Nora Lawson's Perspective.
I sat on the floor running my hands through my hair, what manner of wickedness is this?
"Ma'am, I'm sorry about this, I was trying to warn you earlier on but you…" my maid's voice, Anita trailed off as she stood beside me, while I wallowed in tears. This isn't the life I expected, this was never the life, how come I ended up this way? I wouldn't blame Anita a bit, she had always been that girl since she was working here, I had known my husband's ways yet, I had chosen to stay with him regardless, which is heart wrenching and hurting..
"Shouldn't he have been considerate, this ... .today is our wedding anniversary and he..he…he had the gut to behave in this gutter way?" I thought as I shook my head, trying to wrap around the fact, the reality that set before me, as I listened to the lewd sounds that came from the other end of the corridor.
Thirty minutes earlier.
Today was supposed to be a happy day for me, but as I got closer to the room coming back from office, I heard loud moans and groans that piqued my curiosity. I thought it might be some silly prank, but when I opened the door, reality hit me hard.
My husband was in bed with a woman I couldn't recognize, her face hidden from view.
"Aiden!" I yelled, furious, but he just glanced back and kept going.
Not sure what to do, I quietly shut the door, sank down onto the floor, and let the tears flow.
"Not again, Aiden," I whispered to myself, as their moans grew louder, almost reaching a peak.
........
I had given Aiden Halls my all, even the family inheritance thaty late parent had left me, just to make him somebody, to upgrade his social life and every areas of his life but it felt like nothing I did was ever enough for him. He constantly brought home different women, completely ignoring how it made me feel. Four years ago before my parents death, I had been head over heels for Aiden, even though my parents disapproved because of what they had witnessed. But love is blind, right? After my parents tragically passed away, Aiden and my best friend, Glanna Howard, were all I had left. Leaving him never crossed my mind; I just couldn't imagine it, he was my all in all.
Present.
Lost in my thoughts, I heard the door creak open, revealing my husband in just his boxers.
"What are you doing at home at this hour? Shouldn't you be at work?" he asked, heading to the fridge for a bottle of water.
"Aiden, this isn't right. You could have skipped today; it's our wedding anniversary," I said, struggling to keep my voice steady.
"I know it's our anniversary, babe. Don't you love my surprise?" he replied with a smirk that made my stomach turn. Is he seriously calling this a surprise, this wasn't just the person I married too, the man I loved, or maybe it was him, but he kept getting worse everyday while I hoped that things will get better, and he will love me just like the way I've always wanted to love, that one day the universe will make things work out for us and he will just… but it seems I was just wrong, I was just wallowing in my delulu state.
I was about to respond when I heard footsteps behind me. "Surprise!" Aiden exclaimed, pointing at the figure behind me. I slowly turned to see who it was.
"Glanna?" I gasped, hoping I was imagining things. She stood there in a tiny towel, her hair a mess, her model body swayed pridefully and her expression showed no remorse for what was happening.
"I'm so glad I could finally surprise you," Aiden's mocking voice rang out from behind. It felt like I was dreaming, like this was some kind of prank just then, I heard her voice.
"Ugh, finally. I'm tired of hiding" Glanna said, going towards Aiden. They shared a passionate kiss while I was still trying to process everything that was happening in front of me. I couldn't possibly be dreaming, this is Glanna, or was this some kind of expensive prank?
"Why would you do this to me, Glanna? I thought we were best friends?" I finally managed to ask, tears streaming down my face as I felt a sharp sting of betrayal. Even if Aiden didn't care, shouldn't she? She is or was my best friend!
"No, Nora. You're the one who took my guy. He was mine since high school, but you swooped in even when he clearly wasn't into you. You used your money to lure him in," she scoffed, disgust evident in her voice. Was she really serious right now?
"Are you seriously joking right now, Glanna? Aiden had always loved me from high school. You, you were the one who would advocate that I should end things with him and he is not a good one I should date. You are just an animal that deserved to be chained" I responded looking straight into her eyes.
Within a twinkle of an eye, a slap landed on my face. It was so fast that I couldn't process anything, not long after another one landed on the other side.
"What is this supposed to mean, Glanna?" I heard Aiden's voice from behind, he sounded a bit furious, but I was feeling the sting of her slaps.
