The Billionaire’s Unwanted Wife

Lia Martinez I was getting ready to meet him. The love of my life. The man I loved so much more than I loved myself. Wearing a red dress that showed off my curves, I wanted him to realize the choice he had made. To see the beautiful woman I was. Red, the color of love. A pure, strong love. I wanted him to understand that I was giving myself to him completely. That night, we were supposed to have dinner. Like a prince from a fairy tale, all I was waiting for was his call telling me he was downstairs. Standing in front of my mirror, I saw a beautifully dressed woman waiting for her prince. I was expecting everything maybe even a proposal. Everything was set to be the most beautiful night of my life. My phone lay right in front of me. I stayed alert, impatient, waiting to see it light up, waiting for his name to appear on the screen. I imagined him telling me he couldn’t wait any longer. Hearing his voice whisper that the wait had been too long. Hearing him say he couldn’t stand being away from me for one more second. Hearing him promise that tonight would be the most wonderful night of our lives. Because, for me, that’s exactly what it was supposed to be. The stars felt aligned just like my heart. Our story felt written in destiny. I wanted to spend the rest of my days by his side. And finally, the phone rang. The moment I answered, I grabbed my purse, ready to leave and meet him when suddenly… his voice once so soft sounded rougher than usual. “Lia?” he said, serious. “Sebas? Are you downstairs? I’m coming” I opened my bedroom door when I heard something heavier. Another voice in the background. “Sebas, where are you? Aren’t you here yet?” I asked, confused. “Lia, I… I wanted to tell you at our last date, but I didn’t find the time.” I froze instantly. My hand stayed stuck on the doorknob. And then I heard the same voice again. “My love, are we going?” My blood ran cold. “Sebas!” I screamed his name. “Lia, calm down, listen… I’m sorry, but between us, it’s over.” I lost my balance. I felt my strength leaving me. My tears were seconds away from ruining the makeup I had done just for him. “W-what? What are you saying, Sebas? Who is that? That voice? Why? Don’t you love me anymore? Our dinner…” I barely managed to speak. “Lia! Stop, please! That dinner was to tell you everything, but what’s the point of wasting more time? Listen, you’re an amazing woman, but you’re not the woman of my life.” You’re not the woman of my life. Those words echoed inside me like a dagger piercing straight through my heart. I couldn’t hold back. My heart was racing. I was stunned. I had no words. I could hear that woman calling him, using the same loving words for him. Who was I to him, then? “Who is that woman?” I whispered weakly. Nothing. My throat tightened with anger. “SEBAS?!! WHO IS THAT WOMAN?!!” I shouted. “MY GIRLFRIEND!” It felt like a slap across my face. “AND ME? WHO AM I TO YOU? WHO AM I? SINCE WHEN, SEBAS?” “Lia, I met her before you. And I cheated on her with you, okay? I… I know I did wrong. That’s why I wanted to end it. I have to go.” And the line went dead. He hung up on me. In less than a minute, everything collapsed. I had been living in an illusion. I had never mattered to him. I had made up a fantasy in my head. A red dress. High heels. Perfect makeup for a perfect evening… I thought we were going to celebrate our love. I thought I would see a ring on my finger a symbol of the love I believed was real and sincere. Everything fell apart. I was on the floor, tears streaming down my cheeks. I saw flashes of us together… and now it was nothing but a memory I already regretted living. I looked at myself. All that effort. All those dreams… all fake. It was all a damn lie. I had been living a dream and that dream had just turned into a nightmare. “Esteban! Esteban! Open the door!” “Mom! Please, I want to be alone!” he answered, exhausted. His mother kept knocking, insisting on talking to him. “Esteban, it’s time you finally take responsibility. Valentina is the woman you need. She’s a good girl. You two would be perfect together.” Esteban groaned, tired of hearing the same speech. “Esteban!!” she called again. Sitting in front of his computer, Esteban shut it abruptly. He stood up and walked to his closet, grabbing a jacket and quickly putting it on. Outside, his mother was still insisting. Suddenly, the door opened in front of her. “Esteban! Listen to me!” “Mom! Please!” he said firmly. He put on his black sunglasses. “Mom, you don’t get to choose the woman I marry. And besides, I don’t believe in love. It doesn’t exist. Don’t wait for me for dinner.” He placed a light kiss on her forehead, then walked straight toward the stairs leading to the front door. “I hope she’ll finally understand. They’re all the same,” he muttered in his deep voice, without caring much. “Esteban, where are you going?” asked Celia, his cousin. “Celia, please…” he replied without stopping. He kept walking toward the door. “Celia?” “Auntie!” Celia hurried upstairs to Esteban’s mother. “Auntie, what’s going on with him?” “I don’t understand either. I’m afraid Esteban will never want to start a family. That’s my biggest fear, Celia. I don’t know what to do anymore to make him listen.” “Don’t worry, Auntie. He’ll come around,” Celia said softly, sharing her concern. But Esteban, outside, had already rushed toward his completely black motorcycle. Esteban Alvarez No way was I ever going to trust a woman again. They were all the same. And love… pff… that word shouldn’t even exist. He put on his helmet and, in the blink of an eye, was speeding down the road, riding as fast as the wind away from responsibilities he wasn’t ready to carry. Meanwhile, still in shock, Lia remained frozen on the tiles of her bedroom floor. Her makeup was completely ruined, her dress stained by the products running down her face. She cried, screamed in pain. In front of her, a picture of them smiling at each other like the perfect couple. “Was all of this fake? Sebas?! How could you do this to me? I loved you! I loved you with all my heart. How could you?” she whispered, devastated. Suddenly, her phone lit up. A new notification. She leaned over to grab it. “Reminder: Bring flowers tomorrow morning to the cemetery for Mom and Dad.” And she broke down again. “Dad, Mom… I thought I was going to tell you good news…” she sobbed. She looked at her dress, touched her face, and realized the disaster her makeup had become. She stood up immediately and walked to her mirror. In front of her was an unrecognizable Lia. Her smile was gone. Lia I had made myself beautiful for an i***t who didn’t deserve it. That wasn’t me. I didn’t want to live through something like this ever again. I didn’t recognize myself. Lia walked to her closet and grabbed a pair of jeans and a top. A minute later, she came out of the bathroom with her hair tied back, no makeup, no artifice nothing. She grabbed her purse. And rushed toward the front door. “From now on, I won’t give my heart to anyone.” The door slammed shut. “Taxi! The Blues!” I needed to go as far away as possible… away from this love that had only ever been a dream.