The Divorced Heiress

Broken wings to mend

His hard and indifferent gaze which he directed at me lasted no more than ten seconds. He surveyed me from head to toe and his features relaxed when our eyes met again, he let out a sigh of resignation and approached me. I couldn't move a muscle, as I didn't see any sign of him welcoming me with open arms, rather it seemed like he was going to scold me. Honestly, I wished he would. I deserve it for abandoning the only people who love me unconditionally.

I inhaled his fragrance when he stood in front of me. I remember that perfume very well. It was all thanks to me that he wore that fragrance, after throwing away his old perfume that only made me nauseous. His mouth opened, ready to scold me as I deserved, but it closed at the same time as his arms enveloped me in a hug that brought me back to life.

"I missed you so much, my little Sari." he said. I let myself be carried away by the warmth of his hug, the comfort of his touch, and the pleasant silence that enveloped us at the entrance of the house, enjoying each other's embrace.

It was impossible to stop my tears. I felt so miserable. I am a bad daughter for abandoning the man who has sacrificed everything for my happiness and well-being, in exchange for a fool who offered me an "until death do us part," but I didn't know he was talking about the death of his love for me.

"Forgive me, father, I have been inconsiderate, selfish, a bad daughter and I deserve what I am going through for abandoning you to pursue a man who cheated on me." I said, my words barely audible as I couldn't stop sobbing while tears flowed from my eyes.

I felt so terrible inside, my soul was shattered just like my heart, knowing that it wasn't worth it to have left my life and family behind for the man I fell in love with and that woman I considered my friend. She didn't care at all that Alex and I were married, she disregarded our years of friendship, revealing the true Rachel, the one who always envied me for capturing the attention of the man she was secretly interested in.

The only good thing I could salvage from this tragedy was the fruit of my love for that man who ended up unlocking insecurities and fears in me, becoming my first heartbreak, because he was the first and the last, and I couldn't help but wonder, what happened? Wasn't I enough for him? What was I missing? Did he let himself be influenced by the derogatory and negative comments from his family towards me because of my unknown origins? Is it so important to them what others will say? He didn't seem to care about that when he proposed to me.

I put aside those questions that only tormented me and encouraged myself to look on the brighter side.

No, I gave everything of myself, I was a good girlfriend, a good wife and a good partner, but he didn't appreciate it.

"Come here, my Sari, we are going to mend those wings and pick up every piece of your broken heart, you don't need the crumbs of that man when you have the love of your family, you are going to regain your self-love." My father said, calming me down and making me feel like a complete i***t. He guided me to the living room, with one arm around my shoulders, and we sat together on the comfortable new cream-colored leather sofa.

"You don't know how happy I am to see you again after all these years, we are going to make sure you are happy again. I want the smiling Sarah back, the one who left here with big dreams and goals." He said.

The dreams and goals of that Sarah have been left behind in New York, the only thing that kept me going is the life growing in my womb.

"You're going to be a grandfather," I blurted out suddenly and his look of surprise was immediate. He looked at my mother, who had sat down next to me with teary eyes. She was moved to see me so sad, so defeated, but at the same time you could see in her eyes, the joy of having me back.

"You're pregnant." He said, more like a statement than a question. The serenity with which he spoke gave me back the confidence and trust I once had in him. I knew he wouldn't judge me for being so careless. After all, I wasn't clairvoyant to foresee all this, I never suspected that Alexander was cheating on me despite his sudden disinterest in me, and although I could have done a lot to prevent it, it was too late and all I could do was regret it.

"And he doesn't know." He said, again, more like a statement. I nodded in shame, without looking at him.

I know I don’t have the right to hide it or to let my child grow up without knowing his father. But given the circumstances, all I could do was put an end to the relationship with the man who broke my heart, my trust, and my self-love, without giving him a chance to find out that he had fathered a child. I felt it was the best for me and my emotional stability. The farther away I was, the easier it would be to deal with everything.

That's what I thought.

"I don't want him to find out either," I said. The disapproval in his gaze made me tremble, and I had to expatiate on my response.

"At least not for now, for my peace of mind during the pregnancy. It will also help me organize my thoughts and adjust to the situation."

My father sighed, not completely believing the last thing I said. He knew me so well. Between us, there was a father-daughter bond that wouldn't be broken even if we were separated for ten years.

"I don't agree with your decision. However, I’ll respect it. As a man, I wouldn't like it at all if such an important thing as a child was hidden from me, but if you believe it's the right thing to do, I won't interfere. I just want you to know that even though that baby will lack a father's love, the love of his grandfather and grandmother will be more than enough." He said, drying my tear-stained cheeks with his thumb, and it was inevitable for me to give him a genuine smile.

I don't know how I could think that he wouldn't want to see me after all this time. Of course, he would be unconditionally there for me. I am his only daughter, whom he has always indulged, even though I have been replaced by Brandy.

"We are happy to have you back, dear." My mother said next to me. At the same time, she put her arms around me and my father, and I melted into a parents’ hug that I didn't realize how much I needed.

"Enough of the crying and moody atmosphere, I know you've come from a long and tiring trip, but you can't miss the exclusive banquet I have prepared to celebrate the return of my heir." My father declared. I was surprised and gave him a look of reproach for setting up a party, knowing fully well I wasn’t in the best frame of mind.

