CHAPTER 1

ARIA'S POV

My husband and boss Adam, is laughing at every joke that leaves the lips of his first love while I watch them through the glass doors that separates his office from mine. I had been dutifully preparing some documents that needed his signature and also setting up his meetings for the day like I have done for 7 years as his secretary but since Sophia’s arrival, I have been unable to get any work done.

I feel a pang in my chest every time Adam laughs, almost tearing up at the thought that he has never laughed like that around me. I stare at her slender frame, her lush black hair that bounces back into place even when she throws her head back in laughter and the grace in every of her movements. Sophia is an epitome of feminine grace and every of her features is proof of why Adam has been hung up over her even though they separated years ago. Even though he married me.

The dark binds of his office are brought down abruptly, blocking my view of them both and now all I can see is black. It is as if Adam is trying to prevent me from prying even though I am his wife and privacy shouldn’t be a thing between us, especially when it comes to a woman he used to love so much.

I still remember how shocked I was when she walked up to me earlier, heels clicking ever so sophisticatedly on the office tiles. I saw the feet cladded in shiny red heels before I raised my head to look at her.

“Aria, I didn’t know you still worked here! I can’t believe Adam is still making you work even after you both got married. That man is something, isn’t he?”

She said, smiling sweetly with blood red lips that would look horrifying on me if I dared to try that shade of lipstick. I couldn’t speak, caught in the shock of staring face to face with her after all these years, especially as she still had the same aura of wealth and confidence that I have always known her to possess. For a split second, she made me feel insecure in my gray office wear and my tight bun hair and the fact that I wore little to no makeup.

“Sophia!”

Adam’s voice was what broke me out of that trance I was stuck in as he stepped out of his office and there, right in front of me, he hugged her ever so tightly like an old time friend before he led her back into his office without sparing me as little as a glance.

Now, they are alone together in his office, the blinds of his office pulled shut so that I can’t see them but can only hear their muffled voices and his own laughter every now and then. I squirm in my seat uncomfortably each time they laugh, gripping the edges of my table tightly and too destabilized to get any work done while they are both holed up in there.

I stare at the calendar on my table. Today’s date is marked with a red marker and I sigh deeply. Does he even know today is our third wedding anniversary? Every year, it seems like I am the only one who remembers it and now with Sophia’s appearance, I can already tell that today will pass by like it’s just another day.

 I knew she was coming today. Being his secretary is the only reason why I knew the things Adam would rather keep from me. He already briefed me about a new business partner that just returned to the country two months ago and will be at the office at any time. What I didn’t know or should I say, what he purposely kept from me was that the so-called business partner was Sophia Bradley and perhaps the reason why he has been more cold and indifferent than usual, ever since her return.

My heart aches at the realization but it aches even more because there is nothing I can do about it. I have never had a place in Adam’s heart but he has been the only one in mine. I loved him from the very moment he saved my life years ago but I can say the same for him.

He always reminds me even without speaking, that our marriage is nothing but an attempt at fulfilling his grandfather’s wishes and I knew if he had gotten his way, he would have never looked at me twice, not to talk of getting married to me.

Grandfather’s love for me is perhaps the only reason I am still sane in this loveless marriage. The old man never ceases to show how much he cherishes me but when has that ever been enough? I am married to Adam and not his family.

The clock ticks endlessly, yet Adam remains in there with her.

Their laughter dies down all of a sudden and I can barely hear a word they are saying. Unable to hold back anymore, I stand before the restlessness kills me. I am his wife and I deserve to know what is going on. To look natural, I quickly make two cups of coffee. After all, I am his secretary and this is a part of my job.

Nervous sweat breaks out on my forehead as I make my way to his office with unsure steps. Inhaling sharply, I open the door and step in. My heart clenches at the sight of them both, relaxed in each other’s company as they sit so close to each other on one of the couches in his office. I swallow hard and try to walk over to the table with the best confidence I could muster.

“I made coffee.” I say but they don’t even acknowledge my presence, lost in each other and whatever they were discussing. I study Sophia for a moment, watching as she twirls her cherry blonde hair with a finger while seated with one leg crossed over the other to reveal a provocative amount of thighs, smiling so brightly that I can’t tell if she’s faking it.

I want to turn around and leave but my feet fail to move. I can’t just leave like this. For how long will I keep quiet and suck it up?

“Sir,” I call, looking directly at Adam. We are married but he never fails to remind me that I address him as my boss at work. Adam doesn’t even make a move to look at me and anger rises inside of me, slowly boiling.

“Sir,” I call again and that is when he finally regards me with a cold look that almost deters me but I remain firm under his gaze.

“There is something I need to talk to you about, it’s important.”  I lie right through my teeth. I can feel Sophia’s gaze burning through me but I try not to look at her, for the fear that my confidence would slip away if I do.

 Adam just waves me off.

“It can wait. As you can see, I have a guest.”

“It can’t wait.” I say, even more firmly but he is already back to smiling and listening to Sophia speak like a lovesick teenage boy. I call him a few more times and unable to hold back any longer, I call him by his name instead.

“Adam!”

They both look up at me with a mix of expressions. That of Adam is pure anger while Sophia is obviously irritated. I know she has never liked me and back when I was just his secretary and she was his girlfriend, she complained about every single thing I did.

“Adam, what is this? Is this how you let your employees disrespect you?” She says it with absolute disgust and disrespect.

I am stunned at her words, so stunned that I scoff. Employee? She dares to talk down on me like that even when she knows fully well that I am not just an employee.

Adam stands, his tall frame causing his shadow to sweep over me while I grip the tray of coffee tightly in my hands.

“Aria, out. Now.” He commands and I am filled with so much hurt that my hands shake and my lips quiver.

“Why should I? I have every reason to be in this room and I have every right to speak for you to listen to me.”

Sophia stands at once.

“It seems as though your wife has a bone to pick with me and I will not sit here and take such insults.”

 She begins to walk away and of course, Adam follows her. I try to move out of her way but my attempt fails when her shoulder heavily bumps into mine in a way that is too fierce to be considered unintentional. I lose grip of the tray and stagger forward and just like that, the hot coffee spills all over her very expensive looking dress and mine. She shrieks, backing away from me only to glare at me the next second.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” She yells. Adam rushes to her side in less than a minute, fussing over her stained dress and even offering her his handkerchief while I stand there, drenched in coffee as my husband takes care of another woman. I feel the tears prickling at the corner of my eyes but what does crying in front of this woman make me?

“I can’t believe you! What did I ever do to you? Go ahead and dislike me all you want but there is a limit to how far you can go and you just crossed that.” She says again, seething in uncontained anger.

Adam turns to me, eyes dark with rage. It makes me shiver. Makes me feel unimaginable pain to know he is mad at me because of another woman.

“Apologise right now!” He commands and I scoff. How can he stand there and take her side when I did nothing wrong?

“Why should I do that? I have done nothing wrong. She bumped into me!” I defend myself, my voice breaking. Lips quivering.

“I did no such thing!” Sophia says defensively but her eyes tell a different story.

“You heard me, Aria. Apologize to her right now.” Adam says again, still intently looking at me. I almost laugh at the fact that the only time he is looking me directly in the eyes after three years of marriage is when another woman is involved.

I shake my head, finding all of this hard to believe.

“So you believe her over me? You take her words for it but mine does not matter? I am your wife.”

“A wife I never wanted to marry!”  He yells back and shatters what is left of my broken heart.