2. Truth behind his demand.

The following day, I met up with my older brother, Raven Delamar, in a café we used to frequent when we were younger. After I married Edmund, we were unable to catch up together since I was too ashamed of my willfulness.

Now that my eminent divorce was just around the corner, I felt like a child running back to Mommy with tears in my eyes, voicing out my grievances and the pain that had been plaguing me.

In my case, Raven was a dependable person who would willingly take on the world for me without questions asked.

“Edmund wants a divorce,” I said numbly.

A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips as I recalled how impassive Edmund had been when he broke the news yesterday. I had already recovered from the shock, and my mind had absorbed the reality of the impending doom of my marriage.

Momentary disbelief flashed in Raven’s face which was then replaced with a knowing grin. He had warned me several times that a loveless marriage like ours would certainly end in shambles.

Back then, I ignored his caution and confidently asserted that I would be able to win Edmund’s affection. But time and again, he had proven himself right.

“That’s good to hear, sis,” Raven stated, sipping from his cup of hot americano. He then sneered and shook his head, saying, “Honestly, Maggie, I still don’t understand what you’ve seen in that bastard. He’s not the only handsome or successful man in Pearl City. You are so much better off without that guy.”

Stirring my matcha latte with the glass straw, I unconsciously let out a heavy sigh. I regretted not listening to my brother.

But it was pointless to cry over spilled milk. Right now, all I could do was take control of the situation. There was no way I was going to let Edmund trample over me until the very end.

“Cry if you must, dear sister. It’s normal. You’re still young. Do ring me up when you’re ready to date. I’ve got a list of good guys that will certainly take care of you,” Raven jested, making me chuckle.

“You know I don’t like blind dates, Rave. Come on, we’re not teenagers.”

“I know. But the mere fact that you never played the field despite being such a good catch was one of the reasons why you had not shown any interest in someone else. For Christ’s sake, Maggie! Edmund isn’t the only man on earth.”

I shrugged. “If I was really such a catch, why can’t I win his heart?”

There was a long awkward silence, and all I could hear was the clinking of my glass straw against the ice balls in my drink.

How embarrassing.

“You can’t force love, Margaret. All right. Fine. No blind dates. Geez.”

I bit my bottom lip impishly. “Thanks.”

Raven has always been very protective of me. He almost gave up on his dreams and declined the offer to be part of the Boston Celtics a few years back just because he didn’t want me to fend for myself.

After his glorious five years in the NBA, he was forced to retire and withdraw from the scene because of an ankle injury. Since then, he started to grow his own business in Pearl City.

Though he had never mentioned the elephant in the room, I knew that the rumors and gossip about me in high society had reached his ears.

After all, most businessmen in the city looked forward to collaborating with a large conglomerate like Grant Global.

“So, what’s the plan? Seeing that you’re not drowning in tears, I presume you already have something in mind,” Raven pointed out.

I snickered. As expected, he knew me the best.

“I need a car, a house, and a respectable position to wield the wealth and power that I hold. I want to make it known to the world that I’m not what they thought me to be. I’m not someone he can just leave in the cold just because he was done using me.”

My brother cocked his brow, his mouth curling into a devilish grin as he scratched his chin. “Is that so?”

I raised my head haughtily and declared, “Two years. I have given him a long time to see the truth, but he remained stubborn. If he wants a divorce, he must fight for it. Moving forward, Margaret Delamar will take the floor.”

“In short, you’re going to make him suffer and keep him shackled in your marriage all the while humiliating him for his misconceptions.”

I shrugged. “It might sound petty to others, but I can no longer stand his insults. I’ve been a laughingstock for a long time. This time, I will walk away with my head held high.”

Raven fell silent, staring at me with the scrutiny that almost made my skin prickle. I hated it whenever he did that. It was as if he was trying to pry into the depths of my deepest secrets.

“Two years is enough, Maggie. I like the idea of making that bastard regret the way he treated you, but your happiness is more important. If you hold a grudge, it might be more difficult to move on. Isn’t it time to let it go?” he suddenly asked, frowning. Worry was evident in his tone.

My lips formed a thin line as my jaws clenched. “I am letting him go, Rave... But not without a fight.”

“Fine. Whatever floats your boat, darling. I’ll arrange everything—as glamorous as possible—so you can move out. The sooner the better. I’m just grateful that you have finally awoken from your drunken love stupor. At least you are now showing interest in the things you own. It’s not fun managing money that isn’t mine, you know.”

“What a load of bull! What’s mine is yours! Didn’t we agree on that a long time ago?” I retorted playfully, rolling my eyes as a bright smile escaped my tinted lips.

My brother and I had quite an age gap, but it did not hinder our relationship from getting closer. Though he was not the gentlest kind, he certainly was warm, understanding, caring, and responsible. And if I ever fall in love again, it must be a man with an impeccable character comparable to Raven.

Our discussion continued for another hour before we called it a day. When he received a call from his executive assistant, I insisted on driving myself home. Raven did not have a choice knowing that I was stubborn as a mule.

On our way to the parking lot, I realized that I had dropped my keys somewhere in the café. I didn’t want to bother Raven any further, so I urged him to leave as I jogged back to the establishment.

There, I was able to retrieve my stuff from the manager and took a quick detour to the restroom to answer the call of nature.

“So, you’re really pregnant with his child?” 

A shrill voice caught my attention. I was still inside the cubicle with my hand holding onto the doorknob.

“Yes. But I can’t tell him yet. I’ll surprise him on the day he signs the divorce agreement with his wife,” said another voice.

A shiver ran down my spine. The second speaker sounded so familiar that I ended up rooted on the spot. Even the melodious way she uttered every word brought back old memories I thought I had already forgotten.

My body became rigid as the duo from outside continued gossiping without regard to their surroundings.

“Oh, that is such a good idea! He will value you more and give you the title of Mrs. Grant as soon as he learns that you’re carrying his child. Lucky you!” said the other lady, her tone dripping with envy.

A sonorous laugh echoed in the restroom’s walls, snapping me back to reality. I balled my hands into fists, sneering inwardly.

“I’m not in a rush. Ed waited for me for three years. A month or two wouldn’t be a problem. This time, I’m not ever leaving his side.”

The mention of Edmund’s name confirmed my suspicion. Dumbfounded, I felt my whole body growing cold. My knees buckled, and if it weren’t for my grip on the knob, I might have already fallen to the floor.

It was Violet Mitchell—Edmund’s ex.

It had never occurred to me that the woman had already come back from her deployment in Africa. Worse, she had returned with a bomb—not a grenade—but a Molotov cocktail that shattered me to the core.

Even a fool could take the hint behind those lines!

My husband, the man I offered my love to, wanted a divorce because the love of his life was back.

How long had they been fooling around behind my back? Pregnant? Ha! I had overestimated Edmund’s moral values. I couldn’t believe that he was having an affair while I wasted away my youth cooped up in that god-forsaken place I called a matrimonial home. This was why he was determined to get a divorce—to make space for his mistress!