001

‘A good heart is the heaviest burden to bear.’

Kaylie recalled one of her grandpa’s statements, which she never understood its weight until she received the picture her husband’s driver sent to her. The photo that shattered her heart.

In her hand was the picture that had been making tears flood out of her swollen eyes. A clear image of her husband and his unknown mistress, whom she was on her way to find out.

“We’re there, ma.”

The car parked, and she got out of the taxi.

She dug her hand into her jacket pocket and fixed her eyes on the luxury gate of the mansion, which was certain her husband was inside with his mistress.

She sniffed and wiped her face. “Calm down, Kaylie,” she said to herself in a whisper.

She wiped her face and licked her lips before inhaling deeply and exhaling softly, stopping the tears. “Remember why you’re here.”

Without waiting for another second, she put her phone in her pocket and paced to the gate.

“You got this, okay?”

Growing up with her adoptive family, she wasn’t shown love. She thought she had no place in the world until Bryan, her husband, a billionaire heir, came into her life. 

He pampered and showed her love that she didn’t think twice before she accepted his marriage proposal. She thought she had found a place where she belonged and would build her family. However, his attitude changed a few days after their wedding.

For over a year, she struggled, determined to win his heart, and only lost interest the moment she set her eyes on the picture.

She opened the gate and as she entered, Echo, her husband’s driver, approached her.

“What are you doing here?” He asked, his voice layered with concern.

He stretched out his arms, blocking her from moving forward. “You shouldn’t be here, ma.”

He had warned her to stay back since he didn’t reveal his boss’s secret, so she could cause an uproar, however, as a reason for her to leave the marriage and end her struggle.

She moved aside from him. “Let me be.”

He ran to her front, blocking her again, and shook his head, still objecting. “I’m sorry. I can’t let you go in, ma.”

Knowing Echo wouldn’t allow her, Kaylie ceased attempting to move forward and looked him in the eyes. “I understand your concern, Echo,” she said. “Trust me. I’ll be fine. What could be more heartbreaking than finding out about my husband’s infidelity?”

She pointed at her face. “My eyes are swollen because I’ve been crying. I’m in pain, but that shouldn’t be all I can do,” she said. “I just want to see who’s in there with him. All I want is to know what she possesses, but I lack,”

“I want to know what she used to win his heart.”

He sighed. “I understand you, ma,” he uttered in a pitiful voice. “But-”

She forced an insincere smile onto her face. “Don’t worry. I promise I’ll control myself.” She assured and instantly headed toward the mansion.

She arrived at the door and as she grabbed the lever, Echo ran to her side.

“No matter what you see inside, keep in mind you’re strong,” he said, looking into her eyes. “Remind yourself of your worth. You deserve none of what you’re witnessing in this marriage,”

“And none of those in there are worthy of your tears.”

Echo’s statement was unclear and suspicious, but she nodded since she didn’t want to hear more from him.

Without saying a word, she opened the door and banged in.

As she closed the door behind her and took a step forward, her body suddenly began shivering. Her legs froze, making it difficult to move.

“What’s wrong with me?”

She was confused about her flight responses- maybe it was because something more awful awaited her.

Perspiration flooded her forehead as she struggled to lift her feet from the ground, but it got more difficult.

“You can’t stop here, Kaylie,” she encouraged, summoning her strength to proceed. “You’ve got this. Remember?”

Her heart raced faster, and she placed her hand by her chest where she felt it. She half-closed her eyes and stared downward.

She took in a deep breath, opened her eyes, and exhaled in the same manner. “Be strong. Okay? Remember how far you’ve come.”

She took her hand off her chest and raised her head to set her gaze on her husband walking out of the bedroom with his arm rounded over the neck of whom she couldn’t believe it was.

Her eyes widened in a mixture of disbelief and shock. She brushed her hand over her face, unable to believe what she had just witnessed.

Her husband with her younger sister?!

She wanted to believe it wasn’t what she was thinking until Wendy placed her hand on Bryan’s chest and kissed him.

“What?!” she screamed in silence, her mind still having difficulty processing the truth in front of her.

She slowly raised her finger, pointing it at them. “Wendy!”

Wendy and Bryan were so carried away by their shameful acts that they didn’t notice her presence until they heard her shout.

“Hum!” They were caught in shock and quickly looked in her direction.

Seeing Kaylie, Bryan’s eyes widened. “Kaylie!” He exclaimed. He took a step forward in a hurry, moving towards Kaylie, but Wendy dragged him backward.

“Where are you going?” Wendy questioned.

Kaylie’s plan was to see who the mistress was, leave without saying a word, and proceed for a divorce. However, seeing her sister, who advised her not to marry Bryan, and always show her hatred for him, she couldn’t.

Anguish, more painful than she had imagined, gripped her heart. The betrayal, even more soul-crushing than her husband's infidelity, made tears well up in her eyes.

“Bryan…” she called. She couldn’t add another word to avoid bursting into the tears she was caging beneath her eyelids.

Bryan frowned at her. “What are you doing here?” He questioned, showing no regret or shame.

Kaylie clenched her fist, having the urge to punch him as a response, but she controlled herself.

“Isn’t that a stupid question?” She asked and snickered. “You left for a business trip three days ago. Is she the client you’re meeting with?”

Wendy scoffed. “I doubt you’ll want to hear the response?” She intervened, crossing her hands over her chest as she moved forward, standing next to Bryan. “You-”

She wanted to keep talking, but Kaylie’s deadly glance cut her off.

