Loved as someone else

Chapter 3 Officially strangers

Jacqueline’s POV

"What?" The word slipped from my lips before I could stop it.

For a moment, I simply stared at Cameron, convinced I had misheard him.

But the look on his face told me I hadn’t. It was serious... Cold and detached.

As though he wasn't sure whether or not I heard him, Cameron repeated, his words even colder. "Let's get a divorce."

The words landed between us like a hammer.

My chest tightened painfully, and my heart hitched. "No." My head shook instinctively. "No, Cameron."

I forced my spine to be straighter even though my legs felt weak beneath me, if it wasn't for the fact that I was sitting, I would have fallen by now.

"We're just having a problem," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Every couple faces problems."

My fingers curled tightly into my palms."We can work through this."

Please... I muttered under my breathe, my lips trembling.

A soft scoff came from the couch. Diane shifted slightly, placing a delicate hand over her stomach.

"Can we hurry this up?" she muttered impatiently, turning to look at Cameron. "My stomach hurts."

That f*****g bitch...

Here I was trying to fight for my marriage yet she...

Something inside me snapped.

I turned toward her so fast that my chair scraped harshly against the floor. "Shut the f**k up, you f*****g tramp." The words burst out of me like a bullet.

Diane's eyes widened in shock, her body leaned back.

For a moment, the room fell silent.

I gritted my teeth as I glared at her, every ounce in my body pushing me to stand up from the chair and give her a f*****g slap.

Then Cameron stepped forward. His gaze hardened instantly. "Don't call her names."

His voice was quiet, but dangerously cold. "Ever."

The words struck me harder than any slap. The overwhelming anger I felt disappeared, replaced with pain.

Of course.

He was defending her.

My husband was defending another woman.

All these years, I had waited patiently for him to finally notice me... For him to act like this towards me. I had given up. I thought he didn't have it in him to be nice.

But he did... And it was towards another woman.

"Cameron…" My throat tightened painfully. "We're married."

He didn't react, almost as though he didn't hear me. Instead, he walked calmly toward the coffee table.

From it, he picked up a thin stack of papers.

Then he placed them in front of me.

The sound of the pages touching the table echoed loudly in the quiet room.

"Sign the divorce papers, Jacqueline." My body flinched at his harsh tone. My eyes dropped to the papers which had the words: Divorce Agreement, written bodly on it.

He was serious.

But I wasn't divorcing him. "No."

This time my voice was firmer.

"I'm not agreeing to this." I lifted my head stubbornly. "I'm not agreeing to any divorce, Cameron."

My heart pounded wildly in my chest. "You can't force me."

His eyes darkened slightly.

"It wasn't a question."

A chill crawled down my spine.

"What…?"

He nudged the papers closer to me.

"Sign those papers," he said calmly, "and there will be nothing tying us together anymore."

My fingers trembled.

Four years.

Four years of marriage.

Reduced to a few sheets of paper.

Diane suddenly laughed softly behind him.

The sound was sharp and mocking

Her eyes glittered with cruel amusement. "Why cling to a man who loves someone else?"

She tilted her head slightly as she looked me up and down.

"Doesn't that make you pathetic?"

My jaw tightened.

A bitter laugh escaped me. "And you call me the tramp."

Her smile vanished instantly.

Before she could explode, I grabbed the divorce papers and shoved them back toward Cameron.

"No."

"I'm not signing this."

The words echoed firmly through the room.

I turned toward Cameron again.

"We're married," I said, my voice shaking slightly but still steady. "Marriage isn't something you throw away when it becomes inconvenient."

For a brief moment, silence filled the room.

Then Cameron let out a cold, humorless laugh.

"Our marriage was arranged." He began in a flat tone. "You followed me around all your life like a lovesick puppy." Then he snickered. "I only married you because your father begged me."

My breath caught, and a tear rolled from my cheeks. Each word he said stabbing my heart further.

