Chapter 0002

WASHINGTON, SEATTLE 2022

~ANASTASIA~

“We're getting a divorce.” I was speechless. Sure, the marriage never worked out, and I expected this after his grandfather's death, but today? How could he do that when I sat in that cell for his crime?

I shook my head fighting back tears. I’d grown used to his infidelity, but divorce? How could he even suggest that?

“I will have my lawyer start with the process,” he brushed his fingers across his lips, removing lipstick, the sight of it made my heart ache.

“W-what… What are you saying, William, I-”

“Aren't you tired of crying?” He spoke over me. I looked up, seeing the frustration in his face as he raked a hand through his hair. “Listen, you tricked me, and your time is over, or what made you think Grandpa would never die?”

“But...why are you saying this? I…” Words failed me.

“I’m not doing this. Not today, okay?”

“We can talk about this, William; we can’t just…”

“Just what? Get a divorce? God, you’re such a headache.” He started rubbing his temples; he always did that and always complained about how unhappy he was, but I knew marriage wasn’t easy; I knew he wasn’t himself, so I stepped closer and tried to touch his hands, but he flinched away.

“What the fuck? Why would you touch me?!” He raised his voice; yes, he never allowed me to touch him; the only time I would ever feel his skin is when he’s horny; that happens maybe once a month, the times he and Jimena are having misunderstandings.

That’s the only time I felt desired, as he would come to me and start kissing my body, and once he got what he wanted, he treated me like trash. Well, he was hard to resist, so he always got his way.

“I’m sorry, but we can work on this—our marriage, William.”

“There’s nothing to work on, Anastasia; I never loved you.”

“But I do. You know I love you.”

"Well, Jimena doesn’t want to share me anymore; now stop making this a big issue and get out of my sight!” He spoke louder. The frowns on his forehead told me he was very upset, and I knew him well. I’ve been married to him for four years, so I knew if I continued, it would not end well, so I closed my mouth and silently watched him walk to the sofa, and then he started fixing the sofa, returning the cushions to where they belonged.

“And do me a favor; Jimena doesn’t like noise, so if you would just close your mouth.” He added, not sparing me a glance. I was silently staring at him with tears still rolling down my cheeks. No, this wasn’t happening. How could he bring his mistress into my house and ask me to keep quiet because she didn’t like noise?

“Baby?” I heard Jimena’s voice, which made me quickly wipe my tears away; I couldn't let her catch me in such a vulnerable state—I refused to let her think she had won, especially since I knew she always wanted William for herself.

“Are you done?” She asked; she was so unbelievable. She walked to William, slightly pushing me off her way.

So disrespectful.

"Yes, everything is okay.” I watched as William wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. He had never once done that for me—he only kissed my lips when getting what he wanted.

It was stupid of me to think of it now because he never loved me. Jimena was the woman he loved, but I was his wife. I’ve been his wife for years. The least I deserved was their respect.

My heart shattered into a million pieces as they settled on the sofa. She was in his arms while he pressed the remote—searching for a movie to watch, not caring that I was there. The tears I wiped earlier were in vain, as more began to sting the corners of my eyes.

What hurt was that William seemed genuinely happy; he laughed from the heart; not even his mother, whom he loved so much, made him laugh like that. It hurt that I couldn't make him feel this way.

“Some films are scary,” I heard Jimena say.

“I'm here; I won’t let anything happen to you," William said they behaved as if I weren't there, or maybe I was invincible to them.

Well, it was too hard to watch so I wiped my tears and headed up to my room, leaving the two there—my husband and his mistress, how did I end up here?

‘This must be a nightmare,’ I repeated in my head, even though it didn’t seem like a nightmare; my brain just wanted to believe that it was. 

Reaching my room, I closed the door and walked to the window. I needed to think; I didn’t want to overreact. Like I said, I never prepared for this day to be face-to-face with Jimena. I mean, what is a wife supposed to do when she meets her husband's mistress? I didn’t want to be one of the wives who overreact, but this?

This was beyond what I could handle.

“Calm down, Anna, please calm down.” I calmed myself and dug my fingernails in my palms; I needed the pain to distract me from the feeling in my chest.

I then walked over to the bed, picked up my phone, and dialed my best friend's number.

“Anna? I’ve been trying to reach you; are you alright?”

“Yes…” I sniffed, “I’m okay, are you free?”

“Yes, but you don’t sound okay, do you?-”

“I'm fine, I... I just miss you. Can we meet?”

"Yes, sure, I will-”

“Usual place,” I cut her and then ended the call. I couldn’t speak to her any further or my voice would just break, and she would immediately know something was off, and the last thing I wanted was to worry her.

I don’t think I would be alive without her. I’ve gone through this marriage with her; we have cried, screamed, and healed together. I felt bad for always adding to her plate as she was also having some issues with her family. That’s why I couldn’t tell her that William asked for a divorce.

I walked to the cupboard to prepare my clothes for after the shower, but when I opened the right wardrobe door, I found it wasn’t my clothes.

“What?” I asked myself in disbelief as I reached the left door, and again, there weren’t my clothes.

“Your clothes are packed.” I heard Jimena's voice, which made me slowly turn at the door, and there she was standing with her legs crossed; she was also holding a glass of juice in her hands.

“Excuse me?”

“I'm moving in with Liam; I mean, you two are getting a divorce, and it won't be long before we get married, so he thought we should share the bedroom.” She said, in her angelic voice. Jimena was pretty, with long legs, a round face, a model-shaped body since she was a model, curly blonde hair, and full lips. I understood why William loved her.

“And besides, we are having a baby, and I get nightmares in a small room.”

Her words echoed in the back of my head as I felt it hurt. Jimena was pregnant? I mean, him cheating on me was already hard enough, but this? God, how was I going to even solve this?

She was carrying his fucking baby!