My Divorced Husband Wants Me Back

As she flipped through the files on the desk, Vanessa stood in the dark light of their study, her fingers shaking. She noticed a sleek, black envelope partially concealed by a pile of documents that seemed official. When she opened it, a letter with bold, crisp handwriting that gave her a panic attack dropped out. It was marked with no return address.

Her heart thumping louder with every word, she read it once, twice, and then again. The scandal. The kid. Her husband's treachery, which was meticulously covered up with falsehoods.

Her spouse of six years, Gustavo Costa, had been concealing this. Intimate pictures of him with a lady she had never seen before, their smiles familiar, as though they had shared a life that Vanessa wasn't a part of, were included in the envelope along with the details of the affair.

However, the youngster in the backdrop of one of the pictures, a young boy with eerily familiar features, was what really fixed her in place, not the mother. His unkempt brown hair and dark eyes. His resemblance to their daughter Millie was so striking that it chilled Vanessa.

The paper slipped from her palm as she fell back into the chair, her breath stuck in her throat. She was so overcome by the shock that she was afraid she could faint. It was as though the fundamental basis of her existence had suddenly crumbled, revealing an unavoidable reality.

The man she had trusted with her heart, her husband, had lived a life that was entirely different from hers, one that was full of deceit and treachery.

Her thoughts were racing, alternating between fury, betrayal, and bewilderment. The words were too fast for her to process. The weight of the discoveries was choking her, and she was drowning in them. She didn't call him, but her fingers were hovering over the phone. Not quite yet.

Her heart was in turmoil and her mind was in disarray. Every logical part of her begged to face him right away, but the woman's icy smile in the picture held Vanessa motionless.

What was the object of her marriage? She believed she knew this man, but who was he?

As she lifted the picture and held it up to her eyes, her heart pounded against her temples. The boy's expression... He owned the child. Without a question.

The letter provided no further explanation, beyond verifying that the child was real, that it was a part of her husband's covert existence, and that, for some inexplicable reason, the woman was asking him for something. Vanessa wasn't immediately thinking of anything she didn't fully get yet. Everything she had worked for, including her family and marriage, seemed to be a lie.

She dropped the letter on the desk and stood up suddenly, her hands trembling. Before she could confront him, she needed to gain control and clarity. However, given that her entire life's foundation had just been torn away from her, how could she?

The place was suffocatingly tense. She was about to leave the study when she had an epiphany that stopped her cold.

What was it that Gustavo had been keeping from her?

Hours had passed while Vanessa tried to settle herself, but the knot in her gut refused to go away. She felt as though she had been betrayed by every action and breath. She required clarification. She didn't know how to go about this, how to bring herself to confront him, but she needed them now.

A knock on the door cut her thoughts short. The door opened before she could open it, showing a woman who was both familiar and unfamiliar.

She had long dark hair, was tall and graceful, and had stunning features that Vanessa couldn't identify, yet something about her felt uncannily familiar.

Vanessa Costa?The woman spoke in a calm, collected tone, as though she had endless patience.

Vanessa's throat tightened each breath. "Who are you?"

The woman's smile was calculated and cold. "You're Gustavo's spouse, correct? I felt it was time for us to finally meet.

In an attempt to collect her thoughts, Vanessa blinked. "I don't understand. What are you ?"

The woman cut in, "I'm sorry," her voice brimming with phony pity. However, you have undoubtedly already seen the images. The ones from last summer's vacation?"

Vanessa felt a horrible rush of understanding. She was like this. This was the woman in the pictures, the one who had deceived her husband for years and won her heart.

Vanessa's mind was racing with uncontrollable emotions, making it difficult for her to maintain her composure. At the same time, she felt exposed and confined.

"You didn't hear about me from Gustavo, did you?The woman spoke in a gentle yet razor-sharp tone. I'm willing to wager that he hasn't informed you about the child either.

Doesn't he prefer to keep things quiet?Vanessa's spine tingled as she took a step closer, her heels tapping against the floor.

As the woman pulled a picture out of her pocketbook and held it out triumphantly, Vanessa's heart pounded.

It was the kid. The one in the picture. However, he was grinning now, and it was obvious that he looked like Millie. The Earth appeared to have swung on its axis.

"You see, Gustavo has a lot of things he keeps hidden," the woman added, her voice brimming with calculating sweetness. I'm not here to cause trouble, though. I simply wanted to let you know that your family isn't as ideal as you believe.

Vanessa's throat tightened as her hands gripped at her sides. Something in the woman's eyes, the knowledge, the total conviction that Vanessa couldn't get out of this, immobilized her. She wanted to yell at her, to force her out of the house.

The woman spoke in a whisper as she drew closer. "Vanessa, you had better exercise caution. You have no idea what you will face. Gustavo won't likely let you go so lightly, in my opinion.

Before walking away, the woman gave one final smile before her footsteps faded into the distance.

Vanessa was still as she stood there. The words gnawed at her insides as they lingered in her head.

How did this occur?

That evening, Gustavo did not return home. Vanessa was unable to break free from the anxiety created by the long silence in the deserted house. She had attempted to fall asleep, but her thoughts kept going back to the child, the mother, and the discovery. She felt as though the walls were choking her.

He obviously had no idea what was going to happen when he did arrive the following evening. Standing in the center of the living room, her body rigid and her eyes unblinking, Vanessa was waiting for him.

Despite her heart hammering like a drum in her chest, she said, "I need to talk to you," in a firm voice.

With a brief lapse in his easygoing manner, Gustavo shut the door behind him. "What's wrong, Vanessa? Why all the drama?"

Vanessa wasted little time. "I know everything. About her. About the affair. And the child."

Gustavo's expression changed, his eyes fluttering in fear before he hastily covered them up with a fake grin. "What are you talking about? You don't know anything."

Vanessa's voice became louder as she shook her head. "Don't lie to me, Gustavo. I've seen the pictures. I know about the child. And I know you've been hiding this from me for months. Why? Why would you do this?"

For a brief time, his façade broke, but he took a deep breath and moved toward her. "Listen, Vanessa.

"No," she yelled, taking a step back. "You pay attention. I did everything for you. Our family, our marriage. You also deceived me. You misled me. I mean, what else am I to do? Act as like nothing is wrong?"

Gustavo's voice fell into a low, menacing tone as his eyes narrowed. "You don't know what you're saying. You have no idea what you're talking about."

Vanessa took another step back, her heart thumping as she felt the anger growing in her chest. "No, Gustavo. I am fully aware of what I am discussing. And this is no longer how I can live. I'd like a divorce.

As he moved nearer and took her arm, his face went white. You must stay with me, Vanessa. You won't. I own you. You get it?"

Her spine tingled at the words, but she didn't bat an eyelid. "Let me go."

However, he didn't. His voice was cold and domineering as he held her closer. "You believe you can ignore me and this situation?

Vanessa, you will never abandon me. Not right now. Never.