CHAPTER 3
Serene
"What? What is this!" I yelled, my voice quivering with rage and agony at the sight of Diego and Nelly.
When he turned around, he realized he had forgotten to lock the door "I can explain... "
"Explain? How would you explain this?"
I entered the room, my face filled with grief and betrayal. My gaze shifts to Nelly, who is gazing down and avoiding eye contact. "Serene, let us discuss this at home." Diego reached out to me, saying, "It is not what you think."
"Not what I think? I believe I just walked in on my husband in bed with another woman, So, what might it be?" I questioned, taking steps backward.
My eyes welled with tears, but I refused to let them fall. I stormed out of the room, turning on my heel. Disappointment enveloped me, and the prospect of blind trust being broken shattered my heart.
"Serene, please wait!" Diego cried behind me. He tries to get out of the bed, but Nelly clutches his arm.
"Let her go.Let her go!"
"What have I done?" Diego moaned.
[Home]
When I reached home, I jumped out of my car and slammed the door behind me, furious.I ignored Nora's query and proceeded directly upstairs to our room. "Is everything fine, Ma'am?"
Diego stormed in right as I was going to lock the door. I received another message from the same number, but this time it included photographs of Diego and Nelly snuggling and having a good time on what appeared to be a picnic, something he had never taken me on in all those years as his wife.
"Take a look at this, Diego. What exactly does this mean?" I asked, my heart aching.
" Serene." He looked at me sympathetically and remarked, "I suppose I have not been honest enough."
"I gave up everything to make this work, Diego; what have I not done for you? Is this how you have rewarded me for everything?
He responds, "Serene, I am afraid I do not feel the same way about you now. I tried telling you this several times, but you just would not listen.”
"Do not even bother telling me how you feel about me, Diego Myers. I have loved you unreservedly for the past five years, and you were not scared to open doors for Nelly, who abandoned you for another man.
“Stop, Serene! I will not allow you to talk about her that way; Nelly is back for me, and we will be stronger than ever; you are just someone I kept to fulfill your father's dying wish but I can't anymore ," he replied firmly.
"I was going to tell you sooner, but I did not want to put you through another painful period after you miscarried our baby.I even question if I could be a decent father to it," he continued.
I took a deep breath and asked him, "Diego, what are you saying am I not your wife?"
"Well, not anymore; Nelly is my first love; she is the only woman my heart has ever beat for; now that she has returned, we should have a..."
I interrupted him, "Do not think about it, Diego; I am not getting divorced."
"Up to you," he mumbled, leaving me alone as he returned to the hotel.
What had transpired was unbelievable to me. My husband is preparing to leave me for his first love, who abandoned him for another guy, and he has thrown away all we have built together especially my father's sacrifice to save his life.
"Madam, you are going through a lot. I pray God restores the joy between you and Sir," Nora said, attempting to wipe my tears.
"Nora, I want to be alone." I pleaded.
"No, Madam, I am not going anywhere; I will stay here with you," Nora stated.
"Nora!"
"All right, Madam. I will be in my room in case you need anything," she said, turning to go.
When I remembered Diego's remarks, I could not stop sobbing. I entered the shower and turned on the tap, allowing water to cascade over my face and mask my tears as I lowered myself.
