Hello, ghost readers *clears throat*

Please 🙏 please, if you can keep reading this book, then surely you can spare a minute to vote and comment. It's all I ask for. Have some conscience na 😪  This is the point I need everyone's support. This book is just starting and if you can't support me at this crucial time, then I'm afraid, I'll have to put it on hold and focus on my other stories instead. Thank you for your understanding 🙂

Here's an update! Enjoy! 💕

•

"I thought...I thought," she stuttered, searching for a coherent excuse to give.  "I thought your phone was ringing. Yes. So, I came to check, but you startled me."

"Sorry." He apologized and rubbed his eyes to wear off sleep from them. "Let me have the phone. I hope it's not badly broken."

"Yes." She quickly crouched and picked up the phone. Her eyes scanned every corner of the phone, before she extended it to him. "Just a small crack. It's still working."

Sameer collected the outstretched phone and went through it. "But nobody called." He remarked.

"Yes, I discovered. I must have imagined it. I rushed over to see, in case it was an important business call. Sorry for disturbing your sleep." She apologized, balling her hand into a fist. In spite of not being the ideal husband to her, she had never complained, but if he was indeed cheating on her, she vowed not to let it slide easily.

He hummed. "You should go back to sleep."

Adhika forced a smile and ambled to her side of the bed and got in. She watched as Sameer instantly went back to sleep — his soft snores could be heard.

She wiped away the tears that wouldn't stop streaming down her cheeks. The pain of betrayal wasn't one she could put up with. It felt as though someone had stabbed her in the heart with a dagger and was slowing ripping out the organ.

•

Morning arrived slower than Adhika had anticipated. She stretched out her limbs and let out a yawn. Her gaze then darted to the empty space beside her. Without a doubt, she knew Sameer had already left for work, without even telling her. She was supposed to be used to it by now, but she couldn't bring herself to get used to the fact that her husband didn't value her that much.

After she was done with her morning routine, she went downstairs to help Divija with some of the chores.

"Hey! Good morning. You look pale." She observed, as soon as she walked into the kitchen. "Are you sure we don't have to go to the doctor?"

"Good morning to you too and yes, we don't have to go to the hospital." She heaved a sigh and massaged her temple. "I just didn't have enough sleep last night."

"Really?" Divija wiggled her brows, jestingly, bumping their shoulders together. "You didn't have enough sleep? What were you doing all night?"

Adhika cringed at her words and pushed her away. "Your mind is perverted."

"What is so perverted about my mind? Duh!" She rolled her eyes. "You two are married and you just said tiu didn't have enough sleep. What do you expect me to think?"

"You're impossible." She shook her head and brought out a crate of eggs from the refrigerator. "I'm going to fry some eggs. Do you want the same thing for breakfast?"

"Anything will do." She shrugged. "You know me, I'm not picky. Uhm...is it just the two of us?"

"Yes." She responded, breaking some of the eggs in a bowl. "It's just the two of us. Sameer left for work early."

"As usual." She commented and turned on the cooker.

"It's not his fault, it's just the nature of his job. He is a busy man. " Adhika defended, placing the frypan on the cooker and pouring a small quantity of oil in it.

"Hmph!" She twisted her lips to the side. "So much that he can't spare few minutes to have breakfast with his wife." She laid emphasis on her last two words, then walked out of the kitchen.

Adhika swallowed; in as much as she didn't want her cousin's words to get to her, they did. She was right. If he really wanted, he would have at least spared few minutes of his time, everyday and have breakfast with her, but because he did not value her, he felt it was superfluous.

"Hey!" Divija waved a hand over her face. "Where are you lost? If I hadn't arrived, you'd have burned down the house." She remarked and quickly turned off the cooker. "Come with me." She held her hand and took her with her to the living room. "Sit, let's talk."

After she was seated on the settee, Divija crouched in front of her and fixed her gaze in her cousin's. "You've never hidden a secret from me, until now. I know there's something bothering you, but you've been stopping yourself to share it with me. Why? Is it because you don't trust me anymore?"

"No, no." She vehemently shook her head. "That's not it. If there's anyone in this world I completely trust, then that'd be you."

"If that's true, then why are you hesitating to share your problem with me? Is this about Sameer?"

Tears instantly welled up in Adhika's eyes. "I don't think I can do this anymore, Divija."

