Chapter 3

As soon as i went opened the door, the smell of good food assaulted my nose, my stomach immediately grumbles in hunger.

I quickly walked down, to the dining room. I froze when i saw ana and chris eating slowly in the dining room.

Damian walked out of the kitchen with a plate in his hand, he set the plate down before him and sat down to eat

I looked around, the place was only set for three people, there was no place for me.

Ana saw me first, she looked up at me and flashed me a big cute smile.

“ oh Clara, i almost thought you died from that little accident” she said, my hand gripped my gown, the gown i have been wearing since the hospital.

She called flinging me across the room a small accident. I hated her, i hated her more than the devil himself.

“ you can come and eat” she said knowing fully well that the table was set for three alone and there were already three.

Damian and Chris said nothing, they didn't even look at me.

“ brother Damian prepared my favorite meal because i was feeling sad and i was in pain” she said with a pout on her face.

I looked towards Damian but he acted like i was not there.

“ oh, sorry Clara there are only three plates and brother Damian only cooked for three, i guess he just forgot that you where still here” she shrugged and went back to eating, making exaggerated noises as she took in each food.

He forgot about me.

I was up there, fighting for my life after he threw me across the room but he forgot about me. Tears gathered in my eyes as i stared at Damian, hoping he would lookup at me and tell me that it was just a mistake but he never did, he ignored me.

I turned around and walked back to my room before the tears would fall. I will never let them see me cry.

I heard ana giggle behind me.

I didn't care.

I walked up to the room i got out of, i sat on the bed and took my phone to order take out. I put down my phone and stared at the ceiling.

How did i end up like this?

Few years ago after the death of my parents i moved to this city to start a new life away from painful memories.

I went to apply for a job at a well known company in this state, there i met Damian, he stared at me that day like he had seen a ghost.

I was shy, i thought he was awestruck by my beauty, i was told i had a very cute face. But that wasn't the case because Damian shook his head.

He walked up to me and told me that i looked so much like someone he knows. We had hit it off, he took my number, that night we went to a bar to drink.

We got so drunk and he started confessing, he said i looked so much like his childhood friend but i looked better. That night we kissed and from a little kiss it blossomed to some more.

I lost my virginity that night.

The next day he had been so apologetic, he told me that he was going to take responsibilties. I had been reluctant, it was just one night and it was okay but Damian had begged me.

Everyday he would come to my office with flowers begging me to date him, that he had fallen in love with me, i was moved into believing and then i accepted.

Few months later we got married, things where going great, he was attentive, he still brought flowers to my office, he cooked for me every night. Damian had always hated when u out on makeup, evening when we went on date nights and when we attended dinner parties, the other women had mocked me but when i complain to him he would tell me not to be shallow and that he like my natural beauty.

I had believed him, that was until Chris came to our home one day and showed me a woman on his phone who looked almost like i did.

“ that is ana, your husband have never loved you and he never will, you are only a substitute or his real lover” he had said, shattering the illusion i had built over the few months.

But Damian came home with flowers that day, i was once again smitten, throwing everything Chris said out of the window.

Everything changed after five months when he got a call, that dreadful call from ana his childhood friend to inform him that she was back.

My husband left me that night to pick her, ana had been friendly but things never remained the same, the flower stopped, my husband who was obsessed with me slowly started becoming distant.

He no longer bought me flowers saying that it was a waste, but i found out few months ago from ana that he bought her flowers everyday for eighteen months.

Damian started coming home late, when i ask him he would say that work was hectic, one day i found a lipstick stain on his shirt, ana’s favorite shade of lipstick.

He had brushed it off, even accusing me off being jealous and over dramatic.

On my birthday few months ago, ana had insisted we throw a party for me, Damian left all the birthday preparations to her, she had thrown a princess party for me knowing fully well i hated parties like that.

And now i was in the guest room of my matrimonial home with stitches on my stomach while my husband who promised to never hurt me cooked dinner for another woman.

My phone dinged bringing me out of my thoughts, my order had arrived. I went down to slowly using the wall as support, pain shot from my head and my stomach but i ignored it, i had to eat.

My body shook uncontrollably as i went out of the room, i had to eat something.

When i went finally made it down i saw ana standing in the middle of the living room with my takeout in her hand, she took off the cover and began to eat it.

