Chapter 7:

Carla Rodriguez Hall.

Location: Hudson Square,

I walked up the five stairs, my body feeling numb even after being hit by a car a few minutes ago, but that was the least of my problems.

My husband of five years got another woman pregnant!!! My mind could not move past that. I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience, and someone would wake me up and then say it was all an afternoon nightmare.

"Carla, who was that man?" Richard snapped while snatching my hand and squeezing me from behind.

"Awe Richard, you are hurting me," I said and yanked my hand off his grip. "That was Ethan Black, the richest man in New York." I sneered silently while rolling my eyes and continued to walk back into the house, much to my displeasure… Why did he pretend not to recognize the most featured sexy billionaire face in the state? I exhaled slowly with puffed-up cheeks.

"Ethan Black." He murmured viciously as though I was the one who cheated on him with Mr billionaire, who I was very much aware of having a sexy hot girlfriend.

I sneered while walking back into the house and met Sandra with her new so-called daughter-in-law, Karen… I heaved a sigh. Thought this was all a dream but them sitting in my living room meant it was real.

"Carla, I think it's best if we start considering a divorce now." Sandra blurted out loud with a sour expression.

Karen nodded with pouted lips and a sarcastic expression. They were both seated on my coffee brown seats, eating grapes from my fridge.

The insolence of the two boiled my blood but, Sandra always intimidated me with her fierce mama bear face whenever I tried to stand up for myself.

I gasped while my voice hitched. "What? Why? I love Richard, and I would never want to leave him, I'm sure we can work this out." I looked back at Richard who evaded my gaze. I frowned. What is going on?

"Richard, we can work things out, besides we are not the first couple to go through this." I declared but he only bowed his head further and stopped acting like the macho man he was a few minutes ago.

"I know you do, but things aren't working out. Richard has been working day and night to provide for you, and the only thing we asked of you was to bear us children to feel this empty sad house. You are barren and my son isn't." Sandra said with an emotionless face.

Karen chuckled evilly because I knew she was enjoying this moment the most.

I heaved a sigh while tears prickled in the corner of my eyes. So now Sandra had the guts to say that to my face.

"Mother, with all due respect, I'm not barren, the doctor said so after the tests we conducted," I said with my voice shaking. " Richard is my husband, for better or worse, I know we can move forward from this."

"But what do you have to show that you are not barren? Look at the vivid evidence my son has brought." Sandra pointed out to Karen's belly. "We have evident results that he is fine, and you're not." She smirked triumphantly while she crossed her hairy unshaven legs.

Karen chuckled and I felt like my world crumbled. When was I certified barren? I closed my eyes as I refused to cry in front of them. Suddenly Richard spoke up, in my defense.

"Mom, I think I agree with Carla. We can work things out without jumping straight to a divorce." Richard interjected finally and I got my hopes up again. I looked at him but his face was fixed at Karen. My short-lived happiness vanished.

"Sweetie, but why are you treating her with special treatment when I'm the one who needs your special undivided attention." Karen pouted her lips like a toddler while she crossed her arms on her chest.

"Yes honey, why do you want her barren ass around?" Sandra intervened with a serious face.

"Because I don't want people to talk bad about me with the sudden divorce. It might affect the business since we run a very well-known vet." He answered back with a heavy sigh.

What the fuck? So this cow doesn't care about me but the stupid business? I felt my chest constrict with rage…I coiled my hand into a fist wishing I could just land one punch on this douchebag.

"Very well, Richard, but I have a condition," Sandra said and I frowned.

So my well-being was to be discussed right in front of me? I looked at Sandra's ungrateful face and regretted ever meeting her. I swallowed hard while waiting to hear her condition for me to live in my own home.

"Carla should work at the vet full time without pay until she finds her feet… and she must sign the divorce paperwork as soon as possible because I want my grandchild to be born in a loving home with both his or her parents together," Sandra said while patting the back of her dear daughter in law.

I clenched my jaws for a moment while I saw red. Suddenly, I felt my head whirl with a shortage of air in the well-ventilated spacious room.

Could this mean my marriage is over because of a petty accusation? But I have nowhere else to go, no family, and no money to my name. I bowed my head in defeat. This was the most shameful I had ever felt in my life.

"Okay, I will do it. Everything you ask of me, I will do if only you allow me to stay here for a while because without pay, where else would I go?" I felt the warm tears stream down my cheeks. This was my lowest moment in life and I wished that Ethan Black's car would have just killed me.

"Mom, that's too rash. Carla can't just work without pay." Richard stepped into the conversation, and I immediately thought he felt guilty for treating me like a fool in love.

"It's either that or she goes. But I will not hesitate to fire her if she is unable to perform her duties with diligence." Sandra said with an intense I don't care stare.

"Mom, she is capable of marketing the business because of her three years in university," Richard said.

"Oh yes, and about that, Carla dear." Sandra looked straight into my eyes and I looked away because her gaze was very intimidating. " You are officially a university dropout." She said with a smirk.

And I gasped with wide eyes." What do you mean I'm a university dropout? I only have one year to complete my studies. Richard, please don't let her take away my education too." I begged while my body plunged onto my knees, making myself look like a bigger fool in the picture.

"Carla, talk to me and not my son. We both know I control finances and Richard can't do anything. Besides I'm gracious enough to allow you to stay with my son even when I know you are nothing but a barren burden." Sandra gave me a sour expression and my stomach sank into my guts.

Who can I call? Where do I go? I closed my eyes shut while tears continued pouring out… How did the world turn around and bit me in the back? My ears gave attention to Karen's ratchet giggles.

I felt my knees grow weak again and I plunged my butt to the floor.

"Richard?" I murmured with a shattered heart and he did not respond to my call.

This indeed was a cruel world.

