Chapter 8

WILLOW

"I... I'm just following my husband," I stammered, my voice trembling with a mix of anxiety and defiance. I tried to maintain my composure, but the weight of their judgment pressed upon me, threatening to break my resolve.

A cold smile curved the receptionist's lips as she retorted, "Following your husband, are you? And what makes you think you have the right to waltz into a place like this?"

I felt a surge of anger rise within me, fueled by the injustice of their assumptions. I straightened my posture, summoning the courage to defend myself against their baseless judgments.

"I may not be rich or have the pedigree that you desire, but I am married to Lucas Davis!” I declared, my voice gaining strength as I fought back against their prejudice. "You may not believe it, but the truth remains. I have every right to be here!”

Laughter echoed through the lobby as the receptionist scoffed, her words dripping with venom. "Married to Lucas Davis? Please, spare us the fiction! You are clearly a delusional woman! A man like him would never stoop so low as to marry someone like you!”

My heart pounded in my chest, the weight of their mockery threatening to crush my spirit. But I refused to allow their words to defeat me. I had endured enough pain and humiliation in my marriage, and I wouldn't allow them to break me further.

"I understand your disbelief, but I assure you, I am his wife!” I asserted, my voice firm and unwavering. "You have no right to judge the authenticity of my relationship. Now, please, allow me to follow my husband!”

As if to amplify their disdain, the receptionist called upon a nearby guard, his presence looming over me like a threat. “Guard! Please come here, help!” 

Their intentions were clear—they wanted to remove me from their pristine world, to cast me aside like an unwanted interloper.

I attempted to reason with them, my voice tinged with desperation. "Please, listen to me. I have to find my husband. There's something important I need to know."

But their ears remained deaf to my pleas, their eyes filled with scorn. The guard stepped forward, his expression cold and impassive, ready to carry out their orders.

"You're causing a disturbance. It's best if you leave now," he grumbled, his voice devoid of sympathy.

Tears welled in my eyes, a mixture of frustration, pain, and indignation. I refused to let their judgment strip away my dignity. My voice quivered, but I mustered the strength to fight back against their cruelty.

"You may dismiss me, mock me, and judge me based on your preconceived notions," I declared, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and hurt. "But I will not allow you to define my worth. I am his wife, and I will find a way to uncover the truth, whether you believe it or not!”

My words hung in the air, a testament to my determination to break free from the shackles of their judgment. Though their eyes bore into me with scorn and disbelief, I stood tall, refusing to back down.

The guard's stern expression wavered for a moment, perhaps acknowledging the fire within me. But just as I thought there might be a glimmer of understanding, he hardened his resolve and gestured for me to leave.

"You've made your point, lady. Now, please leave the premises or I will have to escort you out," he grumbled, his tone final and unwavering.

A mix of frustration and resignation washed over me, the weight of their prejudice threatening to crush my spirit. But I knew I had to persevere. I had come too far to be deterred by their disdain.

Gathering my composure, I took one last defiant glance at the receptionist and the guard, the pillars of this exclusive world that had rejected me. Their smirks and judgment would forever be etched in my memory, fueling the fire within me.

"Fine," I murmured, my voice filled with a quiet determination. "I will leave. But mark my words, I will not be silenced. I will uncover the truth and prove my place in this world!”

With those parting words, I turned away from their mocking gazes, the sting of their rejection still fresh in my heart. But as I walked away from the grandeur of the hotel, I vowed to rise above their judgment and seek the answers that had eluded me for far too long.

Their doubts would not extinguish the fire burning within me. I returned back to my car, determination coursed through my veins. I would persevere, for I was Willow Davis, reborn with a purpose, and no one could deny me the truth I sought.

I don’t know how many hours I am waiting for my husband, but then I saw Lucas emerge from the hotel, his arm draped around the alluring figure in the red dress, a searing pain tore through my chest. It felt as though my heart was being ripped apart, each beat echoing the betrayal that unfolded before my eyes. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably, blurring my vision as I struggled to comprehend the sight before me.

My voice quivered with a mix of anguish and disbelief. "How could he? How could he do this to me?! Fuck you, Lucas!" I whispered, my words barely audible amidst the chaos of my shattered emotions. 

