Betrayal is not Defeat

“So you chose to still marry that struggling man, disobeying my direct orders.” That was my father's voice, trying to make me see the light in the darkness. My father's words echoed through my mind… I was wondering if I had made a bad choice truly. I was such a lover girl who believed in love so much. I love ‘love. My understanding of love was all about sacrifice and devotion. Ethan Carter was my husband; I stood by him, pouring my heart into his dreams while neglecting my own. It felt like he was a curse placed on me. I had extremely believed in him. Even when my family…especially my father, was against the union. My head was circling in thoughts of my husband as I was on my way to his company to give him the lunch I had prepared for him since he told me he would be working late at work again when something caught my attention from the radio in the cab. “The Lancaster Enterprise has been top and standing in the fashion world for a long time, Mr. Bennett is doing a great job.” The presenter said with so much enthusiasm in his voice. Mr. Bennett was my father, but not anymore. I was still staring at the radio looking totally lost. A few years ago, my desire to be with Ethan, who was struggling to start up his company, had cost me my inheritance and being an heiress to Mr and Mrs Bennett. I was disowned. This made me take up multiple jobs just to support his dreams in those years, as I believed in his vision, pouring my time and effort and even investing the savings I had into his company. And after a breakthrough investment, Ethan and his company became big. “Ma’am.” The cab driver tapped me politely, “We are here already.” I was startled. I am not sure how long he had been notifying me, but I felt his gentle tap on my shoulder, which pulled me back from my thoughts. "Thank you," I said as I got out of the taxi. I did not catch everything he said, but he said something. It made no difference; what mattered was that I was outside Ethan's company. My hands carefully held the lunch packed tightly as the cool evening air brushed against my skin, and my heart was beating with joy. The company's gate was not locked when I arrived, so I opened it and then closed it before walking toward the main entrance of the company. As I walked toward the entrance, I noticed my husband's car parked beside another person's car. “He must really be busy in the office.” I said to myself, “He must be starving right now.” Saying that, I rushed to the entrance door. What if he has not gotten anything to eat? I was so glad I had prepared his favorite. I took a deep breath and entered the grand lobby of Carter Enterprises. The name, a representation of all we had fought for, shines brightly on the large glass wall. But as I walked across the polished marble floor, something felt… off. The company was looking empty. Could it be that Ethan is working alone? I definitely saw two cars parked outside. Nevertheless, I forced myself to ignore the uneasy feeling and headed to Ethan's office. A voice interrupted me as I was about to approach the door. "Oh sweetheart, I adore the way you always kiss me." Soft murmurs. A hushed giggle. My heart started beating faster, my nerves pricking, but I had to really calm myself; I felt it wouldn't be right to jump to a conclusion and regret it later. Then, as if that was not enough, I started hearing a sound. The sound of lips meeting. A kiss. At that moment, my feet felt like they were stuck in a place, my mind racing to find an explanation. Perhaps it was simply a misunderstanding. Perhaps I was simply imagining things. Maybe… No. I had no doubt where the noise was coming from, it was from Ethan's office. I grabbed the lunch bag tightly, took a very deep breath, then I pushed the door open. What I saw literally took my breath away. Ethan, the man I had loved and sacrificed everything for all these years, was in the arms of another woman… Vanessa. Their lips were locked in a passionate kiss, Ethan’s hands resting possessively on Vanessa’s waist. Immediately, the lunch bag I was holding fell off of my shaky hand. “What the hell? What is going on here?!” My so-called husband quickly got up, pushing Vanessa away. He was almost shirtless. I was actually not so surprised; his continuous criticism, mockery, and dislike of me for not “fitting in” with his new classic crowd were enough signs. I had been having the feeling that I wasn't that important to him anymore. But the surprising part was Vanessa…his so-called business partner. Dark skin, dark brown eyes, slender curvy figure and short blonde hair. Vanessa leaned smirkingly against Ethan's desk, like she did not care. “Isn’t it obvious?” I turned to Ethan, begging him silently with my eyes to tell me what I just saw was not real. That there was some twisted explanation. That he hadn’t betrayed me in the worst way possible. “Baby, please can you excuse us for a few minutes.” Ethan was so shameless and unremorseful, and no, he was not talking to me, but to Vanessa. “Alright, love.” My eyes were filled with tears as I watched how she obeyed him, even dared to peck him before excusing us. “Sophie, listen…” "Listen?!” My voice rose, raw with pain. “You want me to listen? After everything I’ve done for you?” Ethan’s jaw clenched, his expression darkening. “You think you've done enough for me? Maybe you did then, but now, you bring nothing to the table.” The words hit me like a slap. And like a hammer on an egg, my heart was crushed. I stormed out of the office expecting Ethan to follow, but he did not. I hailed another cab outside the company that night, willing myself not to cry as the driver pulled away from Carter Enterprises. My entire world had just collapsed in the span of a few minutes. I was home already, and a few minutes later, a car drove in. Ethan had come back as well. I wiped at my tear-streaked face and stood up, bracing myself for the next argument that was bound to come. Ethan walked into the bedroom, his expression unreadable. I saw something that remained in his eyes…unremorse and pride. “Ethan,” I started, my voice cracking. “Why?” He let out a long breath, then met my gaze while pointing papers at me. “I don't think we can work anymore. I need a divorce.”