Her Sweetest Revenge

CHAPTER 3: A Shadow With a Wedding Ring

Glenda's Pov

The first thing, I gave up was school.

I was three semesters away from finishing my business degree when Damian sat me down in our apartment one night after work. He poured himself a glass of whiskey, looked at me with those blue eyes that still made my heart skip.

"Glenda we need you there full time."

"But Damian I only have three more semesters left" I said. My stomach felt tight because I knew where this conversation was going.

"I know baby but think about it. You are already working at the company, already doing an amazing job. The degree is just a piece of paper" he said. He reached across the table, took my hand. "You do not need it when you are married to the CEO."

I wanted to argue. I wanted to tell him that the degree mattered to me, that I had worked hard to get into that program, that finishing school was something I promised myself I would do.

But he was looking at me like I was the most important person in his world. He was telling me he needed me. How could I say no to that.

"Okay" I said. "I will drop out."

He smiled, kissed my hand. "You are incredible Glenda. I do not know what I would do without you."

I dropped out the next week. I told myself it was temporary, that I could always go back later when things settled down at the company.

That was three years ago. I never went back.

My life became his schedule. I woke up when he woke up. I ate when he ate. I went to bed when he went to bed. If he had a meeting at six in the morning I was there an hour early making sure everything was perfect. If he needed to work late I stayed with him even if I had nothing to do.

My friends stopped calling after a while because I always said no when they invited me out. Damian did not like it when I went places without him. He never said it directly but I could see it in his face, hear it in his voice when I mentioned going out.

"You are going to leave me alone tonight" he would say. Not angry, just sad. Like I was abandoning him.

So I stopped going. It was easier that way.

My mom called once a week to check on me. She always asked the same questions.

"Are you happy Glenda" she would say.

"Yes mom I am happy" I would lie.

"Are you taking care of yourself"

"Yes mom"

"When are you going to give me grandchildren"

That question hurt the most because I did not know how to answer it.

Damian and I had been trying for a baby for two years. Every month I hoped, prayed that the test would be positive. Every month it came back negative.

We went to doctors, specialists. We did tests, scans, blood work. The doctors checked everything.

Then one day we got the results.

"Mr Scott I am sorry to inform you that you have a condition that makes it extremely unlikely you will be able to father children naturally" the doctor said. He was an older man with gray hair, kind eyes. He looked sorry for us.

Damian did not say anything. He just stared at the wall.

"There are options available. Fertility treatments, adoption" the doctor continued but Damian stood up, walked out of the office.

I followed him to the car. He got in the driver seat, gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white.

"Damian talk to me" I said.

"There is nothing to talk about" he said. His voice was cold, flat.

"We can look into the options the doctor mentioned. We can still have a family" I said. I put my hand on his arm but he pulled away.

"I do not want to talk about this Glenda. Not now, not ever" he said. He started the car, drove us home in silence.

We never talked about it again. The dream of having children died that day in the doctor's office.

I told my mom that we were waiting, that we wanted to focus on our careers first. She did not believe me but she stopped asking.

Things started changing after that. Damian became different. Colder. More distant.

He stopped saying good morning. He stopped kissing me before he left for work. He stopped asking how my day was.

He started working later, coming home after I was already in bed. He started traveling more for business. He started looking at his phone constantly, texting people he would not tell me about.

"Who are you texting" I asked one night while we were having dinner.

"Just work stuff" he said. He did not look up from his phone.

"It is nine at night Damian. Who at work is texting you this late"

"Glenda please do not start. I have had a long day" he said. He finally looked up, his face annoyed.

I did not ask again.

I started noticing other things too. Lipstick on his collar that was not my shade. Perfume on his jackets that I did not wear. Receipts for restaurants I had never been to.

One day I found a text message on his phone while he was in the shower. It was from a number with no name.

"Last night was amazing. When can I see you again"

My hands shook as I read it. I heard the water turn off in the bathroom. I put the phone back on the nightstand, went downstairs, sat on the couch.

I did not confront him. I did not scream or cry or demand answers. I just sat there feeling numb.

He came downstairs twenty minutes later, kissed the top of my head like nothing was wrong.

"I have to go to the office for a few hours" he said.

"Okay" I said.

He left. I stayed on the couch staring at nothing.

I knew he was cheating.