"You worthless whore! What I requested of you was quite easy to understand, but for some reason, your feeble intellect was unable to do so! Would you be willing to shoulder the blame if you drove away a potential investment due to your own idiocy?"

When the angry image of her husband repeated over and over in Mira's mind, she instinctively covered her eyes. Even though it had been a few of hours already, she could still feel her body quivering and her chest was still pounding, as a result of the acute anxiety she was experiencing, particularly as Lawrence lifted his hand to smack her.

And instead of covering her face to avoid being slapped by her husband, Mira did nothing and remain perfectly still, shut her eyes, and wait for the nightmare to overtake her.

She felt exhausted and weak, so she was no longer capable of pleading for her husband's forgiveness since she had shown him over the course of three years that she was incapable of doing either of those things.

Yet to her astonishment, she did not feel the customary sting of his hand, and when she opened her eyes and glanced at him, his attention was transfixed on the crimson patches that ran from her neck down to her chest.

Fresh bruises. Bruises that were brought on by the boiling coffee that Lawrence spilled on her by mistake when he was intoxicated the night before.

Mira thought she saw a shadow of remorse emerge on his face for a split second, but it was immediately erased by further curses, which were what she had for breakfast this morning. And she was used to it.

The sudden ringing of her mobile phone jolted her out of her contemplation about the excruciating experience she had at the hands of a man who was legally obligated to love and protect her.

She had been tormented by the fact that the man was her own husband. The ringing sound of her phone was an alarm, prompting her to remember the things that she needed to focus on for the day.

“I need to get ready. He must be waiting,” she said excitedly as she stood up.

Mira turned her back to the full-length mirror so that she could examine every part of her body.

She unzipped the one piece of clothing that was hiding her nakedness, and as she did so, the pink robe with the silky texture dropped off of her shoulders and landed in a rumpled heap on the ground below her.

She looked at the mirror in great detail, and an audible sigh came out of her mouth almost immediately.

She still had the appearance of the lady who had a large number of men falling on their knees and worshiping her as if she was a deity.

Despite the hideous burn on her face, her light skin continues to shine like the moon on a dark night, and her long jet black hair with its silky texture is still a valuable commodity that other young women find impossible not to want.

She never allowed herself to ignore her shape, even after she became a full-time wife, and she worked out on a regular basis in order to keep the curves that her husband constantly tripped over.

Mira’s physical appearance is indeed the definition of being an attractive and ideal woman, yet none of that would have mattered as she lacked the qualities that define a true woman at her core; being incapable of actually conceiving a child right off the bat.

“One day, maybe one day. Once you arrive, I would treasure you for sure, and love you with all my heart.” Mira caressed her tummy, as if there’s someone living inside her womb.

Three years had already gone, and she had not yet attained the one desire that she held to, for her husband to return the love that she had given him all these years; or, at the very least, to make him stay with her, forever.

Mira hoped that he would love her as much as she loved him. Even if she didn't take the birth control pills on a consistent basis or if he used her throughout the evenings of making love, she was unable to get the results she desired.

Yes, Lawrence had ordered her to take the contraceptive tablets in order to prevent her from being pregnant.

“Why, Lawrence? Why are you avoiding having a child with me? Was it too much for you? To have a child with the woman who had love you for all these years? Or was it because until now, you still see me as someone who would steal your wealth?” Mira smiled bitterly as she wiped away her tears. Life was really tough for her, but how long could she endure?

Mira was now dressed in a long black dress with sequin accents that reached nearly all the way down to her sandals. It covered practically all of her flesh.

“This would do,” she whispered as she tied the ribbon of her dress.

Ever since they settled in together, Lawrence imposed complete authority over every area of her life, even to small or minor things, such as the clothes and shoes she wore or use.

Whenever she wore a bit of revealing clothes or outfits, Lawrence would insult her, call her a whore, a prostitute, and such lowly words or description. He would always tell Mira that it was inappropriate for her to display any part of body.

Lawrence treated her as if she was a property item that was intended only for his use, on his belongings, rather than a person who was capable of having her own ideas and feelings.

A person who was worthy of his love and care.

Mira opted to wrap a grey satin scarf over her neck, and after that, she applied a bright-colour scarlet lipstick to conceal the pallor of her trembling lips. She smiled at her reflection on the mirror.

