Chapter 3

• Richard's POV
• My arms tremble, shaking with the willpower not to break down. I sniffle hoping it will at least grant me the strength to get the hell out of here.
• Forcing my head up, I use the seatbelt and ignite the car engine into action. I noticed my hands are still trembling.
• For a second, I consider calling a cab to come pick me up instead of driving so I won't end up driving into a pole as a result of this shock but I can't wait here.
• I drive out immediately.
• The more seconds I spend here the more risk. I might end up doing something rash like storming back into that apartment and breaking Jake's jaws.
• Not only that.
• The things I want to do to Eve includes slapping her face severally till she begs me for forgiveness.
• The thought of her cheating all along causes me nothing but aches. To think I thought she was worth it all. She isn't.
• This means she had been sleeping with that traitor all along. No wonder he came back from God knows where just a few days ago. Who knows if they were in London together all along while I was here maltreating Arabel, and even asking her for a divorce just because of someone who wasn't worth it?
• I don't know if I am hurt from what I just saw or from what I said to Arabel an hour ago about getting divorced.
• I saw the hurt flash across her expression but I chosed to ignore it because I wanted to be selfish for once in my life.
• All my life, I have done things for people's happiness. I studied business because that was what my father wanted me to study so I could take over the family business.
• I went to England to study because that was my mother's choice.
• After graduation, I was forced to go back for my Masters simply because I couldn't take over with just a BA degree.
• When Father died, Mother became the one to decide every single thing in my life. Then she brought up Arabella and her choice for her to be my wife.
• I was in a relationship with Eve so I kicked against it. She burst into tears, talking about how lonely she had been since Father died and how sweet of a woman Arabel was, which made me feel guilty.
• To me, it felt like she wanted Arabel for me so she could be her companion. I had seen Arabel on one or two occasions in our family home in Boston.
• I didn't know how I managed to give in to her demands but I know I did and regretted it for a long time because of Eve. I didn't know how to explain myself to her. I didn't want to hurt her. I didn't want to tell her we were done.
• So I explained everything to her. I told her it was just for a while. I told her Arabel would be gone in a year. But she chose to leave. She decided to go to London to further her studies.
• A year turned into two and then three. And now she was back.
• Then I felt it was time to let Arabel go.
• The car jerk forward suddenly, forcing me to pull the car to a stop, my head resting on the wheels.
• No!
• What will I do now? What should I tell my mother? What do I tell Arabel?
• Tears are threatening to spill but I force them back. I won't let her make me cry. She isn't worth it at all.
• She is nothing but a cheat and a bitch.
• My heart is in turmoil, yet, I sit upright and start the car again, this time slowly till I get home, thinking of what excuse they would both give for their actions.
• Eve would use the fact that I was married while we were in a relationship as an excuse while Jake would pretend as if he never knew we were together despite my married status.
• He knew.
• In fact, he was among those who advised me to go ahead with the marriage. He suggested getting a divorce after a year and I thought of it as a nice idea, until reality knocked.
• After I was married, I realized still dating Eve meant I was cheating but I kept telling myself it was Eve I loved not Arabel and I was in that marriage for my Mother's sake.
• Just yesterday, Eve and I almost had sex. This was the reason why I had to hasten up the divorce process.
• Asking Arabel for a divorce was enough heartbreak. I didn't want to add cheating to my list of offences so I told her to be patient till I was done divorcing Arabel.
• Was it because we didn't have sex? How long have they been together?
• No matter how much I want to forget the fleeting image of those two, it keeps appearing.
• For a moment, I force myself to stop thinking about them, filling my head with the thought of Arabel and how exactly I am supposed to change the course of events. What exactly I am supposed to say to her when I get home is what I don't get.
• I know I am supposed to apologize but what else will I say afterwards? I don't want us to be divorced anymore. What if she asks me why?
• I know how much she adores me. She is a lovely woman. Kind. And sweet. She is also understanding. I'm sure she won't take it to heart. All I need to do is hug her and tell her I don't mean it.
• Perhaps, I should tell her it is all a trick.
• The quilt settles at the pit of my stomach. I am indeed selfish.
• I wanted out because of Eve and now that I found her cheating, I no longer want to divorce Arabel.
• As I approach home, I manage to keep calm and ball my fist to stop myself from venting my anger on the wheels.
• As soon as the car is parked in the garage, I step out weakly as an angry sigh leaves my mouth. No matter how hard I try to wave it away, the scene keeps racing through my head and my heart keeps hurting.
• It hurts like hell to be betrayed by Eve of all people. I waited for three goddamn years to have her back to me and this is all I get.
• Realizing my intent on coming back home instead of going to a club to drown my sorrows with alcohol is because of Arabel, I shake my head intermittently, walking slowly towards the entrance of our house.
• Our matrimonial home.
• The butler throws the door open and I enter without replying to his greetings like I usually do. Instead of going over to her room, I hesitate a little, the guilt from earlier washing over me once more.
• I drag my hand over my face, exhaling a breath before striding towards her room.
• Arabel and I haven't been sharing a room. From the onset, I made rules which she stuck to firmly. One of those rules is having separate rooms. My mother was against it at first but when I didn't give in, she stopped pestering me about it.
• But two months ago, something happened. She slept in my room, on my bed and in my arms. I don't know what came over me or how it happened. It just happened and I think that gave her the impression that I was beginning to fall head over heels in love with her.
• I can't love two women at a time, can I?
• Honestly, I was confused when it happened. But my firm resolution on coming back to Eve made me throw caution to the winds about what happened between us.
• When I get to the door, I knock slightly and wait, expecting the door to be thrown open immediately.
• There is no reply.
• Is she crying?
• I move close to hear if she is crying her eyes out because of what I said earlier but I can't hear anything.
• With a brow raised and my heart beating twice its normal rate just like it has been pounding since I got to her door, I knock again. This time, it is louder and I know she will definitely hear the knock this time.
• A second passes and the door does not open.
• A minute passes and I am met with silence. Without hesitation, I open the door to her room and then step in, glancing around for the sight of her.
• I halt in my step when I see the open closet which is completely empty. My eyes open more widely as I rush forward in confusion.
• What the hell happened? Where did she go?
• Panic strikes me at the thought of Arabel gone.
• I get to the closet and it is still empty. Twirling around and hoping this is a prank, my eyes instantly fall on the document on her bed.
• The divorce papers.
• I grab it and open the page immediately to see her signature on it already. Just before the document leaves my hand in extreme shock, a sheet of paper falls to the ground.
• Quickly, I pick it up and I see the two words which shatter my very existence as the heavy reality of her absence dawns on me.
• “Thank you. Goodbye.”