“Have you no shame?” Kaylie taunted with more in her mind to say, but Bryan interrupted.

“This is something I should have told you a long time ago, but I couldn’t because I know it’ll be painful. I’m just waiting for the perfect time.” He revealed with a muffled voice, his face showing little to no guilt.

Kaylie chuckled softly. “Okay,” she nodded, folding her arms. “I found out already. But I still want to know its details, and hearing it from you will be interesting.”

He slightly stared downward. “To be honest, Kaylie,” he said and paused, sighing. “I never loved you.”

“Hun!” Her eyes widened, her hands slowly loosening from her chest.

That was another truth she wasn’t prepared for, and it hit her harder than those before it!

Her whole life in the marriage was a joke. Her constant reminder, ‘he once loved me,’ which was the reason she endured, was a lie.

“What?!” She raised her voice, losing her mind at that moment. “You’re-”

She wanted to pour out her anger but quickly controlled herself.

She half-closed her eyes and folded her arms. “That’s intriguing,” she uttered, keeping her voice low to suppress the rage in her mind. “Keep going.”

He looked at her face, narrating in a faint voice. “Then, your grandfather refused to make your father his successor and my investigations showed you’re his favorite, so I approached you,”

“And what Jaxon told me the first time he saw us together convinced me you’ll be his successor. I rushed into the marriage, thinking you could help me; but I was wrong,” he confessed. “It was late when I found out you’re just his adoptive grandchild,”

“He showed you love out of pity so you wouldn’t feel like an outcast. According to my calculation, if Jaxon’s decision will favor anyone, it’ll be Wendy. Her biological granddaughter.”

“To cut your long story short, you married me because of property.” Kaylie summarized.

“Not really, Kaylie. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said. “You should understand. I’m a businessman. I can’t bear the loss. I need a strong woman. A woman who’ll be in power. A woman who’ll have enough to support me when it’s time for inheritance,”

He slowly wagged his head. “You aren’t in that position, and can never be, so keeping you by my side is useless. I’ve got to find an alternative.”

Kaylie inclined her head. “I’m useless, so you opted for her?” She said in a questioning tone. She pointed at Wendy, ridiculing her without looking at her. “And since she’s numskull, she agreed.”

“Watch what you said!” Wendy protested. “I’m not a numskull!”

“What are you then?” Kaylie threw a question with a calm voice, giving her a side stare.

She fully turned to her. “Why don’t you get it?” She asked. “He abandoned me for you because I’m useless for his ambition, so, let me ask… what do you think will happen if he finds someone in a better position than you?”

She slightly widened her eyes. “Won’t he abandon you for her as well?”

Wendy’s eyes broadened. “Hun!” She toned. Bryan’s love blinded her and she never thought about that. It made sense, so she glanced at Bryan’s face and couldn’t say a word.

“That-” Bryan attempted defending himself, but Kaylie gave him no space.

She smiled discreetly. Her words bashed Wendy as aimed, so she teased. “Or maybe you aren’t a numskull, but a tool rather,”

She faced Wendy, whose eyes were still on Bryan, dumbfounded, with confusion all over her face. “Bryan’s tool to chase his interest,” she mocked. “What do you think about that? It’s a great honor to bear, isn’t it?”

Kaylie’s expression annoyed Wendy, but she couldn’t wave her words off her mind. However, she wouldn’t give Kaylie the satisfaction she wanted. “Whatever,” she uttered, her confused expression vanished into a beam. “It’s my business, not yours.”

Kaylie shrugged. “I know,” she said. “But don’t act as if what I said is nothing. It’s the truth. You’re just daft to never think about it until now.”

Wendy raised her brows. “I don’t give a damn about all you said,” she lied. “I love Bryan and will do anything to make him happy. I’ll do whatever it takes to support and be with him. I’ll happily bear any names as long as it means I’ll be beside him.”

Kaylie lightly clapped. “Good for you,” she said, beaming. “That’s nice.”

“Stop wasting your time. You can never poison her mind,” Bryan said. He kissed Wendy’s forehead and returned his gaze to Kaylie. “This is true love…”

“Wendy loves me. She doesn’t care about anything else. All she wants is to build a future with me. It’s just a pity I didn’t figure it out until after I was stuck in a fruitless marriage with you.” He spat.

Kaylie’s brows furrowed. “Stuck in a marriage with me?!” She sounded amazed. She scoffed softly, adding, “Bryan, if anyone is stuck here, it’s me!”

“Do you know how I sacrificed my days and nights' rest just to make things right? I suffered thinking I was at fault, but turns out you are!”

“Have you forgotten those times I burned my fingers while preparing your favorite meals only for you to return and reject them?! Have you forgotten, Bryan?!”

Pouring out those words, more tears rose in her eyes again, but the ground would rather open to swallow her than release them.

She sniffed and puffed. “Let’s agree this marriage has been a burden on us both. Let’s just end it.”

“Okay. I’ll inform my lawyer,” he agreed. “But a word about this mustn’t get out. Only I know about our marriage from my family, so no one else must. It’s a secret between me, you, and your family,”

“If you want money, negotiate with my lawyer. I’ll pay you. I can’t let anything go wrong because of you.”

Kaylie snickered, her mind filled with bitter words. She didn’t want to speak out because it would make tears flow out of her eyes at ease; so she had her mouth under control.

“To hell with you and your money- and everything that makes you think you can control me.”