XANTHE

It was my sixth anniversary with my husband, but Derek hadn’t come home.

For hours, I sat on the dining chair, staring at the gifts I had; the hospital report about my pregnancy and the food that had already gone cold. I picked up my phone, trying Derek’s number for the fifteenth time, but it said the same thing.

Unavailable.

Derek didn’t usually stay out this late. But he had started some months ago. At 7pm, he should be home. But tonight, it was already 2am. He should have informed me, he always did.

I didn’t know when I slept off, but the sun had already come up when my eyes opened. The food was still left untouched from last night.

I grabbed my phone, checking the screen.

No missed calls. Not even one.

Something must have happened to Derek. Without thinking, I drove to the police station.

But they told me they can’t send out a search warrant until it was 24 hours. That broke me.

My husband was missing for crying out loud.

“He’s an adult. Men do this sometimes.” The police officer said.

Yes, they do. But not Derek.

As I drove back home to wait, my eyes caught something familiar.

I pulled the brakes, hopping out of the car instantly as I walked towards the familiar car. This was Derek’s car. The one I had gotten for him last summer.

What was it doing in front of the hospital? Had he gotten into an accident?

Then, I heard voices. Familiar voices.

“Xanthe must be worried about you right now. Shouldn’t you give her a call? She must be sad you actually abandoned her on your anniversary.”

Sandra. Our doctor’s voice.

This couldn’t be right. Derek wouldn’t come to meet with Sandra without me.

“Xanthe is an idiot. She would believe whatever I tell her.” Derek waved casually as he spoke.

My stomach twisted. My legs shuddered. I grabbed the nearest wall, hanging into it for support as my heart broke in pieces.

“You know she’s still hung over Sam. She’s been trying to have another baby after him, but I don’t want that. I don’t understand how she can’t see that.” He hissed, like he was irritated about me.

This was what he thought about me? Sam was our son! Our child!

“Give her what she wants, Derek. It’s just for a short time. Besides, I don’t want to feel guilty about Sam’s death. If you hadn’t rushed to me that day I got stranded in the rain, Sam wouldn’t have rolled down the stairs and died.”

My throat burned. A gasp escaped my throat, but they couldn’t hear as Derek pulled Sandra into his arms, comforting her.

My child had died because of Sandra? And Derek? How could they…the words stuck on my throat.

When I rushed him to the hospital, she had been the one who drove that night from her house. She had visited me several times to ‘comfort’ me. But it wasn’t out of concern. It was out of guilt that I would find out.

I wanted to run towards them, drag my fingers down their skin. I wanted to do anything that would make them feel the same pain that I felt the day my son died. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t move.

“Don’t worry, Sandra. It’s going to be over soon.” Derek murmured, running his hands down her hair. “On the day of Xanthe’s father’s birthday, we are going to show proof of Xanthe’s madness. Then, I’m going to divorce her.”

Proof? Of madness?!

“I have gotten it already.” Sandra said. “It’s a synthetic drug. It works in five minutes. Spike her drinks with an overdose and we get the reaction we need. There’s no way she wouldn’t be admitted to a psychiatric facility after that.”

I froze. They were going to make me look insane?

My hands rested on my stomach, anger pulsing through my veins.

He’s going to cast me out with nothing. And ruin my reputation too.

Derek Hampston, you messed with the wrong person.

I, Xanthe, would never let you have your way!

I sat in the living room at 2pm, and the door opened, revealing Derek. A wrist wound around his forearm, but dropped the moment its owner saw me. Sandra.

He’d brought Sandra here. To our home.

Without any thought of what I would feel.

“Xanthe.” Sandra rushed to pull me into a hug, wrapping her hands around me. “How are you doing? It’s been long since I saw you.”

Yes, it had. Because I didn’t make my pregnancy report at her hospital. I’d been too lazy to go all the way to hers and if anything, I didn’t want the slightest bit of information to get to my husband before I could surprise him.

However, I ended up being the one surprised. Pushing Sandra away from me slightly, I stood to my feet. “Why is she here with you? Why did you bring her home?”

“Ah,” Derek and Sandra shared a quick glance, before he continued, “I saw her on the road while coming. As I stopped to greet her, she said she hadn’t come to see you in a while. Xanthe, isn’t that nice of Sandra?”

He was asking me?

“What made you stop coming to the hospital, Xanthe? Even if Sam was dead,” she paused and I saw it. The sharp slip of the mask on her face. How did I never notice? “At least, you can speak with me. We are friends, aren’t we?”

“You,” I started, trying to keep myself calm, “are my doctor.”

“That’s rude.” Derek interjected. “Sandra is now more than being just your doctor. She’s family.”

Family.

“She wasn’t the one who caused Sam’s death. Stop projecting your insecurity and hate on her.” He added.

Then who do I blame?

For the death of my little baby whose father had abandoned a woman that didn’t belong to our home…who do I blame?

Talking further with him was pointless. He would never understand me.

I turned to walk up to my bedroom, waiting for no further explanation –like the reason why he didn’t come back home last night.

“Xanthe. I have something to tell you.” Sandra said sharply, making me halt on my feet. She raised her hands, and I was quick to see it. The ice that shone from her finger.

A ring.

“I’m getting married. He proposed to me last night.” She squealed.

“Wow….” Derek looked shocked, “Con…congratulations, Sandra.”

She smiled, their pinky finger touching for a second, just a split second. I noticed.