"What can't you do anymore?" She probed. "Please tell me."

"In all the months I have been married to Sameer, I have never complained of his absence to anyone, because I've always thought he was busy with work and nothing else, but I don't think that the case." Tears streamed down her cheeks and she didn't bother to wipe them away. It was too much for her to take in. She had had to endure the emotional trauma for a while now, but not anymore.

"Are you implying he is —"

"Yes, Divija! Sameer is cheating on me!"

Divija gasped and rose to her feet. "That's a terrible allegation, Adhika! Are you sure..." Her voice trailed. "Do you have any proof or evidence?"

"It's not an allegation, okay?" Adhika seethed. "Do you think this is easy for me to say out loud? I have only come to this conclusion, after several deliberations. Sameer is in fact cheating on me. I even her text to him. Tonight, they are going to have dinner together in a restaurant. You can choose not to believe me. That's your choice." She stood to leave, but Divija was quick to stop her, by hugging her.

"You've misunderstood me. I'm not doubting your words. I just wanted to know if you are really sure about it, because at the end, you're the one who's going to end up hurt and I don't want that. If you said it, then it's true. I believe you. I completely do."

Adhika wrapped her arms tightly around her cousin. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do, Divija. I can't even go home, because I don't want masi to find out about this. She warned me against going through with the marriage, but I was adamant. I don't know how I'd be able to face her. I won't be able to. Please tell me what I should do. Please."

"Look," Divija disentangled her arms from around her and wiped her tears. "You don't have to be quiet about this. You know who the girl is, right?"

"It's his secretary."

"Good." Divija remarked. "You shouldn't let this slide. We're going to go to his office and fix the bitch's wagon. She needs a comeuppance and that's exactly what she's going to get."

"No, Divija." Adhika shook her head in disapproval. "I can't do that. I'll just confront Sameer instead. He is the one that betrayed me, not her."

"Men are not trustworthy. Even if you confront him, he will still go back to his old ways. The best thing to do, is to teach the homewrecker a lesson. You are the wife and she's the mistress. So, you have the upper hand."

"I'm not sure this is a good idea, Divija." Adhika voiced. For some inexplicable reason, she felt very nervous about the whole thing.

"It absolutely is. I know you won't be able to do it alone, that's why I'm here. You will show me to the office. You don't necessarily have to do anything. Just leave it to me. By the time I'm done with her, she will think twice, before attempting to steal other people's men. After I'm done with her, then you can confront Sameer. Go get changed. I will do the same, then we can leave for his workplace."

Nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, Divija sauntered to her room to get changed.

Descending from the stairs, Divija was already waiting for her in the living room. "Are you sure we're doing the right thing?" For the umpteenth time, she asked.

"Of course." She reassured. "This is the right thing to do. If you decide to keep quiet today, these type of people will just keep walking over you. And didn't you say they are planning to go out of a date tonight? Before then, you should set things straight again."

Adhika hummed and nodded. "Okay."

•

Pulling over in the parking space, Adhika pulled the key from the ignition and alighted the car.

Divija did the same and the duo walked into the company, alongside each other.

Fortunately, Adhika had been to the workplace once, so she didn't have to ask for directions from anyone. They took a lift to the fortieth floor and proceeded to walk to the secretarial desk.

"She's the one." Adhika informed; her gaze fixated on the name tag, sitting on her desk.

"Leave this to me." Divija muttered and was about to approached her.

"No, Divija." She stopped her at the last minute. "This is my fight. I should confront her instead."

"Are you sure you will be able to do it?"

She affirmed with a nod and walked up to the desk.

"Hello, ma'am." She rose to her feet and smiled, innocently. "How may I help you?" The secretary asked.

Adhika's eyes scanned her face, then her body. Initially, she thought she would meet a beautiful woman — someone much beautiful than her, but to her relief, it wasn't the case. Her blood boiled at the innocence her face portrayed.

"Hello, ma'am, how may I help you?" She repeated her question.

"By staying away from my husband." She gritted her teeth and slapped her across the face, before she could stop herself. Anger had completely taken over her. All she could imagine was Sameer and her in a compromising position.

"What—" before she could finish her statement, Adhika had already raised her hand and slapped her again.

"You shameless animal!" She grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled.

From behind her, Divija laboriously drew in a breath.

•

Have you ever confronted someone before? 😂

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How will Sameer react?"

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