Betrayed by the Man I loved

Isabella got down from her Rolls-Royce, impatient to see her husband. She had just received good news from the hospital.

What better day to share the news with her husband than on the night of their anniversary?

As soon as she alighted, she waited for the driver to move the car forward for proper parking before she moved towards the mansion.

My husband would be so happy to know that I am pregnant.

As she approached the door, she grinned at the thought of how her husband would feel once she told him about the baby growing inside of her.

She found the door wasn't locked and pushed inside gently, wondering why it was left open.

"Babe," she called in the living room but didn't get any response – only echoes of her own voice.

She went straight into their bedroom, and what she found left her in shock for seconds.

Her husband, the man whose baby is growing inside of her, was lying naked in bed with another woman.

It was as though she had been struck by lightning when she realised the woman was Tracy, her husband's ex-fiancée, whom he claimed he was done with.

Her husband was wasted in bed, perhaps from the alcohol which took over the room or from the round they just had, or even both. Despite her conspicuous presence, he didn't act as though she existed. He didn't even look at her.

Tracy didn't try to stand up after being caught; she just lay there as his arms wrapped around her waist.

Tracy kissed Alexander's forehead, letting her know that they didn't care about her presence.

Anger rushed through her as she felt betrayed by the man she had given up everything for. She never saw this coming. She had thought Alexander was among the few decent men on earth, but she was wrong. Men are indeed scum.

Since she married her husband, she had to quit her job as a secretary because her husband didn't approve of her working.

At that time, she didn't see anything wrong in it. After all, her husband was a billionaire who could take care of her. But as time went on, she became bored, and it dawned on her that she had married a domineering husband who didn't care about her feelings as a woman. He always wanted things done his own way and didn't really care much about what his woman wanted.

At first, she considered it normal, thinking that all men liked to be in control. But then she slowly realised he was kind of possessive and barely allowed her to speak with strangers outside of her maid, cook, driver, and other staff.

She tried to get used to life, telling herself that she has a good life that every woman of her age dreamed of and that she doesn't have anything to worry about, as her husband provides everything she needs. But it wasn't long until she realised she'd been lying to herself.

Work was the only language she understood and her go-to place to relieve life's jabs. She has always been working since she was a teenager. Her father died at a young age, and she was forced to assist her mother, who worked as a house help for a rich man.

Her hard work and consistency took her through college. Before meeting Alexander, she used to be independent, but she seemed new to the world Alexander is showing her.

The man appeared cold sometimes, distant, rigid, and arrogant, but deep down, she felt that he loved and cared for her deeply. Or so she thought

She continued to hide her pain deep down, she continued to be a loving and obedient woman to her husband, even if it meant giving up her own life and dreams of someday managing a big company.

What does she need that for anyway when she married a wealthy man?

But now that she stood at the entrance of their bedroom, her legs shook.

How could I give up life to this liar and cheat? Uncontrolled tears washed down her face. She has been betrayed.

But never again. She wouldn't allow any man ever to treat her like this again. She vowed to protect her baby from the man.

A lying man isn't fit to father my child. I have to take him as far away as possible.

She left the house. She did not take any of her belongings. She just wanted to be far from him to protect herself and her baby.

***

His POV

Alexander woke up the next day lying next to Tracy. He checked the time, and it was almost 10:16 am. He had almost recovered from the substance that had knocked him out the previous day.

He received the greatest shock of his life when he opened his eyes slowly and found Tracy lying beside him.

He jumped out of bed quickly. "What are you doing here? And how did you get here?"

Tracy smirked, "Come on, baby. Can't you remember what happened last night? It's so sad because we had a really nice time together."

"What?"

She wore a pitiful face. "You really can't remember."

Alexander dashed out of the bedroom into the sitting room, looking for his wife, but couldn't find her.

His loud call cut through the emptiness as he screamed across the kitchen, sitting rooms, and other parts of the house.

Then it dawned on him. The only thing he cherished is gone.

Regret settled in. He could have treated her better when he had the chance. He could have loved her right and cared for her just like she did.

But it was too late.

Furious, he went back inside and took Tracy by the arm, dragging her up.

"Let me go," she protested, but Alex ignored.. "Alex, you are hurting me."

He finally got free from him and tried to run back inside, but Alexander caught her and carried her by the waist to the door.

"I am going nowhere. You can't kick me out," she continued to struggle.

He opened the door and threw her out of the house. He quickly locked the door before she could make another comeback for the door.

Alex went inside, packed her clothes and bag littered around the room, threw them outside, and locked the door again.

He could hear her screaming from outside.

He sat on the bed and picked up his phone to call his wife, but noticed the phone wasn't going through.

"Oh, fuck."

He called his Roosevelt, his assistant at the office.

"My wife is missing. Use every resource available to find her."

Her POV

It was 8:30 pm, and Isabella found herself wandering around the street after she left her billionaire husband's mansion; she didn't know where to go or what to do, as she didn't have friends around.

