Chapter 1 Chapter 1: divorce

Feeling drained from the day’s work, Lisa dropped herself onto the couch in the living room for a quick nap. She has left work 2 hours early to arrange a candlelit dinner to celebrate today being 6 months of her marriage. She was awakened by the sound of the door being opened a few minutes later. She immediately sat up upon smelling the familiar scent of her husband’s cologne infiltrating the air. She stood up and straightened her blue-fitted, peplum, knee-length dress and happily walked over to welcome him. “How was your day?” She inquired with a smiling face. Yet Trey ignored her and walked past her, taking his seat on the couch. Lisa disregarded his demeanor and the pang of pain in her chest, a pain she’d now become accustomed to. She smiled to lighten up her mood and walked to the living room, stopping right in front of him. “Are you alright...?” She trailed off when he handed her a brown envelope and then said, “Sign it.” His voice was deadly; it sent a chill down her spine. He had never spoken to her in such a cold tone, she thought. “What is it?” She asked. “Divorce papers.” Immediately the word left his mouth, Lisa buckled, taking a step backward. Surprise was evident on her face. “What...what?” She stuttered inaudibly. She wasn’t expecting it. Even though their marriage was not the lovey-dovey type, it wasn’t bad enough for her to receive divorce papers from her husband, right? "Yes, Lisa, I want a divorce; we never should have gotten married; I’m sick! and tired of you!!.” He yelled angrily, getting up and furiously kicking the center table, making Lisa flinch. His words were like daggers piercing her heart. She and Trey had been in love with each other since childhood, even though they got separated when her family moved from the city. She never stopped loving him. After meeting ten years later, their love rekindled, and they got back together, getting married one month after their reunion, today being six months of their marriage. "Trey... please,” her voice choked. “I love you; I can’t live without you... This is a prank? Right?” She asked with trembling lips, but with a hint of hope still laced in her voice. “Today is exactly six months of our marriage. I’ve made arrangements to celebrate with you. Please tell me it's all a joke... please!!” She raised her voice, frustrated. She reached out her hands for Trey’s, but he pulled away from her touch. “I can’t keep lying to myself for your sake; just sign the damn thing to save ourselves from this misery,” Trey said coldly. “I want you out of my life, Lisa!”"Trey, please, you can’t do this to me; you’re breaking my heart, please! If there’s anything I’m lacking, please tell me, and I will change for you. But please don’t leave me; I love you… so much, please, Trey." Lisa kept pleading with her husband. She initially thought he was joking, but from the look on his face, he was dead serious; he was really asking her for a divorce. “But I don’t love you, Lisa; I never did. Even when we had sex, I felt nothing,” he said nonchalantly. “What? Sex? Trey...? I gave you my first; we made love just two nights ago,” she questioned. Trey closed the gap between them, his blue eyes a shade darker than usual as they pierced directly into Lisa’s brown ones. ‘Damn! Those fucking alluring eyes—the more he stares at them, the more his hunger for her intensifies. Fuck, I have to let her go; I hate her.’ He thought as he reached his hand to her waist, pulling her closer to his tall and muscular frame. Lisa looked away nervously. But Trey tilted her head to meet his lustful? gaze and slammed his lips against hers in a dominating kiss. Lisa stood dazedly at the turn of events. She didn’t respond to it, as the kiss became so intense that she couldn’t breathe. She pushed Trey on the chest since she was running out of breath, but he didn’t waver. She pushed harder with all the strength she could muster, causing him to break the kiss. Finally, Lisa heaves. Trey groaned and swallowed, then wiped his lips with his palm fiercely. ‘Damn it! He would have lost it if she hadn’t pushed him. Fuck! He’s spotting a hard-on already; he needs to leave before he totally loses it.’ He thought. “Just like now, it was out of convenience.” He said it blankly. But Lisa shook her head, unable to accept what Trey said was true. Grabbing his suit and keys, he said hoarsely, “I’m going to the old mansion; I can’t stay in the same space with you; you disgust me; you should have that...” Trey, pointing to the brown envelope that dropped from Lisa’s hand to the floor due to his intense kiss, added, “Signed, before I come back; you have a week,” he said, turning to leave. “No! Please.” Lisa kneeled in front of him, wrapped her arms around his knees, and begged. "Please don’t go; I will be a good wife, okay?” He forced himself away from her, making his way out, but paused when she started to speak. “I won’t sign it; I will make you change your mind; you love me, Trey; please stay; don’t go.” He chuckled at her words, then walked out the door. *** Lisa didn’t know how long she had been kneeling for. But just when she tried to stand up, she felt dizzy all of a sudden and fainted. The last thing she heard was the calling of her name by their househelp. -/Next morning/- Lisa abruptly sat up in bed, her heart beating faster. She ran a shaking hand through her hair and squeezed her eyes shut, feeling pain from the argument she had with her husband earlier overwhelm her heart. 'I'm going to make him stay. Trey loves me; since I haven’t seen him with any other woman and he didn’t say he’s in love with another, there’s a chance.' She sat at the edge of the bed, made a call to her workplace, and requested a week off. After the call, she checked the time, and it was 7:30 am. Then, she recalled having fainted last night from crying and kneeling for a long time. She went through her morning routines and went down to grab breakfast. Upon reaching down, she saw the maids avoid eye contact with her. ‘They must have witnessed their argument from last night.’ She smiled and sat at the dining table for her breakfast. Lisa Lynn was the only child of her parents. She lost her parents in a gory accident at the age of six. And was taken into the care of her uncle and his wife. They also had a six-year-old daughter. Life was hell, living with her uncle’s family. Her aunt and cousin did not miss the opportunity to make her life miserable. That was how she met Trey. He was a chubby, cute boy who used to follow her around in the neighborhood. She used to avoid him but eventually stopped when she saw Trey being bullied by her cousin for being a fat boy. Lisa and Trey became friends after that, and it led to something more. As they grew up, Trey became slimmer, becoming the most handsome and popular boy in school, and Lisa the prettiest girl. But at a point, he started avoiding her; she wanted to ask him why he was doing that, but before she could, her uncle got transferred, and they moved. She didn’t see Trey again until they met ten years later at the hospital where she worked when Trey had an accident. But she didn’t see him again after he got discharged. However, a month later, he came and asked her to marry him out of the blue, and she happily agreed. She never imagined he would ask for a divorce after six months of their marriage. After having her breakfast, she decided to start her plan to win her husband over. She called her husband's secretary and inquired about his schedule for the day. “Hi, Lucy. Good morning,” she greeted. “Good morning, madam,'' the secretary responded in her professional tone. “I want to know your boss's schedule for today.” She requested. “Madam, the boss canceled all his appointments till the afternoon to plan a surprise for you at the Leisureq 5-star hotel.” "Really? Thank you.” She immediately hung up the call, feeling overwhelmed with joy. She knew Trey loved her; he didn’t mean anything he said yesterday. She smiles, quickly making her way to her car to drive to the hotel. Leisureq Hotel Lisa got out of the car without taking her bag along. She grabbed her phone and slammed the car door hastily. She taps on the screen of her phone to call her husband while walking towards the hotel lobby but stops to dial her husband when she sees him. She hastened her steps to catch up with him but stopped in her tracks when she noticed he was with a lady. What caught her attention was how Trey wrapped his arm delicately around her waist with a gentle smile he had never shown her throughout their six months of marriage; not even when they made love did he smile at her like that. Her heart shattered into a million pieces as she watched them enter the elevator. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she kept them at bay. ‘No, Trey loves her; she won’t jump to conclusions,’ she consoled herself. ‘Yes, maybe that woman is helping him to plan her surprise. Yes, calm down, Lisa.' She inhaled and exhaled anxiously. She walked over to the receptionist to ask for her husband's room number. “Hello.” Lisa greeted the receptionist warmly. “Hi, how may I help you?” The receptionist asked with a forced smile. “May I please know my husband’s room number?” Lisa asked. “May I know your husband’s name, please?”“Trey Collins,” Lisa answered. The receptionist did some stuff on her monitor for a few minutes, looked up at Lisa, and did something again before saying. “I’m sorry, madam, your husband is not booked in our hotel.” The receptionist said. 'She just saw her boss go in with his wife, so who was this imposter?' She thought. “Oh…? But I just saw him enter the elevator; this is where he’s planning the surprise.” Lisa said. The receptionist became confused at Lisa's words. 'If Lisa is an imposter, how did she know about the surprise?' “Ma’am, does your husband know you’re coming?” The receptionist asked. Lisa was going to say no but decided against it. “Yes,” she said, avoiding eye contact with the receptionist. “Okay then, the room number is 308, on the ninth floor.” She said, handing her a key card. Lisa thanked her and left. When she got to the room number stated, she pushed it open without knocking when she saw the door was ajar. The lights were on when she entered, and she wondered why. She thought the lights were usually turned off during surprises. Well, maybe her expectations are high. She checked around, but there was nothing. She decided to check the bedroom, but her heart started to beat faster as she approached the door, making her feel nervous out of the blue. She gently twisted the knob and opened the door. Her heart shattered at the sight before her. She was in so much pain. Struggling to breathe, she leaned herself against the door frame for support. “No! No! Trey...!” Tears started to run down her cheeks. “It can’t be!” she muttered dejectedly, shaking her head at the sight of her husband making out with another woman on the bed, even though they were still in their clothes. Startled by her voice, Trey turned to see Lisa at the door. “What the fuck are you doing here!?” Trey asked, yelling at her coldly. “What am I doing here?” She repeats his question, her heart unable to contain the hurt she’s feeling. “I should be asking you that. Trey, what are you doing here with another woman? huh!?" She yelled back as she walked closer and slapped him across the face. Trey wasn’t expecting Lisa to slap him. He used to go home drunk and would purposely provoke and irritate her to give up and ask for a divorce on her own will, but she never did and would keep quiet through all his tantrums. Her raising her hand on him was quite a shock to him and amusing at the same time. “How dare you cheat...” Lisa trails off when a familiar voice shouts at her. Even though the last time she heard it was 2 years ago, hearing it again sent chills running down her spine. It’s the voice of the person who turned her life into the worst nightmare since her childhood, her tormentor. “How dare you hit him?” She was so focused on Trey that she forgot the woman who was in bed with him. Now, looking at the woman who was lying in bed with her husband, she was shocked, petrified even. Lying in bed with her husband is her cousin Valerie, the girl who used to bully Trey for being too fat and ridiculed him. 