The CEO's Ex-Wife

Chapter 1 Jennifer's POV “You Devil! I knew from the moment my grandpa brought you to this house that you were nothing but a devil! A scheming witch set out to make gains for herself!” Nancy, my sister-in-law, barked as she carelessly dragged me by my hair. My legs hit the glass table in the middle of the hall, causing me to stagger and fall. Hot tears trickled down my cheeks as I groaned in pain, forcefully pulling myself away from her grip. I don't care what Nancy thinks. I know she hates me, and she has never failed to ascertain her dislike towards me ever since she came to learn of my background. But all that I need right now is assurance. Assurance from Jason, my husband, that he believes me. That he doesn’t believe a single word coming out of the lips of Lucy, the woman who betrayed him years ago! That, he can see through Lucy, his ex-girlfriend’s lies. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I weakly stood up and gently held his arms, whimpering. I raised my teary eyes to look at him, our gaze met, but he seemed different. He was not the Jason I know. His gaze was deadly, like a predator ready to devour its prey. “Ja…son.” I stammered. “You know I will never.” “Shut up, Jennifer ! Just shut up!” he thundered. His eyes turned black, and he fumed with rage. The tone of his voice took me by surprise, causing me to retreat a step back. “It was fine if you hated Lucy,” he continued. “But why did you have to get Grandpa involved? Why… Why did you have to kill him too? Why would you even think of hurting the very person who brought you to this family? He saved you out of wretchedness and this is how you pay him back? You disgust me!” His words hit me like a punch. My heart bled and shattered into pieces, hearing him spit those in my face. My chest tightened in disbelief, and a lump formed in my throat, making it hard for me to breathe, let alone utter a word. “I… I swear to you, I will never do such a thing!” I forced myself to speak, trying so hard for him to see the truth. For him to believe my words, for him to realize hurting grandpa Owen would be the last thing that would ever cross my mind. I owe that old man my life. He's my savior and I will never forget his kindness. I vividly remember the first day I met him. I almost got killed in a robbery attack when he saved me three years ago. He always used to tell me he liked me the moment he set eyes on me. That’s why he didn’t even hesitate to arrange for a marriage between Jason and me. I was a struggling college student back then, and although I knew nothing about marriage, I couldn’t say no. He offered to give me a scholarship and cover all my educational expenses. That is why, for three years now, I've put in my best, steered through Nancy’s constant belittling and Jason’s coldness and indifference just to make this marriage work. Before Jason could utter another word, Lucy rushed to his side, pretentious tears streaming down and ruining her makeup. Her hair was also in a disheveled mess. There was also a bloodied cut on her face, which she had blamed me for earlier. “Jason…” she sobbed. “ I'm aware Jennifer hates me, but … I never thought she could be this cruel and accuse me of something I have not done." “Lucy!” I exclaimed, anger evident in my voice. It caught her by surprise, and she shivered in fear, tightening her hold on Jason. “I have tolerated your lies to this extent, but I will not have you pin murder on me!” “And what will you do?” Nancy asked, a smirk on her face. “Kill her too?” I ignored her and faced my husband, trying to reach a part of him that would believe me. I wasn't ready to imagine what would happen to me if he didn't. “Please, you have to believe what I told you, Jason,” I sobbed, retreating to my knees. “Are you going to believe her over me?" Even after what she did to you? You trust her over your wife?” I asked in a raised tone, perplexed at Jason’s sudden behavior. Lucy had dumped him five years ago when the Owen Group of Companies was struggling with debt and had been on the verge of collapse. Jason had actually brought a ring to her house to propose to her, but he had met her with another guy, and she had callously told him that he was almost a pauper and wouldn't be able to support her lifestyle anymore. When she later found out that the company had survived, she came crawling back to him. It shattered him and hardened his heart to love, but here he was again, taking her back and choosing her over me, his wife of three years. How could he do that?! It felt like a sharp knife was being twisted round and round my heart and the pain wouldn't stop. “Are you trying to cover up?!” Jason yelled at me. “Are you trying to cover up your lies and deceit by talking about what Lucy did or did not do?!” “No, Jason. I…” I tried to get in a word, but he cut me off brutally, letting the sentence die on my lips. “You should be more worried about what will happen to you,” he ended with a growl. I shook my head at him, my eyes tearing up all over again. The betrayal and pain in my heart were heavy and deeper than anything I could have ever imagined. “I can't, I can't b-believe you're choosing her over me. I'm your wife, Jason. Your wife.” “You have the nerve to still call yourself his wife, you devilish thing!” Nancy shot in. “You're his wife and you decided to kill his grandfather?!” Before she could end her accusations, she turned to Jason. “ Jason, let's report her to the cops and have her rot in jail for the rest of her life!” Jason raised a hand, signaling his sister to stop talking as his cold hard eyes concentrated on mine. He pulled out a brown envelope from the drawer. Roughly thrusting it into my face, he said, “Sign these divorce papers or go to jail for your crime.” I gasped. “Jason…” I shouted in disbelief, the tears I thought I had fought off earlier began welling up in my eyes, my mouth quivering as his words replayed in my mind. So this is it, this is my fate. I can not fight it anymore. No matter how loud I shout to be heard, no matter how hard I cry to be trusted, this is how he perceives me. I'm tired, I can’t fight it anymore. As I stood there, palely staring into his unfamiliar dark gaze, I did not miss the look of victory and triumph on Lucy's face at the mention of the word ‘divorce’. This was what she'd planned all along. Suddenly, anger surged through me, and before I could stop myself, “Wham”, I turned, raised my hand, and slapped Lucy hard across the face, the sound echoing through the hall. Both Jason and Nancy turned to look at me, the shock on their faces palpable. Jason ground his jaws together and squeezed his fists tight as he repeated, “I'll overlook that one. Choose this instant! Divorce or Prison!” he thundered. I will never go to prison for a crime I didn't commit. “My unborn child deserves a mother, one that would be present in his or her life,” I said to myself inwardly. I faced my husband squarely, skimmed at him with nothing less than hatred and disgust, and said “I choose divorce.”