[Volume 1] Chapter 10- Second Woman..

"Is it necessary to go right now?" Edward's grip on Kiera's wrist tightened slightly, his eyes pleading with her to reconsider. His expression was filled with pain, a silent plea for her to stay.

Kiera met Edward's gaze, her eyes reflecting a mix of determination and resignation. "It's already too late," she replied softly, her voice carrying a weight of finality.

As Kiera reached out with her other hand and placed it over Edward's, a silent understanding passed between them, a connection that spoke of shared experiences and unspoken feelings.

Confusion clouded Edward's features as he tried to make sense of Kiera's words and actions.

"What?" he asked, his gaze searching hers for answers.

The warmth, love, and hope that he had seen in her eyes just yesterday seemed distant now, replaced by a strange emptiness and weariness that he couldn't quite comprehend.

"I mean the admission has already started, and if I continue to be late, then I might miss my chance," Kiera explained with a smile as she looked at Edward.

Edward, taken aback by her sudden smile, wondered if it was just his imagination. Shaking his head to dispel any negative thoughts, he focused on Kiera.

"Then at least let me drop you off at college," Edward offered, his voice tinged with concern and a hint of regret .

"No," Kiera replied calmly, her voice cutting through the silence that had settled in the room. The surprise and shock on everyone's faces were evident, as it was rare for Kiera to ever say no to Edward.

Edward's expression shifted slightly, his face paling as he processed her refusal. His eyes widened as he looked at Kiera, waiting for an explanation.

Before Edward could voice his question, Kiera interjected with a smile, softening the tension in the air. "I mean in public eyes, Rihana is still your wife. If you drop me off and someone finds out, there will be too much trouble," she explained, her gaze locked with his.

His brow furrowed in confusion as he tried to grasp her words. "What do you mean by trouble?" Edward asked, his tone slightly puzzled. "I'm going to drop off my wife, and I don't care what people think about me," he added.

Kiera's face twisted with irritation, her eyes narrowing as a spark of anger lit up within them. She swung her hand forcefully, causing Edward to stumble back two steps. He looked at her with a mix of shock and confusion, but she held his gaze, her expression stormy and unyielding.

"What did you say? 'Wife'? I am your wife?" Her voice rose, sharp and cutting. "So you do know that, then tell me, Mister Edward, which husband marries another woman in front of his wife and even makes his wife help with the bride?"

The floodgate of emotions she had been holding back burst open, her frustration and pain spilling out. She took a step forward, her movements deliberate and charged with intensity.

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, trembling with the effort to keep herself from lashing out further. "Do you have any idea what that did to me?" Her voice cracked, a raw edge of hurt breaking through. "To stand there, watching you with her, feeling like nothing more than an afterthought in my own marriage?"

Edward's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. He could only watch, helpless, as Kiera's pent-up emotions erupted before him. The pain in her eyes was unmistakable, a stark reflection of the wounds he had inflicted.

She took another step closer, the intensity of her gaze making him take an involuntary step back. "You say I'm your wife," she continued, her voice shaking. "But what does that mean to you? Because to me, it feels like a title with no meaning, no respect, no love."

Her words hung in the air, heavy and charged with the weight of her betrayal and sorrow. Edward stood rooted to the spot, his mind racing but unable to find any justification or solace for the pain he had caused. Kiera's eyes glistened with unshed tears, the depths of her hurt and anger laid bare before him.

"Do you forget who introduced me, your wife, as a maid to your family?" Kiera's voice was edged with a bitter sarcasm, her eyes burning with accusation. She looked at him as if to say, "It was you, Mister Edward Abernathy. It was also because of you that I lost my b..."

Her voice caught in her throat, the words choking her. The raw pain in her eyes was palpable as she looked at Edward, her chest heaving with the effort to hold back tears.

Unable to bear the weight of her emotions, she turned her head away, trying to regain her composure. Edward, who had been standing there with a mix of pain and guilt etched on his face, watched her, his eyes clouded with regret. His hand trembled slightly, and his lips pressed tightly together, unable to find the words to respond.

The silence between them was heavy, filled with unspoken remorse and the echoes of past mistakes.

Edward's eyes searched Kiera's face, seeing the depths of the hurt he had caused. He knew that the wounds he had inflicted could never be forgotten, but hearing them voiced by Kiera made the pain even more unbearable.

His expression was a mixture of sorrow and desperation, wanting to reach out and comfort her but knowing that his touch might only add to her suffering.

Kiera closed her eyes, her lashes fluttering as she fought to conceal the turmoil within. She knew that the strength she had painstakingly built over six years of struggle would crumble if she let Edward see her vulnerability.

"I told you that I would fix it," Edward said, his voice calm yet tinged with irritation.

She opened her eyes and met his gaze, her expression resolute and taunting. "Fix it? And how do you plan to do that? By divorcing her and marrying me again? Do you think that will fix everything?" Her eyes bore into his for a few seconds, her voice steady but filled with a bitter edge.

"No. To people, I will always be the second woman who came between a lovely married couple."

As her words echoed through the room, the expressions of everyone present shifted to ones of guilt.

They all knew the truth: Kiera was Edward's only legal wife and the woman he truly loved. But the reality of their secret marriage lingered heavily.

It was Edward's decision to keep their union hidden, robbing Kiera of her rightful place and recognition.

Edward stood there, his face a mask of regret and anguish. The guilt gnawed at him, knowing he had stripped Kiera of all the rights and respect she deserved as the daughter-in-law of the Abernathy family.

He had taken her rightful position, leaving her to bear the brunt of public scorn and misunderstanding alone.

"Then are you going to leave me?" Edward asked, his voice choked with emotion, as if something was lodged in his throat. His eyes searched hers, desperate and filled with fear.

"How could I ".