Chapter 1: Bittersweet Memories

Amanda

Today, three years ago, Jason Grey proposed to me at the airport, just as we returned from our trip to the beautiful New York City. He had everything planned out, and I said "yes" to him in the presence of a very large crowd. I was filled with ecstasy at the time, and I thought that I would be the happiest woman in the world. 

To me, Jason Grey was everything a woman could ever desire... He was gorgeous, very attentive towards me, and prioritized my happiness above every other thing or person. I later discovered that it was all a facade, though. He was also very wealthy as he was the founder and CEO of JG Fitness co-operation. 

We got married two weeks after his proposal, and that was when everything changed for me. Jason Grey, the people's idol, was the very opposite of everything I ever wanted. 

My name's Amanda Grey and today was supposed to be our third anniversary, but of course, my husband, Jason Grey, completely forgot about it. 

I headed down the road and towards the boutique, when I felt a vibration in my bag, "Hello, Amanda" My heart raised as I heard my husband's cold voice behind the speaker, "I wouldn't be coming home today and tomorrow..."

My heart raced and I steadied my shaky hands properly "Is there a reason?" I managed to ask.

"Reason?" Jason chuckled, "There's something I need to attend to, " he rasped, and I imagined him smirking mischievously as he normally did whenever he was doing something he knew that I wouldn't like.

"Today's our anniversary, honey," I was hoping he would change his mind at least. We hardly spent time together and our marriage was on the brink of death, "Could you please come back for today? You can go back after tonight..."

"Since when did we start celebrating anniversaries?" 

"Jason, please, come home. I don't feel okay with the way things are going. We're a married couple for goodness sake! You're my husband, my husband! When would you start acting as one?" I was livid with anger. Passers_by kept giving me this pitiful look, as though they understood what was going on. I was just outside the boutique because I didn't want to disturb the people shopping inside. 

"I never wanted to marry you!" He basically screamed with emphasis. I could feel a tinge of anger mixed with disdain in his voice. My heart broke for the hundredth time. 

I had discovered along the line, two months after our wedding three years ago, that Jason never actually loved me, but I never knew his hatred ran as deep as this... 

"Don't call me again! I'll come back home in two days'' time." He hung up and I felt weak all over. I couldn't move, I couldn't talk and I didn't know what to do.

 I had wanted to get him a tuxedo from the boutique and organize a little surprise for him as my anniversary gift, but I wasn't sure I would go ahead with that. My legs felt wobbly and my stomach churned. I let the tears flow freely now, as I thought about what to do. It seemed there was no way of saving my marriage.

*. *. * *. *

Dean Geoffrey, my late father, who was the CEO of the great Athars Resources passed away four years ago. The company was never the same after his demise. 

Before his death, he had raised me single-handedly. My father had me when he was a teenager. For some reason, after the death of his high school sweetheart, my mother, (who died right after giving birth to me), he refused to marry again. 

The company suffered a financial and social breakdown, but when it was about to be shut down completely, my husband, Jason Grey came to her rescue. 

He approached my grandparents and convinced them that he could and would revive the company only if he was allowed to marry me. My grandparents sold the idea to me, and I agreed. Little did I know that Jason Grey, who was now my husband, was as cunning as a tortoise. A green snake in green grass!

Jason presented himself as the nicest man then, and he treated me like an absolute Princess for two weeks before asking me to marry him

. In a quest to liberate myself and my grandparents from extreme poverty, and most especially, in a bid to settle my dad's outstanding and outrageous debts, I had agreed. I wasn't exactly in love with him, even though he was every woman's dream man. We had only known each other for two weeks and got married in a space of another two weeks. 

Little did I know that that marriage was my ticket to my own hellfire.

********

Athars Resources Incorporation was now run by Jason Grey, and everything was in my husband's name. It was his, not ours, not mine. 

My husband had returned home three days after our anniversary, heavily drunk. I didn't need to open the door, because he came in with a short, and funny_looking woman, who already knew the password to our mansion.

My eyes caught the snake tattoo above her wrist, and I struggled to remember where and when I had seen that same tattoo. She also reeked of alcohol, so they had obviously been drinking together.

"Help me take him to his room," The lady was struggling to carry Jason up the stairs and into his room. I stood with my mouth open, and I didn't know when the plate of mango fruit I had in my hands fell off to the floor. How's it that Jason came home after three days, drunk and in another woman's arms?

"Are you deaf?" She glared at me, and I could tell that she didn't know that I was Jason's wife. 

Her voice brought me out of my oblivion and I scurried to do her bidding. In fact, I didn't want her touching my husband, so I offered to take care of him and told her to leave.

I took Jason upstairs and put him to bed carefully, then went down only to meet the short lady sitting comfortably in the lounge outside.

"Who are you, and why are you with my husband?" I asked as I approached her. I tried to sound confident and in charge because, for some reason, this other lady appeared to be fearless and acted as she pleased.

"Husband?" She laughed and staggered backward a little. It was as though I had asked a very funny question, "Jason's your husband? You're the late Dean Geoffrey's daughter?"

Everyone in this city knew me. My late father was a famous and one of the wealthiest men here, in New York City, before his painful demise. I was surprised she didn't know who I was.

I tried to comport myself, "Are you new to this city, and didn't Jason tell you that he's married?"

"I do know that he's married, but I never imagined it would be to you..." She tucked her hair behind her ears, did a three_sixty around me as though she were checking me out, and then stood, facing me. 

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" My eyebrows furrowed, and I smoothened my hair backward, in a bid to maintain my cool.

"You do not know me, but I know you, Amanda Cece Grey, and I know everything about you..." She seemed to be having fun, as she gave a knowing smile but was in no obvious mood to continue talking to me.

 She searched her breast pocket and brought out her car keys. As if trying to tell me that she owned one of the most expensive cars in the city, she jiggled the keys in front of my eyes, and then walked away.

The only other person that knew my middle name, Cece, was my father. In fact, he gave me that name himself, saying it was my mother's name. He only called me that name when we were alone, at home. So nobody else knew that name, not even my grandparents.

Who's this woman? What does she want with my husband and how does she know me? Then it struck me_. The tattoo! I had seen that tattoo on someone on the day my father was buried. It was her, Lena Dunham, who had claimed to be my father's daughter…