Every time that other people see her in events where Lawrence would take her, they would tell her that without a doubt, she was doing well and that she was contented and delighted with her life.

They would comment that she was well taken care of by her husband, Lawrence.

If only they knew. Mira was just an expert at putting on an act, but she has decided that for today she’s going to let herself be herself, as she should be. She wanted to be truthful with the one and only person who had ever loved her for who she was, rather than putting herself on an act.

“I missed you,” it was the last words she uttered before grabbing her bag and walked out of the house.

When Mira finally arrived at her destination, the sweeping mass of black clouds completely blocked the sun's beams, making it seem as if it was night time.

The soft and cold breeze that was blowing caused the long grass that covered the area to move in unison with the sunflowers and peonies that she had laid next to her.

Mira said, "Hey, Dad. It’s been a long time, right?" as she cleaned the dead leaves that had fallen and accumulated on the tombstone.

As Mira’s mother had passed away shortly after giving birth to her, her father was the only member of the family that she had ever known.

Her father made it a point to shower her with all the love and attention he could muster. And that was why she never felt as if she was missing out on anything, even when it was just the two of them.

Their life was simple, yet it was convenient because her father made sure to make ends meet, he was indeed a hardworking man. But then, everything went haywire the moment that her father took her to the Wilsons' mansion, his employers’ house.

The house in which she had her first encounter with Lawrence, the one and only she had love in her life time.

At that time, Mira was captivated by the young man's generosity and warmth, which caused her vulnerable and youthful heart to develop feelings for him.

Mira ran her hands slowly over her necklace, feeling the age of its beads, and recalled back to the moment when Lawrence had timidly handed it to her.

She could still imagine how Lawrence’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he slipped it around her hands tenderly.

As she did so, she replayed that memory in her mind, as it was one of the happiest moments she had with Lawrence.

It was all rainbows and sunshine until the most terrible storm of her life struck, which left her in a condition of complete and total despair. Before then, everything was perfect.

Mira's father was killed by a stab of a dagger that wasn't intended for him. That was an absurd act of wickedness.

Given the fact that the person responsible for the crime has remained anonymous up until this point, she has never been able to completely heal from it.

Her father was not just a driver for the Wilsons but also a close and trusted friend of Henry Wilson. He worked for the Wilson family, as their driver and Henry's personal assistant.

Their relationship was so dramatic that her father was able to cover the dagger that was meant to hit his employer. He risk his life for the sake of his boss and leaving her daughter, who was only twelve years old, devastated.

When Mira was younger and her heart was more vulnerable, she had a hard time understanding why her father would choose to save another person's life.

And why he would give up his own life in order for his boss to remain alive.

Mira was under the misconception, that her life had already ended since all of her known families were gone.

Fortunately, the helping hand of Henry Wilson encouraged her, which gave her the will and the ability to carry on living.

Henry was very grateful to Mira's father, for protecting him and giving him a second chance at life.

As a result, he made a sworn promise to provide her with everything she'll need in her lifetime. Because of that opportunity, Mira and Lawrence’s friendship grew fonder and bloomed, which made her very grateful.

But because of Deborah's mental manipulation, the developing bond that she and Lawrence had was destroyed.

Since then, Lawrence became a different person and started to treat her coldly, as if she was his number one enemy, and it was all because of Deborah. She constructed false information with the intention of ruining Mira's image, and Lawrence unquestioningly trusted her mother.

Deborah was already hostile against her even from the very beginning. She even went so far when she started to accuse Mira of having an inappropriate relationship with her husband, a secret affair.

That accusation made Mira uncomfortable since Henry Wilson had never been more than a father figure to her. And the latter treated Mira like his own daughter.

Henry took Mira’s custody and placed her under his care, but due to the craziness of his wife, Deborah, and the fact that she was paranoid, Mira chose not to live under the same roof as them.

Right then, her relationship with Lawrence continued to deteriorate, she was still treated more nicely and genuinely by Henry as if she was a real member of his family.

Later, a terrible occurrence, namely the passing of Henry, compelled her to find herself in this predicament. I

n his dying will, he stipulated that Lawrence would only be entitled to his estate and wealth once he tied the knot with Mira, and that they would give their union a trial that would last for a period of three years.

They are required to make an effort to have a family during the first three years of marriage, but if no child is born within that time and they are unable to develop feelings of love for one another, they are then free to petition for a divorce.

