VANESSA

Some women loved to be spoiled with luxurious items; cars, big homes, and expensive jewelry. I was one of those women that never liked to struggle, flirting my way around until I found the perfect man to provide for me.

At twenty-five years old, I was already married to one of the richest men in New York. He owned a chain of hotels and spas around the world. Being the wife of Alex Donovan, I was the envy of many women who had tried to get their hands on him.

I couldn’t blame them.

He was tall, dark, and handsome. His black hair, neatly combed to the back, hypnotizing dimpled chin, and blue eyes.

His body was a sin, but I was the one that tempted him. The lucky one that took him off the market, and I was proud of myself for it.

I knew I was ten years younger than him, but anything I would ask for, he would always get me. Our marriage started as a fairytale story with honeymoons here and there, everywhere I wanted. At every party, he would show me off as the most beautiful woman he had ever met. I felt like a queen, even though everyone would just see me as his trophy wife.

Now, fifteen years later, everything had come crumbling down. Five years ago, Alex hired Lauren Cole, his new secretary as the last one had to quit, accusing my husband of sexual harassment.

No one believed her. To them, she was a nobody, and money talked, making it all go away like nothing ever happened.

I almost believed her. My love for my husband blinded me so much, I took his side.

Big mistake.

It didn’t take long before he cheated on me with her, and until today, they are still having an affair. Lauren was beautiful. She was only in her mid-twenties; Blonde hair falling in heavy curls down her back, icy blue eyes, luscious lips, and a body that would grab the men’s attention. Unfortunately, so did my husband’s. She was the reason he hasn’t touched me in all these years.

I worked so hard to keep our relationship afloat, keeping up appearances in front of family and friends and even the social circle, but there was nothing else I could do.

“So, I was thinking... we could go on a trip to Brazil this weekend? We haven’t done that in a while,” I suggested, trying to break the deafening silence as we ate our dinner.

Looking at me, he put his elbows on the table. He linked his fingers together in front of his face and narrowed his eyes. I thought it was a bad idea even to mention it.

Alex hated when I spoke out of place or when I suggested anything. He was the only one who could have the last word in this house, and it was suffocating. I

just wanted him to listen and consider me. Was it too much to ask?

“I don’t think so. In fact, I don’t think this whole marriage is working at all anymore,” he replied.

I put my silverware on top of my still full plate, not wanting to look at him while thinking of what to say next, but no words were coming out. All I could hear was my heart pounding against my chest.

“Did you hear me, Vanessa? I said, this marriage...”

“I heard you, Alex. But did you have to wait five years to tell me that?” I grabbed the fork in between my fingers, clenching it. My body shivered in anger while unshed tears threatened to make me look weak in front of him. Alex looked at me, confused. The frown on his face said it all, but I was going to drop the bomb on him.

“What, did you think I wouldn’t find out about your little adventure? How have you been screwing your secretary behind my back all this time? You threw fifteen years of our marriage down the drain. Am I supposed to just deal with that and not say a word?”

I knew I was well into my forties, but I didn’t look an age over thirty-five in all modesty. I was into workouts just to please Alex. My long, dark hair and my petite body were his favorite things. Most of all, he loved my rare hazel eyes with a streak of green on the edges.

He also used to take me to bed and roughly pull my hair while he made love to me, or was it all sex to him? We couldn’t even talk about having kids, and he knew how much I yearned for one, at least.

“You’re crazy. Where did you hear that?” He seethed. I could see how angry he was. He stood from the chair, agitated. His nose flared and his eyes wide open while he walked over with a menacing stare. I just sat there, as calm as I could, before he grabbed my arm and lifted me off my chair.

“I didn’t hear it anywhere, but I could feel your employees staring at me when I arrived at the company. The pitiful way it made me feel, not to mention the many times I opened that door to surprise you, and the one that would get the surprise would be me. You, making out with her or bending her on your desk while you screwed her.”

I took a deep breath, still holding back my tears.

“The moans that would come out of her mouth while you kept pounding her. I was so in love with you. I always forgave your cheating habit. Stupid me, right?”

He was raging mad, but I snatched my arm away and went to our bedroom to pack his things. I wanted him out of my life.

“You will regret this, Vanessa. I will make sure your life turns into a living hell. Good luck trying to pay for the rent on this condo. You can’t even work to save your life. You are useless.”

He picked up his luggage and walked out of the condo, slamming the door shut. It hurt that he didn’t even want or at least tried to fight for us, for our marriage.

I held onto the back of the dining chair, looked at the ceramic plates left sitting there, hyperventilating when suddenly, I sobbed uncontrollably.

I loved him too much, and he stopped loving me, or maybe he didn’t even love me at all. Wiping my tears away and looking at myself in the dining room mirror, I realized my makeup was messy. My eyeliner was running down with my tears, and my lipstick was off. Let’s not talk about my mascara.

I stood by the floor-to-ceiling window in our living room and looked out the city skylines. The rain poured down, leaving droplets of water racing against each other down the glass. My heart was broken.

I had given him the best years of my life, and he just wasted them. I was so numb to everything, but I just wanted to let my anger out. Walking back to the dining area, I pushed the plates and glasses, hearing the shattering sounds as they fell to the wooden floor while I screamed in pain. I slid against the wall, holding my knees to my chest, still not believing he would do this to me.

With all the commotion, I didn’t hear my cell phone ring. My best friend's name appeared on the screen, and I thanked the heavens for her perfect timing.

“Hello, Candice,” I greeted after swiping the answer button on the screen, my voice raspy from all the crying.

“Vanessa, I heard what happened. I’m so sorry that bastard did this to you. Do you want to have a girl’s day out? Maybe have some tea at the polo club and chat?”

I was unsure if I should go, but I wanted to take my mind off everything, so I accepted the invitation. What else could go wrong?