CHAPTER 4Diego "You are already back, sweetie," Nelly said, giving me a sour, displeased expression."Yes, I cannot wait any longer to make you mine; the previous 5 years without you, Nelly, have been agony; please do not ever leave me again," I begged, kneeling with my hands on her lap. "I am not going anywhere, but how about Serene?" She queried me with worry. "I have already taken care of that; she will be out of our lives for good," I said, going in for a kiss.I am not bothered about Serene; the return of Nelly made me glad. I do not want to put off the divorce procedures any longer, so I asked my lawyer to create the paperwork.Serene lost her kid while she was in the depths of despair, and she will soon lose me. I am excited to leave her for my first love, who is all I have ever desired. [Weeks Later]Serene was able to pull herself together from the anguish and decided to sign the paperwork as I remained riveted to Nelly."Please read the agreement and sign here," my Lawy
CHAPTER 5Serene When I arrived home, I ran into our bedroom, only to discover that my closet was empty. I asked myself , "How could Diego have done this?” We spent about three hours in his attorney's office, and it could not have been him.I turned to our maid Nora and said, "Who entered our room after I had left?""No one did.""What? How is that possible? My closet was emptied."I emptied them for you," Nora replied. “What?”"Oh please quit the act, Serene, you should be grateful I did you a favor imagine how long it would have taken you to get all your stuff together, I do not want Nelly to come here and find you wandering around this house, I have moved all your belongings to the living room, I don't even know what you are doing here," Nora, the maid, reacted. "What! Do you know Nelly?"You must have grown too comfortable being soothed by me; that chapter is over now; my best friend will be controlling this home from now on, and you need to get your ass out of here," Nora said,
CHAPTER 6Serene Neina came to see who was at her door when she heard a knock. I stood in front of her, brokenhearted, carrying my bags and a teddy bear.She lured me inside after dropping the mop. "What does this mean?" she said as we settled into the coach. "It is all over for me; Diego has engaged another woman," I said. Neina was bewildered, so I explained everything that had happened. Neina was enraged, but she had to save it for when she ran into Diego; he did not just injure her buddy."Serene I am deeply sorry, but you are now secure with me, and if he ever comes seeking for you, I will break every bone in his body.Neina swore. "I will be going shortly," I told her. "What, no, you are in no condition to go already.""I have been approved for the position we applied for while Diego was in distress.""Marketing director for KATARAYO AGENCY?"Neina asked "Yes, they did phone me a few hours ago.""What!"Neina leaped with delight and embraced me. We had given up hope of rece
CHAPTER 7Serene I have not heard from Diego in two weeks. I have been doing everything I can to recover, and now it is time for me to go to a faraway land, away from Diego and all the suffering he has caused me. It is now time to start afresh, this time without making any compromises for anyone. Charlotte and Neina are welcome to visit me in London at any moment. I can not understand why they are so unhappy. Charlotte and Neina placed my things in the boot and moved towards me; we hugged before jumping into the car and driving to the airport."Do not forget to inform us when you land," Neina said lovingly.“I won't promise,” I responded with a smile at them."If you forget, we will catch the next flight there," Charlotte said, and we all laughed.The vehicle came to a stop, and we hopped out. I grabbed my luggage and we headed inside the airport, and I started to feel sad and melancholy. I paused and glanced at both of them; Charlotte saw and hurriedly muttered, "Serene, calm down."
CHAPTER 8 Serene My skirt feels so snug on my body, and I have not worn something so classy in a long time. Throughout my marriage, I always wore clothing that never revealed too much of my body—except for instances where I needed to appear gorgeous. It is my first day at work, and I have donned make-up from Rare Beauty. Selena Gomez's cosmetics are an excellent fit for my skin. I put on lipstick and curled my hair. I had no option but to wear heels; I only hoped I wouldn't walk and fall because I have not worn heels in a long time; else, I will spend time in my slippers. I hurriedly grabbed my purse and dashed out as the driver came. "Good morning, Ms. Brights. I hope you are looking forward to your first day of work," The driver said to me. "Sure, I can not wait either," I said, turning my attention to my phone. Charlotte and Neina continued sending me texts asking if I had arrived at work; I responded and then began gazing at the architecture and charming spots we drove past.
CHAPTER 9Diego "Sir, your lawyer wishes to speak with you about something," George remarked in a pallid voice."Tell him to wait; I will be back in a few days; you know Nelly does not like things cut short," I responded to George in a strong tone."But, Sir—"I cut him off and said, "I know you can manage anything, George; just do your job."He was about to say something , but as soon as Nelly stepped in, I ended the call. She smiled at me and approached me with an enticing look. I stood up and headed towards her; when we met, I grabbed her up and kissed her. We proceeded to our bed, carrying her in my arms, and gingerly laid her on the plus-sized bed."Hold on," she whispered before I had the opportunity to kiss her.She grinned and picked up her phone. I was curious as to why she had stopped me, so she scanned through her album and finally stopped at a shot. I could not believe my eyes when I viewed the picture."What? You still have that ?" I questioned her."Yes, this was the on