"I was heartbroken at that time," he continued indifferently. "And your family needed support." His eyes hardened "Your father's company was collapsing, he asked for my help and I gave it."

He pushed the papers closer again, "But that debt has already been repaid. Your father rebuilt his company." Cameron's voice turned colder. "Your family can stand on its own now."

He leaned slightly forward.

"I've done my part." Then his eyes locked onto mine. "Now it's time for you to do yours."

My heart couldn't fall any more. "No." The word came out as a whisper, and I shook my head hoping that he would see the pain in my eyes as he stared at me. But his expression remained indifferent.

My hands trembled violently. "I don't want to." My voice cracked slightly.

"Cameron…" I inhaled, and stood up. This wasn't the way I wanted to reveal this, but I had no choice now.

I took a step forward. "I'm pregnant." I said and sniffled. "I'm f*****g pregnant."

The room fell completely silent and I held my breath waiting for Cameron's reaction.

It took a few seconds before his expression changed. He raised a brow, multiple emotions passed through his eyes. First disbelief, then irritation... Then something even colder.

"Do you really expect me to believe that?"

I felt a sharp pain in my chest at his words.

He didn't even believe me.

I took a step forward, trying to touch him. "It's true..."

"Oh please." He cut me off sharply, swatting my hand away from him. "Diane announces she's pregnant and suddenly you are too?"

The accusation hit me like a slap.

"No! That's not..."

"Do you think I haven't noticed?" Cameron continued coldly, staring down at me. "All these little things you've been doing lately." "Trying to dress like her. Acting like her."

His voice was filled with contempt.

"You can never be Diane." Each word felt like a blade cutting deeper.

God... I had never felt so much pain in one day before, and his next words only amplified it even more.

"And I will never love you."

"Cameron…"Tears streamed down my face now. I brought a hand to my chest, feeling my heart squeeze tighter.

Why wouldn't he believe me?

Why wouldn't he even listen?

"Sign the papers, Jacqueline." His voice dropped dangerously low, and he pointed to the papers on the table. "Or else, I will make sure your family regrets going against me."

My blood ran cold. "You wouldn't…"

Cameron tilted his head slightly. "Your father just recovered his company, didn't he?"

"One phone call from me…" His lips curled faintly. "And everything he built disappears again."

My hands went numb. "You wouldn't do that…" He would ruin my family because of this... Because of her?

His eyes didn't soften in the slightest. "Sign it."

The command echoed through the room.

My hands trembled as I stared down at the divorce papers.

This man…

The man I had loved for years. The man I married. The father of my child.

He was threatening my family.

Tears blurred my vision as the realization dawned on me.

He never loved me. He would never love me. I had never ever been in his heart, and he was willing to destroy my family just for the woman he loved.

Slowly, I reached for the pen. It felt impossibly heavy in my hand.

My hand shook violently.

"Fine." The word scraped painfully out of my throat.

As the pen touched the paper, I thought for second which name I should write. Was it my surname, or his since we were married?

Ironic how much I wanted his surname.

Jacqueline Ciara Hudson.

I wrote mine, tears pouring down from my eyes at every word.

When I finished, the pen slipped from my fingers and clattered onto the table.

Cameron picked up the papers immediately.

His eyes scanned my signature. Then he nodded once.

"It's done."

Just like that.

My chest felt hollow.

"Your bags are already packed," he said calmly.

My head snapped up. "What?"

Was he that desperate to get rid of me?

"They're waiting outside."

My stomach twisted. He had planned everything . He was certain that I would divorce him.

"I hope we never meet again." The words were colder than winter.

Something inside my chest finally shattered completely.

But strangely…

The pain felt different now. It was quieter.

I let out a soft, bitter laugh. "Fine."

He wanted me out of his life so he could return to the woman he really loved... Fine.

My hand instinctively moved to my stomach, feeling the small life growing inside me.

I had loved Cameron for too long, it was time I diverted the love to someone else.

I held the knob and turned it, pushing the door opened. From now on, we were strangers. But hopefully, we would never meet again.