Monica's POV

Andrew nodded, turning back to stir the sauce. "Yeah. Unbelievable, right?. I'm telling you, so you won't be surprised when you see her with a baby bump."

"Wow." I forced my voice to stay steady. "That's... that's wonderful news. Who's the father?"

"Some guy she was dating in France." He shrugged, tasting the sauce from the wooden spoon. "Apparently he disappeared when she told him about the baby. Real piece of shit, that one."

Lying bastard.

"He left her?" I moved closer, gripping the edge of the counter. "Just like that?"

"Yep. Mum was devastated when Lina called to tell us. You know how traditional she is." He added more wine to the pan. "But we will all be here for her. She needs family right now".

My fingernails dug into my palms. I watched him lie so smoothly, so easily, like he'd practiced the story a hundred times.

"That's terrible," I whispered.

"I know, right? Men these days." He shook his head, actually managing to look disgusted. "Treating women like they're disposable. It's pathetic."

The other pan on the shelf caught my eye. I imagined it connecting with his skull.

"Thank God I found someone like you." The words came out sweet. "You're different, Andrew. You'd never treat me like that, would you?"

He turned around, that familiar smile spreading across his face. "Of course not, my sunrise."

My sunrise. The nickname he'd given me in college because I was always up before dawn, studying in the library, before he would stumble in after parties. He used to say I was the first beautiful thing he saw every morning.

"You know I love you." He crossed the kitchen, pulled me close. "I would never hurt you. Never." He kissed my forehead, with tenderness,like he meant it.

My stomach turned. I wanted to shove him away, wanted to scream the truth in his face, wanted to claw that lying smile off him. Instead, I smiled back.

He glanced at his phone. "Lina just landed. I should head to the airport." He grabbed his keys from the counter. "I'll be back in an hour.

I listened to his car start,then I grabbed my phone and dialed.

"Sterling & Associates, how may I…"

"Put Richard on the line. Now."

A pause. "One moment, Mrs. Blackwell."

"Monica?" Richard Sterling, our Attorney.

“Are those papers ready?” I asked.

“Yes. “They were finalized yesterday.”

“Good. I’ll be there tomorrow morning to collect them.”

"Also,I need divorce papers drafted. Tonight."

Silence.

"Richard?"

"I'm... I'm sorry, did you say divorce papers? Monica, your wedding is in few days.

"I know what I said."

"But-"

“Just do what I asked, Richard.”

“And no one hears about this. Are we clear?"

Another pause. Longer this time.

"Crystal clear, Mrs. Blackwell."

Hours later, I heard the front door open. It was them.

"Monica!" Selina appeared in the doorway, arms outstretched.

"Oh my God, look at you! Still gorgeous as ever. Wedding stress has got nothing on. Andy's taking such good care of you."

She pulled me into a hug.

"Selina." I hugged her back, pretentiously matching her enthusiasm. "You look amazing. Pregnancy really suits you."

"Thank you!" She pulled back, hands resting on her belly.

I smiled. "I'm so sorry about what happened, with the father. Andrew told me everything."

Her face fell. She managed to look genuinely upset. "Yeah. It's been rough. "Some men just can't handle responsibility."

"Well, you have us now." I touched her arm, faking concern.

Dinner was torture. Andrew served the sauce with rice like he was presenting a Michelin-star dish. Selina moaned after the first bite.

"Oh my God, Andy. You still remember how to make this after all these years."

"How could I forget, little sister?" He grinned at her. "You used to request it every birthday."

"Best big brother ever." She reached across the table, squeezed his hand.

I cut my chicken into smaller and smaller pieces. Watched them laugh together. Little sister. Yeah, More like little slut.

My fork scraped against the plate.

That night, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Andrew had insisted on getting Selina settled in the guest room. He was at it for twenty minutes. When he finally came to bed, I pretended to be asleep.

Early in the morning, a crash woke me up from sleep. Glass shattering, Something heavy hitting the floor. I jolted awake, heart pounding. Andrew was already sitting up.

