CHAPTER 2

Jeremiah couldn't believe what he was seeing.

It was like he was stuck in a nightmare and no matter how hard he tried, he wasn't able to wake up.

On closer inspection, he realized that the man who was making love to his wife was none other than his former boss and owner of the Ludwig resort, Mr. Paul Ludwig.

"What was that—?" Mary asked as she told Paul to hold on a moment and then checked what caused the noise she heard.

To her surprise, she saw Jeremiah staring at her infidelity with grief in his eyes, and her mood immediately soured.

"What are you doing here, Jeremiah?!" Mary asked angrily as she quickly got out from under Paul and covered herself with the bedsheet.

"Mary, how could you do this to me?" Jeremiah sniffled.

"Weren't we supposed to be celebrating our anniversary at home, so why are you here, in bed with Mister Paul?" Tears fell down Jeremiah's eyes.

“Who the hell are you and how did you get in here?” Paul frowned at Jeremiah.

“It’s my useless husband, that’s who,” Mary said, and Paul’s eyes widened then he burst into laughter.

“I thought I got rid of the idiot by firing him this morning?” Paul said and Mary groaned.

“Jeremiah, why the hell are you here?! Aren’t you supposed to be at home arranging your stupid little decorations?” Mary asked coldly but Jeremiah was too traumatized to say anything back.

Never in all their years of being together had he seen or heard her speak so harshly, especially to him.

It was like he had married a completely different person from the one in front of him right now.

"I can't believe you stopped me because of this fool. Come on babe, let's continue from where we left off", Paul said, and agreeing with what he said, Mary kissed him.

Feeling disrespected that they could ignore him like he didn’t even exist, Jeremiah rushed to the bed and grabbed Paul's hair.

"You asshole! What do you think you're doing with my wife while I’m here?!" Jeremiah yelled as he lunged a punch at Paul's face.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as he planned.

Paul wasn't as defenseless as he thought. He was someone who loved engaging in rigorous physical activities and the activity he enjoyed most was taekwondo.

Paul caught Jeremiah's fist with ease, pulled him in, and delivered a heavy slap on his face that sent him flying backward.

Jeremiah landed and broke through the glass table, receiving cuts all over the exposed parts of his back.

Paul got off the bed, grabbed a robe from one of the chairs, wore it, went to pick Jeremiah from the broken table, and raised him by the collar.

“You monkey! Who gave you the audacity to think that you can lay your poverty-stricken hands on me? Looks like you need to be taught a lesson!" Paul yelled and then slapped Jeremiah again.

Annoyed that Paul was wasting too much time on Jeremiah instead of paying attention to her, Mary got out of bed too, wore the other robe that was on the chair, and crossed her arms angrily.

“Baby, how long are you going to deal with this imbecile? I’m getting bored” Mary frowned.

Paul, who slapped Jeremiah whenever he tried to say something, replied "Don’t worry babe. I’m almost done with him so just give me a second and we’ll continue from where we left off"

Paul gave Jeremiah one more hefty slap and pushed him to the floor, his face feeling hot and stinging from all the slaps he had received.

"Alright babe, I’m done with the inconvenience. Let's go back to bed," Paul said and grabbed Mary’s hand.

She smacked her tongue at Jeremiah and rolled her then she and Paul started returning to the bed but stopped when she felt something on her ankle.

She looked down at what it was and saw Jeremiah holding on.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Mary asked as she sneered at Jeremiah.

"Mary, please don't do this. Don’t let all our years together go to waste like—" Jeremiah pleaded, but Paul kicked his hand off Mary’s ankle.

"I reluctantly spared your life so you would get out of here, but it seems that you’re too blockheaded to listen. This is your one and final warning to leave this place or else", Paul threatened.

"Jeremiah, you're embarrassing the both of us so just get out of here. I was having a great time before you came and I’d like to continue without your ugly face around" Mary said in annoyance.

"No, I'm not going anywhere" Jeremiah was adamant and Mary frowned.

She had been going easy on him but now she was pissed and the disgust she felt for him became visible.

"I've been trying to be nice for your sake but since you don't want to listen to me, I'm left with no other choice but to do this. Jeremiah, let's get divorced" she said and Jeremiah's eyes widened

“I can’t stand being married to you for any second longer and I think it’s time we end this," Mary said coldly.

Paul, who enjoyed what he just heard, wrapped his arm around Mary's waist and smirked.

"Don't worry babe, I'll make sure that the documents are prepared by the best divorce lawyers that money can buy so you won't have to worry about this idiot bothering you anymore" Paul said.

Jeremiah was doing his best to control his emotions.

"Mary, are you seriously going to throw away all the years we've been together on a whim like this? Don't you love me anymore?" He asked.

"And what use is love when all you can provide me is suffering? You’re a wretched idiot who can’t afford to give me the life I want and I'm done letting you keep me from reaching my fullest potential."

Mary's words cut like a sharp blade and Jeremiah couldn’t believe that she was the one saying all these mean things to him.

"Please don't say that, Mary. You of all people know that I'm trying my best. I used most of my savings to decorate the house for our anniversary and I even got you a gift you'd like" Jeremiah said but Mary's cold sneer made him feel like he was talking to a brick wall.

"Is that all?” She scoffed. “A stupid decoration and a measly gift you had to struggle to get? Is that really my worth in your eyes, huh Jeremiah?”

Mary frowned.

"Don’t be like that, Mary. You know I would have done more if I hadn't been fired from my security guard position this morning and I have to be frugal for now until I can get a job to replace the one I—"

"And why do you think you were fired from this place?" Mary asked.

Jeremiah grimaced in confusion.

"I don’t know. Mister Paul never told me why" Jeremiah replied.

With a wicked smile, Mary said "I'm the one who told him to fire you"

"What?! Mary, how could you?!" Jeremiah's eyes widened.

"I knew I wouldn't be able to come see Paul in peace if you still worked here, so I told him to fire you. I wanted to see if I'd enjoy my time with him before making my decision to leave you, but after the night I've had, my decision has been made. Jeremiah, you make me sick and I never want to see your face again" Mary said then faced Paul.

"Babe, please throw this idiot out. I'm done acting like a loving wife to someone like him who doesn’t deserve it" Mary said and Paul grinned.

He went to the landline to call security guards to come throw Jeremiah out and they all burst into the room a minute later.

Jeremiah looked at the security guards who came for him and he recognized all of them.

"Throw this trash out of my resort!" Paul instructed.

Jeremiah looked at the security guards who he had worked with for years and their faces were cold and emotionless as they looked at him.

"Come here!" One of the security guards said as they all walked over to Jeremiah and picked him up from the floor.

"Guys, are you seriously doing this? Did you forget all the time we used to do patrol together—?"

"Shut the hell up you fool! You're no longer one of us so watch your mouth before we make you!" said another security guard.

Jeremiah looked at Mary and said "Mary, please tell them to let go of me. I'll overlook all of this if you just stop right now"

Mary glared at him and said "And who says I want you to overlook anything? Instead of telling me what to do, you should curse your wretched life and get lost from my sight"

Jeremiah didn't know what to say back. Mary wasn't sad or apologetic about anything she'd done and saying anything else would only make him look like more of an idiot.

He was dragged out of the room while Mary and Paul watched him with glee then after being dragged through the resort like a thief, Jeremiah was thrown outside the gate and warned to never come back.