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Lincoln Residence 

8 pm

It was a place where just nobody couldn't come to, except those who carried the surname Lincoln. But it was an exception for Avery Knight. Though she didn't carry that surname, she could come here as long as she wanted to.

Avery Knight put all the bags on the sofa and then looked at the gigantic wall clock hanging on the wall. She smiled and mumbled, "Liam must have come back from his business trip. How about I give him a surprise?"

It has been more than three months since she last saw him. She was so crazy dying to see her husband. After all, she loved him the most. Liam and Avery were married for two years, though they were not the perfect couple but they were happy. At least that's what she thought.

She turned around, her smile faded. Avery looked down and uttered. "Mom."

"You are the Lincoln family's daughter-in-law. Look how you are walking." The middle aged woman's voice sounded harsh. Well, Avery didn't mind. She got used to her mother-in-law behaving that way with her. It was nothing new.

"Sorry, Mom. My apology, I should have looked ahead of me." 

The middle aged woman was Wendy Lincoln, Liam Lincoln's mother. Wendy took a seat on the sofa then she looked at Avery from her head to toe. 

Avery was like any other average woman. No make-up, no expensive clothes on her, no model-thin figure, nothing that could prove that she was Lincoln family's daughter-in-law. Well, she never liked her anyways. She just didn't understand why the hell her son married such a woman like Avery in the first place.

Avery looked upstairs excitedly with a smile then at Wendy. She walked towards the stairs. "Mom, I will be back soon."

Wendy quickly held her hand. It was quite a hard grip that Avery felt pain. 

"Mom…"

"Where are you going?"

"I… I want to see Liam. He must be back from his business trip." She with a pure smile playing on her lips said so. 

Wendy looked annoyed and asserted, "Who told you he is back?"

"I saw his car outside." She answered.

For a moment of period Wendy stood silent and so did Avery. Then just as Avery walked forward Wendy stopped her again.

"He is taking a rest. You should not disturb him now."

"I won't disturb him. I will just see him from afar and leave."

"I said no."

Avery never went against her mother-in-law. She respected her no matter how badly she had been treated. Wendy never left a chance to scold her no matter what she did and what not but being a motherless girl she always took Wendy as her mother so she never cared if she got even insulted.

"Make me a coffee. I am having headaches."

"I… fine, mom."

Avery walked to the kitchen. Some tears were forming in her eyes. She had been holding it on but everytime she ended up shedding tears. Everytime she wanted to go to Liam, Wendy kept coming between them by many means. Since Liam never objected, being his wife Avery didn't either.

'It's ok, I will get to see him soon since he is back. I just need to listen to mom and have patience.' 

Making a coffee for Wendy, she was about to walk out of the kitchen when some whispers came to be heard from near.

"Did you see? He has brought a woman into his bedroom when his wife is at home. My god!"

"Yeah, I feel bad for Mrs. Lincoln. How will she feel when she finds out her husband is having sex with…"

"What are you guys talking about?" 

Suddenly seeing Avery the servants ran away from there as if they saw a ghost. Seeing them disappear she didn't think much and left the kitchen.

"Mom, here's your coffee." Avery put the coffee cup on the table and smiled at her. Wendy always hated the way she smiled, why would she smile like a wh*re? That's what Wendy thought all the time.

Wendy gave her side eyes and took a sip in the coffee. Avery was looking at the upstairs, somehow she was feeling weird for some unknown reason. She didn't know why though.

"Aaaahhhhhh!" Avery cried out in pain as the hot coffee spilled on her face all of a sudden. The coffee cup was thrown on the floor, it broke into pieces. Avery felt pain on her face and looked at Wendy with tears in her eyes. 

"You are this big and you can't even make a coffee! You wh*re! What can you do except seducing men!"

Avery nodded her head and said, "Mom, what are you saying? I never…"

"Do you think I don't know anything? Liam has told me everything I needed to know. You look so innocent but you are nothing but a f*cking wh*re!"

"Mom, what do you mean Liam…"

Suddenly Wendy slapped her across her face. Avery touched her face that felt like burning now and looked at her mother-in-law with sad teary eyes.

"Liam told me, you seduced him, that's why he couldn't do anything but had to marry you. You are so evil!"