CHAPTER 10 Diego "When exactly did that happen?" I was startled hearing that Serene requested the money. "OK, I will see you when I get back," I responded, ending the conversation. "Wow, I can not believe this," Nelly said, shaking her head. "It is okay, honey; she will be out of our lives for good now; that is the only thing that would have made her come back and cause drama, you know," I said to Nelly, holding her hands as she laid the meal down. "Yes, but I intended to use it for something different," Nelly explained, tugging her face. "What? That is impossible, my darling," I told her in a quiet, calm tone. "I am not sure why you are making such a big deal out of this. It is not like she wants the money. I thought I might put it to good use, perhaps invest in something worthy," I replied, her as she pushed away from the hug. "I am afraid you can't.That money was intended for Serene, and I cannot accept it. It is hers, regardless of what she does with it. We have no right
CHAPTER 11 Serene It is my second week at work, and I am liking the company's vibe. I can not believe these dudes are still looking at me like I am 16 when I am growing so old. My birthday is almost approaching, and I recall how alone I felt on that day when I was with Diego. I would have thought that he was staying out late to surprise me, but he was actually doing it to keep me away from him. Sometimes I feel like I was so blinded by one-sided love that I overlooked the fact that Diego did not love me. Fortunately, things have changed, and I will spend my birthday with the most valuable person in my life, aside from Charlotte and Neina. My child is that person; I am not sure what gender it is, but knowing that I love them intensely even when I can not see them brings me so much joy. It is 7 a.m Friday, and I have to be at work by 9 a.m. I hurriedly sprang out of bed and rushed to the shower. I could see how lethargic my eyes appeared in the mirror, but I needed to seem good beca
CHAPTER 208Serene When the lights went out at the hotel, I panicked for a bit, but the cops arrived in time. Butas not sure about Kyrell because he was the last person I expected to see. Everyone left and I was now only left with Rina and Kyrell. "I guess we should get going now," I replied, standing up and about to walk away when Kyrell reached for my hand.Perhaps he meant it reassuringly, so I smiled without overreacting. Rina stepped behind us, clearing her throat, but I was convinced she was mocking me. “Uhmm, Ms. Brights, can we have a word?" Charlotte asked and I turned around to hear what she had to say."I think it is about time I go to my apartment," she remarked, and I truly wanted to disagree, but I had to since I was only going to let her go there when she felt stable.“Are you sure?” I asked."Yes, I am ready," she said, but it was not convincing enough."Look you can go but are you sure you are fine to stay alone?’” I asked again and she assured me.“OK fine," I re
CHAPTER 207Nelly Soft instrumental music played in the background, while the aroma of sandalwood and lavender filled the air. The beds and silk drapes dividing the rooms were bathed in a golden glow from the lighting of the private parlor. Kyrell Harrison's muscles eased as he lay shirtless for a massage. I figured he must have come to relieve some of his tension and make the contributions. However, everything fell apart as we locked eyes."Kyrell Harrison," I grinned as I approached him, Sofia following."Nelly Mendoza, what a surprise; I knew you were here but did not expect to see you," he remarked, his gaze fixed on Sofia, and I prayed he did not suspect anything. “Oh, come now, Kyrell. We just happened to run into each other at the same moment. Isn't it a great coincidence?" I inquired, but Sofia chose to talk rather than wait for me to signal. “We were thinking… All those judicial skirmishes must have made you nervous. Wouldn't it be good to have someone personally look af
CHAPTER 206Serene The home felt empty, so I took a walk around the empty rooms while Miguel played with Grace. Even though my kid was becoming more and more obsessed with Wakanda, I felt that Namibia would be the best destination after the drama was over.A destination for aesthetic people. I asked Mr. Simon to send me the statistics data because I wanted the most recent information on Katarayo's progress, but I was not even surprised by what I saw. If his shares are not making any money, why in the world is he there? Which could only mean one thing.I quickly scheduled a meeting at the Hotel Bright Lights, and despite Mr. Simon's persistent calls, I declined to respond because we both knew what would happen next. I have done my best to be tolerant and patient with his issues, but it seems like he is abusing my generosity.I hurriedly changed and was ready to take the final step when I noticed Kyrell, who appeared to be grinning at me like never before.“What's with all the excite
