The Billionaire's Rejected Wife

EVELYN

"Congratulations, Mrs. Bruce, you are pregnant!" The doctor's cheerful words rang in my ears as I descended the flight of stairs leading to the hospital reception and entrance.

Tears glazed my eyes, and I struggled to keep my emotions in check.

Finally.

This pregnancy will bring such a big change in my marriage. Marcus, my husband, will finally love and accept me.

I smiled to myself, butterflies fluttering in my stomach as I ambled toward the exit of the hospital. Ever since we got married three years ago, I've been fighting tooth and nail to keep Marcus' affection. My late father and Marcus' parents arranged for me, the less attractive and unpopular daughter of Mr. Carlson, to marry Marcus.

He was against the idea. He never wanted me. But he never cheated on me either. And that always brought me some relief.

Hopefully, with this pregnancy, things will finally change in our marriage.

To the world, the media, and the spotlight, we are a loving couple, but within ourselves, we are merely strangers staying together under the umbrella of a marriage.

A heavy sigh escaped my lips the moment I entered my car.

I revved up the engine and drove out of the parking lot, hitting the highway.

In about thirty minutes, I had arrived home. I parked my car among the numerous cars in the parking lot and sauntered inside.

"Marcus, you're home," I gasped, shocked to see him back so early.

Marcus, who sat in the dining room, slowly stood and ponderously walked toward me. I ambled further into the house, excitement concerning the news of my pregnancy threatening to burst from within me.

I noticed he tightly clutched some documents, work documents, I guessed. He did look very tired.

"I wasn't expecting to see you back this early. Shall I make tea for you?" I sweetly asked, attempting to walk past him toward the kitchen when Marcus tightly pulled me back.

"Can you just stop talking? I never asked for tea. You don't have to prepare anything for me," he coldly replied, his tone flat.

Why is he always this cold to me?

"Besides, I want us to discuss something..." his voice trailed off when I interrupted him.

"I also have something to discuss with you. Something very important," I tried hard to contain my smiles as I thought of the pregnancy report in my bag. But Marcus' disposition was a stark contrast to the happiness radiating on my face.

My smile slowly waned, and my brows creased with worry. "I'll talk first," he said. "Yours can wait. Evelyn, we've been married for three years now, and frankly speaking, we both know this is all a façade. We can't keep deceiving each other anymore..."

Why is he saying this?

"Marcus, is anything the issue? Why are you saying this to me?" I probed, lifting my hands to caress his chin, but Marcus tightly gripped my arm in midair, startling me.

Fear washed over my features, and my brows wrinkled in confusion. He has never been this way toward me before. Something must be really wrong.

"Marcus, are you alright?"

"Evelyn, I had an affair with another woman, and she is pregnant. She is pregnant with my child," Marcus confessed in one breath, to my greatest shock.

"What?!" I exclaimed. Time seemed to stop, and it felt like the entire universe ceased to exist around me as I could only concentrate on the heavy pounding of my heart against my ribcage.

Marcus impregnated another woman! But I am pregnant too. I am pregnant with his child, our child! My lips parted slightly, but no words came out; they quivered, searching for my voice.

"And I want a divorce. I've been wanting to tell you this for a while now," he deadpanned. My eyes widened like I had seen a ghost, and all the air was sucked out of my lungs.

He can't do this to me. How can he tell me out of the blue that he had an affair outside our marriage and that he wants a divorce?!

Is that fair? A brief silence spread between us, my heart pounding so loudly against my ribcage that it felt like the entire world could hear it.

"Marcus, you are joking, right?" My tone became teary at once.

"Does it sound like a joke to you?" Marcus scoffed. I stared at him in utter disbelief, wondering if this was the same man I married.

"No, it has to be a joke..." Tears rolled down my cheeks as I spoke, "It has to be an expensive joke because you can't just wake up, walk out of God knows where, and tell me all this preposterous rubbish! What do you mean you had an affair outside our marriage? Is this how much you hate me?!" I wailed, my voice reverberating through the walls of our home.

The home I struggled to build.

"I want a divorce, Evelyn. I want to be with the woman I desire, and she is just not you. I am tired of this marriage already. I can't continue like this anymore. We can't keep up a charade to the world while we live like strangers. I'll pay you handsomely if that's what you want," he reaffirmed his earlier statement.

My eyes darted to the papers held firmly in his hand, and my legs suddenly felt too weak to carry my body.

"Here, sign them," Marcus further added, not giving me a chance to even think as he handed out the papers he held toward me.

"What's that?" I timidly asked, my fingers unwilling to hold the documents before me.

"You must be blind, Evelyn! Divorce papers. Sign them and leave my life now," Marcus angrily snapped, his patience diminishing every second.

I thought of the pregnancy report in my bag, and tears streamed down my face.

"Marcus, can't you rethink this, please? Why are you doing this to me? We've been such a happy couple since..."

"Happy couple?!" Marcus shot at me. "You really thought we were a happy couple?! I was suffering, Evelyn. Didn't you notice it?! I was suffering in this hell. I can't keep on pretending that we can work out.

I don't love you, and I will never love you!" Marcus growled, infuriated. I've never seen him this angry before.

"Besides, someone else is pregnant with my child." I cried harder, my breathing becoming labored. God, why me, please? What is making him do this to me?

"You can't do this to me, Marcus. Please. I love you," my lips quivered as I spoke each word.

"And what do you expect me to do? Abandon her and my unborn baby, huh?!" He bellowed harshly, almost making me jump out of my skin.

But I am also pregnant with his child. "We can take care of her baby, please, Marcus. She doesn't have to abort it. She can birth it, and I promise I won't hold it against you. But please don't toss me out of your life," I pleaded vehemently, my eyes extremely teary.

"I can't do that, Evelyn. I can't jeopardize my future with her for you. You've done your part, and now I'm tired of this marriage. I'll only give you the grace of staying till tomorrow morning. I want you out of my house by dawn," Marcus growled, shoving the divorce papers in my face and marching toward the entrance door.

"Marcus, who is that other woman, for Christ's sake? How can you cheat on me so proudly!? With no remorse! I've given too much in this marriage just to let it go. It's a marriage, for God's sake, not an ordinary relationship!" I rambled, my steps shadowing his as I followed him out of the door.

But he didn't spare me a second glance. It felt like I was nonexistent. Marcus got into his car and zoomed off, leaving a dusty trail of tire tracks behind.

I gazed at him leaving, my tears blurring my sight and my heart pounding heavily against my ribcage.

Marcus has to know that he is tossing me and our unborn baby out of his life. But if he still wants me to leave afterward, then I'll leave his life forever.

And I will make sure he never sees me or his child.

THE NEXT DAY

The intrusion of a masculine voice into the home signified Marcus' arrival. I quickly wiped my tears away and hastily left my room, hurrying down the stairs while clutching tightly onto the divorce papers that I hadn't signed yet.

To say Marcus was shocked upon seeing me still in the mansion was an understatement.

"M-Marcus, I've been waiting for you," I stuttered, forcing a smile on my lips.

"What are you still doing here?" Marcus grimaced, approaching me with raptorial steps. Fear washed over my features, gripping me as I struggled to find my words.

"Speak! What are you still doing here?! In my house? This is past ten already. Have you signed the divorce papers?!" he raged like an angry bull.

I quivered and swallowed the clog in my throat. "Marcus, we can't just separate like this. We can work all this out..." I attempted to reason with him.

"I am tired of this marriage!