bChapter /b3

biRabena’s /i/bbPOV/bbi: /i/b

The next day, I decided to call my uncle Pete, after filling him in on everything that happened over the past several years, my uncle was furious.

i“/iiRuby/ii, /iiI /idon’t iunderstand/ii. /iiWhy /ididn’t you itell /ime all of ithis /iiwas /iigoing /iione /iiwhenever /iiwe /iispoke/ii? /iI iwould /iihave-/i”

I quickly cut my uncle off, the truth was, there wasn’t anything he could do. Byw Davis and Amber were my parents and I wasn’t gonna let him spend the next several years worrying about me.

“It’s iokay /iiUncle/ii, /iiI /iijust /iiwanna /iget out iof /iihere /iinow/i. I’m iheading /ito ithe /iicourthouse /isoon ito /iifile /ifor idivorce/ii, /iit’ll itake /ime ia /iifew /iidays /ito ifinalize /iithat /iand close my iounts/ii./i”

I could hear my uncle sigh, clearly he was worried.

i“/iI’m sending iyou /iia /iiwyer/ii!/ii” /i

“iUncle /iithat /iwon’t be inec-/i” iHe /icut me off mid–sentencei, /iithere /iwas no iway /iihe /iiwas /igonna ilet /ime ihandle /iiall /iof ithis /iiby /iimyself/ii. /i

iin /i

ipromised /iimy /iibrother /iiand /iisister/i–inw iI /iwould itake /iicare /iiof /iiyou/i. iI’ve /iibeen /iifailing /iithem /iithese /ipast iseveral /iiyears/i, not ianymore/i. iLet /iime /iihelp/ii!/ii” /i

I smiled lightly; it was the first time I had a genuine smile so long. It felt good to be loved again. After getting everything squared away with my uncle, I got dressed and walked out my room, ready to file divorce. As I made my way down the stairs I could see my family, sitting in the grand room were my two brothers Darius and Daniel along with my parents, my sister and my husband. Though based on how they were all acting, you would have sworn Thomas was married to Danielle.

“iThey /iiaren’t /ieven itrying /ito ibe /iisubtle/ii” /iI thought with a disgusted looked as I made my way voice.

to the foyer. bJust /b

could hear my sister’s angelic

“iOh/ii! /iiRaby/ii! /iiWhere /iihave /iiyou /ibeen? iYou /iwere iin /iiyour /iroom so ilong /iiI /iiwas /iiprepared /ito isteal /iiyour /iihusband/i.”

She stared at me with angel eyes of Lucifer, I had already grown ustomed to her devilish ploys. Smiling back, I calmly responded.

“iI’m /iisure /iithat’s /iiwhat /iyou ithought /iist /iinight /itoo.i” /i

Shocked, Danielle’s eyes bulged, exactly what had I met by that st night”ment. Warily smiling, Danielle walked up to me.

i“/iI’m sorry isister/ii? /iiWhat /iiexactly /iidid /iiyou /iimean /iiby /iithat/i?”

“I’m sorryi, /idid iyou /inot understand me? I’ll irepeat /iiit/ii, /iI’m sure ithat’s /iiexactly /iiwhat /iiyou /idid ist /inight!”

This time my voice raised a level causing everyone to look in our direction. Immediately, as if on que, Danielle began to bcry/b.

“Raby, iI /idon’t know what you mean iby /iithis/ii! /iiWhy /iare you ibeing /iso mean! I ionly /iwanted to joke with my sister.”

Immediately everyone came running to the foyer, in unison, they all began to fuss.

“What the hell iis /iwrong with you Rabenai!/i” My brother Darius was the ifirst /ito go off.

“Yeah what the helli! /iWhy are you always bullying Daniellei! /iiShe /ihas been nothing but nice to you!”

Suddenly, my mother walked up, withplete disdain in her eyes she began to speak.

“Honestly, did those wretched parents of yours raise you in the wilderness? iIs /ithat why you have such ilow /ivalues.”