CHAPTER 205Diego We were eating breakfast in the cafeteria when I heard a loud bang and noticed my food had been tossed to the floor by this large, heavy, tattooed guy who appeared to be ready to pound my face if I said anything. "Hey, hey, what are you doing? Get back to your seat," the guard yelled, standing between us. At this point, I was ready to be a beast.“Fight! Fight!" The other prisoner kept yelling, but my companion quickly pulled me back."Be cautious, he has killed roughly ten people here; being targeted by him could only mean one thing," he continued, and I needed to know what brought that elephant figure to me."That your enemies want you dead in here, and nobody else performs the job better than him," my pal cautioned, and I could tell by looking at him that death was all he had to offer.Could Serene want me dead? Or is it my damn uncle? Serene would never want my death, at least not while she was still alive; therefore, it was certainly my uncle.Everyone comple
CHAPTER 204Serene “Ms. Brights please it's not what you think I was just —" “Mia, you'll answer the cops. I can not believe you would try to drug my son's drink after everything," I said, shaking my head in surprise.Mia was like a sister to us. There was nothing she did not know about us, but discovering that she was the traitor in our midst felt like a horrible dream, and the fact that she was closest to my kid just made things worse. I would find a new reason to keep Miguel occupied before admitting that she would never come back in agony. "It is OK, Serene; at least we captured her," Neina murmured, caressing my back."Yeah, I know," I answered, brushing away my tears as I walked to collect my son, who was looking at cartoons. I am not sure how he became addicted, but all of his downloads revolved around it, and the many types of coloring books were something I had to get.“Mommy, why did I see the cops here?" Miguel asked, his little face drowning in worry."It is nothing, ho
CHAPTER 203Serene Charlotte and her ways of getting to cheer me up are just so crazy. I can not believe I returned Diego's ring and now have nothing linked to me other than the children. But now that he's away all his children are mine. We stepped into the massage parlor, and the agents were ecstatic to see us.I did not like the attention and begged the guards to fetch me my veil, but Charlotte appeared to be enjoying it. We headed to the VIP section, where the agents were getting their items ready.I would have lay down like Charlotte, but it was a bit uncomfortable. The ladies finished giving him massages, and the owner presented some proposals for donations, which they were asking me to attend. I promised them that someone would come from my department to attend. We returned to the car, and another call from the devil came through.“Aren't you going to pick that?" Charlotte inquired, sensing my ignorance about the approaching call."Nah, that does not matter; let us be going b
CHAPTER 202Diego I reached the visiting area and saw her sitting in the distance. The entire room was vacant, and I could not believe he had done everything for me. Serene was one of the most difficult people to persuade, but Kyrell was incredibly successful in bringing her here. She eventually turned around to face me, and our gazes locked. I could feel my heart melting and shivers covering my entire body. I am not sure what my eyes were doing at her lips, but seeing Serene was the best moment in jail."Hi," she said without a grin, and I was not expecting one, but all I wanted to do was take those hands and kiss them."How are you doing? I never thought I would see you again.”"I am OK, and this moment has to come, so now that it is here, we have to confront it," she answered.I could sense the anguish in her voice and could not believe she was so brave. I am probably among the last people she wants to see."I'm sorry for everything. I hope you find it to forgive me someday,” I
CHAPTER 201Serene “Are you OK?" Kyrell asked."Yes, I am fine here," I responded, handing him the paperwork and ordering the guards to lead him out.I headed back upstairs, feeling exhausted and drowsy. Pregnancy troubles are becoming increasingly apparent. I went to check on Mia, suspecting she was in her room, but she was not there. When I questioned the maids about her, they said she had gone to get something for her parents, which was unusual because she would typically let me know. "Ms. Brights, were you not meant to be opening the gift?" Rina inquired, and I knew exactly what she was after.“I'll do it later. Do you need anything?" I asked her.“No, I just thought you wouldn't want it anymore, I mean —" "Guess you are mistaken," I interrupted her and walked away, ignoring her chuckle.I stepped into my room and had a shower before dressing comfortably and sitting on my balcony. Aunt Mina strolled in with a tray in her hands as I was savoring the sights. These individuals
CHAPTER 200Serene After a few hours, I awoke, feeling better, and discovered Neina sleeping next to me. I attempted to get out of bed without touching her, but she caught me nonetheless."Hey," I said, attempting to make everything appear normal."Hello, how are you feeling, and do you need anything?" she asked, sitting up straight."No, I am OK," I responded, but she gave me a strange look."You felt ill in the office; did Kyrell do anything?" she inquired."No, he didn't; I was just browsing through the files when I had that sense; perhaps I was just weary," I said."Exactly why you should put all of this on hold to focus on keeping those kids healthy, Serene please.""I am well, Neina, but I can not stop worrying about what will happen if we do not stop Diablo right now it could be late.""Look, you need to take your prescription now; we will speak about everything tomorrow," she added, handing me my pills." Thanks, love you.”"No you don't,” she joked.I went to check how Migue