ROMAN

I knew it was going to be the worst evening in a while once the clock struck ten pm.

My alarm rang and I blinked myself back to reality, the realization dawning on me that I’d worked overtime, again.

Unintended but then again, a part of me just like every other day, dreading going back home.

There was nothing to look forward to, just Amelia, my empty, bore of a wife who trapped me in a marriage just as empty as she is.

In the three years since we've been married, it has taken great heights of my self-control not to break the promise I made to my grandfather. To stay settled with the daughter of his god-daughter, to have an heir for the Wellington empire before I am thirty-five.

That’s in four fucking years, and quite frankly I have no interest in keeping that promise. The first and last time I kissed that woman still haunted me, the sheer disgust and hatred I have for her forbids me from ever doing it again!

I paged my assistant and grabbed the divorce papers my lawyer had brought in earlier and holding it in my grasp set my lips into a thin line.

I am going to break my promise tonight.

I am going to be free of the burden of the Wellington I have been carrying since I left my life in the military behind…since I left my past.

With a solemn sigh, I stuffed the papers in my briefcase just as the door opened and my assistant and the closest thing I had to a friend, Colson Merchant walked in with a knowing expression.

“You did it again,” Were the first words he said as he handed over my car keys, not looking happy that I made him spend more time than he needed to.

“Yes, goodnight Colson,” I simply said with a passive expression. I owe no one an explanation. They couldn’t possibly fathom just how hellish being in that house with that lowly husk was like.

She was too meek, too pathetic.

I doubt she even has any dreams or ambitions…she’s just, existing…like a fucking parasite.

I walked past Colson and headed straight for the private underground garage.

Just then my phone buzzed in my pocket, a text.

I didn’t take out my phone until I was seated comfortably in the driver’s seat of my black Benz.

It was from an unknown contact yet it had me unsettled when I saw the first sentence.

‘Roman, I'm back'

My heart stilled for all but a second and the image of beautiful, warm brown eyes came to mind and my cold dead heart skipped a few beats.

It was her. I knew it was her!

She’s back?

After all these years…

My heart ached the more I thought about it, and the longer I stared at the simple text.

I ran my palm down my face and let out an exhausted sigh.

The woman I love is back, this time, I will make things right.

“Amelia will sign these papers tonight,” I declared with finality in my tone despite knowing no one heard me.

Then I sped back home, in a hurry to reach for the first time in three years.

I was home in less than ten minutes, storming into the mansion in an automatically bad mood.

Amelia is the reason why she left, this marriage is the reason why the woman I love left me for three years…no call, no word.

But now she’s back! And there is no fucking way in hell I will let Amelia ruin this for me again.

Just as I made my way to the bedroom, I stopped midway when I noticed the lights were on in the kitchen.

She was still awake. Good.

That saves me the stress of having to drag her out of bed.

I walked into the kitchen with a stormy expression, anger brewing in my chest the second I spotted that limp short bob.

She was eating what seemed to be…soup.

But stiffened up the second my footsteps became audible. She was in that pale-colored nightgown I hated, it fell limply on her no doubt thin body.

She always wears oversized, unappealing clothing.

Dull green eyes met mine and they went slightly wide with surprise.

“Roman,” she rasped. Looking almost…sick.

Her skin was pale, that didn’t matter. She always looked sickly.

I slammed the briefcase hard on the kitchen counter, sending her plate of soup flying and making her flinch.

She took a step back, eyes now wide with shock.

“Roman is…anything the matter?”

I ignored her shaky voice and opened up my briefcase, slamming the papers right in her face.

She clumsily caught them and looked down to read the contents.

Her brows furrowed deeply and sweat beaded on her forehead, then she raised her eyes to meet mine.

“A…divorce?” she asked, her voice sounding strained.

“Why…what did I do wrong?”

I scoffed, trying my best to rein in my anger but failing miserably at it.

“What did you do wrong?” I said through gritted teeth, “You ruined my life, Amelia! You talked my grandfather into this fucking marriage and trapped me!” I ran my fingers through my hair, frustrated, “No I want out, I will not continue in this punishment any longer!” I yelled, enough to make her eyes water and her lips tremble.

“A trap?” she cried, “I love you, Roman…I never trapped you this…is what my late mother and your late grandfather wanted, we're perfect for each other, Roman we—”

“—I cannot keep living with a dead woman!” I interrupted harshly and she gasped from the brunt of my words.

“Yes!” I nodded, “You act like you’re fucking dead, empty! And I hate the sight of you, I hate the fact that I chose you over my happiness! I hate waking up every morning and seeing your stupid hideous face and being a part of your worthless existence!” I couldn’t stop myself, I said everything I felt and I watched as her face slowly got paler and her eyes seemed to glaze over a bit…then her arms wrapped around her stomach, her eyes closed shut and she groaned in pain.

The fucking bitch! She always pulled stunts like this when I brought up divorce.

Now she wanted to brush this off, she was fucking ignoring me!

“Amelia, I’m fucking talking to you, don’t ignore me!” I growled, no doubt my face was red from anger at that moment.

Then her eyes snapped open with a strange glint in them.

“Ugh…” she groaned, brows furrowed as her whole body trembled, she was still holding her stomach while the other hand held onto the counter for support.

Watching her frail body tremble, I realized something was wrong.

“Amelia?” I called out, unable the help the concern that tinged my tone.

“What’s wrong? You look pale,” I asked, resisting the urge to reach out for her. She looked around the kitchen strangely, looking confused, and lost.

Shit. Did I send her into shock? Did I break her?

She looked down at the papers in front of her and her frown only deepened.

Then she met my eyes. And for only a moment, there were flames that I’d never seen before, a heat that had me floored and even more concerned.

“Amelia?” I called out again, this time cautious as I met that complex gaze.

“You…” she rasped, “Who are you?”

Who am I?

At that moment, all the anger I had reined in exploded, along with the intense hatred I had for her.

She was pretending not to remember me now?!

Is this how fucking far she’s willing to go just so I won’t divorce her?!

“I should’ve known you’d try to make a fucking scene!” I shook my head, unable to hide the frustration and anger in my voice.

“I am not in the mood for your games, sign the papers so I can finally be rid of you!” I said teeth bared out in anger and it made her flinch, again.

Still, she stood there, staring dumbly at me like she truly did not know who I was.

“Who…are you?” she asked yet again, this time I could actually hear the dread in her voice.

I looked at her through a narrowed gaze, trying to figure out what was truly going on.

She didn’t look at me like she usually did.

She looked at me like I was a stranger who scared her.

With fucking emotions in those dull green eyes.

Fuck! Fuck!

She isn’t lying.

Accepting that made me feel the greatest shock of my life.

What the fuck is going on?

“Amelia I…I’m your husband, I’m Roman,”

She looked like I had just said the most incredulous shit she’d ever heard.

Then it all happened so quickly.

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell, hitting her head on the edge of the counter before I could reach for her and she down to the ground in a bleeding heap.

“Amelia!” I immediately held her to my chest, her blood staining my suit.

Dread gathered in my stomach and my heart was pounding so fast I feared I would pass out.

I was…afraid.

“Amelia…don’t fucking die on me!” I said to her as I reached for my phone hurriedly.

“You hear me? Don’t you dare die!”