And today was the day that marks their third and last year of marriage before they could finally file a divorce.

Wedding anniversaries should be celebrated, with love, happiness and contentment, but not for Mira and Lawrence.

That instead of doing anything celebratory, this morning, her husband almost hit and slap her again.

"Dad, where do you think I should go from here?" Mira’s voice broke as she attempted to hold back the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

"You know, I really love him Dad. I love Lawrence so much, despite all the pain he has brought me throughout my life. I am prepared to put up with the verbal abuse, the cursing, and even the physical pain that he sometimes inflicts on me when he is intoxicated. If there is nothing else I can do to make him realize how valuable I am, I won't be offended.”

“Even if he only needs me to satisfy his sexual needs. I am prepared to put up with this for the rest of my life, when it means that I will be able to see the peaceful expression on his face when he is sleeping and to hear his voice each and every day, even if it’s full of madness, irritation or frustration. I really don't want to be apart from him, Dad. Lawrence, he is my life Dad. Please, come to my aid and give me reasons to hold on." Mira begged frantically, her tears now freely flowing as the rain began to fall around her at the same moment.

Mira did nothing except continue to sit on the ground and bawl her eyes out as the rain steadily dropped and progressively became heavier. Yet Mira didn't move an inch, and the sensation of the raindrops falling on her body gave her the impression that the skies were trying to comfort her and understand her suffering.

"Dad, are these tears that you've been crying? If it's at all possible, I'd really appreciate it if you could just bring me to where you are so that I won't have to suffer alone any longer. I have no one left, but I do have friends, and my friends certainly have their own issues to deal with. It must be excruciating for Lawrence to wait for this day to arrive, for me to be out of his sight, therefore I would appreciate it if you could take me there, Dad.”

Mira’s scarf was swept away in an instant by a sudden gust of wind that came from her direction. When she stood back up and grabbed the scarf, she gradually recovered her composure and came to her senses.

As a result of this, Mira came to the conclusion that her father was trying to teach her that now was not the appropriate time to wish for her death and that she should instead focus on living her life to the fullest.

After that, she begged her father's forgiveness and sought his advice before bidding him goodbye. Then, she began the travel back to the home that was full of traumatic experiences that she vowed never to let go of her mind.

As soon as Mira walked through the front door, she was confronted with the frigid atmosphere of their home, which was devoid of the warmth that came from their love for one another.

She roamed her eyes around the house, and, as she had anticipated, Lawrence was nowhere to be seen, despite the fact that it was already beyond the end of his shift. She didn't waste any time getting inside her room, and as soon as she did, her eye was drawn to a brown file.

Mira opened it, and as she flipped through the pages, she felt the familiar sting of her tears as they ran down her cheeks. She had prepared herself for it by visualizing the tragic event more than once.

But nothing she could do at this moment that could make the anguish she was experiencing any more bearable.

Divorce Agreement Papers.

Lawrence made it quite obvious to her from the very beginning that the only reason he would consent to this marriage was for him to get his father's wealth and estates.

If the predetermined circumstances were satisfied, he would immediately divorce her since, from the beginning, he had someone else in his heart.

Now, that woman that Lawrence loved has returned to the country for good, Mira was surely on the losing end. They would surely rekindle their hindered relationship.

Mira recalled that there were nights when she and Lawrence was having sex, and he would utter the name of that woman instead of her Mira's name.

Lindsey.

Her name led Mira to shed numerous tears, and just like the grains of sand, her suffering seemed to have no end in sight.

Just like the sand, her anguish felt like it would never stop.

After a number of days and nights that Mira spent dreading the imminent and inevitable divorce with her husband, Deborah's birthday finally arrived.

It was supposed to be an exciting day for her, as Deborah’s daughter-in-law, but no. As Mira could not identify a single thing in Deborah's existence for which she should feel grateful, she had no plans to neither greet nor visit her.

The only thing the other lady did was make Mira’s life a living hell, and when her husband, Henry passed away, Mira’s condition just became worse.

And the only thing that she’s grateful enough for Deborah’s existence was to give birth to the guy Mira loved, but other than that, everything she did brought about complete and total anarchy.

The sudden ringing of her phone nearly caused her to lose her grip on it when she noticed the registered name of the person who was calling.

“Mira.”

