Chapter 1

"I would like to take this opportunity to welcome my sweetheart, my sunshine, my queen, my beloved wife, the most beautiful woman on the planet, and the first lady to say hi," he called out showering her with compliments.

This could be every lady's dream to be a First Lady center of attraction and was once hers.

With a red straight gown, revealing her curves and had a slit from her thigh down, she walked down the staircase leading to the garden.

It was a grand gala and everyone present was happy except her. To everyone she had the perfect marriage, the best husband and they were the perfect couples in town.

The gown was imported from Paris and the makeup artist, had done wonders adding to her natural looks, she killed it.

With her looks, one may think she just came out of a fashion magazine though she once wished to be a fashion designer and model everything changed when she got married to one of the richest men and a governor making her the First Lady.

She has been married for two years and since she came into the home, she was loved by everyone.

She was kind, gentle, and generous but maybe her husband just didn't see that side of her.

She was tired that sometimes she wished she had been married to some poor guy who had time for her and gave her all the love and attention she needed.

She let go of her dreams, her desires, her visions, and her plans. She only wanted to make him happy. It wasn't hard to let go at that time as he provided everything she needed in a twinkling of an eye.

According to her mother, it was the wife's duty to make sure her husband was happy, it was her duty to be patient, her duty to be tolerant, her duty to ignore and her duty never to complain even when things weren't just right.

She had hopes that one day just maybe one day her husband will treat her as a wife and she prayed that day comes fast.

She plastered the best smile she could master as she walked to her husband and the mic was handed to her.

He hugged her and he even kissed her in front of everyone, what a romantic gesture he could portray.

She turned back and faced the audience and smiled at them, she had the perfect smile that could melt even the stone heart but unfortunately, it never melted her husband's heart.

"I want to take this opportunity to thank every one of you who created out time from your busy schedules to come and be with us," she paused and smiled.

"It is an honor to host all of you, you're all welcomed, feel comfortable and enjoy yourselves," she was courageous but on the outside.

That was what people saw but deep down was a weak soul, a broken heart yearning for love, to be mended.

She smiled and walked out of the stage. She took a glass of wine from one of the waiters and started walking to where her best friend Tamara was.

The party was full of great businessmen, politicians, and celebrities that she had to greet each one she came across.

"Hello," she greeted Quincy Jones one of her best actors. He seemed to have started acting in the womb as he was just perfect in all his romantic scenes.

She was happy to see him as she never thought he would honor the invitation. He is secretive and reserved and rarely seen in public.

She has watched over fifty of his romantic movies and can't get enough of them. She is his number one fan and if not for her status, she would have asked for an autograph.

Despite people being around him, he was buried in his phone not minding them. He looked up from his phone and scanned her looks.

She felt uncomfortable as his eyes were undressing her.

"Hey, you look beautiful," he commented and went back to his phone.

"Thank you, it's nice to have you here. Enjoy yourself," she smiled and walked away releasing the breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Hey Alma, you look fantastic," Tamara commended when she got to them.

"Thank you, hey Erica," Alma appreciated and greeted the girl who was with her.

Erica came with her husband who worked for Joshua, her husband but for some reason, she hated Alma or so she thought.

She may have succeeded in hiding that from everyone but Alma knew about it. She was one of her bridesmaids two years ago and close to the family but in her voice, Alma could notice more.

Tamara said that it is her character to rant not minding the weight of her words and she shouldn't take the words to heart and since the first day, she has tried.

She technically can't end the so-called friendship as she sees her face so often that ignoring her won't work.

"Did you dress like that to come and seduce our men?" Erica asked in dismay.

"I take that as a compliment," Alma shrugged.

She wasn't in the mood to brush off her bad mouth.

"I wish I get a man like yours, that man worships you, you guys are my best couple," Tamara commented.

"Keep praying," Erica told her.

"What are you up to?" Tamara asked.

"Nothing, I have had a lot in my mind to make all this happen and need rest. I was told my mother-in-law is here so I'll just greet her then go and have some rest," Alma replied.

She was contended, to her, the gala had turned out as it was a success and worth the stress she went through.

"Are you finally pregnant? You know beauty alone can't keep him. He needs a family to be coming back to and not a beautiful face as he meets so many beautiful women," Erica scoffed.

"Erica please, not tonight," Tamara pleaded.

"The truth always hurts, someone should tell her the truth. Like me, I know my husband is cheating on and I don't blame him because he is handsome and rich but he comes back home to his son and he can't divorce me, I have a negotiating base," Erica told her.

"I can threaten him that he will never see his child then I'll continue living this life from the support money, you get my point? Then you," points at Alma.

"What will you do when he gets tired of you, which he will. Do you know where you guys met? He will get another one from the same place. He divorces you and you leave with nothing. How will you keep up with this lifestyle?" Erica asked.

"I'll be in my room," she didn't have answers and though she was hurt, at some point Erica was right, it was just that she didn't know how to use her words correctly.

She walked out on them, looked around for Abigael but didn't spot her, and went to her room to get enough air as out there she was suffocating.

Abigael has been good to her and has always treated her as a daughter and that was why she wanted to say hi but since she wasn't there, she will have to do it later.

Erica sipped in her wine as she hummed a song.

"That was harsh, why do you hate her?" Tamara asked Erica once Alma had disappeared in the crowd.

"Between me and you, who hates her? Stop giving her painkillers instead of treating the sickness. We all know he is cheating on her and she needs a child. Do you want her to go back to the slums she was picked from when the marriage is over? Come on I want the best for her," Erica defended and she was speechless.

"When this fantasy will be over she will be homeless, childless, helpless, depressed, and frustrated. If you care about her stop fooling her around," Erica instructed.

"Joshua isn't cheating on her," Tamara told her.

"Why are you nervous? Is it because you want to turn a blind eye or is he cheating on her with you?" Erica arched her brows.

"What kind of accusation is that?" Tamara asked back.

"You can fool the whole world but not me, are you after her husband?" Erica wasn't giving up till she gets the truth from her.

Tamara scoffed and walked out on her.

"I'm watching your back, no need to be a hypocrite. Pretenders are worse than murders," Erica said to herself. Tamara couldn't take it anymore, she went to her car and drove away.

Alma lay on the bed but couldn't get any sleep. Flashback of how she met Joshua in a hotel where she was a dancer entertaining the guest on the occasion.

That was the first time she set her eyes on his face to face though she knew him from the newspapers and television.

After the dance, he looked for her and the excuse was he wanted to congratulate her as according to him she was the best dancer.

They dated for six months and got married as he said he wanted a wife, not a girlfriend.

She was deeply in her thoughts when she felt someone tap her and the only person she could think of was Joshua but on opening her eyes, it wasn't him.