Amber's POV.

It was already 10 p.m., and Kayden had still not gotten back from work, causing me to worry. I tried to call him several times, but he wasn't picking up his calls, which made me very worried. He never took this long to pick up my calls, and whenever he had to stay out late, he would always inform me beforehand.

I'm not one to overthink, but for some reason, I had a bad feeling that something wasn't right, and it made me restless. I made up my mind to head to his office. After driving for about half an hour, my black sedan car finally came to a halt in front of my husband's company.

I walked into the company and noticed that there weren't that many people around, but I had expected it since it was already past 10 p.m., and most of the employees would have gone home by this time, except the security guards.

I arrived in front of his office and slowly turned the doorknob, just in case Kayden was busy in his office and didn't want to be interrupted.

"Ahh. Harder, baby. Keep pounding me right there!" I heard it as soon as I turned the door open halfway.

I froze on the spot, not wanting to believe that what I was hearing was real. I sharply inhaled and exhaled, pushing the door open further so that I could confirm whether or not I was really just hearing things or if what I thought was happening was happening.

I finally gathered the courage to push the door open completely, and my eyes grew ten times wider when I was met with the familiar faces of both my husband and my younger sister, having sex on his office table.

They didn't even notice that I had walked in on them because they were too engrossed in having sex and moaning like two crazed people.

"Kayden, Marlene," I managed to call out.

Kayden and Marlene halted and turned their heads when they noticed someone had walked in on them. Kayden had a surprised look on his face, as he wasn't expecting me to suddenly show up, but as for Marlene, she had a nonchalant look on her face, almost as though she had been waiting for me to finally find out.

"Amber," Kayden stuttered, pulling himself out of Marlene, who let out a soft moan.

"What's going on here, Kayden? "Why are you and my sister in your damn office?" I asked, saying the first words that came to mind.

"I...I don't know what to tell you, Amber, but I hope you understand," Kayden responded, causing me to furrow my brows in confusion.

"W...what did you just say?" I asked, hoping I heard wrong. I was trying not to stutter, but I was too furious to help myself.

"Exactly what you heard, Amber. I know you're hurt right now, but this is something that you were bound to find out about sooner or later. It’s high time you know that Kayden and I love each other, and we hope you’ll understand," Marlene chimed in, not bothering to pretend to be sympathetic towards me, her sister.

I wanted to say something, but nothing was coming to mind, and I just stood there, replaying Marlene's words over and over again in my head.

"Let me do the talking, babe," Kayden whispered to Marlene.

"What exactly do you want to say to me, Kayden? What explanation can you give me for something so obvious?" I questioned, raising my voice a little more than I intended to.

"I know nothing I say will make you feel any better, but I need to be honest with you. Our marriage, Amber, wasn't supposed to happen, and you know it. I forced myself into this marriage even though I loved someone else—your sister. We’ve been together for a while now," Kayden confessed, his words like a dagger to my heart.

The urge to cry overwhelmed me, but I fought back the tears. "So, you're telling me that all this time we’ve been married, you and my sister have been together behind my back? Is that it, Kayden?" I asked, my voice shaking with emotion.

"It's the truth, Amber. As painful as it is, your marriage with me was never real. My heart has always been with Marlene. I hope you can understand that," Kayden replied, his words like a final blow.

"I hope you two rot in hell," I muttered shakily before turning to leave. But Kayden's last words made me pause briefly.

"I hope you find your happiness," he said, a feeble attempt at consolation. Enraged, I ripped off one of my heels and hurled it at him with all my strength.

"Damn you!" I screamed furiously, storming out of the office and slamming the door behind me.

With only one leg of my heels, I walked back to my car and let out the tears I had been holding.

***

Three Months Later...

"I am at peace, I'm happy, I'm alive. I'm… I'm…" I paused.

"You're what, Amber? Keep going," Alison Jones, my close friend and therapist, encouraged. We'd been in her office for over half an hour, and I couldn't seem to finish that sentence past "I'm alive."

Therapy had become a lifeline for me in the last few weeks since my divorce from Kayden was finalized. Alison was the only person I could confide in.

"I get what you're trying to achieve, Ali, but I can't fake positivity right now," I admitted honestly, and she sighed.

"Can you tell me exactly what comes to mind when you think of your sister?" she asked, her gaze piercing.

"I hate her," I replied after a few moments of contemplation.

