On the day of my grandmother’s funeral, my husband was accompanying his first love.

After I made countless phone calls, he finally came.

But he said, “She’s pregnant, I have to be with her.”

I turned to look at my husband’s uncle, “Take me home, uncle.”

During the 3 years of marriage, I have been both a wife and a secretary for Adam.

I had been dutifully preparing everything he needed all the time, until Sophia’s arrival.

Sophia was his first love and is now telling him jokes in the office.

Watching them through the glass doors that separates his office from mine, I almost cry because he has never laughed like that around me.

The dark binds of his office are brought down abruptly, blocking my view of them both.

Adam seems to be trying to prevent me from prying even though I am his wife and privacy shouldn’t be a thing between us, especially when it comes to a woman he used to love so much.

I still remember how shocked I was when Sophia walked up to me earlier.

“Aria, I didn’t know you still worked here! I can’t believe Adam is still making you work even after you both got married. That man is something, isn’t he?”

Looking at her confident and elegant appearance, I couldn’t speak, and even feel a little inferior.

“Sophia!” Adam’s voice broke me out of that trance.

He stepped out of his office and right in front of me, he hugged her ever so tightly like an old time friend before he led her back into his office without sparing me as little as a glance.

Now, I can only hear their muffled voices and his own laughter every now and then.

Gripping the edges of my table tightly, I’m too destabilized to get any work done.

I stare at the calendar on my table.

Does he even know today is our third wedding anniversary?

Every year, it seems like I am the only one who remembers it.

With Sophia’s appearance, I can already tell that today will pass by like it’s just another day.

I knew she was coming today, though Adam tried to keep it from me.

Perhaps this is also the reason why he is even more cold and indifferent than usual.

My heart aches at the realization but it aches even more because there is nothing I can do about it.

I have never had a place in Adam’s heart but he has been the only one in mine.

I loved him from the very moment he saved my life years ago.

But he always reminds me that our marriage is nothing but an attempt at fulfilling his grandfather’s wishes.

I knew if there was any chance, he would have never gotten married to me.

Grandfather cherishes me so much, but that’s not enough.

I am married to Adam and not his family.

Their laughter dies down all of a sudden and I can barely hear a word they are saying.

Unable to hold back anymore, I stand before the restlessness kills me.

I am his wife and I deserve to know what is going on.

To look natural, I quickly make two cups of coffee. After all, I am his secretary and this is a part of my job.

I make my way to his office with unsure steps, then I open the door and step in.

Seeing them relaxing in each other’s company as they sit so close to each other on the sofa.

My heart clenches.

“I made coffee.” I say with the best confidence I could muster.

But they don’t even acknowledge my presence, lost in each other and whatever they were discussing.

I want to turn around and leave but my feet fail to move.

I can’t just leave like this. For how long will I keep quiet and suck it up?

“Sir,” I call, looking directly at Adam.

He always asks me to address him as my boss at work.

“Sir,” I call again and that is when he finally regards me with a cold look.

“There is something I need to talk to you about, it’s important.” I lied.

I can feel Sophia’s gaze burning through me but I try not to look at her, for the fear that my confidence would slip away if I do.

 Adam just waves me off. “It can wait. As you can see, I have a guest.”

“It can’t wait.” I say, but he is already back to smiling and listening to Sophia.

I call him a few more times and unable to hold back any longer, I call him by his name instead.

“Adam!” He is pure anger while Sophia is obviously irritated.

“Adam,Is this how you let your employees disrespect you?” Sophia says with absolute disgust.

I’m stunned at her words.

Employee? She dares to talk down on me like that even when she knows fully well that I am not just an employee.

“Aria, out. Now.” He commands.

I am filled with so much hurt that my hands shake.

“Why should I? I have every reason to be in this room and I have every right to speak for you to listen to me.”

Sophia stands at once. “It seems as though your wife has a bone to pick with me and I will not sit here and take such insults.”

Her shoulder heavily bumps into mine by purpose.

I lose grip of the tray and stagger forward, the hot coffee spills all over her and mine.

She shrieks, backing away from me only to glare at me the next second.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” She yells.

Adam rushes to her sidein less than a minute, offering her his handkerchief.

I stand there, drenched in coffee as my husband takes care of another woman.

I feel the tears prickling at the corner of my eyes but what does crying in front of this woman make me?

