We are not married!

Chapter Two

Mia quickly pushed the man off her body, and reached for the blanket to cover her naked self. “Au-August! You are back already?” She stammered.

August was having a battle between his eyes and brain at the moment. Could his eyes be deceiving him? His jaw dropped, leaving his mouth widely open like he could swallow an entire watermelon in one gulp. 

He tried to voice out his disbelief, but no words came out. The jewelry pack in his hands dropped to the floor in shock. Was it truly his wife engaged with another man? Or was it her look-alike? Or maybe was he dreaming.

“Who the f*ck are you?” The man asked angrily, hastily grabbing his innerwear from the floor to cover himself.

 “Mia! Please tell me this is a dream. I am dreaming right? Tell me this is not reality, please!”

August didn’t care about the man’s identity, he did not even bother to stare at his face. His frustrations and questions were directed towards his wife.

Mia couldn’t even raise her head to stare her husband in the face, there was no explanation one would give for what even a child could tell it was two grown up people getting intimate.

“Why, Mia? You dare cheat on me on the night we are supposed to consummate our marriage? How could you!” August yelled frustratingly his devastation turning into rage.

“Consummate your marriage? Mia, you are married?” The man asked, puzzled, as he finished wearing his innerwear.

The man’s voice sounded familiar, August must have known him or had an encounter with him before. He was dead furious when he turned to confirm who it was; who else but the man who taunted him at the restaurant with his friends few minutes earlier.

“Mr Tom?”

Even Tom was stunned when he turned to discover it was August. “Wait a second! I know you. You’re the filthy waiter from the restaurant. What the hell are you doing in my girlfriend’s house?” His voice filled with contempt.

A volcano was about to erupt inside of August. He had just walked in on his wife with him, and now he had the audacity to question his presence in his own home.

He grabbed Tom by the neck, pushing him against the wall, applying pressure and choking him. “You animal! I caught you in bed with my wife, and you dare ask me what I’m doing in my own house?" August seethed, his anger palpable.

Mia had never seen August this cold. She had to intervene or watch Tom strangled to death.

“Let go of him, August! Let go!” Mia stepped between them, helping Tom break free from August's grip.  Tom couldn’t help but cough inevitably following what seemed to be an escape from the cold hands of a grim reaper.

“Baby, are you okay?” She asked Tom with a concerned tone and August almost had a cardiac arrest. Did he hear right? His wife just addressed another man as ‘baby’ right in front of him? In their two years of marriage, she had never addressed him with such affection, now she was calling Tom baby right in front of him.

“Mia? Did I just hear you call him…?”

“Yes, you heard me right! What do you think this is all about? Do you know who you laid your filthy hands on? He is Thomas Turner, the eldest son and heir to the Turner empire”.

The Turners needed no introduction; they were not just the most dreaded in the city, they were also one of the richest families in Aurora Bay. Nobody ever dreamt of crossing paths with any member of the family.

Though they owned a few legal companies in the city, everybody knew their main source of wealth came from illicit activities. But who would dare question them; they had the whole authority in their pocket including the police and Judiciary.

"And what if he is a Turner? I am your husband, and you are my wife. It's my duty to protect you from anyone, whoever it is. Tell me did he force himself on you?" August asked slowly hoping yet still that his wife was not cheating on him.

"Of course, he didn't. And could you please stop referring to yourself as my husband? It makes me sick." Mia responded, leaving August with a surge of confusion.

They had been together for over two years now, but she had never displayed such arrogance towards him before. The way she spoke down on their marriage cut deep as he could not understand her sudden change in attitude.

"What are you saying, Mia? We are married and I’m your husband!" August exclaimed, bewildered by her sudden change in demeanor.

Mia sniffed before she explained. "Married? You're delusional, August. What makes you think I'd tie the knot with a pauper like you? Hate to burst your bubble, but we were never married. The entire ceremony was a sham, including the priest".

August wasn’t even startled by what seemed like a heartbroken confession, he thought she was joking or she was trying to prank him. 

“Come on, Mia, you should stop the joke already it is not funny anymore”.

“Joke? Yes, our marriage has always been a joke from the very start. Do you think it is a coincidence that I promise to consummate our marriage on the same day Tom was supposed to be released? Let me break it down for you then.

Tom and I were lovers back in high school until three years ago when he was arrested and convicted of murder. He was to be sentenced to life imprisonment, but his family pulled some strings through the governor and had his sentence reduced to three years.

The jury said he would be released on this faithful day. I made a promise to him on the day of his sentence that I will wait for him till he got out, then we could get married. But a few months after his imprisonment, my dad was diagnosed with cancer and the doctor said he had only two months to live.

Dad insisted I get married and receive his blessings before he passed away since I am his only child. I told him I wasn’t getting married sooner till after three years, but he threatened to give all his wealth and possession to charity if I wasn’t married before he succumbed to death.

That's when I saw you homeless on the streets of Aurora Bay, and a plan flooded my mind to use your desperation to my advantage.”

August listened with his jaw dropping in disbelief, his fist tightening in anger such that his knuckles were making cracking sounds.

Two years ago, on the streets of Aurora Bay, Mia found August camping in a park after he was kicked out of his former apartment for owing the several months. 

“That’s when I brought you back home and presented you to my father as the man I would like to marry; so he could transfer his wealth to me. I went ahead to hire a fake priest just to make a show before everyone, everything about the marriage was fake, including the

marriage certificate.

