Chapter 1

• You know how people say things fall apart before they come together? Camille was still waiting for the coming together part and boy, this was looking like it!
• The faint line on the pregnancy test stared back at Camille like a secret she wasn’t sure she was ready to share. Her fingers trembled as she set it down on the bathroom counter, her breath catching somewhere between hope and fear.
• Just three months ago, she had a devastating miscarriage and then only a week back, she had buried her only family- her father, who has sadly passed after a mysterious road accident. Learning of this pregnancy felt like the first flicker of light in a long, dark tunnel. Finally, something good was happening in her life.
• Camille couldn’t wait to share this good news with her husband, maybe this was the news they needed to rekindle the dying flames of their relationship, their marriage was barely six months old and yet it was dying.
• For Alexander Steel, this marriage was nothing but an arrangement and who was to blame him? He was drunk that night and ended up in bed with her, weeks later he got the news of her pregnancy and their parents made them marry.
• However, it didn’t feel that way to Camille. She had always liked Alexander right from their college days, which is why she gave herself easily to him, not minding that he was drunk that night.
• It all happened so fast and they were officially husband and wife, but three months into the marriage, she miscarried the pregnancy and things had only gotten worse from there.
• Camille races up the stairs to share the news, hoping it would put a smile on her husband’s face. Well Alexander never smiled, and when he did, it was never for her. The man was cold as ice, yet she would die for him, if only he would smile at her.
• As her hand made to grab the door handle of his home office, Camille suddenly heard something that made her freeze.
• “You know it’s you that I love, Fiona.” Alexander’s voice echoed from the room behind the door.
• Camille’s breath caught in her throat, her hand hovering just inches from the door handle. The words struck her like a physical blow, knocking the air from her lungs. Her heart, which had been fluttering moments ago with nervous excitement, now thudded heavily in her chest.
• Did she hear right or was her ear playing games with her?
• Fiona! The name echoed in her head as she tried to figure out what was going on. Who was this Fiona and why did Alexander just say she was the one he loved.
• Infuriation mixed with jealousy set in, scorching through her heart like the hot desert sun.
• Camille leaned in closer, barely daring to breathe, her ears straining to catch the rest of the conversation she knew she shouldn’t be listening to but couldn’t tear herself away from.
• “I will be there soon my love, much sooner than you imagine.” Alexander continued. He sounded happy, more like excited.
• Now Camille was certain of what she heard, she couldn’t hold back anymore so she pushed the door open, just to make eye contact with him on the other side of the office table.
• He stared at her with those bright brown eyes, almost unfazed by her presence in the room. Wasn’t he supposed to look guilty? To look scared? He was rather unconcerned.
• Camille wanted to query him, ask him who he was speaking to and why he was confessing love to them. She didn’t want to jump to the conclusion that he was cheating on her, rather she convinced herself that there must be a perfect explanation for what she just heard.
• As she stepped closer to his desk, ready to speak, he beat her to it, ending the call and standing to face her. “Camille, I was going to come see you anytime now so we can have that discussion. I didn’t expect you to come up here, but since you are here now, let’s talk before I step out.”
• Camille was not surprised by his words because she truly never showed up here except it was very important, what confused her was his calmness. He was either very good at playing blind or he didn’t care about the anger written all over her face.
• Was he going to the office? Or maybe to see this Fiona, Camille couldn’t help but wonder, and why did he not give a fuck that she was visibly mad at him? He didn’t even care to ask why she was frowning.
• Camille knew that he had to be cheating on her, but maybe after finding out about this baby, he will change his mind and become loyal to her again.
• “I will take it that you have seen the papers,” he muttered coldly as he packed his briefcase.
• “What papers are you speaking about?” she murmured.
• He looked up at her in surprise, pausing what he was doing for a second. “You didn’t see the papers? Then what brought you here?” he asked.
• Camille opened her mouth to speak but he waved her off. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter anyway.” He said bluntly, “I left you divorce papers in the Sitting room, I need you to sign them as soon as possible.” He announced in a nonchalant voice.
• Camille felt her heart drop into her stomach and she stood paralyzed. “What?” She asked like she hadn’t heard right.
• “You heard me right, Divorce.” He repeated indifferently, his expression stable as he completed packing his suitcase and lifted it to leave.
• Camille’s jaws dropped in shock and she fell backwards. “Divorce? You are divorcing me?” she asked, her brain still refusing to acknowledge the news.
• This has to be a joke. Alexander steel cannot be divorcing her, not after everything they had been through together. She thought things were starting to get better in the last month, he cared for her, made love to her, took care of her father’s funeral, so why this expensive joke?
• “I know this has come as a shock to you, and for that I apologize. But we both know this was never going to work, and now my childhood lover Fiona Macron has returned, I would like to be with her.” He announced without a single remorse in his tone.
• It was at the mention of her last name that Camille immediately realized who it was. Fiona Macron was no fling of her husband, she was his obsession. He had a crush on her since childhood and always wanted to marry her, before Camille came into the picture.
• Alexander had been very vocal about his feelings for Fiona when the pregnancy issue came up but his parents were in support of his proposed marriage with Camille.
• Camille felt tears roll down her eyes, she had hoped with time he would give up on this fantasy of his but it appears she was playing a losing game. This was no more a fantasy, he was about to make it a reality.
• “Alexander, you can't seriously plan to do this to me, I am your wife, you are married to me.” She tried to remind him.
• “I only married you because of your father, Camille. He is dead now and so is the child you were carrying for me, we have no reason to be together, I do not want to be with you, I want to be with the one I truly love, Fiona and there is nothing you can say or do to change my mind, so please sign the divorce papers.” He stated in finality.
• Tears trickled down Camille’s face; she could not believe he would say such words to her. She turned around and took to her heels, leaving the office and heading down to her bedroom. The pain stung her hard, just when she thought things were starting to work out.
• Some betrayals hit like a sudden storm, but Camille saw this one brewing long before the skies darkened
• It was clear to her now, that although she loved him and would sacrifice everything for him, he didn’t feel the same way for her and he would never love her back!
• She had lived a lie for way too long, this marriage was more one-sided than she realized, and it appears like it was coming to an end.
• TBC!!