'How did they end up here? Trey hated Valerie when they were little.' She was dumbfounded. “What the hell is going on here!?” Lisa yelled angrily, going towards Valerie and dragging her out of the bed by the hair. ”You slut, how dare you seduce my husband!?” Lisa kept pulling on Valerie's hair as Valerie tried to remove her hair from Lisa’s grip. “Of all the men you can have, why go after my ...?” SLAP! “What’s wrong with you?" Trey growled, pulling Valerie to his side. Lisa’s hand moves to her cheek upon the impact of the slap, tears dripping down her cheeks. She turned to face her husband, who just slapped her for her cousin’s sake. “You... slapped me?” She asked with trembling lips, staring at her husband’s face with a stunned expression. “Because of her?” she asked, unable to accept that Trey slapped her and that too because of Valerie. “I will fucking do it again if you dare lay your hands on her again.” He said through clenched jaws, towering over her. “You do not want to try me!” He warned pulling Valerie into his arms. “Are you okay?” He asked Valerie in a gentle voice, the tender expression on his face making Lisa’s heartache. Valerie took everything she cherished away from her since their childhood, but not this time, not her man; no, she won’t give up without a fight.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2: never letting go

Valerie took everything she cherished away from her since when they were little, but not this time, not her man; no, she won’t give up without a fight. She ignored the warning bells in her head and the obvious red flags that waved at her, then slapped her cousin and said in her teary voice, “I won’t let you take Trey away from me! He’s mine; you took everything away from me; I won’t let you take him too; he loves me.” Valerie feigned hurt by holding on to her slapped cheek and saying courteously. "Lisa, why are you doing this to me? All I ever did was love you, but why do you want to take everything I love away from me? You know, Trey and I have been in love since we were little. Why are you acting like I’m the one who hurt you when you are the one who has been hurting me?” Valerie choked out, tears running down her cheeks. Lisa opened her mouth to retort when she was pushed aside, causing her to fall. “I told you not to fucking touch her, but you dared me. I don’t love you, Lisa; I never did and never will. I love Valerie; I will only love her in this life and the coming ones.” He muttered icily through gritted teeth. “I would never love someone who finds pleasure in hurting others. I know how you’ve tortured Valerie, and I also know how much she despises you. That’s why I married you to spite her when she rejected my proposal. I knew she would come begging the moment I married you, and I would divorce you the moment we made up.” Lisa gazed up at the two perplexed. ‘What the hell is Trey talking about? When did she torture Valerie? It’s vice versa,’ she thought angrily, then said, "Trey… It’s me, you love; why are you protecting Valerie? Why are you in love with her?” Lisa said, her voice hoarse as tears kept dripping down her cheeks. Trey passes his hand through his hair in frustration as he stares at the woman shedding fake tears in front of him. "Yes, I know. This isn't the first time you’re claiming to be her. I know people like you; you are disgusting,” Trey uttered coldly. “Since you won’t leave us to relish ourselves,” he said, emphasizing 'relish ourselves,' “we will go elsewhere.” He collected his suit, key, and Valerie’s handbag, and then holding Valerie by the waist, they walked out. Lisa stared after them, every step they took stabbing her heart like a knife. To her surprise, Valerie turned back and smirked at her. Lisa started to laugh like she had gone crazy; she kept laughing till it turned into loud sobs. ‘How pathetic she is. How could she be so stupid? The signs were obvious—loud and clear. When she met Trey at the hospital, he spoke to her formally, like he didn’t want anything to do with her. But when he suddenly came and proposed, she thought she was overthinking too much about it. It turns out she was right all along.’ She sat on the edge of the bed and cried to her heart’s content. After hours of crying, she came to a decision that would change her life forever. ~~~ Lisa arrives home late. She entered the door and was greeted by Mrs. Cooper, their butler, seated on the couch in the dimly lit hall. She walked over and sat next to her. “Why are you still up? It's late; you should be asleep by now." Lisa asked. Mrs. Cooper smiled and replied. “I was waiting for you so I could heat dinner for you." Lisa took Mrs. Cooper’s hands in her hands as tears welled up in her eyes. “Oh, Mrs. Cooper, thank you for everything you’ve done for me since I came to this house. You treated me like a daughter, and I felt my mom’s presence in you. Thank you very much.” Lisa sniffles with a smile. “I felt the same, my dear; I saw the daughter I never had in you,” Mrs. Cooper said, a tear falling down her face, and drew Lisa into a hug as they both sobbed. They stayed like that for a while before breaking it. “So what are your plans after yesterday’s event?” Mrs. Cooper asked. “I’m signing the agreement,” Lisa answered. “You made the right decision, my dear; I support it.” Mrs. Cooper said. “I thought you would talk me out of my decision." Lisa asked. “I won’t do that, my dear; I saw the smile on your face when you came to this house; now you no longer have it; you deserve better, my love." She cups Lisa’s cheek. “If he doesn’t need you, don’t force yourself on him; love can’t be forced.” Mrs. Cooper explains. “Thank you for talking to me,” Lisa said, getting up to leave but was stopped by Mrs. Cooper, who said, “Have your meal before you sleep.”