Chapter 1

VICTORIA HENSHAW

“Victoria Henshaw, don’t forget that whatever you have now was bought by me. If you want to divorce me, then you won’t take a single thing with you!”

His harsh words kept ringing in my ear.

The coldness in his tone, the emotionless and the indifferent in his eyes.

Walking barefoot on the snow covered street, only in lingerie, I shivered as cold seeped deeply into my bones.

People passing by, their eyes snapping to me like magnets. Men began to stare openly, whistling, their faces laced with lust, as if they’re about to devour me. Others adjusted their glances, but their eyes still lingered, stuck on body.

I glared at them, my eyes flashing with annoyance as I became aware of my own body under their gazes.

I thought, bitterly- Today is the most miserable day of my life.

FLASHBACK (An Hour Ago)

Today is our wedding anniversary, with my husband, and I had returned home excitedly.

“Madam, Mr. Santiago has prepared a beautiful surprise for you tonight.”

Those were our head maid’s words to me in the morning, and a flash of hope instantly washed over me.

It’s been a while since Christian had shown any sign of enthusiasm towards me. We’ve been married for three years, but it’s been six months now that he had last touched me.

He had always wanted a child for so long, but I haven’t been able to get pregnant. However, with the elated news from our maid, tonight might be the day I fulfill his wishes and reconnect what we’ve lost.

As soon as I stepped into the living room, the soft passionate music overwhelmed me, my gaze slowly drifting onto the roses and the glasses of red wine sitting on the table.

My lips curled into a subtle smile, and I began to undress. My clothes fell on the floor, and I stood revealed in the sexy black lingerie I had hastily bought earlier.

The soft fabric hugging my curves so perfectly, the thin material was almost transparent, my nipples slightly puckered and visible through the fabric.

I picked up the glass of red wine, and sauntered up to our bedroom with a confident smile spread across my face.

As I approached our bedroom, I reached for the doorknob and suddenly heard a woman’s voice— more like a soft moan.

“Oh my goodness! Yes, Chris. Yes, right there!” The voice said.

My heart abruptly stopped beating.

“You’re so fucking good baby!” I heard Chris groaned. "Fuck… Ride harder for me baby!” He groaned again.

It felt like I had been punched in the gut. My vision became blurred, my legs went weak, threatening to slump beneath me.

I couldn’t take it any longer and pushed the door open, walking in on my husband with my sister, Katherine, entangled in a knot of sheets.

My grip on the stem of the glass cup of wine in my hand tightened, my fist clenched as I struggled to process the scene before me.

My eyes scanned the room, taking in the familiar surroundings, the same one I’ve always shared with my husband, but now, they seemed tained- different- corrupted.

My gaze flickered back to the bed, on the tangle sheets, to the sweat drenched body of my sister and Chris.

I stood there frozen in agony, my heart pounding loudly in my chest, my fist continued to clenched, trying to control my temper.

As their groans and moans grew louder, my chest keeps tightening more in pain.

Then, I deliberately dropped the glass cup of wine in my hand on the floor, shattering their intimate moments.

They both turned, unfazed, indifferent with the fact that I just caught them together.

No sort of reaction from them.

I clenched my fist tightly, my nails digging into my palm, trying to suppress my pain. “Why?” I asked, going straight to the point as I turned to Chris.

“Because sex with you has been nothing but boring. Fucking you is like fucking a corpse. You only lay on the bed like a doll, your body is always stiff, with an expressionless face,” he said, his words cutting through me like a knife.

He continued, his voice dripping with disdain. “As if that wasn’t enough, you couldn’t give me a child despite being my wife for a whole three years! What kind of a woman are you?” he scolded.

I met his gaze, a flash of anger igniting within me. “I couldn’t give you a child, you said? Have you checked yourself, Christian Santiago? What if, all of this…. isn’t my fault? What if, I’ve been the one getting compensated for your infertility?!” I shot back, my voice dripping with venom.

Chris’s face darkened as he took a step forward, his jaw clenched from anger. But I stood my ground, my eyes flashing with opposition.

“Maybe you should get yourself checked! Maybe your lack of erection was because you have asthenozoospermia!” I added, my voice rising as I poke him on the chest.

The room instantly fell silent, and the only sound in the room was the heavy breathing of the two of us.

Suddenly, a cold chuckle escaped his lips, his eyes flickering to Katherine briefly before landing them back onto me. “I have asthenozoospermia?! Yet Katherine can fucking have my child?!” He retorted back.

I stumbled backward, trying to processing his words. “What did you just say?”

My gaze shifted from Chris to Katherine, and a smug smile crept at the corner of her lips, making my blood run cold.

Then it hit me hard, like a punch in the face.