"Baby, she dared to call me an animal that deserved to be chain? Seriously? Do you think I deserve that, this isn't right, you are not going to support her right? Glanna said, pouting her lips. There was an awkward silence amidst the three of us, as I looked straight into Aiden 's eyes, while Glanna was still staring at him, I could see different emotions in his eyes, before he bent down to kiss Glanna.
"No, I'm not going to support her," he said with so much disgust as he continued. "She deserves every single thing that she is going through at the moment." his cold voice echoed around the room, somehow it affected my heart, if felt like it had been shattered into pieces by those words of his mouth. My legs failed me, as I sank into the couch heavily, which resulted in some of the couch making sounds.
"Just don't break that couch with your weight," Aiden jokes, half-laughing. "You're like an amoeba—big and shapeless. Don't you ever look in the mirror? That's why I can't find you attractive, and I'll choose Glanna over you more than a hundred times.
I could see a smug look on Glanna's face as soon as he said those words. I couldn't believe this was my girl, my best friend whom I've been friends with since my entire life was the one in front of me. What could I have done to deserve all of these? Tears streamed down my face as his words hit me like arrows.
"But I told you, I joined a gym last month! It's a process," I defended, hating how desperate I sounded. "I did everything for you, Aiden. Everything to make you happy, and this is how you repay me?"
"Here we go again with your 'I did everything for you' speech. Was I really happy, huh, buffalo?" he shouted, his cold gaze making me tremble. "You know what? Take this and sign it." He tossed a file at me.
"What's this?" I whispered through my tears, catching the file. As I opened it, disbelief washed over me.
"A divorce paper?" I gasped, reading the bold letters.
"Don't you have eyes?" Glanna replied, arms crossed smugly.
"No, please. Don't do this to me. Remember what we had?" I begged, dropping to my knees.
"Just sign the damn papers and get out of my life!" he shouted again. I sat there, wondering what I had done wrong. I wasn't the one that cheated, I was the one cheated on and now he wants me to sign those papers?
"No, Aiden, remember how long we've been together" I pleaded, hoping he would change this mind, or just say this whole thing was all a prank to see if I loved him truly, I swear, I won't be mad, I just want him back, back to my life.
"I'm done with you, Nora. Sign those damn papers and let go of me!" Aiden said coldly.
"No, no you can't do this, I'm not signing those papers, I'm never signing them. I have not done anything wrong" I said back, looking back and forth between them.
Just then a hysterical laugh echoed in the living room, "I knew it, I knew you will bring this card that's why I came prepared you right from the onset" Glanna said, as I and Aiden looked at her with confusion on our faces.
"What's that, baby?" I could sense fear In Aiden's voice but as soon as our eyes met he continued "Let's hear what card you have, Sweetheart"
"Why not check your phone, Nora darling?" Glanna said, and just as I was about to speak, I got a notification ping from my phone. I subconsciously picked my phone only to be met with the greatest shock of my life. From my seat, I could feel the heat swelling up my body, even though the air conditioner was on.
"Wh…what is this, Glanna?" I asked to be sure I wasn't seeing the wrong thing.
"It's just what you see there, Nora. Since your eyes aren't working well, who knows maybe your ears will be working well this time. That is your company, that same company you think you can use to make everything yours. I have taken it away from you, by buying 90% of the shares" She said, happily. I was beyond numb at this point, everything that I've worked for, every single thing.
I knew this was only possible because, Glanna was my and has been my manager, she knows the in and out of the company and everything.
"I trusted..you" my lips quivered as a tear of drop fell from my eyes, I looked up to Aiden to say something to probably shout, asking her if she was out of her mind.
"Just sign the papers, who knows I might change, and you know give you back your company" she said with a smug.
Tears trickled down my face as I remembered the memories with Glanna and Aiden slowly came creeping in. How Glanna will tell me to dump Aiden and that he was just a useless guy. At this point, I knew I was at the losing side, there was no point, again. If I don't sign it, I will lose everything, both my company and the man I love.
"Baby, I think this is getting extreme," Aiden said.
"I will always go extreme for what I want for, love and that is you." she said, placing a kiss on his lips.
"I know but…"
"No, but Aiden. Don't tell me you are pitying her already"
My ears were already getting hot, while I felt like I was going to pass out anytime from now, if I continued with them, I needed to save my company, my mental health, "I will sign them, where are the divorce papers!" I yelled, already getting tired and sick of their presence.