“No, thanks; I already had dinner.” She lied. She lost her appetite following the day’s event. Lisa dropped onto the floor upon entering her matrimonial bedroom and getting consumed by the familiar scent of her husband. “Trey… Trey… How could you allow Valerie to come between us? Huh? How could you do that?” She cried. “I will never forget, and I will never forgive you for breaking my heart!!!” She screams, hitting the grayish porcelain floor repeatedly, as fresh tears fall to the floor. “I hope you never regret it because I wouldn’t want you to get hurt, because as much as I hate you now, my stupid heart still loves you. I hope you’ll leave well, even if it’s with my cousin.” She says getting up to start packing her bags. She packed all her belongings, making sure not to leave a single thing behind because it would end up getting burned by the new madam of the house, she thought. By the time she was done packing, it was 3:00 am in the morning. She took the envelope from the nightstand and went through it; she saw there was an alimony of 1 billion dollars. ‘Wow! That’s huge,’ she couldn’t believe to get rid of her. Trey was willing to pay her a billion for accepting the divorce. Tears filled her eyes at the thought. She signed the papers with tear-filled eyes, making her vision blurry, and the tears dropped, wetting the papers. After she was done, she took one last glance at the room before going down with her bags to her car and leaving for her old apartment. She rented her old apartment a year ago after completing medical school and decided not to live in her uncle's mansion. 12:30 pm the next afternoon Lisa was awakened by the sun shining on her face. Her sheets and pillow were soaked with her sweat. She tried to get up from the bed but felt weak and dizzy. She could hardly move her legs. With all the strength she could muster, she got down from the bed and went to the bathroom. She stopped in front of the mirror, turned on the tap, and splashed some water on her face. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. The woman staring back at her was thin; her collarbone had no flesh, her lips were dry, and her eyes were puffy with dark circles under. She sighed heavily and slowly walked to the bathtub, filled it with warm water, and took a relaxing bath. After what seemed like hours, she finally came out of the bathroom with a white towel around her chest, walking towards the vanity table. She did her makeup to hide the dark circles and puffiness and went to her closet to get dressed. She walked out of the closet fully dressed, took her phone from the nightstand, and checked the time. It was 2 in the afternoon. ‘She had been sleeping since 4 at dawn; that must be the reason why she was feeling dizzy and famished,’ she thought. She walked out her door to the elevator. When the elevator reaches the lobby floor, she goes to the apartment manager’s office, informs him about her moving out, and signs the necessary papers so that she can receive the remaining balance from her rent deposit. ~~ Lisa drove to her favorite restaurant to eat. She sat at the seat in the back and ordered her meals—yes, meals. She felt she could eat a whole whale; she was famished. As she waits for the waitress, she starts to plan her future. Now that she has signed the divorce papers, she doesn’t want to stay here; she doesn’t want to be anywhere close to Trey. So she decided to move to another country and start her life all over. But this time, things will have to change; she won’t let others trample on her anymore; she will stand up for herself. Her train of thought was broken when she saw a familiar back seated at a table not far from her. She wanted to go find out who it was but felt dizzy the moment she stood up, so she decided against going. Her meals arrived, and she dug in; within 20 minutes, she was done with all the meals on her table, taking a single gulp of the glass of water. After sitting down for a while to regain her strength, she walked to the counter, paid her bill, and turned to leave but noticed the familiar back again. But this time she decided to approach, feeling her strength restored. As she approached, she realized that she was going to make a huge mistake because seated in front of her were Trey and his friends, Kelvin Jones and Nathan Adams. The familiar back she saw was Kelvin’s. She silently turned to walk away but stopped when her name was called.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3: letting go

Lisa silently turned to walk away but stopped when her name was called. “Lisa…?” Nathan called. She stopped, sighed, and turned around with an awkward smile. "Nathan, hey,” she greeted with a wave of her hand. “Were you leaving just now? I mean, are you trying to sneak off?” Nathan asked. "Yes, I was...” she replied truthfully. “Didn’t you see us?” He asked, gesturing more at Trey, making Lisa frown. “If I had known it was you guys earlier, I wouldn’t have approached.” Lisa sneered. The moment she said that, Trey turned to look at her; his gaze was dark and icy, and it immediately sent a shiver down her spine. She shuddered. Nathan frowned in confusion. He turned to Trey for clarification but then noticed Trey’s demeanor towards Lisa. He then realized there must be some misunderstanding between them, so he decided to help resolve whatever dispute there was between them. “Sit with us, Lisa?” He asked. However, Lisa shook her head, smiled, then said. “Thanks, Nathan, but there are some situations I’d rather avoid.” She smiled. “What’s going on, Trey?” Kelvin finally asked after observing Trey and Lisa’s love quarrels for a while, but he didn’t get a response. He turns to Lisa with a questioning gaze, but all he got was silence. “Whatever you want to know, you asked your dear friend Trey. Nice seeing you both, Nathan, and Kelvin.” She said, emphasizing the ‘you both’. She then turned to leave; even though she acted daring just now, she inwardly wished Trey would