"No, Mom. I don't believe it. Liam loves me, I never seduced him. He…"

Before she could finish Wendy grabbed her hair. "How dare you say that my boy lied huh? If not you are seducing him, why would someone like my son marry you? You came from a dustbin, the Knight family adopted you yet you left them in shame. Who knows who your parents are, if not because of you seducing him, do you think you could even get your feet in this mansion?"

Avery looked shocked. She knew Wendy hated her to the core that she could do anything, say anything but she couldn't believe that Liam would do it too. No matter what, she believed Wendy was making a story.

Nodding in denial Avery uttered, "I don't believe it. I know Liam, I trust my husband. He loves me and he can never say such bad words."

Avery was persistent but unlike every other day, when things didn't go outward today was somewhat different. Wendy smiled at her as if Avery was yet to learn the truth, "Since you want to keep acting, I will show you the proof."

And with those words Wendy threw some papers on her face. Avery held the papers with her hands and asked, "What is this?"

"Divorce papers. Since you don't believe it, why don't you take a look inside?"

Avery was confused about what she was saying. She looked at the papers and her hands trembled. She couldn't gulp what she just saw and looked at Wendy.

"Mom, this is not true right? It's not…"

"My son has already signed the papers. Now it's your turn. Sign it and get the f*ck out of my place!"

Avery nodded her head in denial and looked at the handwriting of her husband Liam. No way, she knew his handwriting very well. 

"I want to see him. I want to see my husband."

"Stop calling him your husband. He is not your husband anymore. Don't you see he already signed the divorce papers?"

Avery didn't give her words. She just turned around to think. She needed time, she needed to get a solution. Seeing her turned around Wendy grabbed her hand with force, "Sign it!"

"No, never! I am sure he doesn't mean it."

"Is it so? Then what do you think it is…"

Avery quickly ran upstairs. Wendy was doing nothing but trying to separate her from Liam, she believed.

"Go, go. You will be very happy after a while." Wendy smirked while seeing her hated daughter-in-law walk upstairs.

'I will talk to him when he comes back, I know him. He can never say those things about… me…"

Avery halted on her way as she heard some noises coming from the opposite of her room. "It's Liam's room."

The sounds were not clear but she could tell that two people were talking and strange, she was having a weird feeling. Avery, on a slow pace, walked towards the door. 

"Maybe he is really tired and… and…" she mumbled.

Standing outside the door she grabbed onto the knob with her thoughts in her mind. She gulped and just as she was about to pull the door she walked a step backward.

"Aahhh! Please don't tease me, Liam." A familiar voice came to be heard inside the room.

Avery couldn't believe her ears, how could she not recognise the voice of the person she always despised. She grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. Her eyes widened at the sight, she felt her whole world crashing down to her feet.

It was Liam. Liam Lincoln, her husband whom she loved for seven years straight. Whom she believed in more than anyone.

"Liam…" Avery asserted with utter disbelief while looking at Liam who was thrusting the woman laid under him. 

Liam pulled the cover and said with emotionless eyes, "Ava."

Avery gulped, as if words got stuck in her throat. She stepped backward and the view was more than clear to her eyes now. She could finally understand everything little by little.

Many times, she heard that Liam Lincoln was actually in love with her sister, Jennifer Knight but not even for once, she believed that Liam would be such a person.

Growing up with her grandmother Avery never hated the fact that she was born poor, no matter what she never covered herself with heavy make-up, expensive clothes or ego while at the opposite, Jennifer had a rich vibe coming from her. Heavy make-up, expensive clothes, limited edition bags, shoes, Jennifer never used one thing twice. She would rather throw it or leave it in the store room. 

Jennifer naked pulled the cover, wrapping it around herself. She held Liam's hand and voiced flirtatiously, "Babe, I am waiting." She stared at Avery with a devilish smile on her face that was telling Avery that 'I won against you'.

"Do you… Do you have any-anything to explain to me?"

Avery asked him, with a shaky voice. No matter what, if Liam would say it, she would trust him maybe but her disappointment came with his answer. "No."

"Is that why you want a divorce from me?"

"... Yes." His voice came to be heard clearly and profoundly. But as if she couldn't hear it clear or maybe she was hearing things. She took a step forward to ask him what he just said but…

Liam walked towards the door and right on her face he closed the door. Inside the room, came their moaning to be heard. 

Was it going to end like this? Avery wiped off the tears that left her eyes. He was not the right man, she learnt it too late…