Chapter 1

‘There was nothing more ironic than sitting alone at a wide marble table facing a pile of leftovers, while your husband was having fun with his lover on the day of your 6th wedding anniversary.’ Amara's heart was weeping. Amara felt her heart cold as the food before her at this moment. She once believed her husband would at least remember his duty on this special day, but it shattered as she received the photos from her private investigator. He and his mistress were having a candle dinner beside the floor-to-ceiling window. Having the woman in his arms, he had a doting smile on his face. During the entire 6 years of their marriage, Tobias had never for once shown her that soft smile of his. He always treated her with a cold and serious expression. I knew our marriage had not begun with love, but a contract. However, from the first moment I met him as a teenager, he took my heart. Tobias William Larsen, a household name in this country. In addition to his excellent look, his intelligent brain made him even more charming. Countless women dreamed of a sweet romance with the perfect heir of Labyrinth yet he married young. And what fascinated the women even more was that he was also a devoted husband. Since his marriage to that mysterious wife, he never had a single scandal. Which woman wouldn't want such a man? But only Amara knew what the truth was. Their marriage was just an adornment to his good name. He needed a stable marriage to build a trustful image to the outside, however, when they were alone together, he wouldn't bother to give her one more glance. She never owned his caring, talk less his love. Tobias' love was only left for that woman. The woman in the photo and his first love, Celestine. And that's what broke Amara. No matter how much she had sacrificed for him, he could feel no love for her. Yet all it took was a smile or a tear from Celestine and he would return to her, regardless of how deeply she had hurt him six years ago. Zooming the photo, Amara tried to search for even a hint of guilt on his face but failed again. Amara knew their marriage would face challenges since Gustavo, Tobias' grandfather, passed away, but she didn't expect it to be so soon. Tobias couldn't wait to get his first love back, even if it would be a blow to his hard-earned reputation. [How does it feel to be left alone on your wedding anniversary?] Suddenly, she received an unfamiliar text message on her cell phone, and from the long-lost and mean tone, Amara didn't have to think to recognize it was from Celestine. [You thought you had won after your pathetic tricks forcing Tobias to leave me, now the old man has gone and no one will be on your side! Let's wait and see, Amara. Your good days are at an end!] [Cherish your last moment as Mrs. Larsen, for it will soon belong to me!] Gritting her teeth, Amara could imagine what a smug expression over on Celestine's face there. How could that b*tch twist the truth so shamelessly? She never forced Tobias to break up with Celestine and it was Celestine herself who abandoned Tobias for a large amount of fortune. She failed Gustavo's test yet blamed all this on her now! How dare her? Amara still remembered what Gustavo told her on his deathbed. The old man wanted her to guard his grandson, to hold on to this marriage. Amara didn't know what Gustavo had seen on her but until the last moment, he still believed that Amara was the only one who could bring Tobias happiness. It was hard for Amara to say no to this kind old man. Gustavo was only the one who treated Amara right in the Larsen family and if he hadn't provided her with a place to stay, Amara would hardly have survived to the day she reunited with her family. Pulling her messy mind back, Amara sent her husband a text. And she was sure Tobias would come home instantly. Within half an hour, her bedroom door was pushed open vigorously by Tobias and what she met was his angry face. Tobias walked over to her and pushed her down on the bed as his hand stripped her nightgown. “Tobias!” She screamed, trying to stop him. She wasn't asking him back to have sex, she called him back just because she wanted a talk. If they were destined to fail Gustavo, she hoped their marriage would end on a decent note. The man above her, however, didn’t bother to respond and instead, he began to nibble on her ear, sucking and biting the sensitive flesh until she was writhing beneath him. “A-ah, Tobias,” she called, her voice coming out breathy as she tried to push him off. He growled, clearly displeased by her attempts, and without hesitation, he pinned her arms above her head, holding her wrists with one hand while the other trailed down her body, pausing only to pinch and play with her sensitive nipples before he moved it further down until he was rubbing the fabric of her underwear. “Ah,” Amara moaned, unable to stop herself. The moment Tobias’s finger brushed her sensitive clitoris, she felt her entire body go stiff. But of course, Tobias didn’t care as he continued to tease her, stroking her sensitive clit until her underwear was soaked and her thighs were quivering. “T-Tobias,” she mewled, her voice filled with the pleasure that was quickly building up inside her, and soon, under the guidance of Tobias’s skillful hands, Amara reached the height of her ecstasy. Panting heavily, Amara barely had enough time to process all that had happened when she felt Tobias’s hard length enter her, stretching her to accommodate his large girth. “Ah,” she moaned, her eyes fluttering shut. Tobias groaned, a deep throaty sound that had her insides clenching and her core throbbing. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, nibbling and sucking the sensitive skin as he pulled his length almost all the way out, before slamming back inside her. Amara moaned and writhed, her hands moving up to grab his hair. She tugged on the soft brown strands, her fingers curling and uncurling. The room was filled with the sound of skin slapping against skin, Amara’s moans, and the bed creaking beneath their weight. And while all this happened, Amara felt her feelings clash. Earlier, she was hurt, irritated, and angered by all of Tobias’s actions, but now, with his warm body covering hers and his large girth buried deep within her, stretching her, making her feel all kinds of pleasure, she couldn’t find the will to stay angry or feel hurt. Rather, she felt loved. It was foolish, but she wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe, Tobias didn’t come home because of the text message she had sent, but because it was their anniversary and he wanted to make her feel loved and wanted. With that thought in mind, she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer and deeper inside her. Tobias groaned, his hips speeding up. Amara cried out, her walls tightening around his length, drawing him in deeper. “To-Tobias, I’m-,” Amara stammered, her breath hitching in her throat as she felt her orgasm approach. “Go ahead, cum.” Tobias growled, his voice low and husky. And then he did something he hadn’t done in a long time, he leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss, inflating whatever hope she had for their marriage. It didn't take long before her entire body tensed, her eyes squeezed shut, her nails dug into his skin, and she reached her climax. Tobias didn’t stop. He kept thrusting, his movements becoming more and more frantic until his own release followed shortly. Spent, he pulled out of her and rolled over, lying on the space beside her. For a moment, the only thing Amara could hear was their combined panting and the sound of their heartbeats. Yet, his very next words felt like a sharp knife stabled to her heart. “We have no need to keep up this shame of a marriage anymore, Amara. Let's divorce.”