"What was that?"

I threw off the covers and rushed into the hallway. Selina stood at the far end, hand over her mouth. At her feet lay our wedding photo. The frame had split down the middle. Glass scattered across the floor. The picture was of me and Andrew outside the registry office, grinning like idiots, torn clean in half.

"Ooops." Selina looked up at me, eyes wide. "Monica, I'm so sorry. I was just trying to find the kitchen. I wanted some water and I bumped into the table and-"

I noticed the smile. It was there and gone in a flash. She'd done it on purpose.

"Are you hurt?" Andrew appeared, rushing past me toward Selina. "Did you cut yourself? Let me see your hands."

"I'm fine, Andy, Really." She held out her hands for inspection. "Just a little clumsy. Pregnancy brain, you know?"

"Don't move. There's glass everywhere." He knelt down and started picking up the larger pieces.

I stared at our ruined photo. That was the only picture we had from that day. The photographer had charged us fifty dollars. Then, we had thought it was expensive.

"It's just a picture." Andrew glanced up at me. "We can get another frame. Monica, can you grab the broom?"

"Actually..." Selina purred. "Andy, I have a favor to ask." He looked up at her. "Anything. What do you need?"

"Well, I've been thinking. Monica's room is so much closer to the kitchen than the guest room." She touched her belly. "And with the baby, I get hungry at weird hours. Cravings, you know? It would just be easier if I could... I mean, only until I leave after the wedding."

My stomach dropped.

"You want my room?"

"I know it's a lot to ask." She looked at Andrew, not me, with those puppy dog eyes of hers.

"But getting up and down the stairs at night, walking all the way to the kitchen... The doctor said I need to avoid unnecessary strain."

"That's ridiculous." I stepped forward. "The guest room is perfectly…"

"She's right, Monica."

I turned to stare at Andrew.

"She's pregnant," he continued, standing up with handfuls of broken glass. "We can't expect her to trek across the house every time she needs water or a snack. Your room is practical. It makes sense."

"Makes sense?" My voice climbed.

"Monica." His tone shifted. The voice he used when he didn't want to argue. "Get your things, now. Selina needs proper accommodation and that's the end of it!.”

Monica's POV

Andrew and I had separate rooms but he always slept in my room every night. As a child, I always wanted my own room because my parents couldn't afford one.

When Andrew and I finally bought our house, it was an opportunity for me to heal my inner child. He had known what it meant. Yet, now he didn't care. His little slut's feeling mattered more.

The old me would have argued but knowing what I now know, no need. I packed some of my clothes and moved to the guest room. That morning, I went to the lawyer and got those papers.

I got back to the sound of Andrew and Selina, in bed.

My hand froze on the front door handle. The house was supposed to be empty. Andrew had mentioned something about a meeting. Selina had talked about going shopping. But here they were.

"Yes, Andy. God, yes. Right there."

His voice, rough and strained. "You're so fucking beautiful like this."

They didn't hear when i came in. They were too busy. Too lost in each other.

Her moans grew louder.

"Does Monica ever make you feel this good?" Selina asked, voice breathy.

"Never. She's dry as hell. I just sleep with her because I have to and I always imagine it's you." Andrew laughed.

"But you are going on a honeymoon with her."

"Nah.Two days after the wedding, I'm taking you to Bali. I'll tell Monica it's a business trip."

Silence. Then the sound of more kissing. They even had the guts to sleep together in my own room. I felt the tears cloud my vision but no, I was done crying about Andrew.

I drove until I found myself in a café.

I brought out my phone and dialed a number. I thought he wouldn't answer, but he did,after three rings.

"Hello?"

"Adrian?"

A pause.

"Monica." His voice softened immediately.

"Sweetheart, have you called to say your final goodbye before your wedding? I guess fate never wanted us together."

Sweetheart. He still called me that after all these years.

It was Adrian Knowles. The city's most elite bachelor. The man every woman wanted.

