Chapter 3

Anya stood there frozen. She still couldn’t believe her eyes, but then, there were no longer tears she could shed as her dead eyes stared at the two lecherous people in front of her.

Andrei, after feeling that Anya had seen enough, had his release and let go of the woman. He turned to lean on the headboard, took some cigarette, brought it to his mouth, and lit it up. He pinched the stick in between his two fingers and blew the smoke away as he laid his cold eyes on his wife.

“Did you buy the bracelet?” He asked as he opened his palm at her. His words rang in Anya’s ears, waking her up to reality. That bracelet was not for her but for his other woman. She brought her hands to clutch the bracelet on her chest that was under her coat.

Andrei saw this and snickered and turned to Ellona.

“You can leave now,” He said to Ellona as he threw her a card. The pop star saw that, and she smirked and took it as well as her clothes.

“Call me again next time,” She said as she dressed up, winked at the man, and went on her way. She bumped her shoulders into Anya as she passed by her and gave her a cold snicker.

Andrei stood up from the bed without bothering to cover his body, pulled at Anya, and threw her to the bed. He pinned her down and grabbed hand. He saw the bracelet beautifully hanging at her porcelain wrist, but this only made him more irritable. He sneered at her as he looked her in the eyes.

“Looks like you’re so full of yourself, huh? You like jewelry and money so much, how could I forget,” Andrei said icily as he eyed Anya like she was the dirtiest woman in the world. This slapped Anya hard.

When would she ever accept that everything was no longer the same anymore? He was no longer the husband she knew and loved. She was no longer the woman he fancied. And no longer the marriage she dreamed of and always wished for. It was just then that tears started to well in her eyes. As the truth was slapped in her face that everything would never be the same again.

But is it her fault? Was it her wrong? Was it wrong to try to save her husband in the only way she could think of? Wrong to sacrifice her worth as a woman and give away the baby that she nurtured and risked even though she knew this could happen? Maybe it is, she was wrong to accept and believed that everything would be alright. With all the harsh and cruel things the world gave her, when will she realize and stop hoping for a happy ever after? Hoping for a prince and for her own fairytale? Because it’s not real. There’s no unconditional love, no perfect man, and no prince charming. Her expectation was her wrong and the one thing that would always, always hurt and disappoint her.

Andrei saw the light dimming in her eyes, as it showed complicated emotions, and finally went dead. He scoffed as he bent down to kiss her.

When Anya felt his lips on hers, the first thing she felt was disgust. He kissed that woman like this, held her the same, and did the deed in the very same bed she’s lying in now. When she thought of this, she immediately pushed the man away.

Andrei was pushed away and immediately grew furious.

“What are you playing now, huh? You opened your legs to a different man, and you have the guts to be disgusted by your own husband? You flattered every businessman there is because you thought I would be bankrupt, right?” His words were sharp as a knife as he grabbed her jaw and spat venom at her face.

“Well, were you shocked and disappointed now that I was able to revive? Where are your bastards now? Did they throw you away after they used your dirty body?” He had a gloating expression on his face as he cursed and insulted the woman, as if he never loved and showered her with sweet words before.

Nothing was more painful for Anya than watching as the man who once used to cherish her, turn into a monster to stab and insult her whole being.

He was not her husband. He was a monster. She suddenly grew strength as she pushed him away. She got out of the bed and turned to him with a cold face.

“I can’t believe you were the man I loved before. Did you even give me a chance to explain than throw dirt at me?!” She screamed so loud, with anger, frustration, and pain coming along with it.

Hearing her heart-wrenching scream knocked on Andrei's heart a bit, but it dissolved as fast as it had come.

“What’s the use of explaining? What is there in it aside from you screwing up with other men when your husband was working his ass off?! You fucking bitch-“, He was cut off by a hard slap in his face. Anya couldn’t listen anymore and ran to leave the room. She didn’t stop, running in the hallway until she went outside.

The cold air brushed her face as she went out. She bent down, her hands holding her knees as she tried to catch her breath. His words still lingered in her ears like broken records playing over and over her head. She turned to stare at the hotel, where her husband was probably lying down and cursing her right now. She wanted to ask him so many questions, but the very first would be his trust.

‘Was his trust that so little for me? He insulted and cursed at me so quickly, husband why?

She sniffed and accepted that she would never even get the luxury to ask as he wouldn’t even give her a chance to talk.

She got into a taxi and gasped for air. She felt suffocated from the running and from the pain she felt in her heart. She placed her hands on her wrist and felt the bracelet again. She stared at it and angrily took it off. She gripped it in her hands tightly and finally threw it away from the car window.

She threw the bracelet away, hopefully, her feelings as well, out of the window and turn it to dust.