She had just found out she was pregnant with a man who she believed didn't want her. She recalled how he ignored her in the presence of Tracy, treating her as if she were nothing.

The same Tracy who had called some days ago to tell Alexander that she was in town. But Alexander had hung up the phone, asking her to go to hell.

Now it occurred to her. Alexander was acting up because she was in his presence. All this while he had it in mind to meet up with her and fuck her on their matrimonial bed.

No, this is unacceptable. It's the height of disrespect ever.

Some boys spotted her from a distance and came close. She wanted to run away, but it seemed too late. They were already close to her.

One of them took out a pistol.

"Look at her with the designer bag. You must be the wife of a rich man," another one said.

The third one dragged the bag from her and told her to walk away without screaming.

She was terrified and let go of the bag. "Please don't hurt me. She begged as she gently walked to the front, leaving them at the back.

As soon as she was sure she had given them enough distance, she turned back but found that they had disappeared. She screamed for help, but no one came.

She had heard about how dangerous that neighbourhood was, but that was the first time she had witnessed it.

Now her phone was gone, her money was gone, and she had nowhere else to go.

She didn't know where she was going. She didn't have plans before leaving home. She just wanted to disappear from him and protect her baby. She didn't even have a dime on her.

She thought about visiting her good friend Maria. But her house is quite a distance. It could take at least 2 hours of walking to get to her.

But she didn't have a choice. She decided to walk the distance. Thinking that she would rest when she got to her house.

She will let me in when I explain everything to her.

After all, she had come through for Maria on several occasions. As of the previous week, she was still at her house, pleading with her to help with rent renewal. Isabella didn't waste time counting the money and gave it to her instantly.

On several occasions, Isabella had to step in to help her clear some debt from debtors harassing her. The last time, her debtor had her locked in a police cell over default in debt repayment. Even her family members rejected her, but it was only Isabella who came running down to the police station to rescue her.

After walking for a while, Isabella was very tired from roaming the street. She looked up at the building across. Alas, she was almost there. She felt her stomach rumble and then realised that she hadn't eaten all day.

Fueled by the sight of the building, she struggled to continue. She eventually dragged her feet to the front of Maria's flat and knocked.

Maria came out to her but stopped her from entering her flat. She closed the door gently behind her as she came out to her. "Mr CEO's wife. What are you doing here?"

"I am glad you are home. Please let me in. I am so tired right now."

Maria put her arm across the door, stopping her from gaining access.

She tried to re-enter again, assuming that her hand had gotten there by mistake, but Maria stopped her again.

"What? Why?" She became startled. "I caught my husband with another woman in bed," She managed to say

"And so?"

"Did you even hear what I just said? I just told you that my husband cheated on me with his ex-wife, and that is all you have to say?"

"They all cheat. In fact, you should be lucky that you bagged a billionaire cheating husband."

Isabella stood in shock.

"I am sorry. There's no place for you here in this house. As a matter of fact, my boyfriend is around now, and he wouldn't want us having a third party around." She said, slamming the door as she entered.

Isabella stood still for a while before she started knocking on the door.

"Please, Maria, open the door. I have nowhere else to go. I promise not to disturb you. I will just spend the night in one corner and leave tomorrow morning."

She called at the top of her voice, but no one responded.

After a while, she got tired and walked away.

But Maria is the only friend she has in town. Years ago, she had left her parent to come hustle in New York, where she met her husband two years ago.

Maybe Maria was right anyway, she thought of going back. Maybe if she told him he was pregnant, that would help to reset his brain, and then he could chase Tracy away.

Now isn't the time for pride. She decided she was going to go back to tell him about his baby growing inside of her. But it was already late at 11:00 pm.

He set out to walk for another two hours to his billionaire husband's mansion, dragging her feet on the floor. By this time, everyone had retired to bed, and silence became her partner. But she kept pushing really hard, walking as fast as she could.

She got back to the mansion, but the gate was locked. She knocked on the gate severely, but didn't get any response.

She thought the security guard might be asleep and kept knocking to wake him up. After a while, the small gate opened, and she was happy that, finally, someone had woken up.

But to her surprise, Tracy showed up instead.

"What are you doing here?" Tracy demanded.

"I would like to see Alex. I have something important to say to him right now."

"But he doesn't want to see you. Hasn't he made that clear enough?"

"I just have something really important to tell him. Please tell him I'm outside.

Tracy dipped her hand into her nightie pocket and brought out a letter for her. "Here, he wants you to have this."

The letter reads, "Isabella, I am sorry if this comes as a shock, but I want you to move on because I have found the real love of my life."

"No, no, this cannot be from Alexander." She sobbed

"Don't you recognize his writing anymore?"

Isabella's hand shook as he stared at the writings, unable to accept the obvious.

"Alex has made his choice. The earlier you accept, the better for you," she said and turned to leave.

Isabella held her by the hand, "Please tell him to see me just this once. He can't abandon me at a time like this."

Tracy squinted her eyes, trying to understand the last part.

"I am pregnant." She whispered, hoping to get compassion, but got nothing.

Tracy released her hand from Isabella and went inside.

