Chapter 1

Ayla Marigold

I stood unmoving, my glistening burning eyes fixed on the text on my husband's phone screen. My left hand squeezed the pregnancy test kit in my palazo pants pocket, while I picked up the phone with my right hand.

'Got home safely? I miss that dick already.' The clear words had my stomach churning, nausea rising up my throat.

'I swear I can't feel my legs.' Another one followed, making my trachea squeeze up.

"Oh god," I whispered in the empty bedroom, closing my eyes briefly. Every part of my body went on pause, my brain working to make a new connection. I could feel my head becoming heavy, so I leaned on the side of the headboard to steady myself.

Just then my husband stepped out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist. I gulped, my mind already painting a picture of him on top of another woman, pleasuring her. My hand trembled, attracting his eyes which fell on his phone in my hand.

"What are you doing with my phone?" His voice was low as he approached, eyes burning into mine.

"Who is she?" I asked in a whisper, my lips trembling.

"Huh?" He raised a brow nonchalantly, then snatched the phone out of my hand.

"Don't you fucking dare pretend you do not know what I am talking about Roman!" I stood up straight, craning my neck to look at his blank face.

"I waited for you for three hours at the dining table until the food ran cold," I spoke, my voice breaking as my throat burned.

"Three good hours Roman!" I waved three fingers on his face, a lump growing in my throat.

"Did I ask you to wait for me?" I took a step back, feeling as if someone had literally punched me on my chest.

"You did not just say that," I shook my head, my vision getting blurry.

"Whatever," he mummered, shrugging.

"I can't believe you were having sex with another woman while I was worried about you, calling you without any answer," I continued, closing my eyes, the first tear flowing, followed by another until I couldn't control them. I remembered all the nights he had come late, the excuses he gave and how I stupidly believed him.

"I didn't tell you to go snooping around my phone." He shrugged yet again, then turned and headed to the walk-in closet.

I didn't know what hurt me the most; his nonchalant attitude and treatment, or the fact that he didn't deny anything. I walked after him, the lump in my throat growing in with every second that went by. I couldn't believe my one year long marriage was crumpling right in front of my eyes, and that I was the only one that cared about it.

"At least have the decency to look me into my eyes and admit you are cheating," I pounded on his back, as he applied lotion. If it were another day, my pussy would be throbbing at the sight of his sexy body. However knowing that there was another woman only repulsion gripped my body.

"You really are dense if you still need me to spell it out for you Ayla." Another stabbing pain cut across my heart, making me place my right hand on the spot on my chest.

"Yes, I am seeing someone else." He smirked, his eyes glinting ever so lightly. For a moment I forgot how to breath, the admission from his own mouth making my windpipe tighten.

"B-ut why?" I almost begged for a reply, desparate for a reason, any reason.

"Why Roman, why would you go after another wom-an?" I insisted, the urge to at least know what drove him to that point pushing me.

"You are not enough Ayla. I mean look at yourself..." He paused, looking at me from my feet to my head.

"You are wearing ugly palazo pants, an oversized t-shirt and on top of that a bonnet. You do not put any effort to look good for me, all you do is stay at home from morning to evening lazying around. Well I found a replacement who has a career unlike you."

"Are you kidding me right now? I agreed to resign from my good paying job when we married because you pestered me Roman. You said there was no need to work when you could provide everything." I chuckled bitterly, placing my hands on either side of my waist.

"After sacrificing my career to make you happy, now you stand there shamelessly using your fucking idea against me?" I couldn't explain how and what I was feeling at that moment. A mixture of emotions bombarded my system, occupying every nerve, every part of my frail body.

"She is beautiful, brilliant, good in bed and everything that you are not." He spoke. With every ice cold word from him, my heart beat accelerated, with it searing pain spreading in my chest.

"Shut up!" I shouted, my voice cracking.

"No Ayla, I will not shut up because you insisted on knowing why, when you knew you are just a weakling who can't handle the truth." He closed the distance between us, his upper lip stretching upwards when I took a step backwards.

"You wanted the truth, I'll tell you," he chuckled.

"After a whole year of this marriage, unlimited sex and dedication, you still couldn't get pregnant for me." He placed his hand under my chin, his touch making my skin crawl.

"Don't touch me," I stated sharply, slapping his hand away.

"How can a whole CEO like me stay with a barren woman? I decided to save myself the embarrassment and get myself a productive woman, one who does not just drain money from me without adding any value." He sounded so proud of his self-centred actions that I found myself wondering the kind of man I married.

"You were there when the doctor said that there was a chance of pregnancy delay of about a year because I was using injectable birth control. You agreed that you would wait, you promised Roman," I breathed, suddenly feeling light headed.

"It's not my fault that you are not fertile Ayla, so why would I wait?" He turned and slipped on a black satin dress shirt, gold watch, well-fitted black trousers and black loafers while I stood there bawling my eyes out.

"I'd like to think that I made the right decision by dating her because guess what? She's pregnant." The moment he said those words my shattered heart just dropped. I opened my words to speak but the words jammed in my throat. My voice failed me at that moment. I would have never imagined that the day that started with me in high spirits would end like this.

When he was finally done dressing up he turned to look at me, his eyes settling on mine for a few seconds. I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of emotion in his eyes, but he blinked quick then spoke. "Don't wait up, I'll see you tomorrow."

"You are not fucking going anywhere." I blocked his path, wiping my tears furiously.

"Get out of my way Ayla," he boredly stated, looking at the time on his watch.

"Or what?" I challenged, sniffling.

He pushed me out of the way, knocking my wrist against the door frame in the process. I held my wrist, begging him to come back on top of my lungs. I couldn't believe the person he was being at that moment.

I was left standing in the middle of the closet, staring at the spot where he had been standing. I don't know how long I stood there, my frozen brain trying to take in the situation. Only when I heard the sound of the front door closing downstairs from a far did I snap back into reality.

"No, no," I shook my head, dragging myself towards the bed. The distance felt too long for my weak legs and frail will.

"Not no-w," I stammered, lowering myself on the bed. I fetched the test kit from my pocket, the two lines blurry because of my wet eyes. My mind flashed back to the moment I did the first test, then the second just to be sure.

I had been looking forward to sharing the news with Roman, so much so that I ended giving the nanny a day off to prepare dinner for him. Instead he broke my fucking heart, stepped on the pieces and walked out on me without a care in the world.

I whispered into the empty bedroom, feeling so raw, as if there was no skin over my pain.

"I'm pregnant too Roman. If only you had waited just a little bit longer, if only."