia…” he stretched his hand over the table as a famous trying to hold mine but I had them crossed over my chest with no intention of moving them anytime soon.

“But you have to understand…” he still tried to protest, “I never meant to hurt you,”

“Too bad, for someone who seems to know a lot about me you don't seem to know just how far you hurt me.” I placed my arm on the table in front of me to steady myself as his food was served, then, when the waitress was out of earshot, I said, “I meant what I said last night. I want a divorce, quick and simple. You can find someone else to play stand in not me,”

Mark looked at me devastated as if he was the one who was cheated on and used.

“But I wouldn't have been able to exchange wedding vows with anyone else other than you,” he said.

If I were still the Justina of yesterday, this might have flattered me, but the girl who loved him one excitedly and unconditionally for years was gone; in her place was someone who felt sickened by his touch alone.

“Do I have to call your parents Mark?”

The color immediately drained from his face.

“You wouldn't do that would you?”

“Not unless you make me,” I told him.” Let's begin the proceedings for the divorce agreed to everything I put forward and your parents won't hear a word of your affair at least not from me,”

He looked at the floor, his face drawn with dejection as if he were the victim in all of this.

“What about your father?”He suddenly perked up, “his health is failing right now? If we got a divorce so early it would only affect him negatively,”

Since yesterday, I have been battling with a cocktail of emotions, but I never thought that Mark could make me feel numb altogether.

“Are you being serious right now?” I asked for a voice that was so detached from my original one.

He didn't say anything and somehow his silence only aggravated me more.

It was true that my father's health had been poor lately, but my parents knew about my longtime crush on Mark.

The night that he proposed, my father was the first person I told. I said, " I'm a daddy's girl, That was the first time in weeks that the lights in His eyes looked brighter. All throughout the wedding preparations, he had the biggest smile on his face. He had cried while he walked me down the aisle.

Just a week ago he was already suggesting names for his grandchildren.

Mark was fully aware of all of this.

And he was using it to blackmail me.

Since yesterday I knew he didn't love me, but now I'm left to question if he had even ever been my friend.

He knew about my feelings too, but went out of his way to tell me about his relationships, as if he enjoyed knowing that I was craving and pining and suffering all for him.

“Seven months…” I said quietly, “... After that, we begin the divorce proceedings,”