“She’s here on an appointment,” Wilhelm replied coldly. “What are YOU doing here? I didn’t hear about you getting an appointment to see me.”
I blinked. “You’re asking me, your own wife, to set an appointment for me to get to see you in your own company?”
A shadow crossed over my husband’s face. “Isn’t that what I’ve just said?”
“I’m so sorry, Kathryn! I only tried to wipe the sweat off the back of his shirt,” Rose reasoned. “I meant no harm in doing it,” she looked to Wilhelm next. “I should probably leave—”
“You should stay. We’re not yet signing the contract,” he gestured to the paper on the desk before he shifted his gaze to me. “You should be the one to leave.”
I couldn’t breathe at his words, my hands shaking as I held tight onto the lunchbox that I had brought him. How could he dismiss me like this?
“Why is she joining the company?” I managed to ask.
Wilhelm narrowed his eyes on me. “Do I need to tell you?”
“Wil, that’s enough,” Rose said, reaching out to touch his shoulder. She flashed me a smile before she proceeded to speak. “I’m actually applying to be your company’s official consultant for sales management. I just finished my master’s degree in business management, and had been a little too rough with drinking yesterday.”
Although her explanation coincides with what my husband has told me, I just couldn’t take away this bad feeling about her.
“There you have it,” Wilhelm added as he focused on the paper in front of him. “Satisfied?”
I held back my tears and hated myself for not thinking less about what was going on between the two of them.
“Wilhelm, I need to speak to—”
“Can’t it wait when I get home?”
“Please,” was all that came out of my mouth. I need to tell him about the growing life inside of me, or I’ll lose him forever.
He refused to look at my face. “I have texted the driver to pick you up. You may leave now.”
I couldn’t move. He was so cold and dismissive to me that I had no strength left to even speak.
Wordlessly, I slammed his lunchbox on his table and excused myself in their presence. The clacking of heels followed me behind, and I caught Rose catching up to me.
“Wait! Kathryn!”
I stopped in my tracks, expecting an apology, but Rose had a sly smile on her face, rendering me suspicious as she came closer.
“You deserved it,” she said while she took out her phone.
My jaw fell. “What did you just say?”
She chuckled as she showed me a photo of her and my husband sleeping soundly next to her—in bed.
“Of course, you deserve to know what’s been going on behind closed doors. See here, Kath, I know that you’re an incredible woman, but you can’t outsmart me. I’m always a foot ahead of you,” she said. “And that picture is proof that it didn’t matter if you married Wilhelm,” her eyes darkened as she continued. “He’ll still find his way back to me.”
I couldn’t contain the pain that seeped through my chest at her words. “What…do you mean?”
“Oh, you didn’t know about Wilhelm and me?” she clicked her tongue. “That’s too bad! I must’ve been cruel to have revealed it to you this way.”
My eyes burned on the picture on her phone. “Explain! Why are you doing this?”
“Remember the day you got engaged all because his stupid father wanted you to be his bride instead of me? The day before that, he broke Wilhelm and me up! And then a few months later, you were married to him,” she hissed.
Pain shot my stomach as I started to dissect her words. “You and Wilhelm?” my eyes widened. “You’re his ex-girlfriend?”
Rose crossed her arms, looking bored. “Oh. He didn’t tell you, did he now? We used to be so in-love back in the day. I would’ve been in your position—a billionaire’s wife, if you hadn’t appeared in the picture.” She moved away from me then. “Now, I’m here to take back what’s mine.”
My hand held onto the wall for support as Rose turned on her heels, and walked straight to Wilhelm’s office.
I was left alone in the hallway, and I felt something crash inside of me, like my heart was being ripped out altogether with no hope for it to be fixed.
I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe—except for the fact that I needed to protect this baby and go as far away from them as I could. I would rather raise my child alone than have a father like Wilhelm by their side.
Walking slowly, I found my way back to my husband’s office. Rose was laughing at something he said, and this made my blood run completely cold.
“Wilhelm,” I called, and my husband whipped his head in my direction.
“Didn’t I tell you to go back home?” he asked irritably.
I ignored his words, steeling myself for what I was about to say. “Let’s get a divorce.”
Kathryn’s POVI kept my lips closed and left without looking back, despite Wilhelm’s incessant protests of telling me to stop walking and face him instead. Ignoring him, I reminded myself that I was only here to drop off his lunch. Now, refocusing on my priority I headed back inside the car for my monthly prenatal check-up.As I arrived at the hospital with worry in my heart, the check-up and ultrasound surprisingly went well, but I barely felt my excitement as my mind was still on the events that had happened a while ago. Taking a deep breath, I tried my best to remove them from my mind when Dr. Miller began to inspect my belly. “Let’s see here,” Dr. Miller nodded her head several times as her eyes alight with a sparkle of curious wonder. “Oh, I have great news for you, Mrs. Reinhardt!” She placed down the sonogram, and faced me with a grin on her face. My breath caught in anticipation, unsure if this was something worth celebrating as she made it sound to be. “Congratulations!
