The Unwanted Wife

Chapter 6

CASSANDRA:

It was already past six in the evening when Cole arrived home from work. I was busy in the kitchen preparing dinner. I left what I was cooking for a moment and hurried to open the door and greet him. A wide smile spread across my face when I saw him holding a bouquet of yellow roses and a box of almond chocolates!

"Cole, welcome home!" I greeted him cheerfully and smiling at him.

But he didn't smile back or show even a hint of happiness upon seeing me. His face remained completely blank as he walked past me, ignoring my existence entirely. The smile instantly faded from my lips, replaced by a sharp pang of pain in my chest. I watched him walk straight toward Althea, who was just coming down the stairs.

"Hi, babe!" Althea greeted him sweetly.

"Hi, babe! Look what I bought for you. I hope this makes you feel better," Cole replied with a bright smile, welcoming her with a tight hug and a kiss.

I quickly looked away, tears starting to well up in my eyes. I bowed my head and walked back quietly to the kitchen. I knew very well that they were the ones in love. It was just. . . seeing it right in front of me hurt so much, because I loved Cole with all my heart and was ready to do anything and everything for him.

"Thank you, babe. I really appreciate this. I’ve been craving chocolate all afternoon," Althea said in a sweet, honeyed voice, following him right into the kitchen.

I closed my eyes for a second and took a deep breath. I had already tried to stay out of their way, yet here she was, deliberately rubbing their relationship in my face just to show me how much I didn't matter to him. I admitted it hurt me deeply. After all, my right as his wife existed only on a piece of paper. He couldn't even bring himself to smile at me--how could I ever expect him to love me?

"Anything for you, babe. So, how was your day here, hmm?" Cole asked, gently pulling out a chair for her to sit.

"Babe, I ate really late today. It was already past noon when I finally had something, and I was absolutely starving. Cassy refused to cook anything earlier. She locked herself up in her quarters and ignored me, so I ended up going hungry," she complained, putting on her best pitiful act.

I rolled my eyes inwardly at her drama and theatrics. If she was really that hungry, she could have just cooked her own food. Oh right--she didn't even know how to turn on a stove. She only knew how to eat.

"What? She let you starve here in our own house?!" Cole exclaimed, his voice laced with anger as he immediately turned his sharp gaze toward me.

"Yes, babe. We even argued because she flat-out refused to make me anything. And when she finally did cook? She deliberately made the food taste terrible. But since I was so hungry, I had no choice--I forced myself to eat it anyway. But right after I finished, my stomach started hurting really bad," she lied, shaking her head sadly.

I couldn't help but shake my head myself at how ridiculous her stories were.

"Cassy," Cole called my name, his tone cold and threatening.

I turned to face them, my face completely void of emotion. Althea was pressing herself against his chest while Cole held her protectively in his arms. His eyes narrowed at me with pure disdain, while Althea was smirking victoriously from her place beside him.

"What?" I asked flatly, not caring anymore.

"Don't think just because I’m away from this house that you can do whatever you want here. You are not allowed to mistreat Althea ever again. And if you ever try this again? I won’t hesitate to divorce you, Cassy. Mom has already transferred all her company shares to me. I’m the sole CEO now. So behave yourself, because I don’t need you anymore. Now that I’ve fully received my inheritance? It would be so easy for me to throw you out and annul our marriage. Don’t test me, Cassy. I wouldn’t care even if you ended up dying out on the streets," Cole threatened me fiercely.

I gripped the fabric of my dress tightly, my knuckles turning white. My heart felt like it was being squeezed painfully inside my chest with every word he spoke. It hurt more than anything to be constantly reminded how completely worthless I was to him.

"No, please don't say that, babe. Where would she go if you sent her away? It’s okay with me that she stays here, really," Althea said, while secretly grinning at me.

"No, babe. I won’t let this woman keep mistreating you inside our own home," Cole replied, kissing her forehead tenderly.

"Oh, you're so sweet, babe. Thank you, okay? But don't take it too seriously. I don't want you to kick Cassy out just because of me. She has nowhere else to go, after all," Althea said softly, then turned to look at me. "Cassy, do you want some chocolate? We can share," she offered, acting like the kind, generous person just to show Cole how 'nice' she was.

"No thanks. Eat it all by yourself," I answered blankly.

She immediately pouted and put on her crying face again, turning to look up at Cole.

"Hey, it's okay, babe," Cole whispered to comfort her before shifting his glare back to me. "Here you are again, being offered something nice by Althea, and you still have the nerve to act cold and rude? Seriously, Cassy? What is your problem now, huh? I really can’t understand you. Don’t push my patience to its limit, because I really won’t think twice about divorcing you and throwing you out of this house for good."

*****

AFTER serving their dinner, I quietly left the kitchen. They never invited me to eat with them anyway, so I just insist myself. I walked toward the back of the villa, near the garden, and sat down on a wooden bench by the side. I let out a long, heavy sigh, replaying every single word Cole said earlier in my mind.

