Chapter 4

Alexander stood frozen, his heart pounding in his chest, struggling to comprehend the betrayal that played out before him. The Harringtons, the very people who coarsed him in marrying Tracy, now showed there true colors.

"You planned this?" Alexander gritted his teeth, his hands clenched at his sides. "Was this all just a sick game to you?"

The crowd was taken aback as they began to gossip,

"Oh my goodness, what's going on? Who is this man?" a woman in the crowd whispered.

"I think he's the husband of Tracy Harrington. I've seen them together at events." Another added.

Mr. Harrington chuckled, as he was joyous to seeing Alexander's torment. 

"Come on, a pauper like you? I thought all this year's that maybe one day you might inherit your father's Legacy, but I don't know if you are a bastard or his child." 

"My father? My father's never left anything behind for me," Alexander was surprised because that was what his mother told him.

"You don't even know your father, I guess... Haha you're mother really did a lot keeping secrets from you. That's not my business for now. You didn't think this arrangement was permanent? Tracy has, let's say, can't stay with a pauper like you."

"And that's the equally reason why you're not worthy of my daughter" Mr. Harrington said to Alexander as moved forward and whispered it to Alexander's ears.

Tracy smirked, wrapping her possessive arm around James, who still nursed his injured wrist. 

"That's right, Alexander. I've found someone more suitable for my desires."

Her venomous words cut Alexander deep, but he refused to show weakness. 

"How dare you..." he began, but Mrs. Harrington interrupted, wagging her manicured finger.

"Control yourself. This is meant to be a celebration! Why don't you join us in the Grand Ballroom? We've prepared a delightful feast to mark this new chapter."

Alexander recoiled in disgust. "You're all deranged. This marriage was a scam from the beginning." He fixed his piercing gaze on Tracy. "And you... I don't even recognize you anymore."

"Don't take it so hard, Alexander," she purred like a cat, pressing herself against James. 

"James was is so sweet, how could I miss all this" Tracy said as her hands ran through James body.

Alexander's jaw twitched as he fought the urge to retaliate. With a weary sigh, he straightened his posture and met the smug gazes of the Harringtons.

Alexander felt like straggling each and everyone of them because the bitter pain he was going through at the moment, he couldn't fathom it.

 "I once pitied you... but now, I only feel sorry for you." He held back his tears.

Without uttering another word, Alexander turned and strode out of the room, leaving the Harringtons behind. His heart was shattered, his faith in humanity shattered.

As the door closed behind him, the mocking laughter of the Harrington's echoed down the hallway. 

Alexander slammed the door behind him as he entered the resting room for the hotel staff, feeling anguished and torn apart. 

For hours he paced back and forth, running his fingers through his hair as he thought about Tracy's betrayal. 

"How could she do this to me after all I had sacrificed for her and her family?" Alexander got down on the ground and broke into tears.

He had endured years of emotional abuse and neglect, all because his dying mother had wanted him to be married before she passed and wanted to please Tracy.

Alexander's fists clenched in anger. The Harrington's had broken him, crushed his spirit, and made a mockery of him.

"Hahahaha" He laughed bitterly, realizing they had been playing him all along like a puppet. But as the shock wore off, he rose up. 

"They think they can ruin me I will show them" Alexander had made up his mind to take revenge.

He wouldn't let them win, wouldn't let them win.

Alexander stood up from the ground and cleaned his tears and marched towards the door.

"I will make sure they pay for all this" 

He would confront them all, expose them in front everyone to see. 

He made his way to the Grand Ballroom, where the Harringtons expected him to slink away in defeat. But he would give them a reckoning they wouldn't soon forget. He flung open the doors with force, silencing the crowd. All eyes turned to him, jaws agape at the interruption.

"Surprised to see me?" Alexander's voice rang out, bitter and angry. "Did you really think I would cower away from your pathetic little show?" He strode forward, ignoring the gasps and murmurs as the crowd parted before him.

At the centre of the Ballroom, the Harringtons sat frozen in shock. Finally, Mr. Harrington spoke up, trying to regain his composure. "Well, well, if it isn't the guest of honour himself. We were beginning to worry you wouldn't grace us with your presence."

Alexander remained unmoved. "Enough with the games, Harrington. This little charade ends now."

A tense silence filled the air after Alexander finished speaking. Tracy remained still for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, her face twisted into a sneer of disgust. "Real?" she repeated, her voice full of contempt. 

"You actually think our fake marriage was real to me?" Alexander felt like he had been punched, her venomous words hurting more than any physical blow.

Before he could respond, Tracy continued, her eyes blazing with hatred. "I pretended to be a loving wife because my father forced me to marry a worthless man like you." She spat out the words like they left a bad taste in her mouth. 

*Huuuh!*

The crowd gasped in shock, but Tracy didn't seem to notice or care. All her anger was focused on Alexander. "You really thought I could love someone as weak and pitiful as you?" She let out a harsh laugh. "Don't flatter yourself. 

The only reason you're here is because I allowed it, letting you believe your little fantasies so I could completely humiliate you in front of everyone."

Alexander felt tears of rage prick at his eyes, but he refused to show weakness in front of this cruel woman. His eyes were now totally open that Tracy will never love him.

Tracy seemed to enjoy his stunned silence

"What's wrong, dear husband?" she mocked. 

"Did they cut your tongue? Or are you just realizing what a pathetic fool you've been all this time?"

Then, as if delivering a final blow, she stood up straight, lifting her chin.

She knew that since she is going to be divorcing Alexander he might want to demand a share of her father's property, so she wanted to stop that before it will happen

"You want to know real pain?" She said in a low tone.

 

"How about the fact that you forced yourself on me, night after night, when I begged you to stop? That's right, I've been suffering at the hands of my rapist husband!" 

The crowd gasped in shock as Tracy burst into tears, burying her face in her hands.

"Poor girl, she must have been suffering in silence." Various people began to sympathize with Tracy as they all stared at Alexander with devouring looks.

Alexander felt like the world was spinning out of control as her vile accusation rang out. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but no words came out. How could he counter such a horrific lie?