Kathryn’s POVThe man I once admired as my husband, stood from his desk and sank on the sofa next to it, muttering curses one after the other. “This is fucking ridiculous!” “Don’t you want to read it first?” I asked, my face a blank canvas on his outraged nature. “You’re being unreasonable,” Wilhelm barked as he stared at the divorce agreement document that was placed on his table, his face turning dead-beat red from probably all the anger he felt. “How ungrateful can you be, Kath? I’ve wasted money for you to get to where you are, and now you’re asking me for a divorce?” he laughed without any humor. “And whose money do you think you’d use to pay your attorney’s fee? My own?” I placed my hand underneath my belly for support. “I owe you nothing, Wilhelm. The money that I have right now came wholly from my parents, especially my father’s inheritance.” “Yours? Are you even listening to yourself?” Wilhelm exclaimed. “Remember the day you came begging, promising to combine your in
Kathryn’s POV After I rang the doorbell, I heard a few rushing footsteps and grunting before the door opened, and the wind swiped at my face. “Oh, Kathryn!” My best friend Emily hugged me so tight I could barely breathe, but I was happy to finally be able to see a friend after a very long time of being confined in Reinhardt’s villa. “I’ve been waiting for years,” she sobbed and I whimpered between the curves of her shoulders, somewhat relieved I found myself here. “Well, that took me a long time. But enough of that!” I wiped my own tears with the back of my hand. “I’m finally here–at least temporarily. Mom wants me to get home as soon as I can.” Emily gathered my hand, her eyes moist. “I can understand why she’s in a rush, but stay as long as you need, Kathy. Don’t you dare go back to that horrible place!” My phone suddenly rang. “Why does he keep calling you?” Emily exclaimed after she placed a cup of tea on the table across from me. “If he already has his side chick, he sh
Mother placed a few biscuits and a cup of tea in front of me, wearing a frown that accentuated the fine lines on her face. Beside her sat my stepfather, who also wore a similar expression, though he attempted to appear more relaxed than my mother ever did. The room filled with the scent of jasmine and honey, a welcome relief for my stomach after a long day at my lawyer’s office.“I can’t believe you did it,” Mother finally spoke, her eyes solemn as they gazed upon me in disappointment, yet she didn’t look much older either from the new color of her hair. “News traveled fast about your decision to divorce Wilhelm, and I’m sure your father in heaven wouldn’t like it either. His efforts to get you married off to a capable man had all gone to waste.”I arched an eyebrow as I took a sip from my cup. “When he’s clearly the one who placed our feet in a surmountable amount of debt? Yeah, sure.” “How can you speak that way to your deceased father!” Mother exclaimed, her face flushing with co
Kathryn’s POVSeven months later…“Au revoir, and great work everyone,” my professor gathered all of his things as he looked at us with vigor. “I’ll see you tomorrow, same time,” his eyes lingered my way. Nodding, I flashed him a smile before I sank into my seat, my huge belly protruding from the table as my classmates dispersed outside of the classroom. Life was never the same again, and I can say that I enjoyed the days that counted down to my twins’ upcoming birth, pulling all-nighters whenever exams came up, or just simply laying on the couch whenever I felt extremely sleepy throughout the day. At times, my mind would drift back to the days of my marriage, but seeing the results of my studies and moving to Paris quickly pushed those thoughts aside.My divorce with Wilhelm was going smoothly, and I never heard another word from him again. I smirked. I mean, how could I? When I basically threw my old life away, and shielded my present from both his family and mine. It was the be
Kathryn’s POVExam week is over, and I personally think I did well in most of my subjects. It was already dark when I decided to go home from school. While I walk in silence, I can’t shake Roland’s words out of my mind, even though I know to myself that I should be focusing on my exam results instead.I didn’t doubt for one second that Roland would’ve taken good care of me and my children like they were his own blood. But I still couldn’t drag him into my life; not when it’s meant to be this messy from the start. I regret that even now, Wilhelm’s subtle smile when we first met has always cast a shadow on Roland’s face whenever he stares right back at me. Even though my now ex-husband was already so far away from me, his memories were a shadow that never left my side. A tall man in a dark hoodie leaned his entire body on the lamppost, his head tracking my movements as I turned into a dark alley. I couldn’t quite see his face, but my heart raced when I sensed his presence drawing nea
Wilhelm’s POV“I’ve brought your son here, Mr. Wilhelm,” Jamie, my closest confidant and bodyguard said. My train of thought was completely derailed when I heard someone coo from behind Jamie. He took a step aside, providing me with the opportunity to glance over his shoulder. My eyes fixated on Dr. Miller’s grim expression as she held a bundle of blankets, a small head peeking out from the crumpled folds.As I remained speechless, my gaze focused solely on the baby in Dr. Miller’s arms. “He’s done well during the flight,” Jamie added.The baby fussed and made small movements with his tiny arms before stretching, as if he had been in that position for the longest time. Then, he opened his eyes. I felt like I was completely shattered inside.“He has the color of his mother’s eyes,” I remarked with disdain. “The rest is already your features, sir,” Jamie added, perhaps to put out the rage of emotions that had been going on inside of me. I stared at the child, an empty feeling residin
Kathryn’s POVFive years later…“Charlize, you need to hold onto mommy, alright?” I had a big smile on my face as my daughter went back from running ahead of me, to reach out my hand while I pulled our luggage. “Mommy, it’s so hot! I shouldn’t have worn a jacket,” she fanned herself and pulled at the collar of her shirt underneath her jacket. We were almost at the exit, and I had rerouted our way to the sides to help with Charlize’s concerns. “Here, darling,” I knelt down and unzipped the jacket. Charlize easily shrugged it off for a second before she sighed in relief.“I feel better now, Mommy! Thank you,” she smiled brightly as the sun found her face, her eyes turning lush as the forest, while her blonde hair was lighter when hit by the sun’s rays. “Are we getting picked-up so that we won’t have to walk?” She pouted and I laughed. “I know it’s tiring honey, but bear with it for a while. Mommy has a little surprise for you…” Charlize’s face lit up. “I love surprises!” Her define