112 iv. Lies

“What did you say?” his voice was dangerously on edge.

“I said your mistress has been seeing our child behind our back,” Cinderella hissed.

“Just who are you talking about,” he walked closer, cornering her as she started to realize what made him so angry just now.

“Mary,” she felt fear in her tongue and indignation. Why is she not allowed to call that woman what she is?!

historical

“What did you call her just now,” his hand circled her neck and started to squeeze.

She tapped his arm desperately as he started to loosen his grip, “Don’t call her like that again.”

“Why? Why can’t I even call my husband’s other woman that way? I’m your wife Dominus, and you have not loved me even once!” her anger resurfaced.

“That’s right, exactly because I don’t love you that she is not my mistress. I married you because she asked me to. You already have all the benefits of being my wife. You knew I was in love with someone else before you agreed to marry me. That woman is not my mistress, she never will be,” there was a seriousness in his voice, a warning not to cross him further.

“Then what is she to you?” she couldn’t stop the pain that resurfaced. Anger is a good thing to conceal the real emotions behind it.

.....

“She is my life. The only one I’ll ever love in this world. The only one who matters most of all,” he looked into her eyes as he said the words, making her feel like her heart has been ripped off her chest.

“And what of your son?! What of me?! I am still your wife Dominus,” she couldn’t stop it, the overwhelming emotions she has been holding back just started to overflow.

“Our son is the pack’s heir, and your mission is to see to that,” he continued packing his clothes for the night and the days after.

It is Friday afternoon, and this and the weekends were the only times he can spend with his love. Even that felt more wrong.

He wanted her all the time, and somehow this woman in front of him is taking more of his time by arguing unnecessarily. This is by far the longest discussion they had.

He spends his time in the office, and they have separate bedrooms, they hardly even see each other. Yet somehow it seems like this wife of his has developed some expectations from him.

He has tried his best for her not to fall for him. Because he knew he can never love another. He made sure the woman who accepted his terms for marriage won’t have unreasonable demands.

He is fine with sharing his money and the pack’s protection. He had given her the title, but he will never be able to give away his love.

Cinderella held into his arm, stopping him from adding more clothes to his bag. He looked at her annoyed but pity started to take root inside of him.

She looked really pitiful, “Please don’t leave tonight. I really need you with me tonight. I feel like I might do something to myself if you leave. I couldn’t stop my thoughts from running wild.”

He froze, looking at her, he knew she was telling the truth. If he leaves her now, the woman before him, the mother of his child might not be able to last until the night.

“Don’t ask this from me, someone is waiting for me too. Someone I love and care for deeply,” he told her, his guilt racking up at him as the woman reached out gingerly to him, her fingers touching his cheek.

“Please... I beg you,” her voice broke as tears started to cascade down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry. I’ll let grandmother know how you feel. I’ll ask her to look after you,” he removed her hand that rested on his cheek.

He felt like he has been burned by it. He didn’t feel aggravated but pity and bitterness over this woman’s sufferings. Sufferings he had undeniably caused.

He knew there was a possibility that she was really serious about her threat. But how can he stay here when his queen is waiting for him?

The woman smiled and ran towards the veranda, without hesitation, she jumped. His reflexes made him chase after her, a vision of her fast falling under him as he pulled her back up.

He was trembling from what happened as the lady sobbed in his arms, “Please just for a few hours. I really can’t stand the pain if you leave me now.”

He breathed deeply and let the woman cling to him as he lead her back to his room. He wrapped her in blankets as he started a fire.

His muscles were still twitching, he felt compelled to stay with the woman for a little bit longer. He couldn’t seem to leave her after she attempted to take her life.

“Rest in here, I will be with you for a few more hours. When I leave, I will ask for grandmother to look after you,” his voice was stern but it wasn’t angry.

He felt pity for this woman. He admits he has been too cruel to avoid her from having ideas about swaying his heart. And yet, it has led to this.

Cindy smiled triumphantly, oh yes she knew she had a chance. She knew now what she must do to win his affections.

Even now he has agreed to stay with her for a bit more. It seems like the alpha is not as unswayable as he leads her to believe.

She promised that pathetic girl she won’t stand aside and watch. She will do everything to win his affections.

When she is done, that woman who has clung to her husband so despondently will be nothing but a broken and useless toy in his hands.

And broken toys will always be discarded in favor of new ones. She could visualize it all. She knew it will happen if she try hard enough.

He excused himself as he went out the veranda to call her. He didn’t know what to do, what to tell her. He didn’t want her to worry unnecessarily.

When she picked up the phone excitedly it broke his heart, he missed her so badly. Even if he has been visiting her every day, the weekends are something exclusively for them both.

It is not every day they get to spend every minute of the day together. “Hi, baby,” he greeted her.

“Hi, daddy!” she excitedly chirped, making him smile. Gods he missed her so much it was as if his whole world stopped just from hearing her voice again.

“How are you, darling?” he asked tentatively, he still doesn’t know how to tell her. It will disappoint her, and he has disappointed her a lot of times now.

“I tended to the garden earlier and picked up some flowers. I had also prepared our dinner. I really exerted effort to improve my cooking just now. I knew you were faking it when you told me my dishes were delicious the last time,” she teased him as she applied some concealer on her face.

She frowned seeing a few wrinkles showing, she applied more around them and felt like crying. She has really gotten old.

She couldn’t stop the feeling of bitterness that squeezed her heart. What if he finds someone younger? She felt bile in her throat. Someone beautiful and young like his wife.

“Darling, your cooking is amazing. I’ll eat them all later okay? But you have to eat dinner soon,” his voice was apologetic.

“What do you mean? I’ll wait for you, daddy. Didn’t we always have dinner together during the weekends,” she tried her best not to raise her voice.

She couldn’t help but panic. What does he mean just now? That she should eat alone? Why? What exactly did he mean?

“I have a bit of a situation in the office I must fix,” he winced, even that is a bad lie.

Truth is, he has never lied to her before. But he couldn’t stop himself from lying just now. She would get hurt if she knew he has agreed to stay. a bit more with Cinderella.

He felt frustrated as he heard silence from the other line, “Baby are you still there?”

“I- I am here. Yes, it is okay,” her spirit broke. Here she was having these doubts and now this happened showing that her fears had become true.

“Baby, are you sure?” his voice sounded worried, but she can’t tell. her focus was on what he just said earlier. He will not be able to come on time for dinner.

She wondered if this will have to be the start of minor adjustments. Will he be spending more time away from her now?

She knew she is overthinking, but before now he has never missed their time together. She only had two days to be with him and dinner and a night, he knew that, and valued that.

“Hey, I better turn off the phone now so you can start working and finish your work even earlier,” she said, her voice forcefully cheery.

“Alright, you get some rest baby. I will already be there beside you when you wake,” he assured her.

She smiled and ended the call, taking some wipes and cleaning off her makeup as she cried. She didn’t want to think more about this, but she couldn’t help it.

It hurts so bad she couldn’t think properly. All she knew was that she felt even more pathetic about herself.

She thought she was special, not just a concubine whom he can dispose of when she is old. But she felt like she was in a wake-up call, this setup will never work completely.

No matter his words, his actions just now will worsen. He is finally tired of her, the old and brittle concubine he made her to be.

Her shaky hands stopped wiping her tears away. She let her tears cascade down her cheeks as she looked at herself in the mirror.