"No, Adrian. Please, come pick me up in three days. I'm ready to be your woman."

I heard something breaking in the background. Glass shattering against a hard surface.

"How dare you, Monica." His voice turned ice-cold. "Are you trying to mock me? Isn't your wedding on that day?"

"No, Adrian. I mean, yes but I won't be marrying him. I'm leaving him instead."

Silence stretched between us. I could hear him breathing. Could picture him standing there, jaw clenched.

"You..." He stopped, and started again. "You're serious."

"Completely."

"Why now? What did he do?"

"Does it matter?"

"It matters to me," he bit out. "I need to know you're coming to me because you choose me. I'm done being your backup plan, Monica."

The words stung. They were supposed to.

"I choose you," I whispered. "I should have chosen you five years ago."

Another long pause. "Then, if you are really serious about this, call me the night before your wedding. If this is a stunt, don't call me again."

The line went dead.

I set my phone down on the table and smiled, he was still the same. My proud Adrian.

He wanted to marry me after college but I declined. I didn't think myself worthy enough to be his wife. He'd come from old money.

I thought it was more noble to build from scratch with your husband instead of marrying into wealth. I'd wanted to earn my happiness. Prove I could make it on my own.

But what did all that building fetch me?

A cheating husband. A mistress sleeping in my bed. On the day Andrew and I got married at the registry, Adrian had called.

"When you divorce him, call me. I'll be waiting."

I had laughed. "That's never happening. Andrew and I are forever." I thought he was crazy but here I was.

By the time I got back to the house, it was evening already. Andrew didn't even call or text to ask where I was. My phone had stayed silent all day. Before, when we'd first gotten married, he would have called fifty times. Would have panicked if I'd been gone longer than an hour.

Now? Nothing.

When I got to the house, he was cooking again for Selina. I thought that dish he made before was just to welcome her but apparently, I was wrong. He had turned into her personal chef.

"Oh, you're back?" Andrew glanced over his shoulder from the stove. "Where have you been since morning?

“Just finalizing a few things,”I replied, smiling.

"Anyway,these are from the lawyer," I said, dropping the folder on the table. "Everything you asked for. The Hartman merger documentation."

I was also Andrew's secretary but since it was my wedding week, I took a break. He exhaled impatiently. The spoon in his hand stilled. "Can we not do this now?"

"You wanted them done today," I replied. "You said tonight. You know this need to be signed before our wedding".

"Monica, I'm in the middle of..."

At that instant, Selina came into the kitchen. Her hands cradled her belly, rubbing slow circles over the bump in an exaggerated, performative way that screamed look at me.

"The baby is hungry. Aren't you done yet, Andy?" she purred, giving me side eyes and greeting me with a fake smile.

I greeted her back too, returning the energy.

"It's almost ready," Andrew muttered.

He swore under his breath and sat down, grabbing the pen I'd placed next to the folder.

"Fine. Where do I sign?"

I opened the folder for him and watched him sign paper after paper, without reading anything. Just as I had thought. His eyes barely skimmed the lines,before he signed at the bottom of each page.

Too busy with his little slut to care about anything else. If he had cared just a little bit, he would have noticed the divorce papers.

"Here," he said, handing the folder to me.

Finally, we were divorced. I thought sadly to myself. Five years of marriage, legally over in just a few minutes.

"I'm sorry I didn't include you in this meal. I thought you would eat out, since you didn't come back early."

"It doesn't matter. I would get Martha to prepare something for me. Focus on Selina," I said, faking a smile. "She and the baby are all that matters."

"I knew you would understand," Andrew said, already turning back to his precious meal.

Frankly, his stupid dish didn't matter to me. I needed to pack my bags. I headed upstairs and pulled my suitcase from the closet. My phone buzzed.

Adrian: "I meant what I said. Call me the night before. I'll be waiting, sweetheart."

I smiled at the screen.

"Who's making you smile like that?"

I spun around. Andrew stood in the doorway, staring at my phone.