Chapter 2 - You were never there for him

Molly

“Daddy, daddy!" 

A little boy of around four years, looking exactly like my husband, ran to his side. Gasps erupted around the room, and I could feel the stunned silence enveloping us like a thick fog. Guests exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions morphing from curiosity to disbelief.

Not only that, the mansion my husband claimed to build for me had pictures of himself and a woman displayed everywhere. Intimate photos that caused the gazes of these strangers to pin on me.

I must have endured a lot of shame in my life but for a husband welcoming me into a house he claimed to build for me on our anniversary day having these kinds of pictures, I wanted to dig a hole and bury myself in it, the disgrace, causing my knees to wobble.

A cold realization hit me. I was the one who came between them. We got married after two months of dating, so I knew Wesley for exactly two years and two months, whereas he had a son who was over three.

I did not get the chance to stabilize myself when I heard him mention the familiar name once more. "Kitty, what are you doing here, and why did you put those pictures on the wall?” 

I snapped my head to see who this Kitty was, and there I saw the woman who was not only Wesley’s mistress but also my kid sister. 

Rage surged inside of me. I could feel my blood boil.

Kiara, whom I had not seen for over three years, was my husband’s mistress.

The cheating, lying bastard took me for a fool, saying he didn’t know what I was talking about when I mentioned Kitty.

"It's about time she knows. You said you were going to divorce her after the mansion was ready, so here you are. I prepared everything for you," Kiara said without a hint of guilt in her eyes, presenting some documents to him.

I partly guessed they were the divorce papers, as she lifted her son in her arms, giving her to a woman I assumed to be a nanny.

Four years ago, my singing career was at its peak. Only one night later my life was destroyed, and I fell from grace to grass.

I woke up in an empty hotel room with a heavy hangover from last night’s celebration banquet. I didn’t know how I ended up there, but when I left the room , intimate pictures of me and my producer were circulated all over the internet and magazines, framing me for being a homewrecker.

No one would believe me when I said I knew nothing about it. I felt no different that morning, meaning nothing had happened between us but an impression formed was too hard to erase.

Don’t ask me how I managed to dodge waves of angry fans who raged like they wanted to eat me whole. My producer wanted nothing to do with me, and he used the worst way to cut ties with me, signing my sister.

Painful as it was for me, all my unreleased songs were sung by Kiara after, aiding her quick rise. I had no idea how she laid hands on the songs I worked so hard on. 

Kiara’s fame was rising so fast, coupled with the fact that she spearheaded the spread of the scandal, gaining the attention and favor of my producers and fans. The more I fell, the greater she rose.

As my fiancé at the time, Wesley still decided to marry me despite my scandal, and that truly saved me from the darkest hellhole. His perfect act of love blinded me so much that I trusted him so fast and now this.

"Wesley, how could you do this to me? You knew about the scandal yet, you let this happen." 

Everything collapsed around me, making my eyes blurry. I felt weak and alone in the midst of wolves with no one to comfort me, just like it happened four years ago.

My knees sank to the ground, and I wept like a child, knowing everything was over for me.

"I'm sorry, everyone, but the party's over. Security, see them out," I heard Wesley announce in a heavy voice. He waited for his guests to leave before responding to my heart-breaking accusation.

"Look, I tried, but I don't feel attracted to you. This might be Kitty’s idea, but I wanted to end things with you too. I just couldn’t find the right time to do so.”

I didn't realize it when my lips stretched. It was a smile, but it was filled with so much bitterness that it made me want to puke.

At this point, there was no need for a fight with these shameless people anymore. Kiara won again. She betrayed me twice, and I fell for it. My life was ruined the second time, but this time, I was going to take my life seriously.

I would face my fears including the slander and make my life better because I still had the company. 

The company my parents poured their heart and soul into. They encouraged me to co-manage the company when I ceased my singing career, but I wasn’t too confident in doing so at that time due to the situation at hand, so Wesley took that position from me and helped the company escape the predicament caused by my scandal and grow bigger.

I was once very grateful for him taking care of my parents’ company like his own business, but the thoughts turned sour when his parents constantly accused me of living an easy life by not helping with the company. As if Wesley would give me a chance when I asked for it. He said running a company was too complicated.

Since my parents passed away, the company became my only link to them, and I won’t give it away to some despicable cheater and his cunning mistress.

"Okay. I will sign the divorce papers, but I need my company back." I removed the ring from my finger, throwing it at him.

Wesley's expression changed at the demand, no longer remorseful like before. "That is not possible. You know how much I have invested in and sacrificed for this company when it’s experiencing the downturn. It’s already a completely different company from what it was at the start.”

I was completely shocked. “Are you stealing the company from me? You said you were just helping!”

“You signed everything over to me. Let’s not forget that."

"You lured me. You told me you couldn’t secure new contracts with investors knowing that the company belonged to me because of the scandal,” I reminded him, rage bubbling in my heart.

That was the reason I had to be a fool. The slander kept popping up, and my parents had died mysteriously. I had no one to help me but him, the perfect angel, unknown that he was a demon.

He convinced me to not make it known that I was involved in the company, making me agree to be a housewife. Back then, he did it with care, pitching it in my interest but only if I had known his real intentions.