I couldn’t believe it! “I had low values! These people wouldn’t know anything about values if it bwas /bstamped on their foreheads! Hearing her speak so ill of my parents bhowever/b, I wasn’t about to let her get away with that. I walked cooly up to the woman who birthed me, no longer feeling the need to address bher /bbas /b“mother” She’d never been that to me anyway.

“Mrs. Crest, you bcan /bsay whatever you want about me but mention imy /iparents again and we will have a problem.”

Amber took two steps back. Her eyes were filled with shock. Never had I ever spoke to her blike /bthis. Usually, I was always humble band /bquietb, /bbut !

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was done with all of that! Just then, my “loving” husband finally spoke.

“iRabena /iijust /iiwhat /iithe /iihell /iido /iyou think iyou’re /iidoing/ii! /iiWhy /iiare /iyou acting like thisi! /iiWe’re /iiall /iistill /iicelebrating /iiDanielle’s /iibirthday/ii! /iApologize to iher /iinow/ii!/ii” /i

I couldn’t believe him! Apologize for what? But he couldn’t help himself, anything to put a smile on his sweet Danielle’s face. In the past, I would have apologized to just to please everyone, but not anymore. I looked straight into the eyes of my handsome and lying husband.

i“/iiIt /iiwas /imy ibirthday /itoo. iI /iwon’t iapologize/ii. /iiConsider /ithis imy /iigift/ii./ii” /i

Before he could say anything, I immediately turned around and stormed out the door. I was done with all of these dreadful people. The Rabena they knew was no more.

-Thomas bPOV/bb: /b

bI /bwatched in shock as Rabena stormed out of the house. Never had she talked to me that way, for thest several years she had always been meek. My grandmother doted on her after she saved her life, constantly praising how lovely she was and how much she couldn’t stand Danielle.

“iThat /iigirl /iiis /iia /iifake /ias a ithousand/ii–/iidor /iibill/ii./i”

?fne2e3 ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? fin?novel/fne2e3

She just didn’t understand, Danielle needed me. She was delicate and sensitive always trying to please. When I began my role as head of our organization, she secretly went out of her way to start setting up business deals. Starting next week, I’ll be having business meetings with some of the most prominent corporations in the western continent. Lockwood Corp was on the verge of going global and it was all thanks to Danielle. I owed her everything including my heart and I wasn’t about to let some arranged marriage get in the way of it. Rabena would pay for upsetting Danielle.

A

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AN

bi-Rabena’s /i/bbiPOV/i/bb: /b

After I filed for divorce, I spoke with mywyer Pera on the phone. I’d known Pera since I was ba /bchild, we actually grew up together in Covington; she was devastated when she learned i was moving halfway across the world. We’d promise to stay in touch, but with the life I was living, I didn’t have to heart to honor it.

“Oh imy /iigod /iiRuby/ii!!! /iiWhen /iiyour /iiuncle /itold me iyou /iiwere /iing home iI /iialmost /iiblew /ia gasketi! /iiI’ve /imissed iyou /iso muchi!/i”

It was great to hear she was the same bubbly and vivacious girl I had always known.

i“/iiYeai: /iI’m ireally /iexcited too. iI /iihave /iireally /iimissed /iiyou /iiall/i. I ishould /iihave /iinever /ie ihere/ii./ii” /i

Pera went silent for a moment, I’m sure my uncle filled her in on what had been going on.

i“/iRuby, you ishould /iihave /iicalled /ime. iI /iwould ihave /iiflown /iinto the ocean ijust /ito ihelp /iiyou/ii! /iYou’re imy /iibest /ifriendi./ii” /i

My eyes began to water, even after all of this time, the people that I loved the most still loved me too.

“Alright girl! First stop divorce, next stop freedomi!/ii” /i

I talked with Pera all the way home, as I approached the door, I had an eerie feeling. As I opened the door, I soon understood why.

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