3. Stripped of everything.

"Ch_cham, you came back early." To think those are the words he would utter as he rushes down from the bed still naked after catching him sleeping with my own cousin.

God I ask for one thing from you now, as I open my mouth to speak, don't let tears fall from my eyes. Please God, I beg you.

"Y_You—" I halt as my voice shakes and I feel the tears and sobs coming. God please, help me. I take a deep breath before speaking again, "You were supposed to be unwell." I manage to say.

"Ah, that." He chuckles while running his fingers through his brown hair with no shame whatsoever of his current state of undress.

But is that it? Is that all? Nothing more? Are you kidding me!! Seriously!!!

"M_my shares, Languein says—"

"Ah, that." He says again and I bite down on my bottom lip so hard to stop me from losing composure.

"I don't remember ever passing my shares to you so—"

"Ah—"

"I never swear, but I swear to God if you say Ah that one more time, I will punch you in the mouth!!!" I scream. I think I have lost it, finally. I have lost my mind.

His entire expression suddenly switches to one of disgust and a scoff leaves his mouth. "What the f*ck is wrong with you?"

"W_what?"

"You heard me right, Cham, what the f*ck is wrong with you?!" I don't think I am the one who has lost their mind, he is! "And what, the shares? You transferred them to me, so what?! You signed the documents yourself! So what the f*ck are you yelling for!"

"What in the world are you talking about, when did I ever—"

"Babe, just show her the papers." Alicia finally speaks up.

And what? Babe! She just called my husband babe!!!

Like a dog listening to its master, Rowan walks over to his bedside and picks up a yellow file from the bedside shelf.

He pulls out the content of the file and places them in front of my face. "You are a smart woman, so read it properly."

And like a confused fool, I read the words out in my head. Share transfer Agreement is boldly written in Arial fonts.

The transferor being Champagne Gold Fletcher and the transferee… "Rowan Fletcher." I say the words and they choke me.

"That is right. See, you signed it yourself. You even added a thumbprint."

"T_that cannot be true!" I reach for the paper to snatch it from him, but he withdraws it so suddenly that I stumble and fall.

It can't be true, but that is indeed my signature and I even added my thumbprint. What is happening? God please help me, I feel like I am about to implode.

Still on the ground thinking it can't be true, Alicia crouches next to me with a blue bedsheet wrapped around her figure.

Her shoulders are covered in deep pink bruises, her lips are swollen and her sandy-blonde hair is disheveled and yet… she is still as beautiful as ever.

"Oh Champagne, you will give yourself a heart attack. Now that grandpa is dead, you should know your place. You heard what he said in his will, he wants me to have everything. You should know when to walk away from family—" She pauses and a beautiful smile forms on her face as she adds, "and marriage."

"What?" I manage to say.

"Babe, you forgot the most important documents." She says, and again, like a loyal dog, I watch him walk to his drawer and pull out another document.

He hands it to her and flashes it in front of my face.

As I read the heading indicating the divorce papers, and I see my signature and thumbprint at the bottom of the letter just like it was in the Share transfer document, it suddenly dawns on me…

"You, did you do this that night?" I look up at him and ask and he shrugs as Alicia rises to her feet and snakes her arm around his naked body.

"You become so gullible and easy when you are desperate for sex and have a mind clouded by alcohol."

"YOU!!" God!!! I cannot believe he would do this to me! A man I called my husband, a man I put my faith in! How could he do this to me!

"Oh you wait," I yell as I pick myself up again. "I swear I will collect the biggest Alimony any woman has ever received!" I yell while desperately praying to God that he keeps on holding back these tears for me.

However their sudden outburst of laughter shocks me. "Oh Champagne, you really are so pitiful. You won't be getting anything. Rather I will be getting the alimony."

"What?!"

Alicia flips the divorce documents to reveal another document underneath. "You also signed this, agreeing to not ask for any sort of alimony if we ever divorce. Rather, you agreed to give me a considerable sum which will consist of half of everything you ever made while we were married."

My head has never spun this vehemently before. I can't feel my feet and the bones in my knees seem to have disappeared. That cold I've been feeling has finally taken over everything in me and I think I will pass out any second now.

As I stagger, I hold onto a wall for support, still holding back my tears with everything in me. "How long?" I ask. "A month?" there's no response from them.

"Two, five? A year?" I ask again but they still don't answer so I lift my head and stare at them both with disgust, "two years?" When they still don't answer, I am painfully starting to realize the answer.

"D_don't tell me, f_from the very beginning?"

"Oh Cham, Cham, Chammy, the love deprived Chammy who was so easy to manipulate, so easy to fall in love with the first guy who showed her a little kindness, a little attention and affection. So quick to open her legs to him because she was afraid of losing him even though her so-called faith and God shunned such acts. And so very quick to say yes when he asked her to marry him. Oh, poor Chammy."

God how did this happen to me? I have never felt this much desire to cry before. With my eyes filled with tears that will burst out anytime soon, I turn around, walk toward the door, pick my shoes and purse without saying a single thing.

But then as I am about to step out of the room, and the tears finally burst, I speak without turning to look at them. "As long as my so-called God lives, I promise you this, you will all pay for what you have done to me someday."

With those words, I walk away with my pride, fortune and rights stripped by the ones I call family.