Chapter 3

Maybelline.

My heart slammed against my ribcage as I jolted upright, the initial heaviness I felt disappearing into thin air. A cold wave of realization washed over me and every single thing that happened to me yesterday began rushing back in.

There he was, sitting calmly in a chair near the window, his gaze piercingly fixed on me. The man who did the job of shattering my almost ruined life. The man I had prayed I dreamt of and will never see again.

I instinctively wrapped my arms around my abdomen, the memory of the sharp pain from last night made my heart lurch.

“My baby,” I whispered, my voice coming out hoarse and stricken with panic.

“Is my baby okay?” I stuttered, his expression didn’t change as he stood up, slowly walking toward me.

“Your baby is fine,” he said, his voice calm and calculated, relief washed over me, my baby was fine and that’s all that mattered.

“It was a miscarriage scare and you shouldn’t be stressing. You were lucky I was there.” I looked up at him with narrowed eyes and a scoff subconsciously left my lips. I was lucky?! If this is what luckiness meant to him then thank you very much, I’d like to remain very unlucky.

“What do you want from me?” My voice was stronger now although it still sounded quite feeble but clearly fueled by anger and fear.

He didn’t answer right away, his gaze cold and unreadable as he stared down at me. The silence thickened , making the room feel even more oppressive. I was frustrated, I wanted to scream, to demand answers, but I just did not have any strength to.

“I know all about how my ex-fiancé’s family has treated you, I know you want revenge! Let do it together,” he said, I shook my head continuously at his words, there’s no way in the world that this man can be normal, there’s absolutely no way in the world that is man knows what he’s talking about! He knows how my husband’s family has treated me?! Even I didn’t realize until today how badly I’ve been treated and used! So how much more a stranger I haven’t even met before.

I began to roll away the duvet from my body and I got up to my feet.

“You really are crazy and twisted!” I muttered, luckily I saw my purse on the stand beside the bed, I grabbed it and with that I staggered out of the room, my head still quite heavy from everything that has happened to me. He watched me quietly with his hands still folded across his chest as I walked away.

I didn’t know where I was going but I took the first staircase i saw downstairs, at least this should lead me to the entrance or somewhere close to it and it did! Immediately I got downstairs, I walked into a huge living room, I lived in a mansion with my husband but this was huge! I looked around and headed for the huge doors I saw, I pulled them open and luckily it was the way out.

I staggered barefooted past every one of his domestic staff I saw and for some reasons I didn’t know, his gatekeeper did not argue with me or ask me any questions, he just opened the gate and let me leave.

I flagged down the first Taxi that I saw, gave him the address to my husband’s house and we began our journey there.

I rested my elbow on the window and supported my head with my palm, tears slid down my face as my other hand rubbed my tummy softly, I could literally feel the taxi’s driver’s eyes on me through the rear mirror and I sincerely didn’t care about him.

Ofcourse I knew this was the end of my life as a married woman, I would not deny that I considered pretending to not see what I saw, beg my husband and get on with our married life for the sake of our unborn child. But after what happened yesterday and he blatantly asked for a divorce, I knew for sure that it was over. It must have been a dream come true for both he and Nora.

I was just going to get my things and go back to my mother’s house and wallow in my misery.

More tears slid down my face as I thought about the pathetic way my life turned out in just few days, never did I imagine that I was going to be raising my child alone.

I grew up with only my mom and I know how hard that was on both of us, which is why I did everything I could to make sure things work between Fred and I. But I guess history was bound to repeat itself again.

“We’re here ma’am” I heard the taxi driver say, I flinched slightly, sat up and exhaled deeply.

“I’m so sorry sir, I should have done this before, I really don’t have cash to pay you with,” I began, his brows furrowed and his countenance changed immediately, I could tell he was about to burst out angrily,

“B-but but I could make an online transfer if you don’t mind,” I quickly completed my statement before he got to chance to say anything. He grumbled a little, before he finally called out his details. I settled his payment ofcourse with a generous tip for the trouble. Immediately he saw the credit alert, his lips stretched into a small smile.

“Thank you ma’am,” he uttered, I replied with a short nod before stepping out of his car and slamming the door shut behind me, he didn’t even wait for the car to slam shut before zooming off. He was probably thinking I’d change my mind and demand my money back, but that was the least of my issues.