One word, it was her name. It was just the mention of her name, but she felt like she was disintegrating in an instant, giving in to the reassuring baritone that he had.

Mira felt such intense longing for him. She wanted to be with him so bad.

When Lawrence didn't return home for a single moment after he left the divorce papers on their house, Mira’s body developed an insatiable want for him.

She missed the way he looks. The tone of his voice. The tenderness in his touch. Everything about him, she missed it so bad.

“Hey, are you there? You pick up the phone and you don’t even speak up. Mira!”

As Lawrence spoke her name once again, breaking the silence that had settled over them, he freed her from the enchantment that he had cast over her.

She finally managed to stammer, "Y-Yes, L-Lawrence. I am here, w-why?"

Mira was terrified that Lawrence would reveal that they were getting a divorce, but what he said next was much more unsettling. It made Mira feel uncomfortable.

"You know what’s day today, right? It was Mom’s special day. You should go to the mansion and help the maids later since you know our home better. Don’t make a fuss, a scene or anything. Wear proper clothes," he informed her without displaying any sign of emotion in the slightest.

As if the incident hadn't already happened on Deborah's birthday in the past, Mira suffered an injury. It was when one of the servers accidentally tripped over and poured the hot soup in her body, that gave her lot of bruises.

"A-Alright, then. I would be there. I-I intend to be present at your mother’s birthday. H-How about you? Will you attend and be there as well?" she questioned in a hushed tone, but she quickly covered her lips as she cursed herself for asking such an idiotic and straightforward question.

Mira was aware of his heaving a heavy sigh, but he did not respond to her question.

She was taken aback to see that he had already hung up the phone, leaving her to wait for his response or even just a mere goodbye.

*******

The part set-up was undoubtingly elegant and classy, as expected with Deborah.

The men were intimidatingly dressed in suits and ties, while the women were dressed to the nines in gorgeous dresses, vying with one another for the title of the most glamorous attire for the night.

The mood was joyous, as everyone seemed to be delighted.

Mira was working furiously to serve food and beverages at each table while everyone else was eating, conversing, and having the time of their life.

She could see several of the servants in this house slacking off and taking their sweet time in the kitchen tonight, despite the fact that there were many of them. She went over to one of the maids, who were aimlessly reading through her phone, and she spoke to her.

"Hi, I'm sorry to bother you, Miss."

The young woman briefly fixed her gaze on Mira with a blank expression before returning it to her phone and continuing to scroll as if she were only noticing the passage of a breeze.

Mira shook her head and called the young woman out one more time, "Miss, I was talking to you," as she softly tapped herself on the shoulder.

"I need your help. As I am the one helping out in the main dining area, I was wondering if you could serve the guests on the veranda." Mira spoke those words in a tone of helplessness as beads of sweat appeared on her forehead and her chest began to heave. "I couldn't attend to everyone all at once," she explained.

"Why? What the heck is going on around here?" The environment was pervaded by a frightening voice, and it was abundantly evident to Mira who the owner of this ominous voice was.

"Ma’am, she is commanding me to assist the guests and visitors, even though it is her job to do so. After completing all of my responsibilities, Ma’am, I just came here to take a bit of rest and drink some water. But this lady here was commanding me to do her job," the indifferent young woman said in a dutiful manner.

Mira was dumbfounded with a wave of annoyance and felt it welling up within of her.

Performed all her duties? From the beginning of the party, all of these other helpers have done nothing except to sit down and chitchat nonstop, while Mira was the only one who has been continuously working.

“Wow! Now, you want to make other people's lives more difficult, is that it? You are bossing around here while I am out your sight, huh, you worthless woman?” A malicious glare from Deborah was sent in her direction.

"Well, does that mean you are already exhausted with what you’re doing, Mira? Then, how about those times that we supplied for your needs? My husband provided everything for you, for your studies, for you to be able to survive. Have you heard us say we’re exhausted too? Have you ever thought that our family, especially my husband, was already sick of providing your needs? Have we ever complained to you about paying for everything in your life, when you should be the one working hard and paying for it? Now, with just a one night of serving, you are already exhausted?”

The elderly lady inquired with condescension. Mira couldn’t say anything, so she just bowed her head with embarrassment.

“You would never be able to repay our family for all that we had done for you. Therefore the very least you could do is give your whole attention to serving our family, until the rest of your life. But your current behaviour demonstrates once again how ungrateful and useless you are. Now I regret allowing my husband in helping a person like you!" Deborah yelled at her, furiously.

