SORRY EX-HUSBAND, I’M TAKEN

Chapter Two

Kate POV

I squinted my eyes then slowly opened them while I reached for the aching part of my head.

"Wh... What happened?" I muttered, sitting up in my bed only to see my clothes have been tampered with.

Before I could think much of it, my phone beeped with a notification. I picked it up and my eyes shot wide open.

My investors, my business partners and sponsors! They're all pulling out?!

My heart beat so fast and loud that I could hear it in my ears.

There were ten missed calls from my secretary but before I could call her back, she reached me first. I answered the call, my right hand flying fast to place the phone on my ear.

"What the f**k is going on?!" I screamed.

"Ma'am, I've been trying to reach you for the past thirty minutes. Everything is going crazy. Ma'am, I'm sorry but what were you thinking?" she rushed her words and I could feel the panic in her voice.

"Samantha, just calm down. Explain what is happening. Why are we losing investors and..."

"I'll send you a link." she cut in and ended the call.

That move made me even more worked up. My secretary has never ended a call on me before. What happened that was so big?

My phone beeped and I checked to see she had sent the link she mentioned. My fingers shook as my thumb hoovered over my phone screen. I didn't know if I wanted to see it but I had to.

My company is in a crisis.

I tapped on the link and almost dropped my phone when I saw it's content. Now my entire body was shaking and I slumped into my bed.

It was a p**n site with me as a participant. It's title, "ROMANCING MY SLEEPING SLUT" was boldly written with close to a 50,000 views and 20 shares.

The entire thing happened in my room! That person that knocked me out as soon as I entered my room must have been sent here to ruin me but by who?

I tapped on another link which my secretary sent soon after and I wanted to die. A famous streamer had live reacted to it. I was the trending topic online and not for the right reasons.

Tears poured down like a waterfall. My entire life was ruined with no way to fix it.

I dialled the number of one of my trusted investors and listened to my phone buzz continuously while I waited and prayed he'd pick up.

"Hello?" I rushed to say as soon as he answered the call.

"Mrs Austin Kate." he replied in a dull voice.

My heart ached at the sound and I gulped before I continued, "Sir, I swear it's not what it seems. You know the type of woman I am." I explained, "Please sir, I was framed. You've got to help me. Please."

I struggled to hold back tears as I spoke in a cracked voice, "you know I was framed."

"I know." he replied, making me shoot up to my feet and pace the room slowly.

I tucked my hair behind my ear and wiped my face with the palm of my hand as I sniffed, "so, you'll help me?" I questioned in obvious desperation.

He sighed, "I can't get involved with you. You are a married woman. It makes it a hundred times worse than if you were single. Remaining as an investor in your company will ruin my perfect image. I'm sorry."

With that, the call ended before I could even c***k my mouth open again.

I tried other investors. I tried my partners, then my sponsors but some of them declined while others didn't even pick up.

"I'm ruined." I sobbed and slumped onto my bed once again. "This is the end of me.

My phone rang, displaying my secretary's name in front. I answered reluctantly, not sure I was ready for the next wave of bad news.

"Ma'am, there's a way we can fix this!" she said, slightly hopeful and excited. "You just got an invite to an event taking place tonight at the Harington Hall. They will be announcing their heir and he wants a partnership with you."

"What?!" I exclaimed, standing up in an instant.

"I couldn't believe it either, ma'am. The company can be saved after all." Samantha said, happily, "please start getting ready. It's holding in the next 40 minutes."

I hung up the call and rushed to the bathroom. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I wasn't going to miss it.

...

I stepped out of my car in a glittery silver dress. It had a V-cut open back but hugged my curves in all the right ways. I really put my effort in looking this good in such short notice and it showed.

Almost all eyes were on me as I made my way in after confirming my identity at the entrance.

Unfortunately for me, my outfit wasn't the only thing that got their eyes on me.

As I made my way towards a corner where I could stand and look around for the PA of the Haringtons who sent the invite, whispers followed me.

"Isn't that the married CEO pornstar everyone is talking about?"

My shoulders tensed up but I tried my best to pretend it didn't bother me as I took a glass of champagne from a server passing by.

Two women giggled near me and eyed me from head to toe while I pretended not to have seen them.

"Bitch." one said, in-between coughs.

"Do you think she's here to seduce the new heir?" the second said. A nasty grin then plasted her face as she continued, "or maybe the heir's old father?"

At this point, my grip on my champagne glasses had begun to weaken as my hand shook and my eyes turned watery.

I soon spotted the PA I was searching for. He was speaking to other guests but I couldn't be more happier. The sooner I could meet whoever his boss is, the fast I could get out of this place.

But as I put my glass aside and made to approach him, my way was instantly blocked. And by who? My own f*****g mother.

"I didn't think you'd be able to show your face anywhere after what happened." she said, smiling in a way that made me sick to my stomach.

"What are you even doing here?" I asked, straightening up, "last I checked, you don't get invites to big events like these."

"And you do?" she replied with a mocking tone and I clenched my fists, trying to put myself under control.

Suddenly, Gilbert appeared next to her and it made everything quite clear. She came as his plus one.

"Don't disturb my future wife, Kate." he snapped. "I've received and signed the divorce papers you sent and my lawyer finalized everything so we are no longer husband and wife."

"And it only took you a few hours to put a ring on my mother's fingers." I scoffed as I shoved passed them, "you two deserve each other."

"You see? This is why no man will ever want you." Gilbert said, making me stop in my tracks, "you can't even get yourself under control. There's nothing attractive or womanly about you. You're just like a man and being married to you was torment since you're like a stick in the bed too."

By this time, people were already staring and I couldn't let Gilbert win. I couldn't let these people stare me down like some cheap piece of trash but most of all, I wasn't going to let these strangers believe that I was the stiff one in our marriage.

I spotted a pair of shoes near me and turned to face my mother and ex-husband who were both wearing smug grins on their stupid faces.

I reached out and grabbed the man in those pair of shoes without even turning to look at him.

"Who says I don't already have a man?" I questioned, pulling the stranger into a passionate kiss in front of everyone.

Fuck the rumours. This was my moment and I'd do whatever I wanted!

"Please play along." I whispered into the stranger's ear.

When I finally broke the kiss and looked at them again, there was pin drop silence as everyone looked on in shock. Including my mother and ex-husband.

"Wow."

All the senses in my body heightened and I felt my skin crawl. That voice sounded oddly familiar. And not in a good way.