The CEO's Relentless Wife

Chapter One: My Husband is a Stranger Athena heard murmurs from the door that was slightly ajar, and when she peeked inside, she saw a horrifying sight. Her eyes blurred, and welled up with tears. At that moment, her mind went blank, and she couldn't move. But it's like something in her mind snapped, and she remembered her phone before fishing it out of her pocket with shaking hands. She carefully pushed the door where her husband and Vera, his assistant, the one she treated well, were. They both betrayed her trust, and they will pay the price. In her anguish, she pointed the camera at the two and captured their heated kiss. They didn't even notice her presence because they were so caught up in the sin they were committing. After a few pictures, she left the scene with her legs shaking. She no longer wants to see them because of the pain and disgust she's feeling. It pools at the bottom of her stomach, and she grabs it when it aches. How could her husband do this to her? He had not even touched her once, and he gave a lame excuse that he had erectile dysfunction! 'He has been fooling me all this time. They both fooled me! But I'll make them pay, and everyone will know about their disgusting affair," she promised herself in anger. All Athena could think of at that moment was revenge. She wants to destroy them. "Mommy?" She heard Liam calling her in his small voice. Athena looked at the little boy with a pained expression on her face before she asked him to play with the other kids in order to prevent him from finding out about the atrocious thing his father did. Liam and his siblings are not Athena's biological children. They were from his former wife. Liam is only seven, while her older siblings, Emily and Jean, are twins and sixteen. She married Brian when she was twenty-three for one thing, and that is because of her dying grandma's wish. Because of her illness, she didn't want to leave Athena to face the world alone, especially with the fortune her mother left for her. And she thought Brian would take care of her. 'Oh, you were wrong, Grandma. You made the biggest mistake.' Because after two years of marriage, she got to know the man she married. She looked out the window at the visitors scattered around their garden. All of them are on Brian's side, and they are all having fun, unaware of the upcoming chaos. "Let's see what they'll say when they find out that the man they thought was a gentleman is actually a womanizer," she said to herself with her fists tightly clenched. Despite losing her strength earlier, her thirst for revenge gave her the courage to walk to the garden, where everyone was having fun. Some of them were oblivious to the storm brewing inside her and greeted her. "The food's delicious! Brian is so lucky to have a devoted and obedient wife like you!" One of his male friends even praised her. Athena is smiling on the outside, but she is void of any emotion on the inside. Her eyes were blank as she stood there in the middle of her unfaithful husband's family. It's like her hands had a mind of their own, and they moved to send Brian and Vera's video to everyone. In a matter of minutes, everyone's looking at their phones. Her eyes found the lovebirds who just came out right on time. She witnessed how they gasped, their eyes widening in disbelief, before looking at each other. Then, Brian's eyes turned to her, and she saw anger lighting up his irises. Athena could swear she even saw disgust in them. The people around them stood up abruptly, looking shocked as they stared at their phones. Even Vera Neeson's parents are there. Athena watched in mild satisfaction when her mother stood up before slapping her daughter, and her father dragged her away while cursing Brian. Whispers from the guests are what they heard along their path, but Brian's eyes remained glaring at her. Brian Arlington tried to calm himself to not burst because he was just humiliated in front of his close friends, colleagues, and family. A moment later, his sister approached her. "Brian, I'm taking the kids home to sleep," Martina, Brian's younger sister, declared, and she scoffed in disbelief. "Who would have thought that your martyr and innocent wife would humiliate you like this, brother?" Brian did not say anything, and Martina left to take the children home. "What's going on?" Emily asked Athena, her stepmother. "Is there anything wrong?" Athena let out a bitter smile. "Yes, honey, but tonight, I need you to go with Martina, okay? I'll see you tomorrow," she gently asked her stepdaughter. Athena hugged Liam tight and watched the three leave with the other guests with a heavy weight on her chest. It didn't take long before she was left alone, and she had no choice but to go back inside. Once inside, she heard Brian talking to someone. She could feel the disaster that was about to happen, so she couldn't help but feel afraid. Still, instead of running, Athena continued walking inside. She saw Brian sitting on the armchair with his elbows on top of his thighs and his eyes fixated on the carpet. Brian is a forty-year-old man, and he is known as ruthless and arrogant. He only treats his wife like a trophy and uses Athena for his convenience. He married her for decoration purposes. A maid to his children. Nonetheless, Athena, being a hopeless romantic woman, wished that her husband would confess his love to her one day. Athena breathes rapidly, her chest going up and down fast. "You cheated on me, Brian. You told me you couldn't... but with her, you magically had an erection?!" Athena bursts out in anger. Brian looked at his wife, and he felt like he was looking at someone else. A crazy woman he couldn't bear to see. The man's eyes are dark and blank as he stands up and walks slowly to where Athena is. When he reached her, Athena didn't have time to dodge when Brian slapped her, and she fell to the floor. "Shut up, you damn b***h! You humiliated me! You ruined me! Who do you think you are to do that?!" Athena gasped as her eyes rang because of the impact. She was dazed because, as arrogant as he was, Brian never hit her. She didn't expect it, and it's not only her cheek that is hurting but her heart as well. And why not? Not only didn't she hear the words she'd been longing to hear, but he cheated on her and even hurt her.