1 A Failed Anniversary

A majestic mansion stood atop a hill in the most prominent parts of Crystal Hill City, its grandeur casting a shadow over the lavish surroundings.

The crystal chandeliers that adorned its interior radiated a mesmerizing, shimmering glow that cast dancing reflections across the polished marble floor.

The sun dipped below the horizon, its golden rays painting the room in warm hues, casting long shadows through the towering glass windows.

Emma Moreau clad in a red gown, stood by the window, bathed in the fading sunlight. Her eyes, the color of the sea, were filled with a mix of anticipation and nervousness as they watched the crimson glow fade into the night.

Today marked a significant milestone in her life, their first wedding anniversary, and she had painstakingly planned a surprise for her husband, Daniel Kozlov.

With delicate precision, she put the finishing touches on the romantic dinner she had prepared. The table was adorned with crimson roses, and the soft glow of candlelight added a touch of enchantment to the ambiance. She had spared no effort to ensure that this evening would be memorable.

However, amidst the meticulous preparations, Emma's gaze kept returning to the exquisite pendulum clock standing quietly in the corner of the living room

The ornate design and the steady ticking of its golden hands seemed to echo the rapid thumping of her anxious heart, creating a synchronized rhythm that only added to her unease.

Actually, she and her husband didn't have the perfect love story.

Their love story was far from the fairy tales she had grown up reading. There had been no love at first sight, no courtship, or romantic dinner dates.

Theirs was a marriage born out of an unfortunate incident that had united them in the most unexpected of ways.

One year ago, a scandal had rocked their lives, threatening to tarnish both their reputations.

To protect his image and business empire, Daniel had been coerced into marrying Emma, a woman he barely knew. It was a union born out of necessity rather than love, and the reluctance on both ends was palpable.

They had encountered countless hurdles and their marriage 'ship' was already laden with holes and sinking right from the very beginning of their relationship.

But Emma was determined to make her marriage work. Although she had no control over how it all started, she firmly believed that if she played her cards right, the culmination of her efforts would be worth it in the end.

Over the past few weeks, Emma had made earnest efforts to bridge the gap, slowly breaking down the walls of indifference that had stood between them.

Though their communication was still limited, Daniel had become more amiable, and Emma had hoped that tonight's surprise would further strengthen their bond.

Preparing diligently for their first anniversary was one of the steps she wanted to use to warm her way into Daniel's heart because as hard as it was to believe, she had fallen in love with him.

Be that as it may, he was her husband, there was absolutely nothing wrong in loving her husband.

'Perhaps if he saw my sincerity, it would soften his heart and bridge the gap between us.' Emma thought nervously.

As the clock's hands inched closer to the time Daniel was expected to return home, Emma's heart raced with a mix of excitement and apprehension.

When Daniel finally arrived, his face wore a cold, unfamiliar expression.

His chestnut hair was styled in a casual, tousled manner and his hazel eyes exuded charisma under his neatly trimmed eyebrows. 

Wearing a black suit and pants, he had a fit and lean build, his shoes reflecting the golden light of the chandeliers. 

He didn't acknowledge the lovingly set table or the candlelit ambiance. Instead, he reached into his black briefcase and produced a stack of papers.

Gazing intently at the bold words written on the papers resting on the table before her, a sense of overwhelming shock and disbelief washed over Emma.

'DIVORCE'

She stared at him, her heart-shattering in slow motion. Her hand quivered uncontrollably, causing the delicate champagne glass to slip from her fingers and plummet to the ground. The shattering of glass echoed through the room.

The effervescent liquid within spewed out and splattered onto her beautiful red satin dress, leaving a conspicuous stain that marred its pristine appearance. The

"What's this?" she stammered.

Daniel met her gaze, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and disappointment.

"This, Emma," he said coldly, "is the end of us."

Tears welled in Emma's eyes as the weight of his words settled in. The man she had grown to love despite his initial reluctance and cold attitude in their marriage was now divorcing her on their anniversary.

"Why?" Emma managed to choke out, her voice trembling. She wanted to know why he was doing this.