Isabella fell to the ground and cried. How could Alexander treat her like trash?

But she can't give up just like that. She stood up and continued to knock on the gate, but no one answered.

Then a thought came to her head. What if I jump through the fence?

As stupid as the idea seemed, that seemed to be the most viable option to her.

She grabbed the fence with both hands, raising one of her legs. She struggled to lift the other but slipped. She tried again, and again it continued to slip.

Just when she decided to try again for the last time. She made a significant improvement, reaching the middle of the gate, but noticed a flash of light in her direction.

The light shone brighter, and the sound of feet drew closer. Maybe help has finally come, way she thought.

"Freeze, you are under arrest for trespassing," she heard from a distance.

Tracy had called the cops on her in her own house.

"I am not a thief. This isn't what it seems like," she tried protesting as the policemen drew nearer and cuffed her hands behind her back.

But the policemen were not ready to listen to her.

How does she explain trying to jump the fence of her house around 1:00 am in the middle of the night?

She struggled as they dragged her like a thief towards their car. "I am not a thief. How can I be a thief in my own house? My husband is inside, you can call him to ask him."

No one was listening to her. They seemed to be listening to Tracy, who kept calling her a thief, claiming she was trying to harm her.

"That lady over there is the thief. She is trying to steal everything from me."

The police ignored her and dragged her into the bus. She could see Tracy smile as the police shot her up and then drove off.

They drove her to the station and locked her in a cell. She sat in a corner, thinking about how her husband had betrayed her despite giving her everything.

By dawn, she was looking all tired and miserable in one of the police cells. She had exhausted her energy from begging the police to let her go, but they claimed they needed proof that she indeed lived in the house, and she couldn't provide any.

The only option she had was to wait till the next morning when the workers resume so they can identify her. Where did they all go, anyway, leaving their duty posts? Tracy definitely sent them away for the night because of her plan.

As she waited patiently for morning to reach, her stomach sang. She sat down and thought about how life had dealt with her in the last twenty-four hours. She had gone from being the CEO's wife to ending up in the police cell.

When morning came, the police eventually confirmed her status as the wife of the CEO and then let her out of the cell. She checked the time, and it was 9:00 am, and her husband was still not there to pick her up.

She borrowed a cell phone to call him. The phone rang for some time, but no one picked up. She tried it again, and eventually it was picked.

"Thank God." Her mind was at rest. The thought that the night's event will be buried. It was a new day, and they could both forget about everything that had happened. He just needed to come pick her up at the station and take her home.

"Hi"

Her hope became shattered when she heard a feminine voice from the other end of the call. She recognised it as Tracy's.

"I have just been released from the station now, and I would be glad if..." she heard the phone cut off before she could conclude her statement.

She tried calling again, but her call ended.

She wondered what kind of sins she must have committed for her husband to ignore her calls, allowing Tracy to respond to her.

She thought of going elsewhere, but couldn't figure out any. She thought about her baby and the need to protect her regardless of whatever.

I have to survive no matter what it takes.

But how was she going to do that without a dime on her?

An idea came to her head. She will leave the city and start all over. But first, there is something she has to obtain.

***

Outside the billionaire mansion, Isabella stood in one corner. It was almost 10:00 am. The workers were back to work, and she waited until she got an opportunity to speak to one of her househelp, Nikky, who sneaked her into the building.

She walked stealthily into her house and observed that her husband was still in bed with Tracy. It must have been a long night. That is the least of her problems at the moment. Her husband had made it clear that he didn't want her again. He even abandoned her in the cell.

She went into her husband's study and picked up a document. She checked under the locker and found some cash too. She carefully placed the document and the money into a briefcase she found in one corner.

As soon as she was done, it was time to go out and close the door, moving as slowly as she could so she wouldn't make any sound that would wake Tracy or her husband.

Her leg mistakenly hit the artwork on the table, and that fell on the ground, making a loud noise that left Tracy running into the sitting room.

Isabella hid behind one of the couches as she spotted Tracy coming out of the bedroom. Tracy looked around the room but found no one. She was about to check the corners when Nikky told her that the noise came from the Kitchen.

"I am sorry, ma'am. The cooking pot fell from where I left it to the floor. I didn't mean to disturb you."

"You old fool. Can't you do your job properly?"

"I am really sorry."

"You are so incompetent. I will make sure to replace you soon when Alex marries me," she said as she walked away.

Isabella felt at ease knowing that she had walked away. But the thought of Alex marrying Tracy made her uneasy at the same time.

As soon as Tracy was out of sight, Nikky helped Isabella, and she walked out of the building with the briefcase.

She signalled for a Taxi driver to stop. "Take me out of here, please."

"To where"

"I don't know, just somewhere far away from here."

As the taxi drove off, she stared at the building until it slowly disappeared from her sight. The place she has gotten used to as her home now feels strange to her. The last twenty-four hours replayed in her head as she felt a deep pain in her heart.

The only thing that matters to her now is raising her child, and she will do everything it takes to make that happen.