Chapter One

  On a beautiful yet unbalanced spring morning, Karina hurried into the vestibule of the alluring manor, tears cascading down her cheeks. She had gone to pay a visit to her spouse, Aidan, and share the elating news of her pregnancy. However, upon arrival, she witnessed him in a vehement intimacy with a fair-haired woman. Consumed by heartache and unable to even catch a glimpse of the woman, she fled, her emotions in disarray. 

How could he have betrayed her so heedlessly? Strolling over to a settee, absentmindedly, she closed her eyes and reminisced on the look on his countenance when they first met. It was a mixture of vexation, irritation, and surprise. She could have never fathomed that he would be unfaithful to her after all these years of wholeheartedly committing herself to him. After a moment of suppressing her tears, she composed herself as she heard the sound of a vehicle. Aidan had arrived and she was hoping for a plausible explanation for his actions. She turned around as she heard him approaching, unable to meet his gaze. 

"Karina!" He bellowed as he entered the manor and strode up behind her with a scowl etched on his face. 

"What's your account, Aidan?" she questioned. "You betrayed me with another woman and now you expect to come up with an excuse?" 

"You have got to be joking," he scoffed. His retort took her aback, causing her to turn and face him, and she gasped in shock as he hurled some papers that he had taken from an envelope at her. The papers landed at her feet and she picked them up, dazed.

 "What is this?" she inquired. 

"Don't be naive and examine it closely," he sneered. 

She lowered her gaze to the papers. "Divorce papers?" 

"Yes. Sign them and let's put an end to this shit of a marriage," he spat with disdain.

Karina shook her head and laughed in incredulity. "Are you trying to prank me or something?" 

"Prank?" He smirked and seized her arm. "Do I seem like someone who plays pranks?" 

"What? I caught you cheating in your office and now you want a divorce?"

 "It's what I have always desired. I was only tolerating you!"

"No," she whispered, her heart sinking. "It can't be true. Aidan, I love--"

His harsh laugh interrupted her. "Don't even try it. You and girls like you are all the same. Trying to latch onto billionaires like me to elevate your low-class status."

She couldn't believe his words. "Is that really how you see me? As a gold digger?"

"That's what you are. You pretended to be innocent and pure but now that my real love is back, I want you gone from my house and my life for good."

"My what? Your true love?" Her voice shook with disbelief.

He sneered. "You were just a pest, Karina. A clingy pest I couldn't get rid of. I only married you as a stand-in for her. Now get out."

And with a rough shove, he pushed her away, causing her to stumble.

Karina was at a loss for words. She opened her mouth to defend herself but no words came out. The door swung open and the rest of Aidan's family entered. Lila, his grandmother, was in a wheelchair being pushed by her nurse.

"Why is this lowlife girl still here?!" Cruzita, Aidan's mother, exclaimed as she caught sight of Karina.

"And I didn't expect to come back and see the girl who tried to kill Grandma still here," commented Wally, Aidan's sister.

"What are you all talking about?" Karina ran up to them, confused. "I've already told you, I didn't try to poison Grandma."

"Don't play innocent. You did a good job of making it look like an accident or someone else's doing, but we have evidence that it was you," Wally said, giving Karina a scathing look.

"No." She shook her head, taking a step back.

"I knew you were trouble, Karina. I warned my mother-in-law to be careful around you," Cruzita said.

"You were treated like a granddaughter by my mother and yet you tried to kill her. How despicable," Cole, Aidan's father, spoke with disgust.

Karina couldn't believe what she was hearing. She looked at Grandma Lila, hoping for support, but Lila turned away, not meeting her gaze.

"Please, everyone. Karina is not capable of such a thing. We all know her too well," 

Xander, Aidan's cousin, spoke up, earning disapproving looks from the rest of the family. Still, In a somber tone, he spoke, "We should not trust just anyone."

"Be quiet, Xander. Amira is someone important," Wolly chided.

"Amira?" Karina inquired as the name reverberated in her mind.

"Yes, Amira, the love of my life, has returned," Aidan stated mockingly, giving Karina a scornful glare. 

"She is the only one worthy of the Algernon family name, unlike you, a commoner," Cruzita scolded.

Just then, Amira entered with grace and poise. She walked up to Aidan and kissed him, sending a disdainful glare at Karina who was watching them.

Karina recognized her. From her attire and the way she walked, she was the same woman she had caught kissing Aidan earlier. She had heard of Amira before, but this was the first time she had ever seen her.

"What's the matter, Karina? Surprised to see the epitome of beauty?" Wolly chuckled. "By the way, Karina, someone saw you tampering with the porridge our grandmother ate yesterday, causing her to pass out. It was Amira," Wolly added.

Karina furrowed her brows, unable to speak.

"You gave me the porridge first, but I refused it. When Mother offered to eat it out of concern for your feelings, you had already spiked it and excused yourself so you don't get suspected," Cruzita said. "Your plan to harm me has been exposed. You did a lot to deceive us, Karina."

"No, it's not true. I left to get Grandma's medicine, I didn't add anything to the porridge."

"Hey, good for nothing, I saw you. I actually came to surprise them yesterday and caught you in the act. I left quietly, not knowing what your intentions were," Amira said.

"I didn't do it, you're lying!"

"That's enough talk. Just sign the divorce papers," Aidan growled.

Xander stepped forward. "Aidan, please don't divorce her. She's innocent."

"Shut up!" Cruzita silenced him, fuming. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Aunt, I..."

"Don't interfere!” Cruzita scoffed. “You might be Karina's puppet but remember that you're related to me. Enough of the sidings.”

Karina felt everything was a nightmare she baldly wanted to wake up from. Initially, she faced accusations of attempted murder against the very same woman whose life she saved years ago. Then, she caught her husband red-handed, cheating on her with his first love. And now, he wants a divorce. The thought alone is callous. Never did she imagine that her husband would toss her away like trash.

As she walked up to him, tears streamed down her face, her heart heavy with emotion. A deafening silence filled the room as she held onto his arm, preventing him from leaving.

"Why, Aidan? How could you think such vile thoughts about me? In the three years of our marriage, I worshiped you and served you as if you were a deity. I gave you my heart, my soul, my entire being, and even my body. And this is how you repay me? With a divorce? You cheated on me after all I have tolerated for your sake, and now you wish to discard me because Amira is back?!"

He stared back at her sternly, his gaze cold and disgusted. "I never liked a single thing about you. You were classless, ridiculously naive, and utterly irritating. If it weren't for my grandmother's intervention, I would never have married you 3 years ago. Just the thought of how I've endured you as my wife for so long makes me sick." With that, he jerked his arm off her grasp and hissed. 

How can he say this so easily? She was merely a shadow wife to him, never shown to the public. Karina had convinced herself that one day, he would see her true love for him and reciprocate it. But it was all just an illusion. Now, staring into his emotionless blue eyes, she felt her heart grow cold and heavy.

With a slight nod, she turned and walked upstairs, returning later with a box containing her belongings. Everyone was taken aback.

"So you want me to leave, is that it? Fine." Karina wiped away her tears and took a step forward, but Wolly accused her in suspicion.

"We know you've hidden some valuable and expensive items in that box, you petty thief. Open it so we can check."

Karina glared at her, her voice laced with defiance. "I am nothing like you."

Her audacity earned her a fierce slap from Cruzita, who sneered, "You worthless girl!”