Daniel's gaze turned icy. "Because, Emma I know everything," he accused, "you singlehandedly orchestrated the one-night stand that led to our marriage. It was you all along!"

Emma stared at the divorce papers in disbelief, her hands trembling.

"Daniel," she finally managed to say, her voice quivering with a mix of hurt and anger, "you can't seriously believe I orchestrated that night. I am as much a victim as you are!"

Daniel however remained stoic, his gaze unwavering. "I have evidence, Emma," he replied coldly. "Text messages, witnesses, and even security footage. You can't deny what you did."

Sneering, he continued, "Honestly, I didn't expect this from you but now I've seen your true colors. You're nothing but a pathetic gold digger."

The room fell into a chilling silence, the warmth of the romantic dinner reduced to ashes in the face of these accusations.

'Evidence? How could he get evidence when I didn't do anything?' Emma thought, her mind racing as she tried to make sense of the situation.

She recalled the night in question, a blurry memory clouded by too much champagne. She had indeed attended the charity event and gone up to converse with him but orchestrating a one-night stand? It was inconceivable yet someone had convinced Daniel otherwise with irrefutable evidence!

She couldn't make sense of this but she had to save her marriage first!

Emma approached Daniel and tried to touch his sleeve but was brushed away instead as he took a quick step back, his blue eyes filled with disgust.

She felt like the ground had been ripped out from under her. Her marriage, her one-sided love that she hoped would become mutual, everything she had painstakingly built with Daniel even when all odds were against her was crumbling before her eyes.

She pleaded, "Please, Daniel, can't we work through this? Can't you just trust me this one time? Please do this for me, at least for the sake of our friendship!"

"Friendship? Did I hear you say friendship?" Daniel scorned, "I could never be a friend of a perverted adulterer."

His words shook Emma to the core as she stared at the man before her as if he were a stranger.

The Daniel she knew would never utter such derogatory and demeaning words.

Did he want to get rid of her so much so that he would even trample on her dignity and pride?

"Are you shocked? You don't have to be. Apart from being a scheming little liar, I also know that you've been cheating behind my back." Daniel uttered as he gazed into her blue eyes that sparkled with tears. He didn't know why but he could sense despair, however, that wasn't it concern.

'It's probably because she is feeling guilty.' He thought as he brushed the thought off his mind.

"Those are all lies! Lies! Daniel, can't you see? Someone is intentionally trying to frame me. I would never do such a thing please believe me, please!" Emma pleaded the tears that previously pooled in her eyes cascading down her face.

But Daniel's decision seemed final. "It's too late, Emma. I've already initiated the divorce proceedings. You'll have your share of the assets just as you wanted, and I expect you to leave this place immediately. I don't want anything to do with a woman who could go so far as to sell her virginity for money."

Emma gazed at Daniel in shock as her heart ached. Daniel had used one of the very huge shadows of her trauma to insult her.

She couldn't remember everything that night as it was all hazy but she clearly remembered begging the man who entrapped her to let her go. She pleaded desperately and with tears in her eyes but the man turned a deaf ear to her and ravenously used her to express his carnal desire.

This was something that still caused her nightmares even after so long.

Yet…

Emma looked up, her gaze meeting that of her husband.

The man who perpetrated this act, the main character in her nightmares, turned around to accuse her of selling her virginity for money.

Emma closed her eyes, her lips trembling. She felt her heart turn cold and something seemed to click in her mind,

'It's worthless,'

Her compromises.

Her efforts.

Her diligence to make their relationship work over the past few months.

Her unrequited love.

All of them were useless in front of a person who wanted to see nothing but lies.

He was the one who had forcefully slept with her against her will.

He was the one who humiliated her and made her look like a bride that nobody wanted.

He was the one who made her feel like a prisoner in the one year of their marriage, shutting her away from the world to protect his image.

Now one year later, he was also the one who falsely turned the words around and pinned the blame on her.

He even further humiliated her this time around and wanted to divorce her on the day of their anniversary.

He had trampled on her body, love, friendship, and her pride over and over again.

And even though he was a victim just as she was, he really had no right to say such mean words to her.

She was done and she was done for good!