His Billionaire Ex-Wife

Chapter 5

When she opened her eyes, she found herself lying in bed. Orville wasn't beside her, but she was sure he was the one who had lifted her and laid her down earlier when she lost consciousness. She sat up, despite the pounding headache and lingering dizziness.

Many thoughts raced through her mind, exacerbating her headache. She slowly walked out of the room and descended the stairs, looking for Orville. But he wasn't there; she couldn't find him. She assumed he must have gone to work.

She glanced at her watch, and it was already past ten in the morning. It was only then that she felt hunger pangs. But she opted to take a shower first before eating. She entered the bathroom and turned on the shower. She sat on the tiles as the water continued to cascade over her face and body.

The events of that morning, the altercation with Orville, were still fresh in her mind. Her jaw was swollen, and her burned palm throbbed. She closed her eyes, letting the water mix with the tears streaming down her cheeks.

She was deeply in pain and confused. She cried softly, feeling the urge to scream and release all her pent-up frustration. But her throat was dry, and no words came out.

She remembered Orville slapping her. It was the first time he had raised his hand against her, hitting her hard and hurling insults. She couldn't understand. She felt numb, her heart heavy with sorrow. She wanted to cry out and express her anguish, but her voice failed her.

When she emerged from the bathroom, she tried calling Orville's number. She wanted to ask him if she would bring food for him that day, as she often did. But his phone kept ringing with no answer. Orville seemed to have no intention of answering her call.

She sighed and lowered her phone, facing herself in the mirror. She looked pitiful, but her beauty still shone through.

She couldn't understand why Orville would seek someone else when she was attractive and alluring. But she hadn't confirmed yet if Orville was really involved with another woman.

The text message she read last night, the condom she found—it wasn't enough evidence. The woman's perfume she smelled the other day—it wasn't enough either.

For her, those were not sufficient proof. Just earlier, she suspected Orville of having an affair. But now, her perspective had shifted. A big part of her heart hoped that her suspicions were unfounded. She hoped and prayed.

She understood why Orville had hurt her. It was because he was angry. He was like any other husband, capable of hurting his wife when he was angry. But they would feel remorse afterward. Orville might feel sorry too. A large part of her heart hoped for that.

She knew he loved her. And she wasn't unlucky for him. He was just angry, and that was what occupied her mind as she ate quietly. She didn't want to analyze anything from beginning to an end. She was blank at the moment, feeling like screaming and despairing.

After finishing her meal, she sat in the living room. She stood up when her phone rang. It was on top of a study table. She hoped it was Orville calling. But she was mistaken; it was her mother. They hadn't talked for almost six months. Her mother was angry with her, very disappointed because of Yesha's choice to marry Orville.

"How are you, dear?" She didn't expect to hear that from someone who was mad at her. She didn't expect to hear that question from her mom.

"I'm fine, mom," she replied energetically.

She could hear her mother's breathing from miles away, carried by the wire. She wasn't allowed to say absurd things right now. If her mom asked about Orville, about their relationship. She would force herself to lie.

She imagined herself now on the road, in the middle of nowhere. The road was dark, filled with obstacles. She was uncertain. She would lie.

"Good to hear that," her mother said from the other end.

Oh, she wasn't asking about her son-in-law? That was expected. Her mom never accepted him anyway. That was also the reason Orville sometimes ignored her before, because of her mom.

"Orville is a womanizer," her mom rambled. She said that a hundred times. Orville is a womanizer. He would chase after women, and women would chase after him. But she didn't listen to her mom.

"He's not. He's a decent man, mom," she defended her husband. She was supposed to tell her mom that Orville had hurt her. But she couldn't do that.

"Decent?" Her mom gasped.

"If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't call me." She didn't want to open up space for discussion.

"Alright. When are you planning to visit us?" Dorothy changed the subject.

"In some time," she deadpanned. She wasn't interested. She knew everyone at their house was mad at her for being with Orville.

"Your dad misses you," her mom admitted.

There was no hint of surprise in her blank and devastated face. She couldn't speak a word. She remembered people's expectations of her.

She hadn't become a successful woman. She made Orville her world. She didn't become like her siblings. She didn't become like her parents.

"Where's your great husband? Didn't he hurt you? Didn't he—"

"How can you even ask that? I don't want to talk about that, mom, because I know you won't say anything nice about Orville," she said, annoyed. "I love him, and you seem not to understand that."

"I understand, but you're with the wrong man, dear!"

"Wrong man?" What a horrible word for my husband. You don't even know Orville, for heaven's sake.

"Oh, did I hurt your feelings, dear?"

What did she expect her to say? No? That she was okay with what her mom said? She was happy with the things she mentioned? Her mom was hurting her. Even though her words were for Orville, she was the one hurting. Why was the talk all about Orville? Her mom hated him; that was probably the reason.

She let out a sigh before lowering her phone. Her conversation with her mom only exacerbated her headache. She didn't say anything except her disgust for Orville. She loved her husband even though her family opposed it.

You are a great misfortune to me. That thought squeezed her mind. She just shook her head and collapsed onto the long sofa. As she closed her eyes. Yesha hoped that when Orville came home from work, he would be okay. She didn't want to see his attitude from that morning again.

Yesha was hoping...