Perhaps our meeting then was not a coincidence in the first place like I thought.

"Come on, sis, I'm equally entitled to everything because Dad left it for both of us," Kiara's grating voice sounded close to me. A smug smile lifted the corner of her lips.

"You were never there for us when dad was ill. They left everything for me," I reminded her. As soon as I was kicked out of the entertainment industry by producers, Kiara's fame rose beyond limits.

We were nothing to her, and she never recognized our parents nor respected them for anything since she started to get fame. Even when I called to inform her about our parents' funeral, she told me to let the dead bury their dead.

I wanted to do the right thing, so I called her again when the will was being read, but she rubbed it in my face, saying she wasn't interested in peanuts.

Then as fast as she rose, her fame died because none of the songs she wrote ever sold. She had run out of the stolen songs, and she did not have the creativity to create more.

With her doing this, I believe she went bankrupt along the way.

"Molly, why are you so dumb? Do you think the will is still legal when you are not my parents' biological daughter?”

That was unexpected. The shock was enough to get me back on my feet. "That isn't true."

"I have all the DNA tests to prove, including these pictures. Turns out my parents found you when your parents' car had an accident and adopted you."

I stared at the pictures and documents she stuffed into my hands with blurry eyes, wondering why I was still alive and not dead.

This was too much for me to take, as Kiara continued to hit me where it hurts most. "So why should an adopted child get everything a legitimate child wouldn't?"

I never knew about this but if it were indeed true, then why did my adopted parents still will everything to me?

"If they knew about my parentage before giving me everything, then how is that my fault? You were just a shameless brat who never made them proud."

Oh, I must have said too much because my face burnt from the sting of Kiara’s slap. My ears buzzed and my head spinned. I met her menacing glare with my own and raised my hand, only to be stopped by my own husband.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you hit her." I quickly pulled my hand away and stared at him with disgust.

"Don't ever touch me again."

Kiara always had her way with everything since we were kids, and the only time I got something was my parents' will, and yet, she still stole everything from me again and again.

"Shut it, Molly. I always thought everything belonged to you and have been very gentle towards you, but turns out, you are just a shameless rag like my parents said."

That was Wesley, but his words no longer mattered to me, though it hurts how I have been a fool to desire him so much, thinking he was mine.

Kiara had a victorious smile on her face, wrapping her arms around Wesley’s neck and kissing him on the lips. 

Wesley welcomed her and after pulling away, she faced me with their arms wrapped around each other.

"I already prepared everything for you, Molly. Sign the papers and get the hell out. And stop trying to get your hands on the company. It belongs to those who truly deserve it, not to say I lawfully own it now. Don’t make things ugly for yourself.”

I was shaking from boiling rage. "I still have the will, the lawyers, and all to attest that everything belongs to me. My parents left them for me."

"They aren't your parents, and I already gave you proof. Out of here before I get the guards to throw you out. If you like, you could be my maid," she sniggered.

Now I understand. Every single one of those I once considered family, Wesley, Kiara, and very likely Wesley’s parents, was conspiring together behind my back to steal everything from me and my parents. How could I have been so blind not to see through all this, and allow my life to fall apart into millions of pieces? 

"You,” I looked at both of them, “will regret this one day." It wasn't a threat. I was willing to work my ass off to get the money to hire the best attorneys. This was not going to end here.

"Oh, poor thing. You couldn't even get pregnant. Who knows? You might just be barren, and this is what bitches like you deserve. I hate you with my soul, Molly. You got the voice and talent I always dreamed of and all the love of my parents. Sign the divorce papers and get out," she reminded me.

I always loved her and treated her like a sister would, but today, she declared exactly what she always harbored in her heart.

I didn't believe that my parents adopted me. I felt she was saying that to cover up something, but I needed time to claim back all that belonged to me.

With that thought, I summoned my last bit of confidence and said,

“I’ll sign the papers, just send them to my email. I need to let my attorney go through them first.”

Kiara wanted to protest, but Wesley stopped her.

“Sure thing. But you can’t run away from me, Molly,” Wesley said with a cold smile, “wherever you go, I will find you, but the next time I see you, I won’t be as nice. So think twice and be smart.”

I ignored him and left the mansion. I couldn’t stay with them for another second.

I had no one, nowhere to go. So, I decided to check my bank account. I still had my purse with the card I had before marriage but no cash.

I was just realizing that I had been kept at home without seeing the outside world for all these years. My mother-in-law bought everything we needed at home, and I cooked and cleaned every day.

Wesley and Kiara played me so well. There was just 2k in my bank account, but I had no idea where to start. Was there even a motel close by? This area was foreign to me, and I could not trust anyone for guidance.

I don't know how long I walked, but it grew dark, and I continued walking aimlessly, not caring who looked at me until I saw a lot of cars.

Girls with skimpy clothes were walking in. This was one of the places I met with other celebrities during my time of fame. 

It was a club, so I figured I'd just get a drink to numb my sorrow, even if it were just for a night. It was over four years since I was kicked out of the music industry so no one would recognize me but how wrong I was for entering there? I soon regretted it.