Chapter 1

“Here’s the result, ma’am.” The doctor I’d come to see handed me a sheet of paper.

I held my breath, reading through the result. My smile widened and tears filled my eyes as soon as I spotted the word ‘positive’.

I was pregnant. 

I had used three different pregnancy test strips and all had come out positive but I wanted to be sure, hence, my reason for visiting my family doctor. 

“I’m pregnant.” I said with tears finally falling down my face. 

“Yes, congratulations.” The doctor smiled.

Nathan would be so happy. We had been trying to get pregnant for a while now. Two years to be exact and now that it had finally happened, I could not wait to share the news with him.

I rushed out of the doctor’s office, got into my car and headed straight for home. 

I checked the time. It was just past three pm.

He usually closed from the office and got home around six or seven. 

I decided to make a special dinner for both of us. 

Humming happily, the maids stared at me in surprise and curiosity but I paid no one attention. I knew they wanted to know and they would but not before my husband.

I had them make the table and by six thirty, the table was set and dinner was placed.

The maids had done the dibber arrangements while I went upstairs to take a bath after all that cooking.

My smile froze in place when I came down to see Nathan already at the dinner table with another woman.

They were not sitting, just standing beside the table. Nathan’s back was to me, he was holding the woman around her waist. 

“Nathan?” I approached them.

He turned and wasn’t in the least shocked or ashamed of being found in that position by me, his wife. “I see you’ve prepared dinner but sorry, I’m full already. I ate with her before coming home.”

“Who’s she?” I was trying to will my brain not to start thinking things. 

I might be wrong. All of what I’d seen was probably nothing.

“Oh, she. She’s Alicia, my childhood sweetheart.” He introduced. “Alicia, meet Paula.”

Paula. 

He had introduced me like one would introduce an unimportant relative but he had introduced her with this tone of intimacy.

My heart begins to beat wildly around my chest but I kept my composure still. Still not wanting to overreact.

“Hi, I’m Paula, his wife.” I extended my hand for a handshake, a forced smile on my lips.

Nathan was my man and I loved him. I would not let anyone come between us. Three years I’d gotten married to him and things had been going well between us.

Whatever this was, surely held no meaning and might have a viable reason. 

The lady merely eyed my hand and curled her arms around my husband’s. 

Swallowing the humiliation, I withdrew my arm and kept my smile determinedly in place. “I made dinner already Nathan, you can’t not eat. She could join us if you want.”

“What I want is for you to pack your things and leave this house.” Nathan deadpanned, his handsome face went stoic.

“W-what?” My voice trembled.

The tears I’d been holding in since I saw him holding this lady were this close to falling.

“You heard me, Paula. Your stay in this house and I’m my life is over. I do not need you around anymore.” Nathan continued in that cold, detached tone of his.

“W-why? What did I do?” My glossy gaze traveled to the lady by his side, still holding onto his arm. “Is it because of her?”

I heard the thunder clap but I wasn’t really bothered about the weather right now. 

“The woman I truly love and want as my wife is back, so you’re no longer needed.” He explained as though I was a stranger to him.

I gave the lady an observing look and saw she had some kind of resemblance to me. That was strange. 

But I didn’t let myself think much of it because she was getting blurry. The first stream of tears rolled down. I wiped them off. 

“No.” I sniffled, tightening my jaw.

“No what?” Nathan frowned, clearly displeased.

“I’m not going anywhere, Nathan. I don’t care who she is and what she used to be to you but I’m not leaving my home.” I stepped further, sad but determined.

“This is not your home.” He argued, his tone getting harsher.

“Yes, it is!” I retorted, my voice breaking. “Yes, it is Nathan. Three years of marriage. I have loved you. I love you…” My sobs caught in my throat but I swallowed them to continue. “You’re my husband Nathan by our vows I stand, till death do us part!”

“Are you that pathetic?” This Alicia lady put in.

“Shut up, you husband thief!” I yelled at her.

Nathan swiped his hand across my face hard, I staggered back a little. Shocked and in disbelief, I raised my eyes to meet his hardened one.

“Y-you slapped me?”

“Don’t you ever insult Alicia before me.” This cold warning brought chills down my spine. 

“What are you doing, Nathan? Why are you throwing away something good? Why?” I cried, despair hugging me tight.

“Something good?” He chuckled, mockery underlying his words. 

Alicia joined him. 

“The only good thing right here is Alicia. Look, Paula, I want you to understand this. I never loved you. I only married you as a substitute when she was away. But now she’s back, I no longer have use for you.”

“I-I was a substitute?” Pain pierced every section of my already bleeding hard. 

I bled harder. 

I felt like I would die from difficulty in breathing. I held my chest as a loud sob broke through.

“Enough of the drama, Paula. Here’s the divorce papers. I’ve already signed, you just need to input your signature and we’re over officially and legally.” He pointed to a piece of document on the dining table.

That was when I saw the document lying in-between rows of food, cleaned cutlery and polished dinnerware.

“No.” I shook my head, refusing to touch the document. “I won’t sign it. I’m not leaving this marriage.”

I heard the thunder clap again.

“Yes, you will. Now sign this!” He threw a pen at me.

I let it fall to the floor. I wrapped my arms about me, comforting myself as tears continued to fall. “You can’t make me. We are about to..."

“We are about to nothing.” He growled, cutting me off from my pregnancy announcement.

For several minutes, he struggled with me and forced the pen between my fingers and had me sign the paper. 

I cried and struggled to no avail. 

Then he began to pull me out of the dining arena, towards the entrance of the house. “You! Get her things and have them out of this house.” He ordered a maid.

“Stop this, Nathan, you’re embarrassing me.” I struggled against him as he continued to drag me further.

He reached the foyer and called his guards. “Come drag her out the gate.”

Two of them came and dragged me as I continued to wail and plead for forgiveness for whatever crime I might have committed that was making him act this way.

“Just go, lady. Stop acting so pathetic.” This Alicia lady taunted.

“Stay away from my husband, you bitch!” I screamed at her. 

“Shut up, Paula. Leave my house! I no longer want to be married to you!” Nathan’s angry voice boomed.

“Yes, leave us. This is my home now.” Alicia’s smile was mocking, so were her eyes.

“Don’t do this, please Nathan. I’m sorry for whatever I’d done. Please.” I pleaded but it fell on deaf ears.

I was pushed out the gate and was immediately pelted with rain. I felt cold immediately. “Please Nathan. It’s raining, please. Don’t leave me outside please.”

I ran towards the gate but it was locked. 

Nathan and Alicia stood there with smirks on their faces. 

“Thank you for warming my bed for three years.” Nathan said.

“Yes. All you did was keep my man for me. You’re such a darling.” Alicia mocked as well.

The maid came with my belongings and the guards had them thrown at me quickly before I could make a move and try to enter. 

I shivered under the heavy rain, tears mixing with falling rain. “Nathan, please.”

“Let’s go inside, baby.” He kissed Alicia’s forehead and left me standing under the rain.

“Nathan!” I screamed.

But he was already gone. I fell to the wet ground, clutching my stomach that held our child and cried my eyes out.