CHAPTER ONE.
WREN'S POV.
Finding out that my beloved sister-in-law I spent the past three years of my marriage cowering to and respecting is my husband's mistress three days to our anniversary is not one of my bingo lists this year.
My hands tightened around the knob of the door where my darling husband is, telling his two friends how much I exhaust him while he feasted on the oxtail soup I spent hours cooking.
Strife consumed every one of my senses, my stomach roiled in disgust and strife, I felt like turning the knob downwards completely and walk inside the room to pounce on the son of a bitch for making me slave my youthful years away, tending to him and his dysfunctional family because I wanted to be a good wife but I know words will fail me, my emotions will usurp the better of me.
Defeatedly, I walked back to my room, my eyes stained with tears, my head pounding with an aggressive headache threatening to shut down my vision but I managed to totter onto our matrimonial bed, my laptop at the edge.
Tears engulfed me again, thinking about the sacrifices I've made, how I put James as my priority because I didn't want him to feel less of a man, even when I had to bruise my ego for his to be inflated.
It was barely five minutes ago when I just finished booking a private suite in Oslo, Norway for our anniversary vacation, where I had to put his needs over mine again, he loved nature and hikes which I hated the most but I didn't mind because I wanted to make him happy.
Would things have been better if I was selfish? Or If I put myself first?
Angrily, I shred the gown which reeked of Oxtail and sweats off my body and sink into the bed, biting my lips to prevent myself from crying.
I didn't know how long I cried but James entered the room, shutting the door after him. The bed sagged due to his weight, his hands found my bare laps.
Instinctively, I jerked my body away from him, I didn't put mind into how my body repelled him throughout the years of our marriage, knots started forming in my stomach, I shut my mouth close to prevent me retching all over the bed.
"Hey." He groaned, digging his hands into my panties further.
"Not tonight." There was a raw edge in my voice but I didn't mind, I'm done acting subtle because I don't want to annoy him.
Thankfully, James only huffed and rolled back to his other side of the bed and went to sleep.
*
I spent the next two days rotting in bed due to high fever but I know damn well that it's because of the betrayal and the burden of the decision I will be making very soon.
James entered the room for the first time in three days after I denied him sex looking battered and drenched in the heavy rain.
"Benjamin had an accident." He croaked out in a heavy voice, staggering towards me.
"What?" My eyes widened immediately. Benjamin is James's elder brother.
"He might not survive." He added, pulling his balding hair back, I sighed, getting up from the bed without offering him the uplifting words I should have given to him.
If anything, James didn't deserve my sympathy, in fact, I'm sure he's reeling in happiness now, Benjamin is the heir of the Davis family and him down with an accident he might not come out of is like a stepping stone for James who's most likely to be the next in line.
I'm so ready to witness the Almighty Davis crumble down because of James's sloppy methods of administration. He's as useless as a dead man in the family.
It was later I found out that Ava, my supposed sister-in-law is responsible for the accident, the bitch insisted on sky diving and Benjamin is scared of heights, his equipment malfunctioned which led to him tumbling over till his head hit the hard rocks.
A week later, Benjamin died, I stayed at the Davis residence for the whole one week, barely having two hours of sleep each day because the matriarch of the house, Abigail Davis was busy tearing Ava down for putting his life's son in danger which eventually led to his death.
My anger for the family didn't rescind throughout the whole week, I couldn't forget how much has been taken away from me because of this fucked up marriage, I was so stupid for letting myself down.
I didn't fail to notice how James was busy ogling around Ava, not letting the castigating glances thrown at her by every member of the family get to her.
He was such a bad pretender, even the blind would see that he's overly protective of her which infuriated Abigail, his own mother.
"Are you not ashamed of defending this woman for killing your own brother?" Abigail barked angrily, her veins almost popping out of her face. She's turned to a wreck in these few days.
Already tired of their tantrums and trying to keep on the facade that I feel sorry for any of them, I walked out of the funeral home down to my car.
"Take me home." I ordered Alex my driver as he opened the car door for me.
"Won't you go back to the residence?" He asked, surprise laced in his voice.
Everyone has known me to be the coy daughter-in-law who wants to be involved in everything that goes on in the family but I'm genuinely tired of that.
I shook my head and put off the dark shades on my face.
"Just take me home." I insisted, relaxing my head on the head rest.
Alex was about to close the door when James dragged it away from him stubbornly.
"What's going on?" I asked, unable to keep the hatred out of my voice.
"Mom and Dad are still ravaging at everyone, Ava and Liam will be sleeping in our house tonight."
Liam is Benjamin's son.
"What..." Before I could protest, Ava has already opened the other side of the car door and slipped in with Liam.
"Hi Aunty!" The little cheese ball waved at me happily, genuinely unaware of whatever is going on.
Benjamin pressed closer to my side and dragged his mouth closer to my ear."You've always wanted a kid, this is close to it."
Sighing, I didn't say a word so I let my silence precede my decision, knowing I'd already caved in, James slammed the door on us.
Throughout the drive, I didn't say a word to anyone, getting home, Emily, our Housekeeper rushed to us as we got inside the living room, greeting us profusely, especially Ava.
"The guest room has been prepared to your taste." She said, referring to Ava.
A shocked dry laugh spilled out of me, unable to contain how incredulous this is, James has even prepared a room for his Mistress before she got here?
"This is a fucking joke." I mumbled under my breath and stomped angrily to my room.
After taking my bath, I picked my phone to call Tiffany, she's called over ten times during the past week, wanting to check up on me but I was too out of the place to pay an attention to my phone.
"Hey, how..."
"Draft my divorce papers." I cut her off harshly, not giving a room for pleasantries.
The line went silent for a while, guess she's still trying to process the shock.
"May I ask why..."
"Send the papers through courier tomorrow morning."
"Why are you in a rush Wren? I'm sure it's something you can work out." Tiffany pressed further.
She knew the work I put into this marriage to work but I'm done now.
Clearing my throat, I tugged on the hem of my dress, hesitant to tell her the reason but there's no use covering his mess now, it's not my responsibility anymore.
"He's cheating on me with my sister-in-law."
