The Don's Unwanted Bride

CHAPTER 23

Alyssa's POV

The road stretched out before me as I drove, the tires humming softly against the pavement. The weight of what had happened earlier today still lingered in the air.

Hayden had told me what he wanted, what we wanted: an open relationship. He wanted us to date other people. It seemed simple, harmless, and a little thrilling. He was asking for freedom, but oddly, it felt like a trap that I was willingly walking into.

My phone rang, breaking the silence. The screen lit up with Estina’s name, and I answered without hesitation.

“Hello?” I said, my voice flat, still processing everything.

“Alyssa, I’m so sorry,” Estina’s voice came through, laced with guilt. “I should’ve never let my mom push you away. I didn’t know how everything would turn out like this. I... I just wanted to make things right. You didn’t deserve any of this.”

I sighed, the bitterness I’d been carrying slowly giving way to understanding. “It’s okay, Estina. Really. You didn’t have control over what your mother did. Besides, I wouldn’t have met that annoying man called my husband if it weren’t for her.”

I couldn’t suppress a small laugh. Despite everything, I was strangely grateful to her mother for that. Hayden, for all his flaws, had a way of making me feel seen in a way no one else did. Even though I didn’t want it, there was a part of me that was still drawn to him.

“I didn’t know what to do when she pushed you out of the family,” Estina continued, her voice cracking. “I... I should’ve stood up for you.”

“Don’t worry about it, Estina,” I reassured her. “We’re all tangled in this mess together, and at least now, we have a chance to sort it out. Just don’t make me regret accepting your apology, alright?”

I could hear her relief through the phone. “I won’t. Thank you, Alyssa.”

We exchanged a few more words before I hung up, the road feeling a little emptier now.

As I pulled into my driveway, I half-expected to see Hayden’s car following me, like he usually did. But the rearview mirror remained empty. I frowned, wondering where he had gone off to, but I brushed it aside.

Maybe he was busy. Or maybe he was avoiding me. Either way, I didn’t care enough to chase after him.

I grabbed my purse and got out of the car, walking towards the front door of the house.

Just as I was about to open it, I froze. A figure stepped out from behind the door. A woman. She was tall, with sleek, dark hair that framed her face perfectly.

Her clothes were stylish, but her expression was what caught my attention. She seemed confident, almost too confident, standing there like she owned the place.

I raised an eyebrow, a strange sense of unease settling in my stomach. “Can I help you?” I asked, my voice sharp, more curious than anything else.

The woman looked at me, her eyes flicking over me with a quick, almost dismissive glance.

She smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m looking for Hayden,” she said casually, as though she had every right to be here.

My heart skipped a beat, and a flash of irritation surged inside me. Who the hell was this woman?

I crossed my arms, standing tall despite the growing unease in my chest. “And who are you?”

The woman didn’t seem bothered by my question. “I’m his girlfriend,” she said it with a tone that suggested she thought I would understand immediately, like it was common knowledge.

For a moment, my world tilted. “Girlfriend?” I repeated, my voice rising unintentionally. Anger flared up inside me. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You’re his girlfriend?”

The words tasted bitter in my mouth. This was what Hayden wanted, wasn’t it?

This open relationship. But standing here, face-to-face with this woman, it didn’t feel like freedom. It felt like a slap in the face.

I could feel my blood boiling, the rage bubbling over, a mixture of frustration, confusion, and betrayal all at once.

Without thinking, I moved forward. My palm slapped across her face with a force that surprised even me. The sharp sound of the slap echoed in the air, and her head snapped to the side.

The woman’s eyes widened in shock, but there was no apology, no remorse in her eyes. Just defiance.

She blinked, rubbing her cheek, but didn’t take a step back. She just stared at me, as if she were waiting for me to do something else.

I felt my breath quicken, the anger refusing to dissipate. “I’m his wife,” I said, each word coming out harder than the last. “I don’t know what sick game you two are playing, but don’t think you can waltz into my home like this.”

The woman stood there, her expression unreadable. For a moment, the only sound was the wind rustling through the trees.

Her lips curled into a faint smile, but it wasn’t a pleasant one. “I’m not the one who’s in the wrong here,” she said, almost as if she were daring me to argue.

The nerve of this woman. I clenched my fists, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts. What had Hayden told her about me? About our marriage? What did she think she was getting into?

I wasn’t sure where this boldness was coming from. Maybe it was the years of being ignored, of being taken for granted. Maybe it was the gut-wrenching realization that Hayden had moved on without me, even if he hadn’t fully let go of me. Either way, I wasn’t going to back down.

The woman narrowed her eyes, her posture stiffening, but I could see the flicker of uncertainty behind her confident exterior. She didn’t speak, didn’t try to argue further. For a long moment, we just stood there, staring each other down.

I wasn’t sure what I expected to happen next. Maybe I thought she would apologize or retreat. But instead, she just stood there, looking at me with a mixture of disdain and curiosity.

Then I opened my mouth and repeated. “I'm his legally married wife, so get out before I ask the guards to throw you out!'