Betrayed and Humiliated

Chapter 1

Katniss

“Get away! Let me in! I am still his wife,” I exclaimed, slamming my hand on the broad chest of the bodyguard barring my way. After ten minutes of hysterical begging, I finally forced the door open.

I cried helplessly, tears streaming down my face. Everyone in the room looked at me with disgust.

“That woman! Why is she here?” Their murmurs cut through me like blades.

This should have been the happiest day of my life. My husband, who had left for a business trip five months ago, was now returning home. But now, standing in the doorway, I witnessed the unthinkable: he was marrying another woman—the very woman who had schemed to drive us apart. She had always been a loser, but now she had won.

I strode forward, my face burning with anger, and slapped her hard across the cheek.

SLAP!

If I hadn't overheard the maids gossiping, I would never have known about their secret wedding. But why? How could he betray me like this?

She winced, clamping her mouth shut to stifle a gasp.

“He is my husband! How dare you steal him from me?” I shouted, my voice shaking. “You’re a shameless woman!”

“KATNISS!” My mother-in-law walked up and slapped me hard. The sting was intense, but the betrayal before me was far worse.

My sobs grew louder. My husband kept quiet, embarrassed. I stared at him, my eyes teary. His look was different—cold, with no affection, only hatred.

“What do you mean?” I screeched, fear growing in my stomach. I walked fast towards him, the pain in my chest worsening with every step. “Honey, why? What have I done? Why are you betraying me like this?” I struggled not to cry, seeking an answer. There must be a misunderstanding.

James had never treated me this way before. While not always affectionate, he had never been cold.

As I reached out to touch his cheek, my mother-in-law fiercely pulled my hand away and pushed me to the ground.

“Ahhh!” I winced in agony, holding my stomach.

“Mother-in-law, why are you so harsh to me? Why is everyone so hard-hearted? I am part of this family too,” I whispered, each word a dagger in my heart.

“Honey? I’m your wife. Why aren’t you defending me?”

With hatred in her eyes, my mother-in-law said, ‘What? A woman like you should not be defended!’ My husband said nothing; no hint of sympathy flickered in my eyes as if my suffering did not matter.

Whack!

I closed my eyes as my mother-in-law threw something at my face. “What is this?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“Sign it! You’re not fit to be part of this esteemed family! My son’s marriage to you was a mistake!” she shouted.

With trembling hands, I looked at the papers. My heart sank, and I struggled to breathe when I saw my husband’s signature. I shook my head in disbelief.

“No, this can’t be happening,” I whispered, devastation in my voice.

Smack!

The pen struck my cheek. I stood, my mother-in-law, gripping my arm, but I pushed past her to confront James. I knelt before him. “No. You can’t divorce me. I won’t sign this.”

“Sign it. That’s all you need to do,” he replied coldly. James, standing before me, was a stranger.

“B-But why? Why are you treating me like this? What happened? We loved each other. Please, explain it to me. Don’t destroy me, I can’t live without you,” I begged, clutching his legs, sobbing. I prayed for mercy, for him to change his mind.

“Get your filthy hands off my husband, you bitch!” Renata, the woman who stole my husband, yanked my hands away.

SLAP!

Her slap left my cheek burning. I was speechless.

SLAP!

Again and again.

“Slut! Infidelity, having sexual relations with other men, and now you are pleading with him not to leave you?” she said bitterly.

I froze, wide-eyed, staring at her, disbelief washing over me. “W-What do you mean?! Who’s cheating? I never cheated!” I cried out.

Renata snorted, her expression defiant. “Which cheater would admit it?” she spat.

“I’m telling the truth!” My voice rose. I would never betray my husband! I glanced at him, shaking my head to signal my honesty, but his gaze remained cold, growing colder. The disgust was palpable.

Renata approached my husband, and it felt like a thousand knives stabbing my heart. I forgot how to breathe as Renata casually wrapped her arm around his waist. What hurt most was how my husband showed no remorse at all.

“I never cheated, honey. This is slander! Why did you believe them so easily without discussing this with me first? Why was it so easy for you to trust them while I waited for you at home?” I questioned.

