Chapter 2: ABSOLUTE INSULT

Chapter 2

Absolute Insult

Not that her husband didn't feel her presence in the room. He was aware but didn't care. He was trying to crush her heart, forcing her to sign the divorce papers.

Olivia knew and had heard about her replacement, the woman who had taken her place atop her husband's affections-Veronica, three years older than McCarthy.

"Oh, here comes the whore! How many men have you slept with so far? Ten? Twenty? Thirty?" McCarthy, shamelessly, referred to his wife as a prostitute. Regardless of her innocence, was this how she deserved to be treated?

"I am not a whore, McCarthy!" she protested.

"Then tell me, what are you?"

"I am your wife, please. I deserve your love and respect, even if it's just for a day," Olivia pleaded,

trying to appeal to every corner of her husband's heart. However, the cold and arrogant man did not intend to show her any pity.

"Meet Veronica ," he pulled her closer to his chest, as she also etched her thoughts onto McCarthy's heart.

Olivia stood there, watching. She had a whirlwind of emotions swirling within her, but she held them back.

She felt an urge to drag Veronica out of the bed, to strip her bear with her own hands, but she lacked the strength to do so. Well, at the very least, her words could fight if her energy failed her.

"You, old lady, aren't you old enough to be his mother? I remember that look on your wrinkled face when you were wishing him well. How sorry you were for not being able to keep the small promise of loving him. And now, here you are, you bitch..."

Before Olivia could utter her final word, McCarthy had leaped from the bed to confront his wife.

He stared down at her with wild, fiery eyes.

"Enough!" He echoed.

His sudden movement frightened her, causing her to tremble. Her eyes popped out in amazement. Slowly, she stepped back until her back pressed against the wall, right beside the windows.

Realizing she had reached a dead end, she covered her face, expecting McCarthy to at least slap her and take her back.

Fortunately, for her, McCarthy was cold, heartless, but not inclined to physically harm women.

He forcefully removed her hands from her face and pressed them against the wall.

"Mmhh.." she winced and tried to set herself free, but she had no strength.

"Now, if you can't hear me, read my lips."

Her heartbeat quickened once again, racing beneath her ribs as he began to speak. Profuse sweating broke out across her body. She obediently watched his lips, reading each word, but her thoughts interrupted her.

A memory suddenly invaded her mind: "I remember you declaring your love two years ago at St. Augustine's Church. You promised to take care of me, so why are you doing this to me now?" She wanted to cry, but tears seemed out of reach.

If tears were an ocean, Olivia would have emptied it entirely. "If you think you're tired of me, I'm not. I still love you, please... please!" What kind of love did Olivia harbor for McCarthy that he failed to reciprocate? Well, that is a question for a higher power.

She had already poured out all her emotions, and nothing remained beneath her eyes, yet none of her words or reactions moved him. Her heartless husband still had her frail, starved figure pinned against the wall.

"Now listen!" he began to roar. "That woman on my bed right now is next to my heart, and I love her more than my mother, so you don't stand a chance. You cheater!"

"I didn't cheat. How many times must I repeat it?"

"That's what cheaters say."

"So, you still loved your ex?"

"Yeah, because I'm not a whore like you," Veronica answered. She approached McCarthy, embracing him from behind. "It's okay. Leave her alone; don't waste another minute or ounce of energy on her, because I'll need that for myself."

She turned him around and planted a deep kiss on his lips.

Olivia ignored them, walked straight to the drawer, and retrieved the documents.

"Do it, girl. Do it. Cheater," Veronica continued taunting.

"Look at this perfect creature, this woman right here wouldn't cheat on me like you did. She's even willing to give me a child of my own," McCarthy remarked. "Now, I don't want to see you again."

The humiliation and insults shattered her further, and she couldn't help but cry louder. She had no one. All she had had been her husband.

She couldn't bear the pain of losing him. She felt like a fool, regretting her rejection of her family, friends, and education for him, only to be treated like a rag.

If she revealed all that she had sacrificed for him, she might appear childish and foolish. Or would he even have any pity for her?

"McCarthy, I will leave you alone if that's what you want, but a part of me will always remain with you. Many women and children bear my name, making it renowned. Whenever you hear it anywhere, whether it's me or someone else, you won't be able to resist taking a glance at that person."

She recited her words as she folded the documents. "But, as I said earlier, I will not sign this. Take your ring." With frustration, she threw the folded papers out the window, hitting the ring on his table.

After she finished arranging her bag, she carefully picked up her small red vase and made her way to the door, dragging her bag behind her. Just before leaving, she turned back to face him.

"And when you come across something like this," she tilted her body to showcase the adorable red vase,

"you'll realize what you're missing—me and my love."

It was already too late for her to venture out alone. It was approximately 11:40 PM when she stepped outside. She had arrived at his house with nothing, and now she was leaving with nothing, not even the car that had been given to her as a wedding present.

She could envision herself departing from the beautiful, grand mansion and the man who owned it, heading towards an unfamiliar destination. As she walked away, she vowed never to set foot in that house again.

Her husband stood at the window, observing her departure from his mansion. It didn't seem to faze him in the slightest. The sad part was that he had the audacity to wave at her, bidding her farewell with a devilish laugh. His gaze turned to the document on the floor, then his face changed again as he moved away from the glass window.

She began to reminisce about how foolish she had rejected her parents' protection and disregarded their concerns about the marriage. She longed to turn back time and make amends, but she knew it was beyond her capabilities.

Yes, when something is impossible for you, it means you lack the ability to achieve it. All hope seemed lost as she walked along the roadside, singing softly to herself. She walked so fast, her instincts controled her feet.

She used the lane to the Alex Road, which let to the chapel, where she was wedded, thinking that would be the safest.

Out of the blues, a seemingly intoxicated man shouted at her when she accidentally bumped into him with her bag.

A worn-out black hat mostly obscured his face, and the stench of alcohol mixing up with rotten foods emanating from him was unbearable. Perhaps he was a homeless man.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to," she replied, hoping to appease him.

Her apology did not convince the man. He lunged at her, attempting to snatch her bag away. She looked left and right, hoping for help. The coffee shop behind her was closed!

But, a savior appeared, her instant prayer answered!

"Hey! You, leave her alone!" a deep cold voice rushed from behind Olivia, who was trying to protect her bag as a car hauled, its light beaming on the two.