Chapter 3: Painful Discovery

Eva’s sleek car came to a stop in front of the mansion Flora and Henry shared. Flora recognized the black and gold gate, and the gorgeous architecture of the building, but this place no longer felt like home to her.

When it fully became hers after the divorce was finalized, she would sell it. Of everything she would receive after the law recognized her separation from Henry, it was the one thing that would constantly remind her of her cheating husband and disastrous failure of a marriage, and she didn’t need that.

“You’re sure you don’t want me to come in with you?” Eva asked as Flora opened the car door. She looked at Flora with a face full of concern. “I could stay and help you pack what you need.”

“I couldn’t make you do that, Eva,” Flora refused gently as she came down. “I know you got called in for something urgent at work. Don’t worry about me, I’ll take a cab to your apartment once I’m done.”

“You’re sure? It wouldn’t be a problem, Flo. Really.” Eva said as she handed Flora her handbag and Flora forced herself to smile so her friend would be at peace. What would she have done without Eva’s support? She was lucky to have her.

“I’m sure. Don’t be late to your appointment.”

Eva blew her a kiss as she reversed the car and drove away. “Good luck!”

For several seconds, Flora stood in front of the gate, gathering her courage to walk inside and do what she had come here to do. After two days of hiding at Eva’s apartment and avoiding Henry and his sisters’ calls, Flora had finally spoken to the man who had broken her heart yesterday.

Throughout the phone call, his voice had been cold and clipped as they agreed on the time she would come and get what she needed from their home.

Now that his secret was all out in the open, he did not pretend he cared for her, removing the ‘sweetheart’ and ‘dear’ he usually called her whenever they spoke.

Henry had revealed that he had slept at a hotel the night he’d given her the divorce papers but after she had not come home, he’d returned to the mansion.

He agreed to be out of the house when Flora arrived when she insisted that she didn’t want to see his face. She looked as her watch as the gate opened. She was late, almost one hour past the agreed time, but Henry had said he would be at work so it was alright. She’d quickly pack a box full of her essentials so she could stay with Eva while the divorce was being processed and drop the documents she signed on the bedside table before she left.

She patted her handbag where the signed papers were contained, and began walking up the driveway towards the house. It took her eleven minutes to reach the huge familiar blurred glass doors. Panting slightly, Flora pressed her thumb to the panel by the side of the doors and they slid open automatically.

A maid was dusting the frame of a painting close by and she jumped when the doors opened, looking frightened. “Madam!”

Flora smiled at the young maid. “Caterina! How are you?”

The maid just stood speechless, her duster falling to the ground. She pressed a hand to her heart. Flora moved past her quickly. “Don’t mind me. I just need to pick a few things up. Henry already knows I’m stopping by.”

The maid made a strangled sound as Flora walked up the stairs hurriedly, clutching her bag. She opened the door at the top of the staircase, heading straight for the master room she shared with Henry.

However, a loud moan stopped Flora dead in her tracks as she approached the room. That was a woman’s voice.

She stood still, her heart pounding in her chest. Her bag was clutched tightly in her hands. Surely, Henry had not done what she was thinking he had done. The woman moaned again, and the sound sounded like knife on gravel to Flora. The voice was very familiar. “Ah! Yes, Henry, yes!”

White hot anger exploded in Flora’s mind. Henry had brought his dirty mistress to her house! She rushed forward and threw open the door of the bedroom with as much energy as she could muster.

The door swung open and hit the wall loudly. In the middle of the king-sized bed, Henry was entangled with a blonde face Flora knew very well, a face that she hated with her whole life.

It was her terrible step-sister, a woman who had tried to ruin Flora’s life from the moment they had become family, Olivia Wicks.

There were no tears this time as Henry betrayed her all over again, only anger hotter than a forest fire.

Henry jumped away from Olivia as soon as he noticed Flora, trying to find a cloth to cover himself but it was too late. Flora had seen everything.

Olivia just sat up on the bed, crossing her arms over her bare chest. There was no remorse on her face, only a brilliant smile. Flora had not expected her to have remorse though. Olivia did not know what shame was.

“Flora!” Henry struggled to wear some shorts. “W-What are you doing here?”

She looked at him as if he was a tiny ant under her shoe. “I told you I was coming to pack my things, remember? The least you could have done was leave the house like you said you were going to do.”

“I was!” Henry defended himself, sweat running down his face and chest. He was gesturing wildly with his hands. “But you didn’t show up at the time we agreed and I thought you weren’t coming anymore.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Really Henry? That’s your best excuse for sleeping with my step-sister in my own bed?”

As if on cue, Olivia began to cry. Her face twisted in an ugly manner as the tears fell. “I’m so, so sorry Flora. This isn’t how I wanted you to find out.” She cleaned her tears with her hands but more kept falling and sliding down her chin. “I didn’t mean to fall in love with him, but when you started neglecting him, he came to me and things just happened. You know how cold you can be, Flora.”

Flora marched over to the bed, raised her hand and slapped Olivia across the face. The sound resounded in the room. From her side eye, she saw Henry flinch. Good, let him be afraid. If he thought she was going to start crying again, he was dead wrong.

Right now, all Flora felt for the both of them was a desire to turn their lives upside down and make them suffer as much as she was suffering. Maybe later when the adrenalin was gone and she was with Eva she would cry but she would compose herself now in front of Olivia.

She would never let her wicked step-sibling know how much those words had hurt her.