Chapter one

"Today, I stand before you to announce the newest addition to our family." Lloyd Kingston started, speaking to the multitude of guests present.

Micheal leaned in, waiting for his name to be spoken, to finally be acknowledged. For three years, he had been married to Lloyd's daughter, Melissa Kingston, but he had always been treated like a piece of shit. He was never allowed in family gatherings neither did anyone consider him as one of the Kingstons.

But tonight, Melissa herself had invited him to this dinner hosted by the Kingstons. The family must be ready to finally embrace him. His chest swelled with hope, his name on the tip of his tongue.

"I would love to announce a special someone to you all tonight. The one who has won the heart of my princess, Melissa" Lloyd added as he smiled brightly. Melissa could not help but grin wildly as she looked at her father.

"My one and only son-in-law would come up the stage to join us now. " He continued and Michael could not help but feel so happy.

" Finally!" He muttered under his breath. His wife's family was finally going to accept him. His joy knew no bounds as he stood excited expecting his name to be called.

"With great pleasure, I present to you……"

His eyes was watching with eagerness. This was surely going to be his best day ever.

"......Peter Anderson!" Lloyd called out loudly to the audience's hearing.

A wave of disbelief crashed over Michael as another name reverberated in the air, shattering his expectations. The crowd erupted in cheers, completely unaware of his existence. The world around him spun, his heart heavy with disappointment.

His dreams of validation and acceptance crumbled, leaving him standing alone in a sea of congratulatory voices, his hopes dashed once more. 

"Melissa had another husband?"

The name "Peter Anderson" echoed in his ears, a name that was not his own, a name that shattered the hopes he had carried into the evening.

The grand ballroom buzzed with laughter and clinking glasses as the spotlight shifted to the figure walking onto the stage. 

Dressed in a finely tailored suit far luxurious than his, Michael watched the said Peter Anderson walk majestically towards the stage to meet Melissa and her father much to his dismay.

" No, this can't be happening!" He muttered wearily under his breath. He was supposed to be the one on that stage now and not some stranger he had not seen at all in his life.

Three years ago, he was adopted by an elderly man known as Martins who took him in and played the role of his grandfather. Martins had arranged a marriage pact between him and Melissa's family. But, after his adopted grandfather died, they turned him into a servant, making him do the dirty works of a maid in their mansion and never treating him like a husband to Melissa.

When he received a phone call from Melissa tonight, inviting him to come to the grand ball, it felt like the world was about to begin anew. Micheal rushed down here in the finest suits he could find for himself. Sadly, he came all the way down here to watch his wife get handed to another man. He could not restrain his bitterness.

How could his wife do this to him? 

He watched as Peter Anderson ascended the stage with a grin on his face, basking in the attention and accolades. He stood next to Melissa and her father, exuding an air of confidence and belonging that he could only dream of.

Confusion, anger, and humiliation surged within Michael. He felt like an outsider in his own life, once again pushed to the sidelines, invisible to those around him. 

" This cannot be happening, I demand an explanation" he whispered.

Peter Anderson was the heir of a very wealthy family, but he was not Melissa's husband. Micheal was.

As the applause continued, his eyes locked with hers for a brief moment. He searched for some sign, some explanation for this shocking turn of events but her gaze was cold. She turned her face away and kissed Peter deeply right before his eyes.

She had invited him to this event, given him a glimmer of hope, only to have that hope mercilessly crushed before his eyes. His wife, the one person he had believed he could count on, had betrayed him.

The whispers of the crowd seemed to dance around him as he tried to maintain his composure. They were laughing at him that moment. He wished that the ground could open up and swallow him.

"Did you hear? He thinks he can fit into the rich men shoes!"

"Looks like the prodigal son finally made an appearance."

Amidst the taunts, Michael summoned the courage to head to the stage too. He needed an explanation.   

" Melissa!" He called out loud as he climbed the stage.

" What are you doing? I am your husband" he added further " You invited me here, remember? You told me that I was needed at the family party." He said, reminding her.

"Melissa! Mr. Kingston?" Michael called them both. "Melissa, please explain to your father, tell him we're together….I love you" he said, trying to explain that he still cared so much about her.

"Don't you dare move close to me!" Melissa said coldly as he tried to hold her hands.

"Who the hell is this church rat?" Peter Anderson asked Melissa as he stared disgustingly at Michael. 

"He must have gotten his suit from the trash can just to fit in" Peter added which made everyone burst out in a loud laughter.

"Don't you move any inch close to my wife you pauper" Peter shouted. " Get this Godforsaken bastard away from here" he motioned to the security men in the hall.

"Melissa, please talk to me!" Michael yelled out of frustration, he still wanted an explanation from her.  Why had she chosen to invite him to get so humiliated? 

Before he knew it, strong hands knocked into him, sending him sprawling onto the floor. Gasps and laughter erupted from the audience, the humiliation seeping into his bones.

They seized him, dragging him away from the stage. They hauled him up like he was a piece of shit and practically tossed him out of the party. 

As the entrance door swung shut, he stood with his shoulder dropped as he recounted everything that happened in the hall.

A shadowy figure approached him minutes later. It was Melissa, she stood before him, her eyes devoid of any compassion. Without a word, she tossed a stack of papers onto his face.

"Those are our divorce papers" she said simply.

"Wait! What??" Michael exclaimed. After the intense humiliation inside, she was still not done with shocking him. 

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"I have no time to talk to a piece of trash like you. " She spat "Get those paper signed Mike. We're officially over". She added and went back in, slamming the door shut against his face.

With no destination in mind, Michael wandered the dimly lit streets. His thoughts were a whirlwind of regret and despair. 

He was once again left all alone. Was he cursed to always be alone? He had always been an orphan, abandoned. And he had found hope in his late grandfather who adopted him and introduced him to the Kingstons. Now that his grandfather was dead and his wife's family had severed ties with him, he had nowhere to go.

Alone on the dark streets, Michael's heartache mingled with the physical pain from his fall. He aimlessly wandered through the city streets, consumed by a sense of helplessness. 

He was lost in his thoughts and didn't see that he was headed towards a car. Tires screeched, and a blinding impact sent him spiraling into darkness.

As his vision blurred and darkness closed in, Michael believed he was slipping away, that death was finally claiming him. Maybe he could just die there and then to be free of all the humiliation and hurt he was subjected to.

Laying there, unconscious, a figure walked towards him from the darkness. Observing Micheal in his helplessness, the figure pulled a phone to their ear.

"This is Michael, sir. We finally found him."