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CHAPTER ONE
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2026-04-05 22:24:41“Be at Ray hotel, 1st floor room 16 at 7pm. There is a surprise waiting for you,” Aria read the message three times, her brows raised.
She got the anonymous message that morning.
‘Could it be a birthday gift from my husband? Jeffery had never been the romantic type, but our third wedding anniversary is coming up. Maybe he is finally trying. What kind of surprise could it be? Should I go? There couldn't be any harm in it right?’ She thought.
The driver cleared his throat from the front seat. “We have arrived ma'am.”
“Oh, thank you,” she said, getting down and staring at the glamorous hotel.
‘I hope I am not getting kidnapped or something.’ She walked into the lobby.
Her heartbeat quickened.
‘Being nervous is ridiculous, you’re his wife.’ she told herself.
She stepped out of the car.
She was given a key card to the room at the reception. She stepped out of the elevator and walked towards the room.
‘So, Jeffery really arranged this.’
‘Stop overthinking,’ she whispered to herself.
She pressed the key card to the door and a green light blinked.
She opened the door and the world stopped.
The first thing she heard was a moan.
Her husband was on the bed making sounds she had never heard from him while a lady moved on top of him.
“Do you like the way I'm moving daddy?” The lady asked and Aria stepped back in shock when she realized whose voice it was.
“Valerie,” she gasped.
The both of them stopped their movement and looked at her.
A smirk formed on Valerie's face “Jeffery, she is interrupting.”
They didn't even try to cover themselves.
“What are you doing here?” Jeffery turned to Aria.
“Jeffery you… you are cheating on me with my sister.” Her voice was barely audible. She looked between her husband and her sister.
“What exactly are you doing here?” He ignored her question.
“I thought you were just busy with work, that is why you were absent. I never thought…”
“We will talk about this later, leave.”
“Jeffery, you…”
“Get out of here, Aria!” He snapped.
Aria took a deep breath, blinking back tears.
“I just want…”
“Looks like she wants to watch. Let's give her a show baby,” Valerie leaned down to kiss Jeffery.
Aria nodded and turned to leave. She was unable to stop the tears that flowed freely down her face.
Three years. Three years of being a faithful wife, of doing whatever her husband said, of being unloved by Jeffery but she was okay with it because she thought that eventually, he will grow to love her.
Their marriage was a merger between their families but she was never meant to be his bride. He had always loved her sister but married her at the last minute when her sister opted out to focus on her modelling career.
Even with everything, their marriage has been fine. They have been cordial with each other and even doing well as married couples. When Jeffery started becoming distant she never attributed it to the return of her sister. She just thought it was stress from work.
She cried all the way back home and also cried herself to sleep. When she woke up, everywhere was already dark and she decided she could not leave her marriage.
Leaving will be worse than staying and they could work around it.
‘I love him and people have rough patches in their marriages sometimes. We will fix it and move.’ She rationalized with herself.
She sat in the living room waiting for her husband who returned by 3am that morning.
“Hi,” she smiled at him but he ignored her and walked into his office.
She got up and followed him but he didn't acknowledge her presence as he sat behind his desk typing away.
“Jeff.” She called out softly trying to get his attention.
He opened his drawer and handed her a large envelope.
Her heart sank as she collected it from Jeffery. “What is this?”
“Look at it.”
She took out the file in the envelope and took a quick scan of it. Her breaths came out quickly as she fought to keep herself from falling apart.
“What is this Jeffery? Divorce?”
“Yes. We are clearly not working out and I don't love you. Valerie is back and we are in love. We want to get married.”
“You… you can't do that to me. We are …”
“Nothing.” He completed it for her. “And yes, I can do whatever I like.”
Her vision blurred and she opened her mouth to say something but it felt like she was choking on her words.
“We can fix this. You don't have to do this, Jeffery.” Her tone was pleading.
“Valerie is with my child.”
A loud sound rang in Aria’s ears as she tried to make sense of what Jeffery just said.
‘Valerie was pregnant?’
They had been trying to get pregnant but Aria kept on having miscarriages and now he finally got the baby he'd been wanting with the woman he loved.
“Our parents will not agree to it.” She said quickly begging him to consider. She also knew she couldn't go back to her parents.
Valerie's mother wouldn't want her in the house and her father would listen to her.
“Our parents already agreed. The merger we made before has been made void, Aria.” Jeffery said.
“No! You are lying.” She couldn't believe it. They'd just discard her when their star child decided she wanted to come back?
She didn’t even want to get married. She had just graduated and wanted to start her fashion brand; her father pleaded with her. He said it will save his business.
Now they’ve just agreed to throw her to the side since Valerie decided she wants her man back?
What will become of her? She could not lose her marriage simply because Valerie changed her mind.
How could her father agree to this?
“Sign the papers. Valerie will be moving in tomorrow.”
She looked at the papers and his signature was already there. She looked at him shaking her head. “No. I cannot do it.”
“Please, I love you. Don't do this to me.” Aria cried.
“I don't care about how you feel. The woman I love is with my child and we are ready to start a family.”
“We can find a way to make it work. I don't mind her being your mistress.” She sounded desperate.
His expression was cold as he looked at her. “Nothing you say will change my mind.”
“I don't want a divorce.” She sobbed, knelt down and held his leg.
He looked at her with a blank expression.
“Crying won't change anything.”
He pulled away from her.
“You will sign those papers. I need you out of here by tomorrow.” he said, his voice deep.
Aria stared at him as she asked her self if she had ever being his wife.
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