CHAPTER 2

Genevieve Tessa Roberts

My body stopped moving but my fingers didn't. I stood there, eyes wide with disbelief and apparent shock as I listened to my husband, Kyle go on and on about a lot of things I was too shocked to decipher. He was talking to Xavier, his childhood best friend who had always been in our lives. I had no idea what to say to that or what to think.

My heart must have died on the spot because I suddenly found it hard to breathe. Grasping the fabric of my coat, I willed myself to take in deep sharp breaths but it was extremely hard. All I felt was pain. Excruciating pain that rendered me numb.

“But, do you really think that you need to do that? Maybe you should take more tests or consider another option. IVF? Surrogacy?” Xavier was talking, asking the mother fucker I called my husband.

“IVF, we have already done and concluded. Nothing's worked out. My mother would have my head at the thought of surrogacy. You know how uptight she is and how she wouldn't bend to the scorns of society’s judgements.” He replied and this time I gasped, slowly.

“Pity.” Xavier scoffed. “But you, my man , will have to start making your own decisions soon. One of these days, you will have to grow a pair and stand your ground with your mother.” He hissed, annoyed.

“If I don't already have one. I see the reasons why my mother is saying so…” He shrugged, half-heartedly like he couldn't be bothered. This time, I visibly clutched my chest in pain.

“I really like Eve though. She brings out the best in you. I always…”

I couldn't stand around and hear any more of it again. So, I clutched my heart tightly and hurried out of the place. Christine rose to her feet when she saw me but I ignored her and got into the elevator. My fingers were shaking as were my lips as a sudden cold overwhelmed me, making my body shake. 

I managed to get into my car and once I'd succeeded in putting enough distance between my car and the location of the company, I broke down. I couldn't stop the tears from breaking free from my eyes neither could I stop the wheezing.

I was crying like I had just been hit with a shit storm. Literally, that was what I had just experienced. All my life, I had always thought that I wasn't enough. That I wasn't going to be enough or of value to anyone and that was what had blown up before my eyes. 

Unable to stop myself from crying anymore, I grabbed my phone and placed a call to my best friend. My red-haired fireball best friend picked up on the second ring. Sniffing silently, I placed the phone on my ear to talk to her.

“Vee,” I called quietly, trying to hide the tremble of my voice.

“Bitch, where have y—Wait. Are you crying?” she demanded, picking up on what I hadn't said. It was as if her question was the sudden realization I needed to dawn on me that my husband really was going to dump me as the tears wouldn't stop flowing.

“What happened? Who do I need to kill, babe?” she was quick to ask and I imagined her rising to her feet, worry etched on her features while she paced the room.

“Kyle,” I mustered all I could at that moment. I was a mess. I was trying to get the details out to her but I wouldn't stop crying and my spare hand wouldn't stop moving to wipe those tears off. 

“Tell me. What has he done? I will take the next flight to your place now and blow his brains out.” She swore and I believed her.

“He-he wants to divorce me, Vee. He doesn't want me anymore because I can't give him a child.” At the end of my statement, I bursted into tears again. For a few seconds, Vera remained quiet but I could sense her growing anger. She was a ticking time bomb always ready to explode.

“Fuck!” she screamed when she finally found her voice. “What the fuck is his problem? Who the hell does he think he is? You are his goddamn wife, not a baby -making machine!” Vera wasn't having it. 

I sniffed.

“You know what? I'm coming. I'm taking the next available flight over, okay? I will bring all my fight along because Kyle isn't getting out of this unscathed.” She swore again and this time, my lips twitched into a small smile even though my heart was heavy.

“You don't have to come, Vera. I'm a big girl. I can handle myself.” I tried to smile as I wiped off a stray tear that was cascading down my face. “Besides, Kyle hasn't presented me with the divorce papers yet. He was discussing it with Xavier.” I told her.

“Well, that bastard always follows through with his plans so I guess we could be expecting it.” She hissed while I winced.

“Maybe we can talk it out. Maybe I can fix things with him. Maybe it won't happen after all.” I whispered as I stared down at my tiny baby bump. It wasn't noticeable yet since I had an extremely flat tummy.

Vera said something else to what I said and I responded before I ended the conversation to continue my trip home. When I arrived home, I went straight to the room to get rid of the clothing I had on me and put it into something more comfortable to work around in the kitchen.

