2. No One On My Side

[Arella]

"Why don't you understand this simple thing? I don't care about who you are, or what you meant to me! Just leave this house now!”

Deric thunders, his words cutting so deep that I feel my heart shatter.

It’s as though each syllable hammers away at the love we once shared.

"Please..."

I reach closer to him, my hands trembling as I clasp his in mine, trying to bridge this unbearable distance. "Please, Deric, look into my eyes and tell me you don't even feel anything—our connection, our bon–."

"I don't."

He bites out, cold and final as he pushes me away.

"This woman right here is the one who has my heart." He pulls Vivian into his embrace, smirking down at me.

"As far as I'm concerned, you're just a stranger claiming to be my wife.”

Stranger.

The word hits me like a punch to the gut, stealing my breath.

I remember rushing to his ward this morning to check up on him, only to find out he'd checked out, leaving me all alone.

I managed to trace him back to our home, finding him and Vivian here, with all my stuff tossed out the door.

"You want proof, right? I—I’ll show you proof!"

Desperation claws at me, tears blurring my vision as I stumble to our room, my hands frantic. "Where is it? I can't find it!"

"And what gave you the right to search my home, like this?!" Deric’s voice cuts through, filled with anger and coldness.

"Deric, please calm down," Vivian murmurs, resting a hand on his arm as if trying to soothe him. "Arella, I think you should just—"

"Don't tell me what to do in my own matrimonial home, Vivian!" I snap watching her flinch as yet another bout of tears form around her eyes.

"Why did you keep it? Where did you keep my wedding album?”

"I d-don't know what you're talking about." Her voice is barely a whisper, as she sniffles, rubbing her eyes.

Deric gaze turns ice-cold as he looks at me.

"How dare you raise your voice at her like that, and you call yourself my “wife”? Look, at this point—whatever fling that happened between us is all in the past now. I have a get-together to host, take your stuff and leave this house before I return! Oh and don't forget to sign those divorce papers on the table!”

“Come on, babe.” He grabs Vivian’s hand and storms out, pulling her along as if I’m nothing more than an unwelcome intruder.

My knees give out, and I collapse onto the floor, my mind reeling with confusion and pain.

D-divorce?

This can’t be happening; it has to be some terrible dream.

I-I have to find a way to make him remember me, I can't bear his coldness anymore.

Why was Vivian so silent, just watching everything unfold? What’s her real plan here?

As I try to gather my thoughts, I remember his words—get-together.

I scramble to my feet, my gaze landing on the calendar with a circle marked around today’s date—our college get-together.

A flicker of hope blooms in my heart; maybe this is my chance to remind him of our past, to bring him back to me.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Soft conversation hums around me as I approach the large table of familiar faces. An elegant orchestra playing in the background, music mixing with the their laughter and chatter.

Deric must have chosen this spot—it’s lavish, fitting the billionaire he’s become, a man who spares no expense to impress his friends.

My eyes immediately find him. Seating at the head of the table. His eyes find mine and they widen with joy.

Does he…. remember me now?

My heart pounds gleefully as I gulp watching him stand up and approaches me with a huge grin on his face, his arms spread out wide.

I mimic his gesture, walking briskly toward him, my heart swelling with hope and longing, wanting to feel his comforting arms around me.

But in an instant, I’m pushed aside, stumbling to the ground as shock and confusion flood my senses.

I watch, stunned, as he embraces Vivian in a tight hug.

“What took you so long, babe? I was getting worried,” he says, his thumb gently swiping her bottom lip before leaning in to give her a chaste kiss.

The sight feels like a dagger twisting in my chest, an ache spreading deep as anger and jealousy bubble up, threatening to spill over.

Around me, I hear snickers and whispers, the mocking sound making my face burn hot with shame.

“Deric,” I call out, forcing myself to stand despite the humiliation clinging to me, determined to do anything as long as he remembers me.

“Does this dress look familiar? It was the same dress I wore on the day you proposed to me. Do you remem—"

“How shameless can you be to actually come here?” he sneers, cutting me off, his words sharp and cold.

“You’re so desperate, it’s actually embarrassing.”

My eyes dart to Vivian, pleading silently for her to say something. "Say something! Clarify the situation right no—"

“Just shut up already!” he snaps, his expression hardening. “Haven’t I told you that I don’t care? Why do you have to stoop so low?”

I flinch, each harsh word hitting me like a slap.

“You want proof, right?”

I take a deep, shaky breath. “The proof is all around you, Deric!” I point to all our friends, my voice laced with desperation and hurt.

My gaze finally lands on Brent, the one person I’m hoping will help.

I make my way to him, my voice barely holding together.

“Brent was your best man at our wedding. Tell him, Brent, please. He thinks I’m lying!”

“Whoa, whoa, easy there. Everyone, let’s all try to calm down now,” Brent says, an unusual smirk on his lips.

"Sit, Arella."

Deric opens his mouth as if to say something, but Vivian clutches his arm, shaking her head, her eyes pleading.

"Well, if it isn't Arella Myers herself," a girl sneers from across the table, her tone dripping with disdain. I recognize her; she’s always had a problem with me since our college days.

"Smith. It’s Arella Smith." I hold my head high, forcing myself to sit despite the unfriendly gazes around me.

"Look, Arella, you're making a scene and embarrassing us all. Why don't you chill?"

My heart plummets. "Brent, are you serious right now? Vivian is pretending to be me! And my own husband can't even remember me."

"Give him space, sheesh," a girl sneers from across the table.

"How could you guys say this? Deric is already married! I need your help to make him remember me again…please. He's not listening to a single word from me!"

"But they look so good together," another girl says lightly. "Besides, Deric is better off with Vivian. Just look at them."

I feel my composure crumbling. I’m surrounded by people I once considered friends, yet I have no one on my side.

How did things get to this point?

Deric’s gaze meets mine, but it’s hard, like I’m nothing more than a stranger beneath his cold eyes. He doesn’t even try to stop the insults.

Vivian’s gaze holds a flicker of sympathy, but it only deepens the ache in my chest. She looks so innocent, yet she’s taking my life away, and I’m powerless to stop her.

I try to stand, the weight of humiliation too much to bear, but a firm grip holds my hands.

My heart races—it’s Deric. Could he…

"You wanted to come here, right? Stay. Don't you dare try to leave," he commands, his tone sharp.

"Look, Arella, I can explain..," Vivian begins.

Deric tightens his hold on her waist, his eyes soft on hers. "And why would you? Did you do anything wrong?"

I stand there watching my husband whisper things in her ear, her face turning red.

I open my mouth to say something when, suddenly, someone tugs me to the other side of the table.

It’s Frank, one of Deric’s old friends. He flashes me a charming, unsettling smile.

"What do you want, Frank?" My voice trembles, laced with irritation as I see his mocking smile.

"I mean no harm, baby girl. You're stressing yourself out too much. Deric will be fine soon, just give it a few days. Here, take this."

He presses a glass into my hand, and though doubt swirls in my mind, I take a sip. I feel myself relax slightly, even as I watch Deric and Vivian exchange soft smiles and laughter.

I tell myself this is temporary, that my husband will return to me, that those divorce papers with his signature on it are all fake.

As the evening drags on, Frank keeps refilling my glass, and the drink starts tasting strange.

A dizzy feeling washes over me, my mind slipping in and out as the world spins, I stand up, steps wobbly as I locate Deric on the dance floor with Vivian.

“Deric…I need hel-”

He shoves me away and the last thing I see before darkness swallows me is a smirk from him.

What’s happening to me?