And yes, I was able to deceive everyone, including you. My dad transferred everything to my name, and I got what I wanted,” she added remorselessly.

August was stunned. The woman he almost labeled the ‘best wife in the world’ had used him as her stepping stone.

“You can’t be serious, Mia. Come on, you told me you fell in love with me at first sight, remember? We are to consummate our marriage tonight, I even bought you an expensive gift,” August said, frustration evident as he quickly picked up the pendant pack he dropped on the floor earlier.

Mia and Tom shared a glance before they both guffawed like he just made the joke of the year.

“Come on August, don’t tell me you actually believed me when I told you about my love for you at first sight. How can a woman of my class fall in love with a pauper like you? 

If only you knew how much your presence irritates me, my blood boils when someone addresses you as my husband. But I endured all this, waiting for this special day; the day my beloved Tom would be released back to me”. Mia said as she wrapped her arms around Tom's neck, and he pulled her close for a passionate kiss.

August lips tightened in anger, his eyes almost bulging with disbelief as he watched the woman he had been addressing as his wife for two years, locked lip-to-lip with another man callously.

“Tell me waiter, have you ever kissed her like this?” Tom mocked as they broke the kiss, his lips carrying her scarlet lip gloss.

August frowned, his anger evidence as rage in his reddened eyes. But if he was to answer the question his answer would’ve been NO. Though they were married for two years, they slept in separate rooms, and if he was being frank, he would agree they lived more like siblings rather than as couples.

“Sweetheart, why don’t we see the expensive gift your delusional husband bought to celebrate your consummation despite not being married. I’m curious to see what’s in the pack,” Tom suggested cunningly.

Mia made a sly chuckle as she rudely snatched the pack from August and tore it ignorantly with contempt.

Fury coursed through her as she removed the necklace. “How dare you try to gift me a sterling silver necklace? Do I look like a dog to you?” She spat, slamming the jewelry onto the floor with a resounding clatter.

Tom made a smirk, things were going just like he intended. He knew too well August would not be able to afford an expensive necklace for Mia, that is why he cunningly asked her to collect the gift.

August heart shattered along with the semi-precious stones on the necklace as it struck the ground. It was more than a piece of jewelry to him; it came from countless times he had skipped meals to save for it.

“Sweetie, don’t be sad. That is why I got you something,” Tom said as he reached for his trousers pocket and brought out a portable jewel enchantment box.

Mia smiled curiously as she collected the box from his hands. She needed not be told that the contents would undoubtedly be fascinating.

Even August was stunned by the dazzling beauty emanating from the necklace. The combined radiance of the polished elements blended so well, causing the piece to glow like a rainbow. He would have definitely complimented it, if it weren’t coming from his wife’s lover.

"Oh, Tom, look at this! Isn't this the Harry Winston Multi Gemstone Statement Necklace? I've heard it's crafted from gemstones sourced all over the world and costs at least $250,000 to acquire a piece,” Mia exclaimed in excitement and Tom nodded profoundly. 

$250,000 for a mere necklace? August was awed, he had emptied his account to afford the $150 necklace, and someone just spent a thousand times his savings for a piece of jewelry.

“I love you Tom!” Mia declared excitedly as she rushed into his arms, and they started French kissing.

August was boiling with rage, he looked away as the two shared passionate moments in each other’s arms, completely ignoring his presence. 

“Sweetheart, are we going to do this with the church rat watching?” Tom asked with disdain and Mia turned furiously towards August.

“What are you still doing here? Can’t you see Tom and I are trying to go back to what we were doing before you interrupted? Now, leave my room!” Mia said rudely pointing toward the door.

What was the point of staying, he would rather get more heart broken than he was already. With his tail between his legs, August headed to the door.

“Wait!”

Mia called from behind, and his heart warmed a little. He thought she was going to say it was just a prank and their marriage was legitimate.

“Don’t just leave this room, I want you to leave my house, for good! Your purpose here is fulfilled, my beloved Tom has returned. There is no reason for you to remain here any longer”.

Her words cut through him deep like a blade; He realized he had been unwittingly standing in as a placeholder while she waited for Tom’s return. With Tom back, she was discarding him like an empty can. 

 “I still can’t believe you are this callous, Mia. You have used me all these years without a second thought of how I feel. How can you be this heartless?”

“Used you? Tell me August, how did I use you? You were homeless, and I brought you to stay in my house rent-free for two years, and you dare call me heartless?”

August was dead furious hearing how Mia cunningly defended her actions by claiming they both benefited from her gimmicks. He was all swollen in anger like a balloon ready to explode with a puncture.

“Get lost already, loser! She doesn’t want you staying at her house any longer?” Tom said disdainfully pushing him against his chest.

Pow!

August exploded; he punched Tom so hard on his nose that he fell against his back. He could not help but grab his broken nose and groan on the floor.

“Tom!” Mia exclaimed with concern as her boyfriend groan in agony. “Are you okay? Oh my! You are bleeding!” She exclaimed worriedly.

For the first time in his entire life, August had no remorse for inflicting violence. He would do it again if the chance presented itself in the future.

“What have you done, you moron! Now watch me call the police and have you thrown into jail. You don’t have anybody to bail you, you will rot in there for all I care,” Mia said angrily as she reached for her phone and dialed 911.

Just as she ended the call, August could hear the whirring of the police sirens few blocks away. That was fast! They were definitely coming to arrest him.