The child Chris and I had adopted after our marriage, the same child I had loved and raised as my own was Katherine’s.

Aaron’s features were so strikingly similar to Katherine’s… same blonde hair, same piercing blue eyes.

I had thought it was a mere coincidence, but turned out it wasn’t!

How could I not have seen it before? Why was I just realizing this now?- I thought, my fist clenching tightly.

Katherine got off from the bed, walked closer, leaned in and whispered proudly, “Thank you for raising my child all these years. While I was away pursuing my dream, you’re here playing the role of a nanny.”

She stepped back, her smile growing wider as she continued, mockingly. “Come on, what’s with that look on your face? I mean, you were always okay eating my leftovers. You shouldn’t feel bad about this little issue.”

I nodded, turning to the man I had once loved so heartedly, but now, all I felt for him was hatred. I am done with him and this marriage.

“Let’s get a divorce, Christian Santiago” I said, my voice firm and steady.

The tension in the room instantly increased as Chris glared at me. “A divorce?! Are you crazy?” He asked, his eyes narrowing, as if I’ve gone crazy.

I didn’t respond to that. Instead, I said, “I will have the papers deliver to you for signing.”

I didn’t wait for a response, I just turned around to leave the room.

“Stop right there, Victoria!” He ordered, coldly. “Take one more step, and you will regret it.”

I halted on my steps as he said that, slowly turning back to face him.

“Don’t forget that whatever you have now was bought by me. If you want to divorce me, then you won’t take a single thing with you!”

I stared at him, a cold, humorless laugh escaping my lips. “And you think you can stop me with that? To hell with you and your things, Christian!”

He looked taken aback by my response, as if he wasn’t expecting me to reply with such. He was probably expecting me to be vulnerable after hearing him said that, and succumbed to him.

With a spiteful glare, I turned around and stormed out of the room.

“You won’t get away with this, Victoria. I promise you that!” He threatened, his voice echoing through the hallway as I walk away.

I didn’t look back, tears just stroll down my cheeks. And once I get to the living room, I grabbed my purse from the sofa and walked out of the house.

END OF FLASHBACK

My eyes scanned the street, searching for a bar to get a drink and it instantly landed on a dimly lit dive bar across the street.

Letting my legs dragged towards it, I pushed open the door, and walked in, the warmth of the room and loud music instantly embrace me.

I strode to the counter, ordered for a strong drink and gulped down a glass of whiskey at once, feeling the liquid burn its way down my throat.

I wasn’t satisfied, so I ordered for another glass, and another, and another, until the whiskey flow through my whole body, making my head spin.

I was in the sixth glass when I felt a warm, yet firm hand grasp my wrist.

I hastily spun around, my hair flying and my gaze landed on a guy dressed in a waiter uniform, his eyes raking over my body.

“It’s your turn to get on the stage now,” he said, his voice loud over the music.

I frowned, confused. “What?”

“You’re the new dancer, right? You’re up next to entertain the customers.”

I shook my head, but he just nodded towards the stage, and before I knew it, I was being pulled and pushed onto the stage.

I can’t believe this guy had mistaken me for a stripper. I attempt getting off the stage, but as I looked at the expectant faces, waiting for me to make a move, something suddenly jolt in me.

In an instant, I felt wild, a reckless energy flowing through my whole body, and I let it take over me.

Goodbye to the old me. Screw all the lies I had told myself— that being a dutiful wife and a tender woman is the main achievement.

The music pulsed through me, and I found myself moving my body, dancing wildly and caressing myself.

My hips rotating to the beat, my legs wrapped around the pole, and my long hair flew around me.

Right now, I feel like a seductress, all eyes were on me and the crowd were mesmerized.

My gaze instinctively shifted and they instantly landed on him. An inviting hazel green eyes, looking so handsome and dashing.

He was sitting in the booth, sipping on his drink, and his eyes fixed on me with a burning intensity that made my heart fluttered in a way I couldn’t tell.

As we locked gaze, Chris’s cruel words and my sister’s condescending remark suddenly flooded in— “sex with you is boring”. “You only deserve the men I had discarded”.

But, looking at this handsome guy, with a defined features more than Christian, I felt a spark of desire triggering within me.

I sauntered down from the stage toward him, my eyes locked onto his. I reached him, my hand extending out to caress his chest, my fingers tracing the lines up to his jaw.

I tilted his chin up slightly with my index finger, leaned in close, my lips inches from his.

The music faded into the background as his warm breath hit my skin, his scent intoxicating me, drawing me in.

At this point, I just to kiss him. I needed to feel his lips on mine and taste the passion that seemed to be simmering within me.

My lips slowly parted, about to clasped against his, but he tilted his head, his hand instantly shot out.

His expression unreadable as he pushed my face away. “I don’t have sex with slut.”