CLAIMED BY MY EX’S BIKER BROTHER AND HIS CO-PRESIDENTS

MARILYN’S POV Damien tossed a document across the table. “Sign this Lyn, let’s end the marriage now.” His tone was flat, like he’d just requested a chicken sandwich, and not just uttered words about destroying my life. A long pause stretched between us. I blinked back the burn behind my eyes. “W-why? We were good. Our marriage was perfect.” Lie. My marriage to Damien Watson was nothing close to perfect. I clung onto his potential, to the man I thought he had a chance to become. He sighed, lifted his chin to hold my gaze. His eyes gleamed with regret? I couldn’t tell from the chaos in my mind. Damien rubbed his hand over his forehead. “Babe, I need you to understand this is the only way I can get what’s left of my company. I need a woman who is rich enough.” Tears pooled at the corner of my eyes. I clenched my hands against my trousers, my veins popping out. My heart pounded against my ribcage. “Damien, you told me you’re going to solve the problem. Now, you want to shove me aside?” I stared blankly at the document, scared if I touched it, I'd be forced to face my reality. Damien groaned. “I swear to God I tried but this is beyond me. Love and promises can only do so much, I need someone worth it. Lyn, you’re not that person. At least not with your job as a waitress.” I opened my mouth to speak, no words came out. That same ‘waitress job’ gave us this house, and good meals. It wasn’t too much to make us wealthy, but it gave us decent lives. I paid for the mortgage of this house with that waitress job. I took every single shift so he’d concentrate on building the company he ruined. Yet, here he was flinging me aside as soon as he got a better option. I dug my finger onto the skin on my wrist to suppress the emotion in my chest. He continued, “She’s also carrying my child. Lyn, I’ve never said this, I always fantasized about having my own family.” Time stopped. All the colour drained from my face. I searched his gray eyes if I could catch a glimpse of the love they once carried, I got nothing. Rage burned through my blood. I shot him a death glare, surprise touched his eyes. For two years, I’d been the wife who always wore a smile, while muffling my tears. The submissive wife who swallowed everything without complaint. What did I get in return? Freaking divorce papers. He looked down on his wristwatch. “She’ll be here any moment. Lyn, take this as a debt you owe me for loving you when nobody did,” He reached to touch my hand, I pulled away. “I cannot jeopardize my chances in winning against that monster.” His tone was rough. Damien's parents had impossible rules guarding exclusive shares they’d stacked, between him and his brother—A man no less than a monster who walked away without traces. Damien had always wanted those shares. I didn’t know this was his resort. A shrill sound from the doorbell pierced my core. Through the tears that blinded my eyes, I saw the glint of exhilaration in Damien’s eyes. He pushed himself up, and sauntered towards the door. “Have you told her yet?” A familiar firm, but honeyed voice reached my ears. I snapped my head towards the voice, all the oxygen escaped my lungs. Full lips painted with red lipstick. Hair tied in a slick ponytail. Blue eyes, and pointy nose. Ashley Carter. She was the woman Damien was replacing me with. Her family owned the restaurant I worked in, she was kind to me, gave me extra food during lunch break, and even forgave me for sleeping on duty. Scattered pieces of puzzles slipped into place in my brain. I’d brought Damien as a plus one during staff parties, they’d never said a word to each other. Damien had constantly called Ashley a ‘privileged brat’. Yet, he f****d her, and had an affair right under my nose. The moment he figured I was no longer useful to him, I became trash. “I’m so sorry you’re finding out like this, Lyn,” her controlled voice pricked my delicate nerves. I balled my hands into a fist, suppressing my emotions. Ashley caught Damien’s gaze, and held it. “Damien and I dated in college. When we bumped into each other at the staff party, we couldn’t keep our hands off. We’re so sorry for hurting you like this.” A stupid smile danced around her lips. Damien snaked his hand around her waist. “Cupcake, there’s no need to apologize for anything. We found each other at an unexpected place. Lyn only helped us find each other again.” My eyes remained fixed on his hand around her waist, resting perfectly on the curves of her lower back. “You have five days to sign the document, Lyn. Don’t make things harder than they already are.” Damien’s tone came out flat. Ashley turned to face him. “Baby you don’t need to be rough with her. It’s already enough that you got someone better than her, give her time to process this.” Her sleek voice, layered with subtle malice. “I paid for this house! I paid the mortgage! I put food on the table. I deal with backache so you wouldn’t have to worry about anything. And you had the audacity to f**k my boss behind me?” I exploded with rage. Damien stomped towards me, my eyes brushed past his shoulders and landed on Ashley’s face, a derisive smile on her lips. My eyes shifted from her and landed on Damien’s. His eyes gleamed with spite. “Apologize to Ashley now,” he gritted “Don’t you dare talk about providing. At least you were useful in some ways, you should be grateful I gave you an opportunity to show you weren’t entirely useless.” My rage intensified. I balled my hands into a fist, and punched him hard on his jaw with all the strength left in me. My fist landed on the side of his jaw with a weak thud. I shouldn’t have done that. A low growl rattled Damien’s chest, his eyes gleamed with murderous intent. He fisted his hands around my hair, and shoved me into the couch. I fell flat on my face. Liquid trickled at the corner of my lips, I swiped it with my fingers. Blood. Tears. Sweat. Blood. And feral anger thrummed through my core. I picked myself up, breathing hard. “I swear to God, I wouldn’t go down without a fight.” “Unfortunately, there’s only so much you can do,” that b***h Ashley whistled from behind him. She sidestepped him, her voice stripped of its initial sweetness. “Lyn, you’re a helpless orphan Damien took in because he felt pity for you. He never loved you. He’s seen better, and he’s throwing you out. As for the house, it doesn’t matter if you paid the mortgage, even if you take the matter to court, Damien’s still going to get the house, and I promise you I’ll come hard for you.” She wrapped her hand around his neck, pressing a kiss against his lips. I was done. “I hate you Damien Watson! I hope you die a painful death!” I stormed towards the door. “Um. Marilyn you’re forgetting something,” Ashley called after me, the divorce papers in her hand. I grabbed it with trembling hands. Damien’s face, the colour of a hydrant. “You have five days to sign the divorce papers.” He repeated the words that somehow managed to scrape my delicate nerves. My eyes ran over the documents, then back at them. I drew in a long breath. “Fine. I’ll sign them,” I paused, my body trembled with trepidation. “However, you’d have to kill me first before you claim ownership of this house.”