“ ana” i screamed her name,

Chapter 4

That was mine; she had taken my husband, home, car, and job. Did she have to take my takeout too?

“Oh sorry, I was still hungry, so I thought you wouldn't mind sharing,” she said, blinking her eyes at me as tears gathered in them.

Doesn't she ever get tired of crying?

“Don’t bother her, Clara; she was still hungry. The food is enough for you to share; don’t be stingy,” my husband said. He was sitting cross-legged in the living room.

“You can have it,” Ana said, stretching the door to me. I didn't want to eat something she had already eaten, but I had no choice.

I had to eat. I stretched out my hand to take it, but she suddenly let go, the food spilling onto the ground.

“Oh no, I thought you held it; why didn't you hold it?” she asked as tears gathered around her eyes.

I was furious; she had done that intentionally, and we both knew it. She only wanted to spite me.

“Liar, you let the plate go,” I snapped at her, my stomach protesting as I moved a lot.

“But I didn't; I didn't mean to,” Ana sobbed. Damian shot me a glare.

“Ana, don’t be petty; it’s just taken out. There is no big deal; she was hungry; that’s why she took it,” Chris said.

No big deal? I laughed at myself; the only food I had eaten was the one I ate before I was whisked into the operating room.

Ana shot me a mocking smile and made her way to Damian; she sat on the couch and leaned on him, still sobbing.

“You are such a child, Clara; clean that up,” Damian said as he grabbed Ana and bypassed me.

I looked down at the spilled food as tears washed down my eyes, ‘Where did everything go wrong? Did I do something?’

Chris scoffed in front of me; he walked towards the door, shooting me a mocking glance, stepping on my foot as he passed by.

“See, you are nothing but a servant to my best friend Damian; you might as well leave,” he said before opening the door and stepping out.

‘Don’t worry, I will leave when I recover.’

I went to the kitchen, and with pains all over my body, I picked up raw noodles and began to carefully prepare them.

Finally, some peace,

I boiled water to pour in the noodles as I prepared the other ingredients. I heard light footsteps coming down the steps. Without turning around, I knew who it was.

I heard a spiteful sound behind me,

“This is where you belong, in the kitchen, working as a maid,” she said, but I didn’t reply.

“You know, you have always been my substitute, nothing more but something less. Do you think Damian will love you or feel bad for you when you act pitiful in front of him?”

I heard her walk closer to where I was; she stood beside the stove.

“No Clara, you mean nothing to him; his heart belongs to me. Damian belongs to me; he only married you because you reminded him of me. You are just an alternative; now that I am here, you are no longer needed, okay, so pack up and leave,” she whispers yelled closer to my ear.

When I didn’t reply, it seemed to infuriate her.

“Answer me when I am talking to you,” she snapped at me, but I didn’t even glance at her; I refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing me in pain.

“I said look at me,” she repeated, but this time, I felt her hand pinch my side; I frowned in pain.

She giggled beside me.

“Do you get what I am trying to say? You are just a dumb alternative,” she said just to spite me, her nails digging into my sides.

Normally her little attack would have meant nothing to me, but she precisely pinched the sewed-up area.

I was overwhelmed by pain.

“Let go of me,” I cried when the pain was unbearable; pushing her weakly by the shoulders, Ana stumbled backward exaggeratedly, falling into Damian’s arms.

I didn’t notice him, and as she fell, she purposely hit the boiling water on the stove, and the contents spilled on my hands down to my stomach.

I screeched in pain.

“Brother Damian, she pushed me,” I heard Ana cry. I snapped my head to them; I opened my mouth to defend myself when I saw Damian Walk up to me in fury.

“Damian I— “I couldn’t get the rest of the words out before I was hit across the face.

“How dare you push Ana?” he yelled at me.

I was beyond shocked. ‘Was Damian blind?’ Didn’t he see how she fell? She was faking. I wanted to say all this, but I couldn’t get the words out.

I looked behind Damian to see Ana smirking at me through her tears.

I sighed; there was no use.

I turned around, poured the remaining water into the noodles, and began adding up the ingredients.

There was no use crying over spilled milk; Damian was no longer the man I loved. I will no longer explain myself to someone who will only take the side of others.

I missed the look that flashed in Damian’s eyes as I turned around with my bowl of noodles, stepping over Ana’s legs that she had set out to trip me.

I walked to my room and locked the door behind me; I didn’t care about him any longer.