I stood infront of the huge Tanner’s Mansion, a deep sigh escaped my lips. I rang the doorbell, the gateman stepped outside almost immediately and opened up the gate for me. Something was different, he didn’t even bother to greet me, but before that could settle in, I caught sight of my belongings lying scattered at a corner in the compound.

“The boss said no need to come upstairs once you come, you should just pack your bags and leave. His lawyers would get across to you!” I heard the gatekeeper say behind me obviously trying so hard to pick his words. How dare Fred send the gatekeeper to me like this, ignoring his words, I made my way towards the entrance,I definitely was going to give him a piece of my mind. I rang the doorbell two consecutive times and stood back waiting for someone to answer me.

Shortly after, the door slowly went open and Nora stepped out, my lips hanged open immediately I saw her. Everything I had thought to say suddenly diffusing right before my very eyes.

“N-N-Nora,” I stuttered suddenly lost for words, she slowly stepped out, closed the door behind her and folded her hands across her chest. Her gaze swept through my figure disgustingly from head to toe.

“How very insensitive to show your face here after all the trouble you’ve caused!” she snorted

“N-n-Nora , Nora y-you …”

“Hep hep hep hep, shut the flip up “ she snapped cutting me off, she slowly turned to look at my belongings where they threw it.

“I did you the honor, so you don’t have to step your dirty foot in here again, pack your things and leave! No one is interested in seeing your face” she said and with that she walked back inside the house and slammed the door shut in my face. My hands dropped lifelessly to my side as I staggered backwards stunned. Nothing in the world prepared me for this side of Nora.

***

“I already sent you off to your husband’s house! You will not disgrace me! I can’t let you live in my house again” My mother yelled at me, my heart shattered at the words.

“Mama, please,” I whispered, my voice cracking. Tears blurred her vision, and I could hardly breathe past the lump in my throat.

“I have nowhere else to go.”

But it seemed as though my mother’s heart was set. Without another word, she turned away and began to pick up my bags, one by one, dragging them to the gate. The sound of the luggage hitting the ground outside echoed in the quiet street.

“Your story is all over the News! No child of mine would embarrass me the way that you did!”

“Sleeping around with your Sister in law’s husband?! I didn’t birth a whore!”

“You will have to go back and beg your husband until he forgives you and takes you back!” She yelled in my face.

I fell to my knees, my hands reaching out to grab hold of her dress, she is my last and only hope.

“Mama, please don’t do this. I’m your daughter. I need you.” Tears flowed freely from my eyes, my body shaking with sobs.

“I didn’t do anything wrong, please trust your daughter!” I cried, she shoved me away with her legs and grabbed her dress out of my hold.

“That doesn’t change anything. You made your bed, now you must lie in it. This is not your home anymore.”

I watched in despair as my mother turned and walked back into the house, slamming the door shut behind herself. Reminding me that I was alone, utterly alone!

With trembling hands, I wiped the tears from my face, my breath hitching as I tried to gather the strength to stand. I subconsciously reached for my stomach and held on to it carefully, I would definitely hang myself to death if anything happens to my baby.

I slowly got to my feet, I tried to wipe my tears but it wouldn’t stop flowing and I just let it be.

I fumbled with my phone, my hands trembling as I tried to order Uber. My heart was heavy, but I forced myself to focused. I could have sworn if everyone betrayed me, I could always go back to my mother. The thought that I was wrong is excruciating.

I pressed the phone against my ear just as soon as I dialed a driver’s number, I could barely hear the ringing on the other end over the sound of my own heartbeat.

Just as I heard the click of the line connecting, a sleek black Toyota Highlander rolled up the street and came to a stop right in front of me.

My breath caught in my throat as the driver’s side window slowly rolled down. He sticked out his head slightly, placed his hands over the window on the door and locked gazes with me where I stood.

“So?!” His voice was calm, almost too calm, as if he didn’t already knew the answer.

I stood frozen, my phone still pressed against my ear. I could hear the cab driver’s voice repeatedly through the phone, faint and distant.

“Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?” But I couldn’t bring myself to respond to either of them I just stood staring at him.