“Welcome, madam.” Romina, the house help and cook greeted me when I walked into the kitchen. She had begun to prepare all I would need for dinner tonight as I had asked.

“Thanks, Romina.” I managed a smile at her as I grabbed a canned juice from the fridge which I poured into a glass for myself. 

My mother-in-law always demanded nothing less than perfection and for years I'd always tried to give her exactly what she wanted. But it seemed like nothing I did was ever enough for her. She always had something to say which was why I had stopped Romina from making meals whenever we were having her over for dinner or lunch. The last time I hosted dinner, she had complained about the silverware. 

The last two times, it was table clothing embroidery. 

All those things I thought didn't matter were what she always frowned at. By the time I finished cooking and setting up the table with Romina, it was almost time for dinner. I still needed to take a shower and change into the perfect outfit and so I hurried upstairs to the bathroom. I was still in the shower when I heard Kyle come in. I hesitated for a few minutes in the bathroom before I decided to just step out. 

With the towel tied around my body and still dripping wet, I walked into the room. Kyle was by my vanity table, slowly loosening his tie. He didn't turn when I walked in.

“Hi,” I called out to him. He grunted back a reply I didn't hear which made my heart break. Ignoring his lack of enthusiasm, I went ahead to start getting dressed silently. I thought about breaking the news to him then but at the same time, I wondered; would he really divorce me because I couldn't give him a child?

I found it hard to believe that was the husband I had married. 

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law arrived just as I finished getting ready and so I hurried downstairs to welcome them. Dahlia, my mother-in-law didn't even spare me a glance as she sidestepped me and headed straight to the dining room.

“Katherine,” I muttered as a form of greeting to Kyle's older sister. She was three years older than Kyle and although she was married, she had happily declared that neither her nor her husband wanted children.

“Genevieve,” she sneered back in return before she brushed past me and went to have her seat.

I exhaled shakily, gripped my dress lightly and went ahead to join them at the table. Dahlia had already taken her seat at her usual place and her eyes were scrutinizing everything that was set on the table. We started to eat and I'd regularly spared them both a glance before Kyle joined us at the table.

“What’s the news, mom?” he asked, angling his head toward his mother in question. Dahlia had mentioned that she had news to share before she demanded that she was coming over to dinner with Katherine.

“Katherine here has something to say,” Dahlia responded as she took a sip of her white wine. She smiled softly at her daughter who in turn responded with a larger smile.

“Ethan and I are expecting a baby.” She announced, grinning widely. I paled on my seat.

“I thought you said that you didn't want children,” Kyle muttered, a bit surprised.

“I still don't but this has happened and we are excited for it.” She grinned even more. Kyle nodded before congratulating her.

“Congratulations, Katherine.” I told her when I finally found my voice but she just shrugged my words off while Dahlia eyed me.

“Kyle,” Dahlia reached out to grab Kyle's fingers. “Linda’s daughter, Ava will be arriving in the states tomorrow. She is one of the best designers we have in the world and she is single.” Dahlia smiled while I froze on the seat, mortified.

Kyle glanced at me for a second like he was truly considering me before he turned back to his mother. “When does she arrive? I can arrange for someone to pick her up.” He offered with a smile while I bristled on the inside.

“Or you could pick her up. She is a very charming lady who has spent some years in France. She is gentle and very kind. She would be perfect.” Dahlia continued to sing her praises. At that point, I could feel the tears coming but I didn't know what to do with them.

I gripped my knife tightly, my head directly facing the table while I blinked more than a few times to push those tears away. The level of disrespect before me. The audacity of my mother-in-law to talk about another woman to my husband right in front of me like I didn't exist. I was as irritated as I was angry. 

But still, I sat there and waited. 

I waited with bated breath for what my husband had to say. What Kyle had to say to that.

“Text me the time and place she arrives in and I will be there to pick her up. I will clear my schedule for that.” He smiled before he picked up his fork to continue eating.

I had had enough.

I pushed my chair back, wiped my hands clean with the serviette before finishing up the wine in my glass. Kyle stared at me and I looked him back in the eyes, fuming and not hiding my irritation at him. I turned around to walk away when…

“If only you had given us a child all these years, I wouldn't be going through the trouble. But as the barren woman you are, you are bound to be useless.” Dahlia taunted me.

I resisted the urge to turn around and give her the response that she deserved even as tears strolled down my face. Instead, I rubbed my tummy, my reminder of hope and sauntered off because this time, I knew I'd won.