A bitter expression laid on my face as I raised my eyes back to look at her. “Congratulations, Sandra. Hopefully, I get invited to the wedding.”

“Okay. Once the date is set. I will give you a card, though I’m not sure you’d be able to come though.”

Yes, because according to your plan, I should be in the psych already.

“Why do you think so?” I pushed.

“Huh…” she chuckled nervously, “Work. Derek said there was a lot of work to be done at the company. I didn’t even expect you’d be at home today.” She said,

Why? So you could have enough time with my husband? The words stayed on the tip of my tongue, like it was poisoned. But all it took for me to swallow it back was the folding of my hands.

“Have a nice day, Sandra.” I said instead, walking up the stairs.

“Actually, is it possible for me to stay here for a while?” She said again. I halted on my feet, turning to stare at her.

“What?”

“I have the six o’clock shift. It’s 2pm already and my hour is really far. I would just hang around till 6.” She shrugged.

“No–“

“That’s fine. Isn’t it, Xanthe?”

I waited for the words to follow: Afterall, she’s family.

Seeing that I didn’t have a choice, I moved ahead, closing the door to my bedroom.

Derek hadn’t given an explanation for last night, he hadn’t asked why I didn’t go to work, and he most certainly didn’t leave his mistress to follow me into the bedroom. How did I never see this? How was I so blind to those who were stabbing me right at my back?

Marriage?

He proposed to her. On the day of our anniversary. While still married to me.

A smile tilted my lips, “I promise you Derek, for betraying my trust and killing my son, you would pay the price.”

I ate dinner with Sandra.

And finally, she left, leaving me alone with Derek, my supposed husband.

“What happened last night?” I asked casually, throwing in the discussion. He should at least have a lie he had already practiced for me.

“About what?” He asked, looking up from his phone. “If this is about the anniversary, a gift is coming on its way. You don’t have to come to work tomorrow. Wait at home so you can receive the package.”

“Have it delivered to the office. I’m going to work tomorrow.”

“Your father’s birthday is in two days time, we would attend together.” He ignored my sentence.

“What if I’m not attending?”

The relationship between my father and I has been rocky since my marriage with Derek. I had gone against his will and married Derek forcefully, leaving him to accept the impact. As a result, he disowned me. Derek knew that, and yet, he still wanted to paint me mad before my father, so he could avoid taking the blame of divorcing me.

“You have to attend the party, Xanthe. It’s your father.”

“When did you care about his birthday?” I asked, venom in my lips.

“It’s about time you start mending the broken relationship.” He replied firmly.

Or breaking the last walls down?

The next day, I drove out from the office to meet someone in the cafe. Someone I hadn’t met in years.

My elder brother.

“Zane.” I called at the door to the cafe. He looked up sharply, eyes softened. In six years…

“I want to return back home.” I said a few minutes later.

“Father would not agree. He still maintains his stance.” Zane said.

“I will do what he wants.” I said, “Let him know that. I’m divorcing Derek.”

“What?” Zane’s eyes widened, but then they relaxed again. “Are you sure you would do what Father wants? That means getting married to Alexander Thorne.”

Alexander Thorne.

One of the most influential men in the whole of Texas, and….someone my husband regarded as a competition. Very good.

“I’ll meet him first. There are things we have to speak about.” I said firmly.

Zane agreed with me and after minutes, I made to leave.

As I drove past the office, my eyes caught a couple, coming out from the wedding dress shop. Derek and Sandra.

The car came to a sharp stop, as I stared at them. Her hand was carelessly hanging on his, while he was holding the newly acquired wedding dress. Six years ago, Derek had refused to bring me to this shop, saying it was too expensive.

I had understood and rented a simple white dress from a friend I knew, but years later, he brought his mistress to get her a fifteen thousand dollar dress. Without me, he would never have been able to grow his company into this wealth and power.

I made up my mind totally at that moment as I picked up my phone, dialing a contact.

“Alexander Thorne speaking,” the voice came. Cold and business-like.

My voice followed softly. “This is Xanthe. Xanthe Chester.”

Silence took over the side of the phone. And then a soft hum came from him.

“To what do I owe the honour, Miss Chester?” He asked.

“Let’s meet. I have a proposal for you.”

“I don’t have that much time to meet people, unless I’m sure it’s worth it.” He said.

My knuckles turned white as I gripped the phone tighter. Right before me, my eyes trained on Derek and Sandra as they got to the car, they kissed.

“Revenge.” I said. “I want to take revenge on someone.”

“On Derek, is that right?” He asked. He knew.

“Yes. Him.”

“I will take something in return, Miss Chester.”

“And I’m ready to give it.”

Silence. “Deal.” He said.

For the first time in days, the knot in my throat loosened. I felt in control.

Driving back home, I walked into the bedroom and packed my things into a suitcase, including files and documents left in my hidden safe.

For the past year, I’d been buying shares in Derek’s company without his knowledge. This was after I heard that some shareholders were trying to wrench the company out of his hands. I did this to help him out, but unfortunately he lost it. Now, it’s mine to keep.

As soon as the bags were packed, I heard a noise. And voices. I pushed the bedroom door open and walked into the living room, to see Derek and Sandra, in my kitchen, half naked.

“What is going on–“

Everything blurred instantly as I felt a hit on my forehead. Blood escaped from the side of my head as darkness took over my vision.