Chapter 3

Amanda wakes up in the middle of the night looking for Keith.

She had the worst nightmare. Keith had accused her of infidelity and decided right there and then that their marriage was over. That a divorce paper was waiting for her to sign. That he left her without hearing her explain her side.

And for the first time, she felt helpless and all alone.

She could never do that to him. It never crossed her mind to betray her husband. Amanda believes in the sanctity of marriage. And she vowed in front of him and God to be his faithful wife for the rest of their lives.

But instead of seeing the face of her husband, the worried look of her friend Alma became clearer in her eyes.

Then it dawned on her that everything she’d dreamed of earlier was her reality. That Keith was determined to get rid of her in his life.

“Good thing you are finally awake,” Alma held her hand as she sighed in relief. She then helped her drink some water to stay hydrated. “You didn’t know how scared I was when you suddenly lost consciousness, Amanda.”

“Where am I?” She asked. She never felt this groggy before. She couldn’t bring herself to get up.

“Don’t move yet. Your body must be tired for all of this,” her friend then sighed once more. “I lay you on the couch. Don’t ask me why. I don’t know either…”

“It’s just on instinct. And Amanda, I didn’t even know you’re are that heavy even when you looked that skinny—”

“Where’s Keith?” Amanda turned to Alma with that pleading in her eyes. “I need to see my husband…”

Alma shook her head. “Don’t push yourself…”

“I presume your husband did this to you. He let you stressed out—”

“I need to explain myself that it wasn’t me in those pictures,” Amanda began shedding tears while looking at her friend. She can’t rest at ease until she can talk to Keith. “It wasn’t me, Alma.”

“I can never do that to Keith.”

“I know,” Alma shed a single tear that she immediately wiped off. “I’ve seen the photos. They edited perfectly but I know it’s not you…”

“You’re too in love with that bastard to even think about infidelity. Keith had it all wrong.”

Yet even after all she’d done, he never came back. She waited that night but he never showed again. Until the sun shone the next day and no Keith Harris showed up on their doorstep.

Three years. They’ve been married for three years and all it could take was her edited photo with some other man to destroy her cherished family.

This was unacceptable! Just like Alma had said, Keith had it all wrong. She cannot do that to him.

“It just means that your husband thinks lowly of you,” a part of her mind said, “Maybe he never even trusted you in the first place that he’s been easily persuaded by such meager photos…”

Even so, Amanda wanted to explain herself. She hadn’t lost hope for her husband. Maybe he’ll come to her senses. Maybe her words will reach his heart and would be convinced that she’s not the one in the photos. Yet came the sleepless nights and still no Keith Harris came home.

That’s when she decided to see him in his office that morning.

Amanda seldom visits the KH Development Group head office but the employees were familiar with her. They knew who she was in Keith’s life. She’s the wife of the CEO and President of the company.

What bothers him was the strange stare that she kept getting from the employees. Even Alan, his assistant, threw her that appalled look.

“Miss Amanda,” he came to her side, greeting her. “How can I help you?”

“I need to see Keith. I need to talk to him.”

“That won’t do, Miss Amanda,” Alan was being apologetic. But she saw his eyes. And she can’t be fooled. He was deliberately lying to her face. “He’s in a meeting.”

“Then I will wait inside his office,” she walked towards the brass door, disregarding Alan’s plea, and walked inside Keith’s office.

The next scene had Amanda frozen on the spot.

He had no shame. He was still married to her and here he was, getting intimate with another woman.

Ah, Amanda recognizes the beautiful woman in his arms. She was Sarah, his on-and-off girlfriend from college. And they are oblivious to their surroundings as they make out in broad daylight.

Amanda was standing right there while painfully watching the sin of her husband. The same sin he was accusing her of.

What’s worse was she thought that everything was a setup. In order for Keith to do whatever he wants, he’ll have her be the cause of the divorce.

So the blame will be all hers. And he’ll come clean and be with his Sarah for all he wants.

Now, she realized she was so shallow.

To think that she thought that he could learn to love her after they got married. She had been obedient. She became the submissive wife he wanted her to be. And out of all the efforts she made, what did she get in return?

The blame. The heartache. The betrayal.

Keith noticed her presence and immediately hid Sarah behind his back. Amanda was utterly hurt by the gesture. Never did he once become so protective of her.

All pieces are starting to get together. Keith had never loved her. Not even once.

Yet her foolish heart had loved the same man since she laid her eyes on him. And even with the display of infidelity, Amanda wanted to fix things between them.

Maybe she could save the marriage she had for three whole years.

“Keith—”

“Is that your little wife?” Sarah came forward and mocked her in the face. Yes, she was definitely beautiful but her attitude was rotten inside.

“I could never imagine you married such a boring woman—”

Sarah hadn’t finished her sentence when Amanda reached her limits and did the unthinkable. She grabbed her long hair and pulled her down by force. Sarah shrieked as she tried to untangle her hair from her grasp.

Amanda even pulled her hair down as she turned to Keith. “Ask me again, Keith…”

“Who between us was now committing infidelity!”

“Keith…help…” Sarah was now crying. The woman was on her knees and couldn't get off her grasp.

“Let her go, Amanda,” Keith’s voice was laced with danger. He walked around his table and approached them.

“Was she the reason why you are divorcing—”

Keith had slapped her real hard. Hard that Amanda thought her face got mishape. Keith’s hands were big and she was sure it had marks on her skin. She involuntarily released Sarah’s hair and fell from the tiled floor. She held her swollen face as she turned to Keith looking down at her.

“This will be the last time you’ll ever hurt Sarah, Amanda,” he was pointing a finger at her as he kept Sarah at his back.

“Remember that it was you who cheated on me. That it was you who betrayed me…”

“Now, get lost and sign those goddamn papers that I told you,” his voice was echoing on the four corners of his office. “I don’t want to see your face when I get home tonight. That’s the last warning you got. Sarah is coming home with me. Do you understand?”

Amanda shed tears. She can accept any physical torment but not this. Seeing Keith with Sarah shattered her heart into millions of pieces. She’s seeing her three years of marriage shattered before her eyes.

Was this the end of everything? What did she do to deserve this kind of punishment?

“Keith, listen to me,” Amanda kneeled into her husband and hugged his legs in the plea. She was crying in desperation to save her marriage. At this moment, she can do anything just to have him back. “I’m not that woman in the photos…”

“I swear to God I can’t do that thing to you!”

She heard Sarah complaining to Keith in the background. Before Amanda could explain herself, her husband squatted before her until their faces were on the same level.

Amanda thought that he would hear her out. But it was the opposite around.

His eyes never showed any mercy. He had only disdain towards her.

Keith grabbed her face and squeezed it hard. “Get lost, Amanda Muñoz, before I dragged you out myself and caused you more humiliation…”

“Be grateful that I’m being considerate. That I wanted a divorce from you and nothing else,” He sighed as he released her forcefully and took refuge beside his lover, Sarah.

“Everything is over between us. With or without the photo, you are going to sign the papers because Sarah is going to be ‘Mrs. Keith Harris’,”

Amanda knew at that moment that her happily ever after had come to an end.