Mira wanted to laugh at Deborah’s statement. How dare could she tell those words to her. She never helped her, instead, she made Mira’s life miserable.

Deborah was the reason why Lawrence’s hatred toward Mira grew more and more each day.

Mira wanted to strike back and flung every harsh word she said back at her, but all she could do was to ball her fist, restraining herself in remembrance of the late Mr. Henry Wilson.

To avoid causing a spectacle, she merely bowed to her and turned her back. Mira went back to her duty and assisted the visitors, even though her shoulders felt like falling off and her vision grew foggy due of exhaustion and hunger.

As the night progressed, there was no sign of Lawrence anywhere in the darkness. In spite of this, Mira was unable to discern whether or not she really wanted to see Lawrence after he had sent her the divorce papers.

Since Lawrence hadn't spent the night at their home ever since that fateful evening, the two of them never had the opportunity to have a discussion on the relevant topic; their divorce.

Mira was reluctant to engage in that discussion. Hence, it would likely be for the best if she avoided seeing Lawrence later on tonight.

Yet there was a part of her that longed for his presence, and even just catching a glimpse of his face from a distance would have been enough for her.

Suddenly, the crowd became noisy, and as she identified the cause of the commotion, a sharp twinge of agony hit her, causing her to gasp for breath and make a face palming motion.

It was Lawrence, and his hand was resting on the waist of an absolutely gorgeous blonde lady.

Deborah, who was known to somehow get agitated whenever she came into physical touch with another person, then gave the woman a warm hug.

They were then given a rousing welcome by the audience, but the thing that really broke her heart was the way Lawrence gazed at the woman with such affection the whole time that they were together.

Mira said to herself, "Really, this agony is on another level. When will this going to stop?" as she wiped away the tears that had begun to fall from her eyes.

Mira turned her back on the heart-wrenching lovely image that she had just seen and walked away. Every movement she made away from them seemed tedious, as if her vitality had been drained by even seeing them in the distance.

Then a lovely voice with a high pitch called out to her and asked Mira to help. This caused Mira to pause in her tracks.

Lindsey was shocked to see the woman, and she yelled, "Excuse me, Lady. You with the trays and plates. Yes, you, miss?"

Mira gradually turned her attention back to the two of them, and to add to her anguish, Lawrence merely stared at her blankly, as if she were a maid or some other kind of servant he was unfamiliar with.

The brow of Deborah was once again lifted, and this time it was a cue for her to get nearer.

Every step she took toward them was excruciating as well as embarrassing, but she kept her eyes cast downward, praying that this time would pass as quickly as possible.

"Would you be able to clean the table down for me very well?" Lindsey demanded with a twitch in her lips that betrayed a sly grin as she smiled, "I am quite fastidious, and as a result, I want everything to be as clean as possible."

Mira took a few deep breaths before acting on what she had been instructed to do. She could feel the intensity of Lawrence's skin on her skin while she was washing the table, which made her shudder inside while she was doing it.

The table was already spotless. When she was finished, she gave Lindsey a bow and asked her to please excuse her.

She had both hands on the trays, which were both full with old plates and glasses that still had remnants of food and beverage.

Her legs caught on something as she tried to move, and before she could even register what had happened, she was already slumped and covered in grease and drinks on the ground.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, sweetheart." The lady whispered to Mira. "You should be more cautious the next time. Don’t be too clumsy, okay?" The expression on her face was one of contempt.

Mira rose up, wiped off the crumbs of rice that were on her uniform, and then picked up the tray and the utensils that were in a jumbled mess.

They were instantly surrounded by a large number of individuals who were looking repulsed by them. She didn't give a damn, and their distaste for her didn't mean anything to her, but the poker face of the guy she loved drove a sharp lance of agony right through her.

She gave them an agonizing grin as she turned her back on them, as she had no reason to continue being there any longer.

Lawrence remained quiet for the whole of the celebration, despite the fact that everyone else was still having a good time.

Lindsey was very aware of the awkward stillness that he was maintaining, and in response, she gave his palm a firm squeeze and gazed adoringly at him.

"Do you feel drained, sweetheart? Do you want to go on my place, tonight?"

After giving her a nod, Lawrence gave her a little peck on the lips.