call her back, pull her into his arms, and whisper into her ear that all that had happened in the past few days was nothing but a prank. How much she’d hoped it was so. But who was she trying to fool? However, upon taking a few steps further, Trey’s voice halted her. “Lisa!” Her heart skipped a beat when she heard Trey’s powerful but husky voice calling her, a satisfying smile gracing her lips. She was pleased. ‘I was right all along,’ she thought, marveling. She turned around and responded, beaming. Her cheeks are a crimson red. Trey stared at her blushed cheeks, and at that moment, he realized how fascinating and beautiful she was. “Yes?” She replied softly. “You have 5 days left to sign the papers and..." He was cut off by Lisa before he could finish his sentence. Her smile faded. ‘Damn bastard,’ Lisa swore inwardly. “I’ve already signed it, and I marked out the alimony. I don’t need your money, Trey. I married you not because of your money,” she sighed. “I married you because I love you.”“I don’t love you, Lisa,” Trey said through gritted teeth. Lisa bit her cheek not to show how hurtful his words were. “Same here; I used to love you, but I don’t anymore; all I feel for you is pure hatred and nothing else.” She smirked, then walked away. ~~~ Lisa sighed heavily when she entered her car; she had to bite her cheeks to not break down in front of Trey and his friends. Now her mouth is filled with a rusty metallic taste. She repeatedly hit on her steering wheel as she cried and cursed, tears running down her cheeks. “Damn you, Trey. Damn you. I hate you. I hate you.” She yelled. A few minutes later, she wipes her tears off and reapplies her makeup. She drove to her workplace and resigned. From there, she went to her uncle’s mansion to bid them farewell. When she arrived at the mansion, nanny Rose hurriedly came and hugged her. “My child I miss you very much. How have you been? You’ve grown into a beautiful woman, just like your mom.”“I miss you too, Nanny; how have you been?” Lisa asked, happy to see her nanny after 3 years of separation. Nanny Rose has been working for the Lynn family since Lisa’s mom’s childhood. Nanny Rose took care of Lisa’s mom and uncle and continued with her and Valerie. Nanny Rose and her uncle were the only people to treat her well when she was living with the family. “I’ve been doing well; are you here to meet your uncle?” she asked, “Yes, is he home?” Lisa asked. “Yes, he’s in his study.” Nanny Rose said. As they walked towards the study, then a voice spoke. “What is this bad luck doing here?” Aunt Mary asked with a scoff. “Nice to see you too, aunt.” Lisa sneered. “Oh, she now talks back?” Aunt Mary asked sarcastically, her inside burning with rage. "Aunt I’m sorry, but I have important matters to attend to; if you don’t mind, I'll excuse myself first,” Lisa said, walking away before her aunt could reply. Aunt Mary stood there, vexed, her head about to explode from rage, and Lisa walked out on her. ‘How dare that brat? I’ll make sure she never forgets disrespecting me today.’ She made a mental note to teach Lisa a lesson. Lisa knocked on the door to her uncle’s study and was asked to come in. When she entered, her uncle's face instantly brightened up. “Oh, Lisa,“ he said, standing up, coming around his desk, and drawing Lisa into his embrace. He was very happy to see her. He feels sorry for her; he owes Lisa. Even though he tried to make her life good, growing up as an orphan, he failed her by choosing his own daughter’s happiness over Lisa’s. He knows his sister will be very disappointed in him wherever she is. “Uncle Maxwell,” Lisa said, hugging him back, “I’ve missed you a lot.” “I’ve missed you too,” Uncle Max said, breaking the hug. Lisa's family never knew about her marriage to Trey. On the day Trey proposed, he demanded they have a civil marriage at the city hall, so they only got a certificate. Trey's family and friends were the only ones who knew about their marriage. Wherever Lisa asked Trey to meet her family, he always gave her different excuses. “How have you been? You look thin; do you eat on time? Or is your boyfriend giving you problems? You have one, right?” Uncle Maxwell asked countless questions in a row, making Lisa smile, not knowing which to answer first. After catching up with her uncle for a while, she told him. “Uncle Max, I came today to bid you farewell; I’m leaving tomorrow,” she explained. “Why? Are you in any sort of trouble?” Uncle Maxwell asked in a concerned tone. "No, uncle, I just want to go and discover another culture,” she lied. “Okay then, where are you leaving to?” Uncle Maxwell asked. “Windy bay in country B,” Lisa answered. “Oh, okay, I have a colleague friend in Windy Bay City; I will let him arrange a place for your stay.” He said. Lisa was extremely touched by her uncle’s help. “Thank you very much; it means a lot.” She hugs him, a tear escaping down her cheek. “You are welcome, dear. I will send you his contact info; you call him once you arrive.” *** A day earlier. Trey walked to his car, annoyed, after handing the divorce papers to Lisa. He couldn’t believe the nerve of Lisa; how dare she think he married her out of love? he scoffed. ‘He's Trey Collins, a business tycoon and king of the underworld. People tremble in fear at his sight. How dare she, who had the guts to bully him when he was young, think he could ever have feelings for her?’ He laughed. He bet when she finds out she was just a pawn to him, it would break her, and that would be the perfect revenge for him. He stepped on the gas and drove to the old mansion. Trey started to work as a mafia at an early age. Flashback to 10 years ago: Old Master Collins, a grandfather he never heard of, came to visit. There were huge men in black suits and dark shades standing along the sides of the latest model of Rolls Royce, parked in a line. Trey, who was 14 years old at that time, was standing in his room watching the situation outside from his window. He decided to go downstairs to find out what was happening and happened to eavesdrop on his parents and grandfather’s conversation. “How dare you hide my grandson away from me?” Old Master Collins roared. “He’s my son, dad; I decide what to do with him.” Mr. Elijah, Trey’s father, retorted with the same intensity as his dad. “Trey belongs to me, and you know that; that’s why you’ve been hiding him from me since his birth." Master Collins said angrily. He has been searching for his son and grandson for the past 14 years. Elijah decided not to let his child join the family business because of its dangerous lifestyle, filled with violence and crimes; their family comes from generations of mafias. They are the leaders of the underworld in country A. All their mafia backgrounds were hidden and covered with their business world. He eloped with his family to live a normal life, clean of blood. Elijah changed his last name so his father would not be able to find them and come for Trey. He never thought his father would not give up on his search for them after 14 years. “Our family business has been there for generations; I bent the rules because you’re my son; I agreed when you said you wouldn’t want to work in the underworld, and that too, with a condition that your son would take over after me, and you agreed!” Old Master Collins yelled. “I won’t let you take my son; I agreed back then because I just wanted out.” Elijah retorted. “I’m not asking you; I’m taking him home to start with his training. You’re welcome to join us.” With that, he gestured to his men, and they started to search the house. Elijah and his wife tried to stop the men, but they were no match for him and his wife. Trey, after realizing he was the person in question, tiptoed back to his room and locked his door. After searching all the opened rooms, the men found out Trey was in the locked room and went to report to the Old Master. He walked up the stairs with the support of his walking stick and knocked gently on Trey’s door. “Child, please open the door; grandfather would like to meet you.” He calmly said. “I have been waiting for so long to meet you; come on, open the door, and meet Grandfather.” Just then Trey opened the door and walked out to meet his grandfather. They left for the old Collins mansion in country A on a private jet. His training started the very next day. He was taught both the traits of the business world and the mafia world. Life wasn’t easy for him since his training involved pulling triggers, killing, escaping traps, and seducing women. At the age of 17, he became the boss of the underworld. He also became the youngest CEO in country A. At 19, he had achieved countless goals in the business world and has defeated many enemies in the underworld. He was a ruthless, domineering, and powerful CEO in the business world and a ruthlessly merciless man who wouldn’t blink at the idea of murder, torture, and making one disappear from the face of the earth without a trace in the underworld. Every lady in Pearl City dreams to become his wife, even if just his whore, but is also terrified of him by his powerful and deadly aura.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4: Banquet

On Trey’s twentieth birthday. His family hosted a banquet to celebrate him. However, Trey felt such an occasion was of little importance and decided not to go. Because all he ever accomplishes on occasions like that is going around from one business partner to the other toasting and drinking, the only reason he doesn’t end up drunk by the close of such events is because of how he trained himself to have alcohol tolerance. However, when he arrived at the banquet an hour later, he was delighted he did. Standing amidst the guests was the face that had been occupying his thoughts for the past 6 years. Valerie Lynn, his childhood sweetheart. She stood there, looking stunning as ever in a strapless evening gown, as her brunette hair fell down her back, complementing her blue eyes. Trey met Valerie when he and his parents were living in Country B before he came back to Country A. Valerie was six years old back then; he wanted to be friends with her when he saw her being bullied by her aunt and cousin. She ignored him for some time but became friends with him when she saw him being bullied by her cousin Lisa. Their friendship developed into love in high school; one day he didn’t catch sight of Valerie at school, so he went to her house to check up. But he was informed they had moved the previous day. He sent a detective to track Valerie after he became boss, but the detective came with a dead-end report. He never thought she would come back to him on a silver platter. He took quick, long strides towards her, unable to control his emotions. Valerie was astonished to see Trey; he looked like a Greek god, tall and muscular, with broad shoulders, tanned skin, oceanic blue eyes, and long black hair with a matching beard and mustache, wearing a three-piece white suit with a polished black leather shoe. How could one person possess all the traits of a Greek god? She smiles widely, showcasing all her white teeth to Trey. “Trey...” She murmured admiringly. “Valerie…” Trey whispered, out of breath. ”It has been a while; how have you been?” He asked as he reached for Valerie’s hand. "I've been... good." Valerie said as they both stared at each other longingly. Just then the song starts to play, and Trey asks her if she would dance with him. She agreed. Henceforth, the two started to date. Trey is head over heels in love with Valerie; however, whenever he and Valerie want to have sex, he starts to have a severe migraine, causing them to stop midway through. That’s the only reason why he ended up having sex with Lisa. He needed to have sex, and Lisa, just like all the other bitches he has fucked to relieve himself before, was living with him. Even though he felt remorseful when he realized he was too rough with her since it was actually her first. Surprising, right? So he decided not to ever have intimacy with her again. But