143

143 

"He came back here earlier to retrieve the documents and your house certificate. He also told me that he had divorced Silvi."

"W-what? He divorced Silvi? That can't be true."

"Yes, he told me that himself. If what he's doing now is all because of you, Al."

"Me?" Alesya pointed to herself.

Nicholas nodded, "He said he married Silvi just to get a sum of money. To get some payments so he could buy back your house or pay off the remaining debt. That way, he could return to you and rekindle the relationship like before."

"Is that true?" Alesya chased disbelief in Nicholas's words, which sounded more like a fairy tale than reality.

"Why would I lie, like I have no other job to do but lie to you?" Nicholas replied sharply.

"Not like that, Nik."

"Then what?" Nicholas raised an eyebrow.

"I really can't believe Devin divorced Silvi," Alesya sighed. "Just a few hours after their wedding. When I met him at your restaurant, he emphasized that I should let him go because he had found a new love. That's why I can't just believe that he has divorced Silvi."

"I didn't believe it at first either, Al. But my secretary said the wedding event was canceled, and all the guests were asked to leave. Half of the catering was canceled, and somehow our payment is in jeopardy."

"Is that true?"

Alesya felt guilty now, thinking that today's events might have been caused by her. Her past with Devin and the financial debts left by her father were now negatively impacting Nicholas's business.

Imagine if, hypothetically, Silvi's family or Devin hadn't paid Nicholas's catering in full. The losses would be substantial. However, Nicholas didn't show any of that.

He concealed it all, as if everything was fine, even though he was puzzled about how to cover the losses they might face if Devin truly walked away from his responsibilities.

"You divorced me, Dev? Is that true?" Silvi grabbed Devin's shirt collar. "After I fought for everything for you? The struggle that you're apparently using to save Alesya? Is that true?"

Devin remained silent, avoiding eye contact with Silvi. The girl who had been hiding her love all this time and had done anything Devin asked of her when he came, asking if there was real love for her.

But Silvi never imagined that everything she had fought for had vanished without a trace, just as Devin had officially become her husband.

Is she that awful? To be manipulated like this? To the point where all the guests who came sneered, saying she was foolish to be used by Devin.

"What's wrong with me? If my question earlier hurt your feelings, I apologize," Silvi whispered. Unable to hold back her tears, her body slumped, and she sat on the floor.

Suffering? She couldn't explain how painful it was. Devin had shattered her, even though he had come first, initiated everything, and invited her to get married.

"At least, Dev, if you want to divorce me, don't do it here. Wait until this event is over... so the pain won't be this big."

"Let it go, Sil. There's no need to cry over this jerk!" An older man, Silvi's father, led his only daughter to stand up. "He's not worth your tears. Your future is longer and brighter, even without him!" He pointed at Devin, who was nearby.

"I'm not crying. Why should I? I'm just laughing at my own foolishness, not being able to distinguish who was genuinely sincere to me. I truly didn't expect this man's sweet talk would be so convincing that I..."

"I've already signed an agreement with someone else. So there's a penalty to be paid if it's canceled unilaterally. However, it will be beneficial for all of you if they want the house back. Even if they can't pay anymore because the interest I've set is very high."

He handed over a folder containing a cooperation agreement with Bryan, complete with Alesya's house certificate.

Without waiting for Silvi or her father to take the folder, Devin had already walked away. Leaving behind the wedding event that should have concluded well into the midnight hours. However, everything ended prematurely, including Silvi's marriage.

"Dev, I hate you!!" Silvi yelled, grabbing the folder Devin had placed on a table and throwing it at him, scattering its contents on the floor. It all scattered, much like Silvi's feelings right now.

Silvi burst into tears, unable to contain the pain caused by Devin's actions. She cried uncontrollably in her father's arms, releasing all the burden and tightness in her chest.

But all those tears were immediately replaced by a mocking smile when Silvi saw the contents of the scattered folder, all about Alesya.

The one girl who had become the cause of the destruction of her marriage, which had only lasted a few hours. Alesya was Devin's first love and the destroyer of her newlywed life.

With trembling hands, Silvi took one of the files and read the name Alesya Aditama on it as the heir to a luxurious house in a village. The village where she and Devin first met.

A place where she felt in love and wanted to fight for her love. But all her efforts were in vain when Silvi found out that Devin already had a girlfriend, Alesya.

"He and she, they always make me heartbroken," Silvi said, looking towards the entrance of the hall. There, she saw Alesya and Nicholas, holding hands, approaching the wedding stage.

The place where she officially became Devin's wife, and in an instant, she became Devin's widow.

"Why are you coming here? Want to mock me or want to take all these important documents? Quickly tell me so I can release this pain."

"I don't understand what you're saying!" Alesya defended herself.

Indeed, Alesya didn't know exactly what was happening or why this was happening, but she could guess that what Nicholas said was closer to the truth than just lies. Especially this drama that seemed to be played by Nicholas to get what he wanted. Typical Alesya!

"Alesya has nothing to do with all of this. She never even asked Devin to redeem the mortgaged house. She never asked anything from your husband. Actually, Alesya came here to try to resolve all the issues. She wanted to tell Devin that all the memories in that house will be disregarded for the sake of peace."

"Lies, she came here to mock me. She came here to tell me that Devin will never leave her, to tell me that she's a winner. A champion. A Queen."

"You're wrong, I did love Devin. But that was in the past, long before he said he hated me. After I decided to marry my husband and when I officially became a wife. All those memories are dead, all buried with my father's body, so there's no reason for you to be angry or even hate me. Because from the beginning, we never had any reason to hate each other. I never even asked Devin to love me."

"All the brief explanations I've given are enough to describe how I feel now, and I'm ready if the house is sold in an auction or even demolished. I'm trying not to care anymore. Because I will never go back there, which would disturb this unreasonable marriage." Alesya wiped her tears away. "You know, Devin once told me that he found a new love. He left me, and now I'm confused why he divorced you just to come back to me. I don't even know what he feels or what he's thinking.

"Why did he play with me like this? And you should know, the injury Devin got came from Nicholas." Alesya stared at Nicholas, seeking the source of strength for herself. "Because he attempted to assault me just minutes after you were officially married. Now, I ask you, who deserves to claim they are hurt, me or you?"

Silvi lifted her gaze, looking at Alesya, who was now crying as she explained what she had just experienced because of Devin's actions.

Silvi felt a sense of guilt, not a lot, but enough to make her empathy work.

"You know, Sil, I never wanted a grim fate like this. As you know, I used to live a perfect life. Loved and cherished by both my parents. I also admit that Devin was in my heart, accompanying my days and being there in happiness. But you should know, when I faced problems, he left me alone, scolded me because I took the last resort that would save my life."

Silvi remained silent, listening to whatever Alesya would say to her because that was the reality. Alesya, who was raised with love, was now shattered into pieces due to an ambition and a mystery that no one knew the secret behind.

"I married Bryan, my husband, not because of love or deep affection. I married Bryan not because I wanted to forget Devin, no." Alesya clutched her chest, feeling the pain.

No, it was very painful. "I married Bryan to pay off a debt so I wouldn't lose so many memories in my parents' second home. As you know, that's where I was born, raised with love, and where my parents rested for the last time. Which child would be willing to lose all those beautiful memories? Which child would be willing to live peacefully while everything in those memories disappears without a trace?"

Regardless of the remaining guests' gazes, Alesya continued her speech so that everyone knew she didn't know anything about Devin, let alone Silvi.

"And you should know, I asked Devin kindly to forget me, to find a replacement if our relationship couldn't be saved, and he chose you."