“I can’t believe you! Go ahead and dislike me!” She says again.

Adam turns to me, eyes dark with rage.

“Apologise right now!” He commands and I scoff.

How can he stand there and take her side when I did nothing wrong?

“Why should I do that? I have done nothing wrong. She bumped into me!” I defend myself, my voice breaking.

“I did no such thing!” Sophia squints me.

“You heard me, Aria. Apologize to her right now.” Adam says again。

I almost laugh at the fact that the only time he is looking me directly in the eyes after three years of marriage is when another woman is involved.

“So you believe her over me? You take her words for it but mine does not matter? I am your wife.”

“A wife I never wanted to marry!”  He yells back and shatters what is left of my broken heart.

“Adam, how…how could you say that to me? In front of her?”

“Because it’s the truth!” He yells again, startling me into making a small helpless sound.

I have always known it yet it hurts to hear it come from him.

“You were nothing but a mere secretary who wormed her way into my life.

If you hadn’t forced yourself on me that night, this marriage would have never happened.”

“I never forced myself on you, Adam. Why won’t you believe me?” I manage to say.

“Do not stand there and try to look innocent, Aria, because that is far from who you are. I simply said the truth and I do not care if you cannot take it.” He says and stares at me intently.

“Do not let what happened today repeat itself again. Know your place and I will not have any reason to talk to you like this. Do you understand?” He turns his back against me.

“The coffee was hot and I think I might have to visit the hospital to prevent the burn from leaving a scar.” Sophia says.

The coffee wasn’t hot enough to cause a burn but Adam believes her instantly.

I see them left and fall into thoughts.

He still believes I drugged him into sleeping with me that night.

I can never forget the pure look of disgust and shock on his face when we both woke up in each other’s arms the next morning.

Suddenly, a call from the hospital wakes me.

“Mrs, You need to be at the hospital, your grandmother died ten minutes ago and has been moved to the hospital’s mortuary. I am sorry.”

The world around me stops and I don’t know how I am able to walk on my two feet to the mortuary.

“Aria.” Adam’s voice calls from behind me. He must have been contacted by the hospital.

I cry as I walk over to him and hug him without a second thought, my tears gathering and falling again.

I expect him to push me away but he doesn’t.

He takes out his phone, saying; “I’ll place a call to start making preparations for her funeral.

A sharp cry stuns us both.

It’s Sophia holding her stomach with an expression of pain.

“Sophia, are you okay?” Adam asks with concern ringing high in his voice.

She shakes her head, “There is something I’ve been wanting to tell you but didn’t know how.”

“What is it?” Adam asks, still very much concerned.

“I am pregnant.”

On the day of my grandmother’s funeral, my husband was accompanying his first love.

After I made countless phone calls, he finally came.

But he said, “She’s pregnant, I have to be with her.”

I turned to look at my husband’s uncle, “Take me home, uncle.”

Grandmother’s funeral is being held on a gloomy day.

I am alone, with no one to comfort me since no one else bothered to attend my grandmother's funeral.

I can’t help it anymore, I burst into tears, falling on my knees by her grave as it dawns on me fully that she is really gone.

I hear confident footsteps approaching me.

My heart races and hope swells inside of me when the person puts a hand on my shoulder.

I whip my head around, expecting to see Adam but my hope quickly shatters when I see that it is Adam uncle, Regis.

“Here,” He hands me his handkerchief.

I say a barely audible thank you.

“I came as soon as I heard, I’m sorry about your Grandmother, Aria.” He says in a sincere and kind voice.

Regis has always been kind to me even when I was just a secretary.

He left the country to study a few days before our wedding and only returned not too long ago.

This is the first time seeing him since his return.

“You didn’t have to.” I say quietly.

Regis looks around as if searching for something and then he frowns when our eyes meet again.

“You’re alone? Where the hell is Adam?” He asks, his voice a little hard.

I force a smile and begin to pack the excess things I bought for my grandmother's funeral.

Regis joins me wordlessly and I sigh in silent appreciation of how he doesn’t ask anymore questions.

“Come on, we’ll take my car.” He says and walks in front of me. I have no choice but to follow him.

We have just gotten outside of the cemetery when a car drives into the parking space right beside Regis’ car.

It’s Adam who wears Royal Blue suit.