I heard murmurs growing louder from the guests.

“LIAR!” My mother-in-law shouted.

“You dare say you didn’t cheat?! Then explain this!” she continued with the same anger.

I shifted my gaze to the side, mouth agape in disbelief. For a moment, I had no idea what was going on.

There on the screen was a photo of me embracing a man I had never met in my life. The worst part was that we were both naked under the sheets, tenderly hugging each other.

"W-What? This can't be real.” My heart pounded rapidly. Where did they get this photo?

“This is slander! Honey, I swear. I—”

"I don't need any explanation from you. You've seen all the evidence. Sign the divorce papers and leave," my husband demanded firmly, not giving me a chance to explain.

"No! I will not sign it!" I refused vehemently. Struggling to stand, with the last of my strength, I walked toward him again, falling to my knees, pressing my forehead to his shoes, like a beggar. I would do anything to make him come back to me.

“Please don’t leave me, honey,” I pleaded, “I will die without you."

"The photos are fake. I have been loyal to this marriage…Please, you can beat me, do anything to me, but don’t divorce me,” I cried, not caring how low I had sunk.

I reached into my pocket and showed him something. "I was going to share this happy news with you. I'm finally pregnant. Our child, the one we've been longing for, is finally here," I said, forcing a smile through my suffering, showing him the positive test with two lines.

I saw the shock in his eyes. He took the test kit and examined it. But Renata quickly snatched it and threw it forcefully at my face.

"Ahhh!"

"She's even carrying a bastard child!" Renata screamed, pointing accusingly.

"SHE’S PREGNANT WITH A BASTARD CHILD!!!” she repeated louder. My eyes widened.

"What did you say?! NO!" I exclaimed.

"It's my child with J—"

"James has been on a business trip for a long time! How could you be pregnant with his child?" she screamed, pointing accusingly at my face.

"Did you all hear that?! She just admitted! It's a bastard child!" Renata yelled to all the guests.

"Disgraceful!" The previously silent guests began to speak up, pointing at me with judgmental looks.

Thud!

"Ah!" I shielded myself from the cake thrown by one of them, followed by others. Drinks were poured over me.

"Why is this happening?" I sobbed, feeling utterly alone. No one was on my side. I was ostracized and shouted at, even my husband didn’t believe me. He was just trying to calm down his drama-filled new wife who was crying, while I was the one in pain.

"You cheap woman! Shameless! You're lucky my son married someone like you, just a lowly employee!" The insult came in a piercing tone.

"Mother-in-law, please. This is all a misunderstanding. I don’t know who that man is. I’ve never even met him. Please, I'm not lying, please believe me," I pleaded, clasping my hands together, begging, practically kneeling for forgiveness and trust. But all I received were insults.

"Shut up! How dare you speak?! Now sign those papers! And get out of here! You're expelled from our home! Never come back! Take that bastard child with you!" she said mercilessly. I shielded myself as she threw accusations at me, making my condition even worse. Cold.

Looking around, I felt humiliated. My fists clenched tightly. I was truly betrayed by these people, even by the man I loved so dearly, whom I never thought would be so cruel to me.

With all the strength left in me, I stood up and took the divorce papers and the pen that was thrown at me earlier. I stared at my husband, no, my soon-to-be ex-husband, with eyes full of disappointment, then looked sharply at the woman who stole another woman’s husband and also at my mother-in-law. I remembered every face of those who had degraded me.

"You... you will regret this," I said.

"I am truly innocent. This is just manipulation from people who want to destroy me!" I said in a soft yet firm, threatening tone. With trembling hands, though I didn’t want to, I signed the divorce papers. I walked toward my husband and handed him the papers over his chest.

"I’ll give you what you want!" I said. No more tears. I wiped away my tears roughly, even though they kept flowing. But I didn’t want them to see me weak. At least this was all I could do to keep my dignity from being trampled on too much.

Turning my back, I ran away as fast as possible. My hands stroked my slightly bulging stomach. "Baby, it’s just you and me now. But I promise, I’ll never leave you. You’ll always be safe with me."