You Can't Do This(2)

Lara's POV 

My vision blurred as tears welled up in my eyes, but I quickly wiped them off, picking up my phone again. The picture was still there, proving that I wasn't going insane.

In Gerald's arms was the one lady I recognized too well without needing to look too much. She was my sister. My younger sister who was my husband's first love.

The one he was supposed to marry.

So she was the reason he was rushing out of the house so fast this morning. He never stopped loving her after all. Even when she broke his heart five years ago by eloping with her lover, he never got over her. 

I was supposed to be her replacement so I did everything I could to love him in ways that no one could ever love him. I gave him everything I had and for a moment, I thought maybe he would forget about her and choose me. 

I had no idea she was back from Europe. But he just had to run straight to her without even caring about what I had to say. How absurd!

I couldn't read the article anymore, so I switched my phone off and lay on the bed, my eyes fixed on the ceiling above me. 

Why was it so hard for anyone to choose me? What exactly was my crime?

I wasn't my parents’ favorite either. Everyone loved Ria. It was always about Ria. Never about me. I was the older one yet I had to live my life in her shadows.

The front door opened and I jolted out of bed, forgetting my slippers by the bed as I rushed out of the room. Gerald walked into the house, looking tired and my heart almost softened toward him. But he had been with the other woman after all, why should I be worried?

“You're back,” I muttered, and he looked up in surprise, not expecting to see me awake at this time of night.

“Why are you still up?” He asked, making his way to me and the smell of a female perfume hit me hard. “You shouldn't have waited up for me. And why did you walk around barefoot? The ground is cold.” He added and I blinked in surprise, stunned at how he noticed that when I didn't.

“How was the business issue you went for?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest but he simply took my hand and pulled me to the room.

“Put them on.” He said, gesturing toward my footwear and I sighed before wearing them. “Business was good. Wasn't much of a big deal.” He said nonchalantly and I couldn't help but scoff in amusement.

“Is there something funny about what I said?” He asked and I shrugged.

“You tell me,” I muttered, staring at him. “Did you really leave the house for business matters or did you leave to see the love of your life?”

He stiffened as soon as I said those words and he turned to me, his brows raised in question.

“Were you following me? Stalking me? Do you realize how sick that is?” He asked, obviously disgusted but he didn't even try to deny my accusation.

“That's all you could think of, Gerald? Have you forgotten how famous you are?” I questioned, grabbing my phone and turning it on. “You're all over the news. A famous billionaire is reuniting with his first love. You don't think I deserve an explanation?”

“There's nothing to explain.” He replied coldly, taking off his shirt. “She was in trouble and all I did was help her. You shouldn't believe what the articles say, Lara.” 

“That's why you left even when I had something important to say? Because she was in trouble? How did you know that I wasn't in trouble? I'm your wife. She left you years ago for someone else yet you left your wife for her?” I asked in disbelief and he scoffed, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

“Is this jealousy? If it is, bury it somewhere deep in your chest. I did what I had to do. Now let me sleep, I'm exhausted.” He muttered, getting under the covers and pulling them over his head.

Jealousy? Was he being serious right now? 

“Gerald, I'm preg—”

“Please, let me sleep, Lara.” He grumbled and I let out a sigh of frustration. 

Tomorrow. I will tell him tomorrow. 

I lay on the bed, unable to sleep. All I did was toss and turn until I finally succumbed to the tiredness that weighed me down. When I woke up the next morning, Gerald was already out of bed and was dressing up to go to work.

So early in the morning.

“Don't you think it's too early to go to the office?” I asked, glancing at the time to see that it was just past six am. 

I was still so drowsy and all I wanted to do was sleep. But his next words had the sleep flying out of my eyes immediately as I sat up.

“I'm not going to the office yet.” He said and I swallowed. “There's something important I have to do before leaving.”

“What is it?”

He sighed, staring at me for a moment like he didn't know whether to answer me or not.

“Don't overreact.” He started and my heart sank. “I'm bringing Ria here. She doesn't have anywhere to go right now and I'm the only person she can turn to. You're her sister, you should be able to take care of her.” He explained and it felt like I had just been slapped in the face with a shoe.

“I'm sorry, what?” I asked in disbelief. “Ria has an apartment of her own. She could go live in our parents’ house. But she chose to return to the house of the man who used to love her?”

“I told you not to overreact.” He muttered flatly and I scoffed, getting out of bed and making my way to him.

“I shouldn't overreact? You didn't even think of me before making such random decisions. How do you think I'll feel knowing that your ex— that you love so much by the way— is going to be living under the same roof with you?”

“She's your sister, Lara. Have some decency.”

My sister, who has done nothing but make my life miserable? My sister who almost poisoned me to death because she hated having competition? 

“I don't want her here,” I said firmly, crossing my arms over my chest. “I'll find her a new apartment to stay at. She could stay at my old apartment too. But I won't let her live here with us.”

He paused for a moment, then turned to me with an expression that had me gulping.

“You keep forgetting your place, Lara, don't you?” He asked as he approached me while I backed up against the wall. “Have you forgotten that I only married you because you begged me to?”

“You married me because you already had a deal with my parents to marry one of their daughters. When Ria left, you had no choice but to choose me.” I retorted and he slammed his hand against the wall, trapping me.

“You, Lara, are my wife because I married you.” He whispered, tracing my bottom lip gently and I let out a shaky breath. “But never forget your place. You're just her replacement.”

I froze. My face went pale at once as he backed away and started to walk out of the room.

“Ria is moving in today. Clean up the room next to mine for her. One mistake and you won't like what I'll do.” 

With that, he was gone.