Chapter one

Camelia POV

"Can you hurry up with this?" I asked the nurse checking my vitals.

"Just one more thing, ma'am," she said, wrapping the blood pressure cuff around my arm.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, glancing at my watch as time was ticking away. It was Brady and I two years anniversary and I wanted to do something special,but I had to stop at the hospital first for a checkup.

I tapped my foot impatiently as I waited for the monitor to read. Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure across the room. My heart skipped a beat as he turned around. It was Brady, my husband. “What was he doing here”?

But before I could call out to him, a woman emerged from the crowd grasping his hands. My eyes narrowed, trying to get a better look at her, but I could not tell who she was. Questions swirled in my head. Who was this woman? And why was she holding his hand like she owned him?

"Ma'am, please remain still," the nurse advised, but I was already on my feet, my eyes fixed on Brady and the mysterious woman.

"I'll be back in a minute," I said, tearing off the blood pressure cuff. "I need to know what's happening."

With my mind racing, I hurried towards them.

"Emergency! Emergency!" The warders shouted, rushing in an injured patient on a stretcher and blocking my path. I froze, my eyes still locked on Brady and the woman. Immediately the path cleared I ran down the hallway following them, my heart racing with each step . I caught a glimpse of them going into the gynaecologist’s office.

"How can I help you? Do you have an appointment?" the nurse at the reception asked, looking up from her notes.

"No, I'm... uh... with my brother," I lied, pointing towards the office Brady entered. “Can I go in”?

The nurse nodded, and I slipped into the office. As I entered the office, I heard the doctor say, "The baby is doing well and growing very fast," his words sending chills down my spine.

“Baby?” I asked, ignoring the doctor.

Brady and the Lady beside him turned around to look at me, and my entire world came crashing.

"It was the one person I trusted with my deepest secrets—my best friend—sitting beside Brady!"

“Camelia?” Brady whispered.

“Maddie??” I whispered, my voice trembling.

My chest tightened, as I felt my breath knocking out of me.

“Wha…t is going on?” I stammered as tears pricked out of my eyes.

“What baby was the doctor referring to?” My eyes darted between the both of them.

“What does it look like?" Brady snapped, his eyes cold as he gazed at me with no hint of remorse.

"Maddie is carrying my child!" he added.

“Whattt!” I screamed in disbelief. “Maddie, how could you?”

I felt like I'd been slapped. The room began to spin around me, and I stumbled backward, grabbing onto the chair for support. The doctor's voice was a distant echo.

"Are you okay?" he asked, but Brady's response was icy.

"She's fine, " he replied. “I am not okay!” How can I be fine? I yelled back.

“I didn't want you finding out about it this way, his voice dripping with disdain. But that doesn’t mean you should make a scene here, he sterned ". “We would talk about this at home.” With that he grasped my arm but I shook it off and grabbed Maddie's hair from behind and pulled it. “You don't deserve to be called human!” I screamed, but Brady lifted me with both hands, his grip like a vice, and dragged me out of the office and Maddie watched me with her gullible expression.

“Take a taxi home" he added and he shut the door. A small crowd had already gathered at the door, I hid my face as I walked past them. Mrs Camelia the nurse called, you're not done with your vitals yet. I ignored her, wiping my tears as I stepped out of the hospital and took a taxi back to the house.

****

No! No!!

“How could they do this to me?” I sat on the chair with tears clouding my eyes. Maddie has been my friend since childhood. We shared almost everything. How could she?? I placed my hands on my cheek wallowing in pain when the door opened and Brady walked in.

“Camelia I want a divorce” he said with his brow furrowed, and chills ran down my spine.

“Divorce” I stammered.

“ Don't you think I deserve some kind of explanation”?? I said, staring at him in disbelief.

With that drama you displayed at the hospital?. “You already understand everything! What other explanation do you want?” He said pacing around.

“We both know this marriage is not working and would never work, I never loved you and you know that”. Brady was reminding me of my pain.

“Now that I've found who I want to spend the rest of my life with, I want to move on, you should also do the same” He added.

Really Brady? “And that person you want to spend your life with is my best friend?” I snapped, standing up from the couch.

“I don't want this conversation any more, Camelia!” He shunned. “I only married you out of pity and because of your naivety, but now I'm done with you’.

“Take this” he said handing over some papers from his briefcase, sign them they are divorce papers.

Divorce pa..pers? "Brady, please”, I whispered, the papers slipping from my fingers to the floor. “Don't do this to me," I pleaded, my hands grasping Brady's legs. I sank to my knees, the cold floor biting into my skin. Tears streamed down my face, and my sobs echoed through the room.

"I don't have anywhere else to go." My voice cracked as I continued begging him. “Maddie can keep the child. I'll raise the child, but please don't let us get a divorce”. I cried making such horrible bargains, but that was the only choice I had left. There was nowhere to run or turn to. I've invested all I have into this marriage, even given him the signatory to my account and letting go of my dream to become a journalist. But all my pleas fell on deaf ears.

Just sign the papers! And leave this house, he said angrily, throwing a pen at me.

But anger flared within me. Why am I begging? I was the one who'd been betrayed “I sobbed”.

“Oh really”? He said with a surprised look, since you're so innocent just sign these papers and let's get this done with. With a heavy heart, I picked up the pen and scribbled my signature at the bottom of the page next to his signature.

"What's next?" I spat, trying to sound bold. “You're acting tough now” he laughed in a sarcastic way. But I didn't flinch.

“Let’s see how long this will last, " he snapped. "You can leave now, Maddie will be moving in today,” my heart dropped when he said that, but I maintained a straight face still. “I'll send your things to you later”,he added.

A message popped on my phone. "The flowers and cake are ready," it read. "Who even cares about that anyway?" I muttered, still reeling from the shock of him pushing me out of the house. “I no longer need them”. My hands trembled as I typed back a reply.

*****

I finally settled in a taxi going back to my father's with my purse and the envelope clutched in my hands. "My father's disapproving face flashed in my mind. He never supported my marriage to Brady.

“Thank you for the ride”, I said to the driver as I was dropping from the taxi, but I saw my father outside with some men in black suits. I didn't hesitate. I quickened my steps to meet them, hoping nothing bad had happened, but he didn't wait for me to get there. He also took some steps towards me, and Lily, my younger sister, followed behind him.

Good afte… I didn't finish my sentence before a hot slap landed on my face, sending a searing pain across my cheek. “What have you done, Camelia?” My father thundered and shivers ran down my spine.

You gave out our house as collateral!