"What? Don't look at me like that, you should know me better. Of course, I would celebrate your return. It will serve as an avenue to distract yourself, reunite with your old friends and maybe make some new ones." He responded.

Now I looked at him a little upset. I am not in the right condition to greet old friends, much more meet new people, or expose myself to society and let them know that I am the heiress of the Doinel. It wasn't the right time.

"Abby has been invited." My father said, and as soon as he said that, my face lit up with a smile.

"You should have started with that." I said, getting up from my seat and moving away from my parents' arms while wiping my tear-stained cheeks. I wasn't going to continue crying for the rest of my life, it was bad for the baby.

The excitement of seeing my friend overwhelmed me, completely changing my mood. No, not just my friend, but one I saw as my sister. I have known her since we were babies, she is from a very influential family, the Dubois and our parents are best friends and business partners.

"Maga!" My father called when he saw how happy I was, and my eyes widened at hearing that name.

My nanny, my second mother, I didn't know how much I missed her until that moment.

"Sir...?" she called, and her voice made me turn. She couldn't hide her surprise and joy at seeing me.

"Miss Sarah."

"Nana!" I approached her and hugged her, feeling excited.

After hugging and telling ourselves how much we missed each other and how elated we were to see again; my father ordered her to take me to my room with my luggage, which consisted of a small suitcase containing some clothes I bought in Orlando.

My room looked as it always did, the huge bed neatly made with silk sheets, the pink rug that covered the entire floor, my closet, my private bathroom, and the balcony. God, how I loved that balcony overlooking the backyard. The pool looked the same, as did the green and recreational areas. What fascinates me about this place is the breathtaking view of a forest with huge trees. All my life I wanted to venture into the forest, but I never had the opportunity or the courage.

"I'll leave you alone, my daughter, your wardrobe has been redesigned with Doinel's new collection. I know you'll like it. If you need any help, don't hesitate to call me," Maga said as she left the room with a smile on her face.

Without wasting more time, I went into my bathroom to have a long relaxing bubble bath in the tub I had missed so much.

The little calm I had achieved disappeared immediately I closed my eyes, and the unpleasant image of my husband cheating on me with my best friend flashed through my mind. I let out a tired sigh, frustrated by my brain's ability to remind me of events I wanted to erase from my memory.

I came out in a worse mood than I entered the bathroom and wrapped my body in a clean robe.

The sound of my cell phone caught my attention, and I immediately picked it up. Since the chauffeur picked us up, I hadn't taken a look at it. Although I was surprised that someone was texting me, since in recent years, I had distanced myself from many people and only a few would message me.

It was impossible for my blood not to boil when I saw the sender's name Rachel.

‘We are grateful that you left. Just do us one last favor. Don't show up again. You're not welcome in our house. It's a shame you couldn't fulfill your role as a good wife, but don't worry, I'll take care of that." the message read.’

A pang of pain lodged in my chest, taking my breath away, making me forget how to breathe. Our house?

The good mood I had regained upon arriving in Paris was replaced by disappointment. Pain was slowly destroying the last pieces of my heart as I looked at the photo she had sent me.

It was a photo of her and Alex, both in our bed.

I mean, what used to be our bed. Her head rested on a sleeping Alexander's bare chest. Although Rachel's eyes were closed, you could see her slight half-smile. Even though it was just a picture, I could distinguish the same expression of gloating on her face, as if she were proud of her accomplishment.

Incredible. They couldn't wait for me to leave so they could continue with their shameful acts.

That's how the last spark disappeared from my face.

They killed me alive.

Anger blinded me for a moment and I started typing an offensive response, but I stopped when I was about to send the message, realizing the nonsense I was writing

I sat on the bed after taking a deep breath and calmly wrote another message.

‘Congratulations, keep enjoying your feeling of superiority as a mistress. You have saved me from a great headache. After all, it was your last gesture of friendship.’

I sent the message and immediately pressed block contact. I didn't want to know anything else about her or them.

I laid down on the bed with my arms stretched out and closed my eyes for a few seconds, feeling more than sad, annoyed with myself for being so blind and stupid for giving everything without receiving anything in return.

I went down memory lane, when I first met Alexander at an underground street race that Abby had dragged me to on our last trip together.

I remember running alongside Abby in an attempt to lose my bodyguard, and then colliding with a strong body that made me stumble, and when I was about to fall down, a pair of strong arms held me up, preventing my trembling body from hitting the ground. The first thing I saw were his beautiful honey-colored eyes, looking at me with concern and tenderness.

After asking if I was okay and apologizing, when clearly, I was the one to blame for running without looking, he introduced himself as Alex. Immediately after I told him my name, my escort caught up with me, taking me away from that eighteen-year-old boy who didn't take his eyes off me until I got into the car, where an angry Abby was waiting for me to scold me for wasting precious minutes with that guy, when we could have used it to escape from my escort.

Years later, we met at the university. I remembered who he was from the very first moment I saw him, but I was surprised when he told me he had never seen me before in his life.

Looking back, I think that was the red flag telling me to stay away from him. If I hadn't let myself be carried away by the first impression I had of him in that place, I wouldn't have been attracted to Alexander, I wouldn't have given him everything of myself, I wouldn't have become Mrs. Lancaster, and I surely wouldn't have made the foolish decision to leave my loving family to be part of one that humiliated me at every chance they got.

And now I was here, with a memory of all the heartache I endured, a baby on the way, and broken wings to mend.