Ch-1

Alora’s POV

Today had already started on a bad note when I accidentally spilled a cup of hot coffee on myself. Honestly, I really thought that was going to be the worst of it until I pushed open the double doors that served as the entrance to my house.

“What the….” The rest of the words died on my lips as I froze in my tracks. My mind raced in confusion as I stared at the scene in front of me with wide eyes.

What the hell was going on?

And as if to answer my question, ”Bang!” a loud noise reverberated from the corner of the living room.

I shook in fear, my heart jumping to my throat as the sound took me off guard. I flinched a bit, before turning to the direction from which the sound had come to check what was happening.

Perhaps, if I had known what was waiting for me, I wouldn't have even turned.

A gasp escaped my lips as my gaze fell on a tall muscular man walking out of one of the rooms holding one of my many plaques. He raised it high and before I could even stop him, he hurled it to the floor.

I had no idea which was more scary, his physique, or the fact that he had just slammed one of my favorite awards to the ground.

Even as the award shattered into pieces on the ground, I couldn't bring myself to yell. Without sparing a glance in my direction, he made his way further into the living room.

The said living room was a mess. If I hadn't spotted a portrait I had hung up on the wall a couple of days ago, I would have clearly told myself that I had walked into the wrong house.

More and more men trooped in, and from their organized movements, I was sure they had the same goal; to trash my entire house.

My heart dropped to my feet as they continued destroying everything they laid their hands on. A sharp pain pierced through my chest, causing me to lean on the door for support. With everything going on, I had no idea what to do.

Was this why Mr Forson, our family butler, had called earlier on? Was I the only one he'd called? Why didn't he call Elia, my husband? Where is Eliaz exactly when all of this was happening?

The more I asked myself questions in my head, the more they went on with their mission, ruining every bit of me that was associated with what was happening.

Where was Mr Forson? Where was Eliaz?

“Stop this!” I finally summoned courage and forced the words out of my throat, causing them to halt and turn to look at me.

Taking it as an opportunity, “Who the hell are you? And what do you think you're doing?” I yelled.

The men stared at me, all four of them and I couldn't help but feel intimidated. Their eyes held nothing but anger, and the more they stared at me, the more I wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

They didn't utter a word but rather one of them grabbed a huge vase from the corner. My breath caught in my throat and my eyes widened when I realized which vase it was and just what he was about to do.

“Don’t you dare!!” I warned, rushing towards him to snatch it from his hands. The vase was one of my favorite gifts from my husband a couple of months back and I would die if anything happened to it. “Don't you dare…”

The rest of my words dried on my tongue as one of the burly men pushed me. I wasn't exactly sure what I was expecting, but the searing pain that spread through my palms wasn't a part of them.

I pressed my eyes shut in a feeble attempt to stop the tears from falling. Intense jolts of pain spread through my hands, and the moment the all too familiar metallic smell of blood reached my nostrils, I fought the urge to puke.

As slowly as I could, I opened my eyes. I was sprawled on the floor, but the first thing I saw was an unhealthy amount of blood gushing out of my hands and spilling onto the floor. The sight alone caused my stomach to churn, and I wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

My mind whirled with a million and one things all at once, but before they could cloud me, someone's voice reverberated in the room.

“What the hell is going on?!” He thundered, causing something to flicker through my eyes.

It was hope, and I felt it swell as the footsteps drew closer.

“What's all the fuss about?!”

I let out a breath I had no idea I was holding when he finally came into view.

It was Eliaz, my husband and if the angry frown he wore on his lips meant anything, I could easily deduce it to be the fact that all the men in here were in a lot of trouble.

“Eliaz.” My voice held a tint of frustration and happiness as I rushed towards him. Broken pieces on the ground cut inside my foot and on my legs, but I shook them off. Once I got to Eliaz, everything would be fine. I was sure of it.

“What's going on?” I asked the moment I got to him. I needed to know why he was here doing nothing when these people were creating a mess in our home.

Ignoring my blood-stained hands, I grabbed onto his hand, eager for even the tiniest bit of comfort from him.

“Who are all these men and what are they doing? Is this some sort of renovation? You didn't tell me you were renovating our…..”

“Our?” He snapped, cutting me off.

I froze at the cold tone his voice had embodied. I caught a glimpse of his face, and I felt my heart drop to my feet.

“This isn't our house anymore, Alora. There was never our.”

“Eliaz…” I called out, shocked by his words. How could he allow such a thing to come out of his mouth?

How can he tell me there has never been “our” when we have been a couple for five good years.

“Your father, Mr Edwin, is dead. So is this marriage!.” He grumbled.

His words drove a deep stake Into my heart. I was just coming back from the cemetery and he didn't need to remind me that one of my biggest support systems was no longer in the world.

He didn't need to remind of the fact that I was all on my own during the funeral. Because neither him not my stepsister, whom my dad would have sacrificed anything for; wasn’t present at his funeral.

“What?”

“ Don't be surprised, Alora.” He said, my name rolling off his tongue like bile. “What did you think, that I loved you? I would rather die a million times than dedicate my life to being with you.”

“No.” I shook my head, not wanting to believe it. Tears stung the back of my eyes, but I didn't care. “You can't, you don't mean that right? Why are you acting this way? Did I do something wrong?”

“I never loved you, Alora. I only married you because your father forced me to. And now that he is no more, there's no need for me to keep pretending.

A chilling cold ran down my spine and I shuddered. My head felt light and when I said I felt my heart rip into two, I wasn't exaggerating. My chest tightened, and I was this close to passing out.

“Eliaz, what are you saying?….” I asked, my voice shaking, even though I heard him loud and clear.

Just when I thought things couldn't get any more worse, mother nature dealt me another blow.

“Eliaz baby. Is everything okay?” Someone cooed from behind causing me to dart at where the voice came from.

It was already shocking to hear Cynthia's voice behind Eliaz. What I didn't expect to see at all, was the state she was in as she walked deeper into the living room.

“What's going on?” Cynthia cooed, before placing a quick kiss on Eliaz’s cheek,one which he reciprocated almost instantly.

“You know all this noise isn't good for our baby.”

“Cynthia?” my head titled in confusion as I called her name.

“What the hell are you doing here and what do you mean by our baby?”

Wasn't she the same person who had told me that she wouldn't make it father’s funeral? What the hell was she doing here?

And what she mean by “our baby?”

My gaze moved from Eliaz to Cynthia, staring intently at them as I waited for them to explain what was going on.

Clearing his throat, “Allow me to introduce… the love of my life and the mother of my child….” Eliaz said as he intertwined his arms with Cynthia’s.