"Care to explain why?" she inquired, and I scowled.

"Why should that even be a question? I hate her because she betrayed me by sleeping with my husband," I retorted.

Alison sighed. "I need you to be very honest with me, Amber. Do you only hate her for the affair and betrayal, or is there something deeper fueling your anger?"

"I don't think any other reasons matter. It's all because of what she did with my husband," I snapped, not wanting to delve into unnecessary details.

"Let me ask you this, Amber, and be honest. Before the affair, has your sister ever done anything that made you almost hate her?" Alison probed.

I sighed. "We're sisters, Alison. Of course, she did things that upset me, but I never hated her for it. We fought like siblings do," I replied.

"That wasn't the answer to my question. Has there been a time when you truly resented or almost hated your sister for something she said or did to you?" Alison pressed, and I hesitated.

"Marlene and I grew up together. Two years after my mother died, my dad suddenly brought her mother into our lives. They got married, and Marlene was born a few months later. We did everything together, but as we grew up, things changed. We stopped talking as much, and her attitude toward me shifted. She made me feel like I was to blame for my mom's death and said hurtful things about my appearance. I chose to ignore it because I loved her," I admitted, my voice wavering.

"Okay, Amber, I hear you. There's something I found out today, and I want to share it with you before you hear it elsewhere. It might be a shock, so stay calm," Alison said, leaving me bewildered.

"What are you talking about, Ali? What's this news?" I asked, eager to know.

"You've been off social media, right?" she inquired.

"Yes, I deactivated my accounts, but what does that have to do with anything?" I replied.

"Take a look at this," she handed me her phone, and I glanced at the screen. The first thing I saw was a picture of Kayden and Marlene.

‘Billionaire and business mogul, Kayden Black, set to wed Marlene Grey this Saturday.’

A surge of anger, disappointment, and embarrassment washed over me. Tears welled up, but I also felt an overwhelming desire to confront them.

"Can you believe this, Ali? It's only been a month since my divorce from that bastard, and they're already getting married," I exclaimed, my voice trembling and my eyes fixed on their picture.

"I understand you're upset, but please try to calm down," Alison advised.

"Don't tell me what to do, Ali!" I snapped, my anger misplaced.

"Do you realize how painful it is that they didn't even consider me once and acted like I never existed?" I said, my voice filled with pain. Alison sighed.

"So what will you do, Amber? Your anger is justified, but will it change anything?" she asked, and I chuckled bitterly.

"I won't let them get away with this betrayal. I won't sit quietly while they have their happily ever after," I vowed, my determination unwavering.

"Thank you for trying to help, Ali, but my anger and pain won't subside until I see Marlene and Kayden pay for making me a fool," I declared, getting up to leave, but she stopped me.

"Don't let them have so much power over you," she urged.

"They already do, Ali, but not for long," I replied, gently removing her hand and leaving her office.

Amber's legs wobbled, her balance faltered, and her emotions felt like a chaotic storm, but she refused to turn back and leave without confronting the family that had betrayed her.

She knew it was time to stop avoiding the inevitable. Despite her determination to have nothing to do with this family ever again, she couldn't escape confronting them forever.

Even though she understood deep down that it might not change anything, she needed closure, a resolution to the torment inside her mind.

Standing in front of her family home, a place she hadn't visited in three months and had sworn never to return to, she took a deep breath before walking through the gate and towards the front door. Every step felt like a challenge, a battle against the anger and humiliation she carried within.

Inside, her father's familiar voice greeted her, but the surprise in his expression suggested he wasn't thrilled to see her so suddenly.

"Amber!" he gasped.

"Hello, Dad," she replied, her voice devoid of any emotion. Despite the rush of emotions within her, she couldn't bring herself to be happy seeing her father again. The disappointment she felt toward him was immense; he had failed her when she needed his support the most.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, clearly caught off guard.

"What, Dad? Don't you want me here? Does my presence bother you?" she retorted, her words laced with bitterness. She had no intention of pretending she was okay. She was here to express everything that had been festering inside her.

"It's not that. I just wasn't expecting you so soon. But you know you're always welcome here, as long as you don't cause trouble," he replied, his words carrying a tinge of annoyance.

"Oh, please, Dad. Don't be pathetic. How dare you imply that I'm only welcome if I don't cause trouble? Does that mean I can't voice my grievances?" she shot back, her anger simmering beneath the surface. Her father's lack of empathy fueled her frustration.

