From Divorcee to Billionaire Heiress

"Congratulations, you're pregnant!" the doctor announced with a smile, handing Merissa Narth the pregnancy test results. What? Pregnant?! The shock on Merissa's face was quickly overtaken by joy. "Really?!" She had only slept with Richard Adler once, and now... But then, anxiety followed swiftly. Would Richard even want the baby? After all, throughout the three years of their marriage, he had eyes only for Maddie Ford. No matter how hard Merissa tried to emulate her, Richard showed no interest. In their relationship, Merissa was the one who carried the torch. But now, Merissa felt drained. The unrequited love for a man was exhausting. "Miss? Miss?" The doctor's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Where's your husband? Did you come alone?" "He's... he's quite busy..." Thinking of Richard standing her up that morning left a sour taste in her mouth, but she swallowed it down. In this marriage, all she ever wanted was for him to stay by her side. And now, she wasn't alone anymore; her little one was on the way. Thinking of this, Merissa smiled as she gently placed her hand on her abdomen. ***** Leaving the hospital, Merissa was eager to share the news with Richard. Perhaps this new life would bring them closer. She also needed to tell him the truth, that the little girl with whom he was kidnapped back then was her, not Maddie. Merissa still remembered how they had huddled together in that basement, feeling horrified but supporting each other. They had exchanged keepsakes and promised to find each other again someday. Because of this promise, Merissa has always regarded marrying Richard as her wish. Later, Merissa's family sent her abroad. By the time she had reconnected with Richard, he was already with Maddie. Seeing Richard so happy and having accidentally lost the keepsake, Merissa kept this secret to herself. ***** Soon, Merissa arrived at Richard's office. "Wait! Mrs. Adler, you can't go in there!" An assistant, seeing the cheerful Merissa about to push open the door, instantly turned pale and rushed to block her in front of the glass wall. Observing the panic in the assistant's eyes, Merissa’s heart sank. Could there be something in the room she wasn't supposed to see? "Step aside!" Her expression grew cold, which was rare for her. Now, she only wanted to know what the heck was going on inside. "Mrs. Adler, could you please wait just a moment? Or MaybeI’ll now go in there to notify Mr. Adler?" "Get out of the way!" Her voice became icy as she cut off the assistant. Seeing his awkward smile that’s even worse than crying, Merissa knew something was amiss. She immediately pushed the door open herself. And then, Merissa stopped dead in her tracks. She rooted to the spot, unable to move. The sight of a man and a woman entwining like snakes, and the moaning sound of that woman pierced her senses. Eyes wide open, she saw perfectly well that her husband in his large chair, was amorously embracing another woman. "Ah... Merissa..." Merissa's heart almost failed in shock. It was Maddie, Richard's first love, the one he always pined for. And now, she had returned! Having acknowledged Merissa's presence, Maddie had no intention to get up. Instead, she stayed slumped over Richard, who held her with an affectionate gaze. Looking at Maddie's curly brown hair, her demure outfit, and her gentle demeanor...almost the same as her disguise Merissa felt a surge of anger mixed with heartbreak. But she knew better. This woman wasn't as innocent as she appeared. If she were, she wouldn't have been able to deceive Richard and claim Merissa's credit for so many years. Merissa stared at the indifferent pair, her gaze sharpening on Richard. "So, you had to cancel your plan to accompany me to the hospital because you needed to cozy up here with her?" Richard's face darkened with irritation as he responded sharply, "Merissa, stop making such a scene! Maddie just got back. We're just catching up." "Catching up? Is that what you call this intimate little setup here? And on our anniversary, no less!" Merissa laughed in irritation. "Merissa!" Richard snapped, cutting her off. Seeing Richard's reaction, Maddie's face briefly twisted into a spiteful smile, which then quickly switched to a more pitiful look. She gently disentangled herself from Richard, standing with her hands clasped in front of her, looking every bit the victim. "Merissa, don't get the wrong idea. I asked Richard to accompany me today. It's not his fault." Richard, annoyed, yanked at his tie, said impatiently, "You don't need to explain anything to her." Maddie kept gazing down, feigning innocence. "But Merissa's got it all wrong about us. I don't want to cause any rift between you two." Merissa scoffed. "Then you shouldn't cross paths with this married man at all!" Maddie wanted to retort but faltered. But soon, she adjusted her hair and said, "I was just helping Mr. Adler with his tie. In fact, I know it's not really my place to do so... We're not what we used to be... If only I hadn't gone abroad back then..." Maddie chose her words artfully to make it seem that Merissa were the other woman in this relationship. "Maddie, if I recall correctly, you left Richard for money back then!" Merissa countered. "If anything, you’re the one to blame!" Maddie's eyes welled with tears. "Merissa, that's not what I meant... I just got carried away thinking about the past. You don't have to be so aggressive; it will only embarrass Richard further. Besides, Richard has been supporting you financially all these years. How can you blame him..." Before Maddie could finish, Merissa couldn't contain her inner beast any longer. She suddenly stepped forward and slapped Maddie across the face. "Ouch!" "Maddie!" Maddie's cry of a physical ache and Richard's cry of a heartache filled the air at the same time. Disillusioned with this brutally unfeeling man in front of her, Merissa finally realized how foolish she had been. She had forsaken her family, lost herself, and even given up her most cherished career for him. However, it was all for nothing. Merissa's love for Richard should never justify his humiliation of her. She had enough! "Let's get a divorce. Remember this: from now on, I’m the one who have dumped you, Richard Adler!" Merissa lifted her head, holding back the tears that threatened to fall, determined to reclaim her life starting now. As Merissa walked away, Maddie said, "I'm sorry, Richard, I didn't mean to cause any misunderstanding. I just felt you were being treated unfairly." Richard wasn't particularly concerned about Merissa leaving; after all, what did she have without him? He turned to Maddie with a tender look. "It's okay. Don't worry about her." Outside the office, Merissa looked at the pregnancy test in her hand. What a jerk! He would never find out this child was his! She then dialed her former assistant, Kurt Borris. "I'll be officially back to work next Monday. Have all the executives ready with their reports; I need to catch up on everything that's happened during my absence over the past three years." Kurt, initially surprised for a second, turned extremely excited. "Boss, that's great! You're finally back!" "Yeah," Merissa replied succinctly. "Should I tell your parents you're coming back?" Kurt asked. Back then, Merissa had an almost destructive falling out with her family when she tried to marry Richard, and though her parents had eventually came around, she hadn't been home in three years. With a nervous twitch in her mouth, she sighed, "No, I'll tell them myself." Kurt couldn’t help but offer a plaint, "I wonder how Mr. Adler will think when he learns that you're the prized jewel of the Narth family and the CEO of the leading film company, Kangster Films." Whatever he would think about it was not her concern. Since he had some unresolved issues with his old flame, Merrisa was better off without him. Despite her deep love for Richard, one painful lesson was enough. She vowed never to debase herself again. If they meet again next time, she, Merissa, will definitely not tolerate them again!