Claiming what’s mine

EMMA'S POV "What the hell is going on?" Those were the first words that echoed in my mind as I stood frozen in the doorway, staring at the sight before me. My husband, Lucas, curled up with another woman—on our bed. I blinked rapidly, hoping the image would somehow disappear. But it didn’t. It was real. Too real. Our marriage was never perfect. I knew that. It was arranged by our parents, more of a merger than a love story. But this? This was a betrayal I wasn’t prepared for. He brought another woman into our home, into our bed. How dare he? My hands clenched into fists, nails digging into my palms as I fought to keep myself from breaking down completely. I always knew he didn’t love me, but I had thought—no, I had hoped—that he would at least have the decency to respect the vows we took. To respect me. My eyes narrowed, my gaze piercing as I stared at Lucas and Cassandra. My jaw clenched, teeth gritted in anger. Lucas had always been cold, distant, and indifferent to my feelings. I never blamed him for it, but it tore me apart that the man I loved always looked at me with such disdain and disgust. My legs trembled beneath me as I walked over to the bed, my voice shaking with rage. I yanked the blanket away, exposing Lucas and Cassandra's intimate embrace. "What the hell is going on here?" I yelled at the top of my voice. The room, once a sanctuary, now felt suffocating, the air thick with betrayal. Lucas jerked upright, startled by my sudden outburst. His eyes, wide and unblinking, darted between me and the woman in his arms. Cassandra Royce. Of course. The one he always said was "just business." The one he spent all those late nights with. "I don't know why I'm not even surprised that you're f*****g her," I yelled, gesturing at Cassandra, who was trying to hide a smirk. My chest tightened as the realization struck me like a punch to the gut—this wasn’t just a suspicion anymore. "Emma, wait," Lucas scrambled off the bed, his voice laced with panic. "It's not what it looks like. I can explain.." "Explain? To hell with that." I cut him off, my voice breaking with each passing minute. "You think there's anything you can say to make this better? You brought her into our home, Lucas! Into our bed!" My hands clenched into fists, nails digging into my palms as I fought to keep myself from breaking down completely. Cassandra, wrapped in nothing but a sheet, stood beside the bed. She didn’t even have the decency to look ashamed. I hated her for that. I hated her for being so composed when I felt like my world was crumbling. "Emma, listen—" Lucas reached for me, his tone desperate, but I stepped back, my heart pounding with pain with a mixture of anger. "No, you listen," I snapped, tears almost blurring my vision. "I knew something was going on. I knew it every time you came home late and told me it was ‘just work.’ But I believed you, Lucas. I trusted you." The room spun as my mind raced. I had spent years in this hollow marriage, trying to make it work, trying to find some semblance of happiness in a union that was never based on love. But this? This was too much. I thought back to the news I had been so excited about sharing with him—the offer I received to finally pursue my dream of becoming a fashion designer. I had come home, brimming with hope, ready to tell him. But instead, I walked into this nightmare. I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady as I took a deep breath. ""Do you even realize how hard I’ve been trying, Lucas? All I’ve ever wanted was for this marriage to work, for us to at least have something. And now…"" My voice cracked, as I shook my head. "And now, this is how you repay me?" "Emma, it’s not like that," Lucas pleaded, stepping closer. ""Cassandra and I—this wasn’t planned. It just happened. We were talking about work and then—" The way he spoke sounded like he was confused, trying to make sense of the situation, but I knew better. I had been a fool for so long, but not anymore. "Don’t," I whispered, shaking my head. ""Don’t insult me by pretending this was some mistake. You’ve been lying to me for months, Lucas. Months." My throat tightened as I spoke. ""I was willing to live with the fact that you didn’t love me. But this… this is different."" He reached out again, but I recoiled, the disgust swirling in my stomach growing stronger. "How could you be so heartless," I muttered. "I was going to tell you something today," I started, my voice barely above a whisper. "I got an offer to learn fashion design. I was so happy… for the first time in months, I felt like maybe things could be better like I had something of my own to look forward to."" I let out a shaky breath, wiping away the tears that refused to stop falling. "But I guess it doesn’t matter anymore, does it?" Lucas looked like he wanted to say something, but, for once, he was speechless. His guilt was written all over his face, and it only made my heart ache more. "I’ve spent so long trying to convince myself that this marriage could work," I continued. ""That maybe, with time, you'll come to care about me. But it was all a lie, wasn’t it? You were never going to love me. You were just waiting for an excuse to find someone else."" "Emma, please," Lucas finally spoke, his voice softer now, but it only enraged me further. ""It wasn’t like that with Cassandra. She means nothing to me—"" "Don’t you dare!" I exploded with rage. "Don’t you dare stand there and try to make me feel like I’m the one overreacting?" "You brought her into our home, and now you want to tell me she means nothing?" I laughed bitterly as I shook my head in disbelief. "If she meant nothing, you wouldn’t have betrayed me like that." Cassandra giggled as she made her way over to us. The triumphant smirk on her face wasn't helping at all. ""Emma, this wasn’t about you. Lucas and I—" "Shut up!" I whirled on her, my eyes blazing with fury as my palm collided against her cheek. Her eyes widened in shock with her palm over her face. I didn't expect my body to react this way, but it was too late to take it back, so I went with the flow. ""You don’t get to speak to me. You’re nothing but a homewrecker."" Cassandra’s face hardened, but she said nothing more. Good. She didn’t deserve any more of my attention. "I’m done," I said, turning back to Lucas. ""I’m done trying to make this marriage work. You want her? Fine. You can have her. But don’t expect me to stick around and play the fool any longer."" Lucas’s face paled, panic flashing in his eyes and I could see a hint of fear. ""Emma, don’t say that. Please, we can work through this—"" "No," I said firmly, cutting him off. ""You have already made your choice, Lucas. And now I’m making mine.” My voice cracked as I spoke, each word filled with poisonous venom. I spat out the words, my lips curling in disgust.