The weight of his infidelity bore down on me like an avalanche, threatening to engulf me in an abyss of despair.

A kaleidoscope of emotions swirled within me, intertwining in a tempest of pain, jealousy, and profound hurt. I clutched my trembling hands to my chest, as if physically trying to hold the broken pieces of my heart together.

"What did I do to deserve this? Why am I not enough for him? Just because I am a commoner?!" I cried out, my voice was laced with a deep sense of betrayal. The waves of sorrow crashed over me relentlessly, dragging me deeper into the abyss of my pain.

The image of the woman, her red dress billowing with an air of confidence and allure, etched itself into my memory like a cruel taunt. The depth of my husband's deception became painfully clear, as did the realization that I had been living in a web of lies and deceit.

Now I know why my husband never sees me as his wife or as a woman. The tears continued to flow, a river of despair, as I grappled with the weight of my shattered dreams. I had held onto the hope that our marriage could be salvaged, that the love we once shared could prevail. But in that moment, as I watched Lucas and the other woman disappear into the distance, it felt as though all hope had been extinguished.

I took a shaky breath, my voice a mere whisper amidst the tumultuous storm raging within me. "How could he betray me like this? How could he replace me so easily?! I love him with all my heart!” The questions lingering in the air, unanswered and haunting.

I made a silent vow to myself. I would no longer be the victim of my circumstances. I would find the strength within me to rise above this heartbreak and rediscover the woman I once was!

The journey ahead would be filled with challenges and uncertainties, but I was no longer afraid. I was Willow Davis, reborn with resilience and an unwavering spirit. And as I wiped away the tears staining my cheeks, a glimmer of hope ignited within me, whispering that there was a brighter future waiting on the other side of this pain.

So I keep following my husband and his mistress, although jealousy and insecurity crashed over me, threatening to drown me in a sea of self-doubt. Every step they took together felt like another dagger piercing my already fragile heart. The woman's beauty and elegance seemed to mock me, accentuating all the flaws I perceived in myself.

"Look at her, so confident and alluring. How can I ever compare?" I whispered to myself, my voice filled with anguish. The weight of their betrayal bore down on me, suffocating me with a suffocating mixture of pain and disbelief. Had they been carrying on this secret affair behind my back all along? Had I been blind to the signs?

Images flashed through my mind, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. The late nights at the office, the secretive phone calls, the sudden change in Lucas's behavior. It all made sense now, and the realization was like a sharp knife twisting in my gut. They had conspired against me, deceiving me while I naively held onto the hope that our marriage could be salvaged.

The jealousy intensified, engulfing me in a sea of red-hot emotions. The passion I once had for Lucas now transformed into a burning anger, fueled by the pain of their betrayal. How could he choose her over me? What did she have that I didn't? The questions echoed in my mind, driving me to the brink of madness.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into the palms of my hands as I fought to contain the storm of emotions raging inside me. "I won't let them destroy me! I won't let their actions define my worth!" I muttered through gritted teeth, my voice a mix of determination and desperation.

But as I continued to follow them, a nagging feeling tugged at the recesses of my memory. The woman's face, so familiar yet elusive, triggered a sense of déjà vu within me. Where had I seen her before? It was as if a ghost from my past had resurfaced to haunt me in the present.

The realization hit me like a thunderbolt. The woman, with her striking features and air of sophistication, bore an uncanny resemblance to someone I had encountered before. It was her eyes, the way they sparkled with a familiar glint. A wave of recognition washed over me, mingling with the pain and betrayal that consumed me.

But then I was jolted back into reality when my husband’s car stopped. They got out of the car and I looked around. I gasped. My heart shattered into a million pieces. The sight before me, Lucas embracing his mistress, and his family welcoming her with open arms, was a cruel dagger to my already wounded soul. The realization hit me with a force I couldn't comprehend. All these years, I had been living in a world of lies and deceit, oblivious to the betrayal that unfolded behind closed doors!

Lucas’s family knows that he has a mistress!

My husband’s family is tolerating their son and accepting his mistress behind my back!