"Mother, do you want me to move in with her still around the house? The baby doesn't need stress, especially from her." Karen said and I felt nothing but rage for this home wrecker.

Why was God making me go through all this? Was there a lesson I was missing from all this?

I heaved a sigh with trembling lips. "Fine, I'll do it." I opened my eyes and scanned the room

"Very well," Sandra got up from the sofa and smirked triumphantly. " Carla, remember, your stay here is limited. Go upstairs and pack your stuff out of the master bedroom. My new daughter-in-law is moving in today." She said and at that moment, I cringed my eyes shut and wished for the ground to swallow me whole.

"Thank you, Mother," Karen squirmed with excitement and walked to Richard, clasped her hands around his waist then kissed his neck. I gritted my teeth, if only I would act rachet like her, I would have smacked the pregnancy out of her womb…but instead, I felt helpless, like a barren damsel in distress.

"Finally we can stop playing cat and mouse in our house." She murmured and I frowned at first before realizing that Richard brought this woman into my house before.

"Richard, how could you?"I raised a question that never got a response.

"Move, you are in my path." Sandra shoved me out of the way and walked out of the room. I balanced my posture with my hands on the floor while Richard and Karen shared a passionate kiss which made things even worse than they were.

*********

Location: Hall's vet clinic downtown in the central business park.

The next day was Sunday morning and I made sure to leave for the vet as early as possible because the night loud giggles Karen let out were so annoying and heartbreaking to my soul…

I washed my face for the hundredth time because my eyes were puffy and red from all the crying over the most ungrateful bastard I had ever known, who wasted my years in a fake ass marriage.

I plugged in my ear pods in my ears then continued cleaning the floors before any customer walked in...

"I ain't be cooking all day, I ain't your mama." I swayed my hips to J. Lo's upbeat song, which uplifted my somber mood a little, I did not hear the doorbell chime.

I spun around only for my eyes to meet Ethan Black stunned with a smirk on his lips, my body shuddered with fright. I removed the earplugs.

"Sorry, but we ain't open yet." I stuttered with a cold sweat dripping down my spine. The scent in the room immediately changed to a strong musky alluring scent

He frowned with a small brown English bulldog clasped in his hand.

My body hitched as I swallowed hard while my eyes gawked at his sight. Ethan Black was standing before me and if you were in my shoes, you would understand how I felt to run into him, no scratch that. How the heck did I find myself bumping into the most eligible billionaire bachelor in New York twice in a row???

My eyes flickered while estimating his height, which was over six foot tall, muscular, but not in a Sylvester Stallone kinda way. He was more of a Chris Evans with well-styled dark hair which was parted to one side. His eyes were dark, his lips were full but manly and his tiny ingrown mustache was perfect for his good-looking face.

Wow, what were the odds that I would see him again? I drooled over him with slightly parted lips… He wore a well-fitting dark chino, paired with a grey cashmere sweater.

For footwear, he wore sleek black leather loafers, accessorized with a matching black leather belt and a Patek Philippe watch.

I sighed heavily because the man knew his style.

"Hey, where have I seen your face?" He asked with an emotionless face.

My face scowled at his stupid question… was he being serious with that question or what?

"I'm the lady you hit yesterday with your car," I said with a stern poise while I rested my hands on the handle of the mop.

"Oh yes, Carla right." He said while placing the puppy on the front desk. "How are you feeling today?" He asked.

"I'm great, thanks," I answered sarcastically because rich men always tend to deliberately forget the less privileged in society.

"And your husband, how is he?" He asked and I felt my chest constrict with rage. I gritted my teeth with a scowl.

"I'm divorced as of yesterday." I snapped angrily because just the thought of Richard and Karen boiled my blood. I tried to hide the tears welling up in my eyes by looking at the ceiling.

Poor Ethan Black had no idea why I kept snapping at him.

Carla Rodriguez, don't you fucking cry in front of this stranger… do your job and get out of this godforsaken place.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." He frowned slightly as though he pitted me.

I exhaled slowly. " What are you doing here early in the morning?" I furrowed my brows while trying to derail his questioning about my failed marriage.

"I came to get my puppy vaccinated and castrated..." He said and I immediately felt sorry for the poor dog.

Why would one ever want to deny a dog the joys of parenthood?

"And what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I work here, and why would you want to do such a cruel thing to the cute little puppy?" I walked closer to him and stroked the puppy's face and the little demon bit my index finger.

"Awe," I jumped up in pain and fright.

"I'm sorry, he is teething and I forgot to mention it, so don't pet him." He said with a slight frown.

"Well, too late for that now." I snapped with tears in my eyes.

I looked at my finger, and blood was gushing out…

"I'm going to die of rabies." I found an excuse to sob about my failed marriage and wailed carelessly.

"Let me see," he hurriedly snatched my hand and examined my finger with an intense stare… His touch was surprisingly tender to the touch like his hands had baby-soft skin. I stopped crying and looked at his serious gaze.

How could a man I barely knew act with so much care for a nobody like me? The room faded away, only he and I existed.

Stop it, Carla, you are still a married woman to have such lustful desires for a man who is not even in your class.

I exhaled heartily to the weird happy tingles his touch made my core feel.

"Don't worry yourself too much, it's just a flesh wound. Get some spirit and pour some on it." He said and then looked at me, our eyes locking for what seemed like forever… The loud sounds in the room quietened.

Wow, his got gorgeous sad eyes...

"What the fuck is going on in here?" Richard's deep voice echoed in the room and my body shuddered in surprise to see him at the clinic, that early in the morning.

I yanked my hand out of Ethan's grip and swallowed hard… I don't know why I felt as though Richard caught me cheating too.

"Ba.." I stopped myself from calling Richard Babe. " Mr Hall." I addressed him formally since he was practically my boss and not my husband. He frowned with an intense stare.