Chapter 1

Charlotte’s hands were trembling. As she watched the events on the TV play out live from several miles away, she thought she would pass out.

Her husband, who had told her he was going for a business meeting was sitting and laughing with another woman, who he was apparently getting engaged to.

The very beautifully dressed woman on TV pulled him closer him closer, and Charlotte felt her heart twist inside of her as she watched her husband kiss the other woman more passionately than he had ever kissed her throughout their two-year marriage.

The TV remote fell out from her hands as they began to shake uncontrollably. She should put an end to the show as she couldn’t possibly bear to watch any more but she just couldn’t. There was a limit her fragile heart could take.

Surely it had to be a joke, an advertisement or something. But she knew that wasn’t the case. Her husband was holding the woman and looking tenderly into her eyes like she was the most precious living being ever.

She couldn’t remember the last time he looked at her, his wife that way.

Charlotte didn’t know which hurt more. The fact that he looked happier with her, the fact that he had lied to her or the fact that she knew who the woman was.

Who didn’t know Valerie White? She was the beautiful only daughter of Sir White, the owner of Jovy Group, the fourth largest empire in the state. Charlotte could not lie to herself anymore. She knew how obsessed her husband had been over Valerie even before their marriage.

Tears filled her eyes as she cried out but no one could hear her in the lonely apartment she shared with her husband. She should not be surprised.. The signs had been there and she knew he would one day leave her, but not like this. Not now.

How could he use her like this? Waste two years of her life just to go and propose to another woman behind her back. She had heard the rumors before but she ignored them. What other choice did she have? When her abusive husband stopped her from doing virtually everything.

He kept her from seeing her family, from using the phone and even stepping out of the house. He had said it was for her good as the outside world was dangerous to her because of her asthma, but over time, each time she went against his will, he would beat her up and leave bruises all over her skin every single time. Now, she had no desire to ever fight back and was now a shadow of herself, always shaking and walking on eggshells so she wouldn’t cause him to flip.

A feeling of anger suddenly surged through her. Anger for him and herself. He had turned her into a weakling who couldn’t do anything for herself, had wasted two years of her life and now humiliated her by dissolving their marriage without even telling her. But most of all, she was angry at herself because she had let him do these things to her.

She had let him bring her to the middle of nowhere, a city where no one could reach her. She let him keep her from seeing her family and friends and even his family as well. She let him make her scared of everything, even if it placed her dignity and safety at risk.

No. This was the last straw. He had hurt her enough but one thing he would never do was act like she didn’t exist. This had been his plan all along, to make sure she disappeared until no one remembered he had ever even been married in the first place.

With a new resolve, she stood up and entered the room they shared together. She knew where he was and she would give him a piece of her mind. Charlotte couldn’t remember the last time she had stepped outside the house, but now it was time.

Her first fear came after none of the clothes in the closet fit. How could they? When she never wore them. She finally put on the only one that managed to fit, although it was tight and didn’t flatter her body.

Oh no. How could she show up like this? She asked herself, staring at her figure in the mirror. Would she not just humiliate herself and him?

But from the room she could still hear the happy laughter they shared as they celebrated their engagement party on TV.

Charlotte didn’t know what pushed her, but when she got to the door, she did not hesitate before taking a step outside. Her body began to shake again as the cool evening breeze hit her skin. She had not stepped out of the house in so long and it was even scarier than she remembered.

That was not enough to deter her, though. She kept walking until she reached the major road before stopping a taxi and managing to tell him the address of engagement party.

Trojan House was the same club where Jonah had asked her to be his wife, and now he was doing the same to another woman while she was still alive. She paid the driver his fare and walked into the building.

There were hundreds of people in the club, more than the people that were shown on TV. She wasn’t sure she could do this. What would she even tell him? She would only end up making a fool of herself.

Charlotte was just about to walk out and cry herself back home when she felt a pair of eyes on her. Looking up, her heart sank in her throat when she saw the couple sneering at her.

Valerie walked up to her first and spun her around like she was something she planned to purchase.

“Looks like the guinea pig has been let out of the pen,” she said and the people gathered around them laughed like it was the funniest joke in the world.

“What are you doing here?” Jonah asked her as if her presence was nothing more than an unwelcome distraction.

It was now or never. She had to find her voice.

“We’re still married Jonah. What is the meaning of this?” Charlotte asked, struggling to keep her voice firm.

The music stopped and now, all attention was on them.

Charlotte wanted to disappear. This was all too much for her. The crowd that seemed to be closing in was making it impossible for her to breathe. She wasn’t sure she could make it another minute in here. Her entire body was shaking now. What had she been thinking? She shouldn’t have left the house. Jonah was right.

She watched his face fall as sadness marked his features. Oh no. She had hurt him. She just wanted him back. She didn’t need him to be sad. No one else existed now, only both of them.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she said, reaching out to touch him as more fear gripped her.

He slapped her hand away.

“How dare you?” He snarled at her, with murder in his eyes. “Haven’t you done enough? You’ve lied, manipulated and abused me for years and now I’m finally free, you won’t let me be. Leave now, before I call the cops.”

Charlotte couldn’t believe her ears. He was the one who had lied, manipulated her, gaslit her, cheated, physically and verbally abused her for years but now he was confidently lying in front of all the guests who were now looking at her like she was a psychopath.

“Jonah.” She choked out but he turned the other way.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced to the guests who swallowed up all his lies. “This woman has been obsessed with me for years. She lied that she was pregnant and forced me into a sham marriage to protect her. I never loved her, but she still forced the relationship. She is the reason why all my businesses failed. She wanted me to be with her and was scared I would leave if I became successful so she crashed everything until I became desperate and dependent on her. Now she won’t let me leave and finally have happiness.”

Charlotte’s entire body was shaking now and her heart was pounding. He was lying blatantly, but who would believe her if she spoke up? The guests were throwing her dirty glances and she probably looked the part too.

“No wonder she was desperate to have him,” one of the guests murmured. “She looks horrible. Who would ever want someone like that?”

“No wonder we haven’t seen her in years,” another whispered.

“She ruined his entire empire. What a heartless sociopath.”

“Their marriage was even fake and now she’s trying to make him miserable again. Some people are just disgusting.”

The voices clogged her head, each whisper worse than the last. Jonah’s figure blurred before her as she felt her body turn cold. She was breathing fast now, yet no air entered her lungs.

She was not with her inhaler and her asthma had returned. The whole room was spinning and she was beginning to lose her balance, yet no one cared. She was the villain in everyone’s story.

Maybe this was for the better. Her life was meaningless before and now she had no one, not even her family, it would go downhill from there. Maybe if she fell and choked to death, her worries would be over.

She didn’t try to fight it this time as she lost her balance and plummeted to the floor.