How easily he believed every lie Althea told. How he made sure I knew I meant absolutely nothing to him. How he claimed he wouldn't care even if I died. Every thought felt like a sharp knife stabbing straight through my heart.

"Am I really that hard to love?" I whispered as tears rolled down my cheeks, accompanied by a bitter, broken smile.

It had only been a day since I arrived here as Cole’s wife, yet my heart already felt so heavy and worn out. I felt like I was running out of strength, fading away little by little. Just like a burning candle that slowly melts away while giving light and warmth to everyone else, I was burning myself out for them.

"I hate to even think this. . . but Mom, I wish you hadn’t saved Cole’s mother all those years ago. If you hadn’t risked your life for her, you would still be alive with me today. I wouldn’t be suffering like this, and dad never would have brought his mistress and her illegitimate daughter Althea into our home," I murmured, head bowed, crying silently.

A cold breeze blew past, wrapping around me gently, as if it were the only thing comforting me in my quiet sorrow.

"What’s wrong with you, Cassy? That’s such a terrible thing to think," I scolded myself softly. "Ever since Mom passed away, Mr. and Mrs. Harris loved and accepted you wholeheartedly. You shouldn’t think like that."

Aside from Zayne, my assistant, the Harris couple were the only people who truly showed me kindness, concern, and genuine love. Because my own father. . . he stopped loving me and seeing me a long time ago. To him, Althea was the only daughter he had. When he buried mom, it felt like he buried me right alongside her. As his child, it hurt more than anything to be discarded by the father I loved so much--like I wasn’t even his own flesh and blood.

Back then, if I fell ill, he wouldn't even spare me a glance. But if Althea so much as sneezed? He would rush her straight to the hospital just to treat a simple cold. Yet me? Even when my fever spiked dangerously high and I was already convulsing, barely conscious? He didn’t care about me at all.

"You can do this, Cassy," I reminded myself firmly. "Now that Cole has fully received his inheritance from his parents, you have to work even harder to serve them. Because Cole is right--he doesn’t care about you. He has all the power now. He can divorce you and throw you out of this villa whenever he wants."

I wiped my tears away, closed my eyes, and took several deep breaths. I tried to calm my racing mind and aching heart, forcing myself to ignore the sharp pain in my chest. I loved Cole. I wanted to stay by his side and serve him for as long as I could. My whole life, he was the only dream I ever had. He was the only one who ever made my heart beat faster. I had him right here, within my reach. That was why I had to do better as his wife, as his partner--just so I could stay right here beside him.

*****

DAYS passed, and Althea never ran out of ways to make me look like the villain in Cole’s eyes. As usual, because she was such a skilled actress and manipulator, Cole believed every single word she said. I stopped fighting back too. What was the point anyway? Cole never believed me. He never cared to hear my side of the story. Althea was the only one he ever listened to.

One day, the two of them went out and spent the whole day wandering around and enjoying themselves. When they came back, they were both radiating happiness, and as always, Cole was carrying piles of shopping bags--all for Althea. Every single day, he bought her gifts and treats.

Branded bags, designer clothes, high heels, jewelry, accessories, and everything else she wanted. He spoiled her completely. Whatever Althea desired, even if it cost millions, Cole would buy it for her without hesitation. Meanwhile, me--his legal wife? Not even a single withered flower or a cheap piece of clothing had ever been bought for me by him.

"Take good care of yourself, okay? You mustn't get tired or stressed out, babe. Don't worry, I’ll hire a maid for us. Someone who can look after you and defend you whenever I’m at work," Cole said as he placed all the shopping bags on the center table, then gently helped Althea sit comfortably on the sofa.

"Thank you, babe. Don't worry, I’ll take very good care of myself—" Althea replied sweetly and softly, then turned her head toward me with a triumphant smirk. "And of our baby."

I froze right where I stood, feeling as if someone had poured a bucket of ice-cold water all over me. Those last words she said kept replaying over and over again inside my mind!

"W-what? B-baby?" I stammered, staring blankly at the two of them.

Cole turned to face me while holding Althea tightly in his arms.

"Yes, Cassy. Althea and I are going to have a child. So make sure you never give her a hard time or cause her any trouble. Because if anything happens to her pregnancy because of you? You will pay dearly for it. Do you understand?" Cole stated firmly, his tone and eyes filled with nothing but threats and warning.

I smiled bitterly, not even realizing that tears were already streaming down my face from what I had just learned.

"You. . . you’re going to have a baby? You really got her pregnant, Cole?" I asked with great difficulty, my brows furrowing in pain and confusion.

"So what if I got her pregnant, Cassy? We love each other, and she is the only woman I want to bear my children--especially the ones who will carry my family name. What exactly did you expect? That you would be the one carrying my children? You? No way in hell," he answered mockingly, making Althea grin widely at me in pure victory.

I wiped my tears away and turned my back on them. They were going to have a child. Deep down, I knew this was bound to happen eventually. But knowing it didn't make it hurt any less. . . and now that it was actually happening, the pain was unbearable.