"I'm begging you, Amber, don't do this. This isn't the time or place to vent your anger. I can understand why you're upset, but you have to move past it and move on with your life. There's nothing you can do to change how things have turned out," he implored, his words leaving her speechless.

"You know what, Dad? I didn't come here to talk to you. The person I have a problem with is inside, and she's the one who deserves my wrath, not you. Now, get out of my way," she snapped, pushing past him and storming into the living room where the rest of her family sat.

"Amber?" her mother's voice called out, trying to diffuse the tension that had entered the room.

Amber's eyes scanned the room, taking in the sight of her family gathered there, seemingly having a grand time. It struck her then that none of them truly cared about her, not one bit. They were content in their happiness while she suffered in silence, left to cope with the devastation on her own.

"Mother, Kate, Bob," she greeted, pointedly leaving out Marlene's name. Marlene, Kate, and Bob were her stepmother's biological children, while Amber was the sole child of her late mother. Her stepmother, Mary, had raised her, despite the numerous challenges their relationship had faced.

"Well, isn't this a surprise, my dear? We weren't expecting you to show up like this, but we're very happy to see you. It's perfect timing because we're having a celebration right now, and since you're part of the family, you should join us in celebrating," her stepmother said, her tone cheerful. Amber nearly scoffed at her apparent obliviousness to the turmoil within her.

"What's the occasion, mother?" she asked, her eyes falling on the invitation cards scattered on the table. She already knew the answer. The wedding between Kayden and Marlene was imminent.

"We're celebrating Marlene's upcoming wedding to Kayden," her stepmother announced, her words dripping with feigned happiness.

Amber couldn't hold back her disbelief. "I know you have no shame, but are you so shameless that you can't see anything wrong in what you just said? Were you so desperate to marry that you had to rush into a wedding with your sister's ex-husband? Are you that hungry to be someone's wife?" she lashed out, her voice resonating with her indignation.

"It's been three months, Amber. Three whole months, and you still haven't moved on? Are you obsessed?" Marlene retorted, her words slicing through the room like a knife.

"You make it sound like three months is equivalent to three years. Were you expecting me to get over the fact that my sister and ex-husband were sleeping with each other in just three months? And now, all of a sudden, you two are getting married as if nothing ever happened? How thoughtless of you, little sister," Amber countered, her words sharp with anger.

Marlene, undeterred, mocked her. "Oh, well, Amber dear, I won't apologize to you for choosing my happiness over yours. Besides, you keep pretending like your marriage with Kayden was a love story, but it never was. You two were in an arranged marriage. He could never bring himself to love you; he fell for me instead. Be a big girl and get over it!" Marlene sneered, her satisfaction evident.

Amber's mother jumped in, defending Marlene's actions. "This wedding won't be a happy occasion for you, but you must let go of your anger. Your sister made a choice, and it's time for you to accept it and move forward. You can't keep tormenting yourself over something you can't change. Besides, you can't stress your pregnant sister; it's bad for the baby."

The mention of Marlene's pregnancy hit Amber like a blow to the stomach. "You're expecting a child with Kayden?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, Amber. Kayden and I are having a baby. It's time you accept this and move on," Marlene replied, her tone cold and final.

Amber felt her legs weaken for a moment, but she forced herself to stand tall. "Today may be a happy day for you, Marlene, but it's a day of betrayal for me. If you can't be happy for us, please leave and come back when you've accepted the new reality," her father's voice said, a note of finality in his tone.

She said nothing, her heart heavy with the weight of their betrayal. Turning away, she made her way to the door, determined to leave this house and the family that had turned their backs on her.

A hand grasped her shoulder, halting her in her tracks. When she turned, she found Marlene standing there, a sly smirk on her face. "This may seem extreme, but I still hope you'll attend my wedding. It would be my pleasure to have you by my side on such a joyous occasion," Marlene whispered, extending an invitation.

"I curse the days I considered you my sister, Marlene. You'll pay dearly for this humiliation. I swear it to you," Amber whispered back, her voice laced with determination.

"Good luck with that," Marlene responded, her smirk widening, before patting Amber's shoulder and stepping back.

With that, Amber left, determined to confront her family's betrayal and make Marlene pay for the pain she had caused.