Chapter 5

It was a bit sudden actually.

When I was only ten weeks pregnant, Marcus’s grandfather, the person in the family who had been kind to me, suddenly passed away from a heart attack.

But he had always had his health checked, and the doctor said everything was fine before. That was why, everyone found it hard to believe at that time and the grief that enveloped the family, including me, was overwhelming.

What was more, a week after Old Man Braun passed, Marcus left on a month-long business trip, making the thing I feared suddenly happen.

My mother-in-law and my sister-in-law began to show their true colors.

Marcus’s mother often ordered me to clean the bathroom, cook three meals a day, and do all the household chores, pushing me to my limit.

Until one day, while trying to keep up with her demands, I slipped and tragically lost our baby.

The entire household, maids and butlers alike, witnessed the cruelty the Braun family inflicted upon me.

The miscarriage itself was also devastating. Not just because of the loss itself but because I knew that many women struggle to conceive again after losing their first child.

In despair, I called Marcus.

“Marcus, I am so sorry. I could not take good care of our baby,” I choked out through tears, my voice barely audible.

His disappointment was palpable, yet he tried to comfort me. He assured me that everything would be okay and urged me to wait for his return, promising he would do whatever it took to support me.

But I never imagined that the woman who had been cast aside would come back to shatter the life we had built.

When Marcus returned to California, he brought Gloria with him. Worse, he moved her into the private villa that was supposed to be our home, the place where we had dreamed of raising our child.

My heart broke, fury took over when I confronted him.

“Marcus, how could you bring her back here? And in our house, the home we planned to share with our children!” I demanded, my voice trembling with anger.

Marcus’s response was cold and detached. He insisted that Gloria needed immediate care due to her illness and claimed that once she recovered, he would send her back to Arizona.

But with each passing day, his attention toward me dwindled.

The last time he spoke kindly to me was when he discovered that I shared the same rare blood type as Gloria.

As I was still lost in thought, I was startled by an officer’s voice. She asked, “Ma’am, have you finished filling out the form? Is there anything I can assist you with?”

I quickly regained my composure and replied, “Oh, sorry, I was just reading the terms carefully. I will finish it quickly.”

Then, after wrapping up my business, I returned to the mansion, knowing it might be the last time I ever set foot in the Braun residence.

*

That night, Marcus finally came to our room, a place he had not visited in what felt like forever.

I was surprised to find that he still remembered our wedding day. He even handed me a luxury bag as a gift and asked while kissing my cheek, “Do you like it?”

I nodded, but there was no joy in my expression. Then, I said, “I also have a gift for you.”

“What is it?” he asked in excitement.

I stood up and reached for the documents I had tucked away in the drawer.

After everything that had happened, I knew I could not endure another year of that marriage. It was time to prioritize my own happiness.

I believed my grandfather, who matched us, would never have wanted his granddaughter to suffer because of his choice also.

With a deep breath, I pulled out the papers and said, "I have prepared the divorce papers. Take a look, and if you have any questions, just ask.

“Our marriage was arranged by our grandfathers, and neither of us truly loves the other. Let’s end this now before things get more complicated."

"Is it a joke, Theresa?"