he kept carving her, obsessing over her, urging him to have constant sex with her. He just couldn’t get enough of her. -/Present Time/- The drive to the old mansion took 40 minutes. Trey got out of the car and headed to the main door to find old Butler Zane. “Welcome home, young master.” He bowed, took Trey’s suit, and opened the door for him. “Thank you,” Trey said, taking the lead. His face was cold and dark, void of any emotion. “The madam is in the dining hall,” Butler Zane reports. Trey nods and heads in that direction. Just then his phone started ringing. He answered through his earpiece. “Speak!” He demanded. “Boss, the madam has fainted,” Brad reports. Brad is one of the personal bodyguards Trey arranged for Lisa’s protection. But Lisa, not aware of his job as a mafia, rejected them. So they watch her from afar. “What happened?” He growled. “Boss, the madam remained kneeling after you left; she fainted when she tried to stand.”“Take her to the fucking hospital.” He said, feeling aggravated with himself for worrying about Lisa. He hates Lisa. But he can't help it; he instinctively worries about her. "Okay, boss,” Brad said as he hung up. Trey went to the dining room to find his mom setting the table. Mrs. Rosa likes doing the housework; she hates being idle, and even though there are many house helpers, she enjoys getting busy. “Mum, I’ve told you to let the maids do this stuff; they are paid to do it.” He complained. Mrs. Rosa smiled upon hearing her son's voice and walked over, hugging him. “I thought you’d forgotten about your mother." Mrs. Rosa asked, pouting her lips. “I did.” Trey jokes. His mom stared at him with amusement and said, “Did the almighty Trey just joke?”“I meant what I said.” Trey now said with a straight face. Mrs. Rosa grinned and asked him to join her for dinner since his dad and grandfather were not around. As they were almost done with the meal, Mrs. Rosa spoke. “When will you introduce us to your wife?” She asked, staring at her son. Trey placed down his cutlery and wiped his mouth with the napkin, placed it down, and replied. “I will when I deem it fit.” With that said, he stood up to leave. Mrs. Rosa knew Trey’s reaction to this topic, so she didn’t pursue the topic again. “Will you be staying for the night?” She asked, changing the topic. “I’m staying for a week,” Trey said bluntly, leaving for his room. Mrs. Rosa stared at his retreating form and sighed. ‘He must have argued with his wife for him to stay in the old mansion for a week,’ she thought. She has been trying to know the kind of woman her son married, but the topic is brushed off by Trey before she can start. There was this one time she visited his house but was not allowed to enter by the bodyguards. She sighed, stood up, and started clearing the table. After she was done, she retired for the night.

Chapter 5 Chapter 5: Regretting

- The next morning - The old mansion: Trey finished his breakfast and left for work. On the way to the office, his cell phone started ringing; he checked the caller ID to see Valerie’s name, and a tender smile graced his lips. “Valerie, what's wrong?” He asked. “I’ve missed you; I want to see you,” Valerie said in her sweet, gentle voice. Trey smiled and told her he’d come and pick her up in half an hour. He asked his driver to change routes to Valerie’s apartment. After ending the call, he called his private secretary and canceled all his appointments till the afternoon and asked her to book a suite at the LEISUREQ hotel and send him the details. 30 minutes later, his car was parked inside the parking lot of Valerie’s apartment. In a few minutes, she came walking out of the elevator. Trey’s bodyguard opened the car for her. “Thank you,” Valerie said, entering the car. Trey scowled angrily. “What happened?” Valerie asked, noticing Trey’s expression. "Nothing,” he answered dismissively, making a mental note to teach that bodyguard a lesson for smiling and admiring his girlfriend. The car stops at the Leisureq hotel underground parking lot within 30 minutes later. Leisureq Hotel is one of the many hotels owned by Trey. But he decided on a regular suite today to avoid news spreading of him taking a mistress to his penthouse. Yeah, as much as it angered him, he couldn’t deny the fact that his grandfather, parents, and everyone in Pearl City knew of his marriage. Trey helps Valerie out, and they walk into the hotel through the private door into the lobby. As they were halfway to the elevator, Valerie tripped. Trey quickly caught her, and with a hand around her waist, he helped her to the elevator as they both smiled at each other. When the elevator door closed, he immediately carried Valerie in a bridal style. On reaching their suite, he headed straight to the bedroom and sat her on the bed. It had been a week since they last saw each other; he was dying to taste her lips. But he has to attend to her sprained ankle first. He stood up to go and get an ointment to apply to her ankle after he massaged it, but Valerie held onto his hand, stopping him. “I want you, Trey. I want you to make love to me, please. We’ve been dating for 4 years now. Why won’t you make love to me? Don't you love me?” Valerie asked with despair visible in her eyes. Trey watched as Valerie kept biting her lower lip; he had to stop himself from reaching out to pull her lip out of her teeth. “I love you very much, Valerie.” He lowered his head to her, then took her lips in his as they shared a passionate kiss. He pushed her gently onto the bed. “I need you, Valerie.” He murmured into her mouth as his hand cupped her breast, kneading it, while his other hand caressed her hips, moving down towards her thigh, but halted abruptly when he heard Lisa’s frail voice. He hurriedly sat up. ‘What the fuck was she doing here? He didn’t want her to know he was still with Valerie yet. He wanted to divorce her before coming to light about their relationship.’ Everything unfolds so quickly that Lisa slaps him, which he weirdly finds amusing. But then she laid her hand on Valerie; even though he had promised Valerie to never hurt her cousin when they were little, he couldn’t watch Lisa hurt his love again; he didn’t mind when she slapped him, but Valerie, he couldn’t just let it slide; before he knew it, he slapped her out of reflex. But this foolish and breathtaking woman just wouldn’t stop and slapped his woman once again. He has to teach her not to mess with him. So he ended up pushing her aside, and his heart painfully ached; both times he laid his hand on Lisa but feigned nonchalance. When he could no longer stand the intense pang her tears were causing his heart, he decided to leave, or he would go crazy. So he walked away with Valerie. He took Valerie back to her apartment and apologized to her about what happened with Lisa. “Don’t worry about what happened; I’ve already given her the divorce papers to sign. Soon I will be waking up to your beautiful face every morning.” He said and kissed her passionately. “I love you,” Valerie sweetly said. “I love you..." Trey replied; she smiled and got out of the car, walking towards the elevator. She turned and waved at Trey sweetly. Trey smiled back at her, then turned ahead and straightened up in the seat, fitting his suit. “To the office,” Trey said, his tone back to its usual coldness. “Yes, sir.” -/GOLDEN HEIGHTS CORPORATION/- Trey stared at his laptop as his secretary, Lucy, explained the presentation for a project to him. But the sound of his phone ringing interrupted him. “Break for lunch,” he said, dismissing her. “Thank you, sir,” Lucy said, walking out of the office. “Nathan? What do you want?” He said the moment he connected the call. “I don’t only call you when I need help, dude.” Nathan chuckled. “Okay, so why did you call?” Trey questioned. “Let's have lunch; I already invited Kelvin,” Nathan said. "Okay. Let's meet at the Trixmax in 15 minutes then.” Trey said, hanging up the call. Trixmax is his favorite restaurant; their menu has the best foods. He used to take Lisa but stopped when he and Valerie made up. He arrived at the restaurant 15 minutes later. He instructed his men to stand back and went in. Trey is a fierce man who can take down 20 men at a time; he doesn’t need his bodyguards following him wherever he goes, but his grandfather declined his decision. “You don’t know when an enemy will attack.” He’ll say. Trey joined his friends at their table. They ordered, and the food and wine were delivered. They ate and talked about business strategies, stock prices, investments, and projects they should invest in. Just then he heard, “Lisa...?” His friend Nathan called. He paused and listened, in case his earring was wrong. “Nathan...” He heard her voice speak; she’s indeed here. Trey smiled, stunned by his own emotions. But his mood changed when he heard her say. “If I knew it was you guys, I would not have approached.” ‘That phrase. How dare she say that?’ he thought angrily. Lisa belongs to him, so long as he’s still her husband. He stared at her angrily. He retained his anger and focused on their conversation. But when Lisa said, “There are situations she would rather avoid,” and she was glad to see Kelvin and Nathan but not him!? He knew her words were meant for him, and yes, it did hurt him. So he retorted back to make her know just how her words hurt him. Even though she was looking awesomely tempting right now. “You have 5 days left to sign the papers and...” “I’ve already signed it, and I marked out the alimony. I don’t need your money, Trey. I married you not because of your money,” she sighed. “I married you because I love you.” “I don’t love you, Lisa." He said it to spite her, but her immediate answer made his heart skip a beat. “Same here; I used to love you, but I don’t anymore; all I feel for you is pure hatred, nothing else.” When she said that with her tiny mouth, it took every fiber in Trey to not stand up and carry her home and fuck her till she could not walk the next morning. ‘What the heck is wrong with him? Is he regretting letting her go? He hates Lisa. It’s Valerie he loves. He should be happy; he's finally rid himself of Lisa.’ He thought. “Trey… Does that mean you guys are divorced? She already signed it?” Kelvin asked. “And you were a witness,” Trey answered sarcastically. His heart was on the verge of bursting out of his chest. “Dude, Why didn’t you talk to us about it? You sure you want to let her go? Lisa is a one in a million; if you lose her, it would be hard to find someone like her.” Nathan adviced “Yeah, you better think twice before letting go of such a woman, like Lisa,” Kelvin added. Already, Trey was contemplating whether to run after Lisa or let her go. “Fuck!” He cursed hoarsely as realization dawned on him. As much as he hated Lisa, his body always had a strong reaction to her; he could make love with her, unlike Valerie, and even though he always denied it, he always enjoyed every fucking moment, a strange nostalgia he found weird. Letting Lisa go would mean him going back to his old ways, one he quit when he had intimacy with Lisa. But listening to his confidants now, he was sure he wants Lisa in his life; fuck all revenge. He quickly stood up and ran out of the restaurant. His bodyguards at the door, upon noticing their boss, became alert. "Boss,” they said in unison, staring at their boss in confusion. “Where is she?!” He growled, looking around the parking lot. “Where’s Lisa!!?”“Sir? Madam left a few minutes ago. She also left home early at dawn with her bags for her old apartment.” Brad explained. “Why didn’t you fucking stop her!!?” Trey barked. “Sir...? You... asked her to leave,” Brad said, dumbfounded by his boss's question. Trey passes his hand roughly through his hair and instructed. “Go bring her back home, and do it right this instant!” Trey roared in a domineering tone, making Brad and his colleagues shiver. After that, he strode to his car, entered the driver’s seat, and sped off, ignoring the calls of his friends, driver, and bodyguards.