The Wife They Never Wanted

Selvina’s POV The sound of shattering glass made me stop halfway down the staircase. A second later, a frightened scream came from the living room, followed by hurried footsteps. One of the maids rushed past me with a tray clutched tightly against her chest. Her face had turned so pale that I thought she was about to faint. Another servant stood outside the living room, wringing her hands so nervously that the fabric of her uniform had become creased. The moment she saw me, relief flashed across her face. “Ma’am…” she whispered hurriedly. “Please… don’t go in there.” Before I could ask what was wrong, another loud crash echoed through the mansion. “Enough is enough!” someone shouted. I recognized that voice immediately. My mother-in-law, of course. “What could the issue be this time around?” I said through gritted teeth. Without thinking, I hurried toward the living room, anticipating what the problem was. The closer I got, the heavier the silence became. Every servant along the hallway had lowered their heads, pretending to be busy while secretly listening to whatever was happening inside. The moment I stepped into the room, I stopped dead. “Oh my goodness…” The words escaped my lips before I realized it. A crystal vase worth thousands of dollars lay smashed across the marble floor, glittering beneath the chandelier like scattered diamonds. Pieces of fine porcelain were mixed with broken flower pots, while water slowly spread across the expensive Persian carpet. Standing in the middle of the destruction was my mother-in-law. “How dramatic can this woman be?” I said to myself. Mrs. Daisy's chest rose and fell with anger. One hand rested against the back of the sofa while the other still trembled from whatever she had just thrown. Beside her stood Mira, my husband’s younger sister. Unlike everyone else in the room, she looked entertained. She folded her arms across her chest, leaned casually against the fireplace, and watched the scene with a smile that made my stomach turn. My father-in-law remained seated on the sofa without uttering a word. I wasn’t surprised anyway. He quietly removed his glasses, pinched the bridge of his nose, then put them back on without saying a single word. The atmosphere was suffocating. When Mrs. Daisy noticed me, her eyes narrowed instantly. “So…” she said coldly. “You’ve finally decided to show your face.” I frowned, completely confused. “Mother… what’s going on?” Mrs. Daisy let out a cold laugh. “What’s going on? You still have the audacity to ask?” Mira folded her arms and smirked. “I guess six years in this mansion made you forget who you really are.” I frowned. “What do you mean?” “A nobody,” Mrs. Daisy replied without hesitation. “A poor girl with no family name, no wealth, and no status. You were lucky my son pitied you enough to marry you.” “I never married Dylan for money.” “Really?” Mira scoffed. “That’s exactly what every gold digger says. You got everything a woman could dream of, yet you couldn’t even give my brother an heir.” Mrs. Daisy’s eyes hardened. “Without the Garrett name, you’re nothing but the nobody you used to be.” Before I could understand what she meant, she grabbed a brown envelope from the coffee table and flung it toward me. It slid across the polished floor before stopping at my feet. The room became deathly quiet as everyone wondered what the contents of the envelope could be. “Pick it up.” I looked from the envelope to her face. “Mother, I don’t understand…” “I said pick it up.” Her voice cracked through the room like a whip that even the servants outside flinched. My fingers trembled as I bent to retrieve it. Something inside me suddenly felt… wrong. I couldn’t explain it. It was as though my heart already knew whatever was inside that envelope would change everything. Slowly, I pulled out the document. The bold words across the first page blurred before my eyes. DIVORCE AGREEMENT For several long seconds, I simply stood there. No… This couldn’t be right. I blinked once, then again, trying to process the paper in my hands. Maybe I had picked up the wrong document. “…Divorce?” My voice came out as nothing more than a whisper. Mrs. Daisy didn’t even blink. “Yes.” The single word hit me harder than I expected. I looked at her, still unable to believe what I was hearing. “Why?” She folded her hands neatly in front of her. “Because you’ve been Mrs. Garrett for six years, Selvina.” Her gaze slowly traveled over me. “And in those six years, you’ve failed to give this family the only thing that truly matters.” She paused deliberately. “An heir.” My grip on the papers tightened. Those two words reopened wounds I had spent years trying to hide. I started having flashbacks of our numerous visits to different fertility clinics where several tests were run. Or should I start counting the medications I had taken? I sobbed inwardly. What about the silent prayers I whispered every night while Dylan slept beside me? Every month, I convinced myself maybe this time would be different, but somehow, my prayers were never answered. “I’ve never stopped trying,” I said quietly. Mrs. Daisy scoffed. “Trying doesn’t continue the Garrett bloodline. Where’s the evidence to show that you tried?” Mira clicked her tongue. “Oh, please.” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “We’re all tired of hearing that excuse.” She walked closer, stopping barely an arm’s length away from me. “My brother deserves a wife who can actually build a future with him, not someone who keeps giving him disappointment.” I felt my throat tighten and the urge to defend myself. To tell them infertility wasn’t a choice. To remind them how many times Dylan had held my hand through hospital appointments and promised we’d face everything together. But the words refused to come. Instead, I looked toward the only other person in the room asides the servants. My father-in-law. “Father…” He met my eyes for only a second before quietly looking away. That silent gesture hurt more than every insult Mrs. Daisy and Mira had thrown at me. I swallowed hard. “Does Dylan know about this?” Almost as soon as the question left my lips, the sound of a car pulling into the driveway echoed outside. Mira smirked. “Perfect timing.” Seconds later, familiar footsteps entered the hallway. Dylan Garrett walked into the living room, loosening his tie as he came in. His tired expression disappeared the instant he saw the shattered decorations, the frightened servants, and the divorce papers shaking in my hands. His brows drew together. “What the hell happened here?” No one answered. His eyes moved to me, then to the papers. Without another word, he crossed the room and gently took them from my hands. He read the first page. The muscles in his jaw tightened. He flipped to the next page, trying to figure out what it entailed. When he finally looked up, his grey eyes settled on his mother. “Who prepared these?” “I did.” Mrs Daisy replied promptly . “And who gave you permission to interfere in my marriage?” Mrs. Daisy lifted her chin. “I don’t need permission to protect this family.” Dylan dropped the papers onto the coffee table. “They’re unnecessary." “My wife isn’t signing anything.” Mira let out a sarcastic laugh. “You didn’t even ask why.” “I don’t need to.” He turned to face his entire family. “I already know exactly why.” Mrs. Daisy smiled faintly. “Then you also know this family needs an heir.” “My marriage isn’t open for discussion. I mean, no one has the right to pressure my wife.” “What if keeping this marriage costs you Garrett Holdings? I’m your mother, and I will always do what’s best for you.” Dylan didn’t hesitate to answer the question. “I can rebuild a company.” He reached for my hand and gently squeezed it. “But I can’t replace my wife.” The warmth of his hand steadied the tears threatening to fall. For the first time that evening, I felt like I could breathe again. Mrs. Daisy watched us quietly. Then, to my surprise… She smiled. “I expected you to say that.” She turned toward the butler waiting by the door. “Please bring Miss Reed in.” A strange feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Miss Reed? Who… Before I could finish the thought, the sound of high heels echoed down the hallway. Every step seemed louder than the last. Then she appeared. Vanessa Reed. She walked majestically and confidently in an elegant, yet simple dress. She’s the only daughter of Mr. Reed Gibson, one of New York’s most influential businessmen and my father-in-law’s longtime business associate. Rumors had linked her name with Dylan long before I met him. Mrs. Daisy had never hidden the fact that Vanessa was the woman she had always wanted as her daughter-in-law. Vanessa stopped a few feet from Dylan. She offered him a small, uneasy smile, then tightened her grip on her handbag as if gathering the courage to speak. “It’s been a while.” She finally spoke. Dylan frowned, wondering what Vanessa was doing there. “Who invited you?” he asked. “I know my visit is unexpected.” She glanced briefly at Mrs. Daisy before looking back at Dylan. “But I think it’s time everyone heard the truth.” A chill ran down my spine. I couldn’t explain why… But every instinct told me that whatever she was about to say would destroy the life I’d spent six years trying to protect.