I feel the slow brewing of anger inside of me.

How could he show up wearing that?

It is clear that he came from the office.

Three days since Sophia announced that she was pregnant and shook my world.

I didn’t need anyone to tell me who the baby belonged to as he walks towards me now, I feel nothing but resentment for him.

“Is it over? Crap, I must have lost track of time.” He says before turning to his uncle and giving him a tight smile.

I find it disgusting.

“Thank you for being here with her, uncle.”

“Care to explain why you are only just coming?” Regis thows the question.

“Yes, Adam. Tell me what was more important than being at my grandmother’s funeral.”

I already know the answer but I still wait to hear him say it so I can have a reason to hate him even more.

“I really wanted to be here, Aria but you know…” He trails off, running a hand through his hair, “I had to be with Sophia.”

This name is the reason I wasn’t around to witness grandmother’s dying moments.

“Did you really come all the way here to tell me you were with another woman you slept with and impregnated?”

“Let’s not do this here, Aria. You know I can’t just leave her.”

“I never stopped you. You know what? You should have never come here. You should have stayed with her since that is where your loyalties lie now and I am no longer in the picture.”

Adam frowns, moving closer, “What does that mean? You are my wife.”

“Ex-wife,” I say the words without even thinking.

“I want a divorce, Adam.”

His eyes grow wide, unable to contain the shock at my words and I am proud of myself that I finally got a reaction that isn’t anger or coldness from him.

“Both the divorce papers and my resignation will find their way to you soon.” I don’t wait for him to reply as I turn to an equally stunned Regis.

“Take me home, Regis.”

I’m thankful that Regis doesn’t ask any questions as he drives me back home.

I wait till he drives off before I sigh and walk into the house.

I am no longer the mistress of the house.

Right now, I have only one resolve–to leave Adam for good.

I begin to pack while that resolve is still strong, not even stopping for one moment to think about the fact that I have nowhere to go

When I about to leave, Adam comes back with a bunch of Lilies.

After married for three years, he doesn’t even know I’m allergic to them.

“The flowers weren’t for you.” He says.

I barely even feel anything when he says that because I genuinely don’t care anymore.

I just want to get out of this house and never return.

I don’t even care about the rest of my things which I am yet to pack, I just want to turn my back on this horrible life already.

I face Adam squarely, taking in the same clothes he wore to the cemetery earlier.

It's getting reminded of all the reasons why I am making the best decision of my life.

“As  I said before, it is over between us. The divorce papers and my resignation letter will find their way to you soon.”

I say, ignoring the way his face twisted, “Goodbye, Adam.”

I have barely taken a step outside the door when Adam’s strong hand grabs my upper arm and twists me around to look at him.

“Let me go.” I snap at him.

“You can’t just leave, Aria.” He growls.

“You can’t tell me what to do, Adam. At least not anymore. Let me go!”

“What about grandfather? You are taking such a big step without talking to the old man who set it all up anyway. The man who has been nothing but good to you.”

I turn back to face Adam, hating his attempt at making me feel guilty.

However, I don’t waver.

I refuse to put the wish of another over my own happiness.

“I will talk to grandfather. Believe me, you have nothing to worry about.” I say and make another attempt to leave.

He stares me down, “I won’t sign the papers and I won’t accept your resignation either.”

“You have Sophia, don’t you?” I shoot at him and his brows furrow.

“What does that even mean?”

“Everyone adores Sophia. She is smart, beautiful and capable. oh, don’t forget the fact that she is also pregnant with your child! How perfect is that?”

“Aria, it was an accident.”

I nod, like I am agreeing to his words.

“Three years ago, you didn’t think the same way.

You didn’t think you accidentally slept with me but instead believed I had gone as far as drugging you to sleep with you.

What changed, Adam?

Because all I see right now is a hypocrite and a coward who would rather blame others for his mistakes.” 

When I turn my back to him this time, I don’t stop walking. I don’t turn around.

“Aria! Aria, get back here while I am still being nice.

Aria, I swear to God if you walk out that door, I won’t take you back even if you go on your knees.

You need me, Aria. You can’t survive without me!”

Adam yells after me but I don’t stop walking as his arrogant words only fueled my desire to get away from him as fast as I can.

I block out the rest of his words as I open the door and welcome my peace and freedom.

I am never going back to that sad reality.