Chapter 3 The Woman Who Came Back
Chapter 3
The Woman Who Came Back
The headlines the next morning were explosive.
"Billionaire Couple Heading for Divorce?"
"Aadhira Oberoi Leaves Anniversary Party Alone."
"Trouble in the Oberoi Paradise?"
Every news channel wanted a piece of the scandal.
But inside Oberoi Mansion, the atmosphere was far colder than the media could imagine.
Aadhira stood quietly near the dressing mirror while removing her earrings one by one. Her reflection looked exhausted. Smudged kajal. Tired eyes. A woman who no longer recognized herself.
The bedroom door suddenly opened.
Arjun entered without a word.
His tie hung loose around his neck, and the top buttons of his shirt were undone, exposing sharp veins along his throat. He looked angry. Controlled. Dangerous.
Aadhira didn't turn around.
For three years, she had memorized the sound of his footsteps.
"You embarrassed me tonight," he said finally.
A bitter smile appeared on her lips.
Of course.
Not "Are you okay?"
Not "Why are you hurting?"
Just reputation.
"Your reputation survived," she replied calmly. "Congratulations."
His eyes narrowed at her tone.
The room fell silent for a moment before he placed the divorce papers onto the table beside her with controlled force.
"You're overreacting."
That sentence made something inside her laugh painfully.
Overreacting.
Yes.
Maybe crying alone in bed while your husband spent nights with another woman was an overreaction too.
Maybe waiting for him every anniversary while he canceled dinner for "important meetings" was also dramatic.
Maybe watching your marriage slowly die in front of your eyes deserved applause instead.
Aadhira finally turned toward him.
"You know what the funny part is?" she asked softly. "I kept trying to understand you."
Arjun's expression remained unreadable.
"I told myself you were busy. Stressed. Burdened." Her eyes shimmered slightly. "I defended you even when everyone else noticed things I refused to see."
His jaw tightened.
"Aadhira-"
"No." She stopped him quietly. "Tonight you'll listen."
For the first time in years, Arjun stayed silent.
Because deep down...
He already knew where this conversation was going.
And he hated it.
"You remember when everything changed?" she asked.
He didn't answer.
But he remembered.
Six months after their marriage.
The day Naina Kapoor returned.
A famous business strategist. Smart. Elegant. Beautiful. The woman Savita Oberoi had always wanted her son to marry.
Arjun's ex-girlfriend.
Aadhira still remembered the first dinner clearly.
Savita had practically glowed with happiness introducing her.
"Naina will be joining Oberoi Group temporarily for international expansion," she had announced proudly. "Someone with her experience is exactly what this company needs."
Temporary.
How amusing.
Naina slowly became permanent everywhere else too.
Business meetings.
Late-night conferences.
International trips.
Private discussions.
At first, Aadhira genuinely tried to be understanding.
She trusted him.
Trusted them.
But slowly... things changed.
Arjun started missing dinners more frequently.
Then anniversaries.
Then nights.
Sometimes he returned home at 2 a.m. smelling like expensive perfume and exhaustion. Other times he slept directly in his office suite downstairs because meetings had "gone too late."
And every single time-
Naina's name was somehow involved.
"It's important for the company."
"There are international clients involved."
"You wouldn't understand business pressure."
At first, Aadhira believed him.
Then came the whispers.
The media started linking Arjun and Naina together again. Business magazines called them a "power duo." Photos of them leaving events together spread online constantly.
Meanwhile his wife stood alone at home.
Invisible.
Humiliated.
Forgotten.
Arjun looked away briefly, tension visible in his face now.
"It was never like that," he said quietly.
Aadhira smiled faintly.
The saddest part?
She actually believed him.
Even now.
Because her problem had never truly been another woman.
It was him.
His neglect.
His absence.
The way he stopped seeing her long before she decided to leave.
"She knew exactly what she was doing," Aadhira whispered. "And your mother loved every second of it."
Arjun's expression darkened instantly.
"Don't involve my mother."
A soft laugh escaped her.
Why not?
Savita never even hid it.
Every time Naina entered the mansion, she treated her like the daughter-in-law she truly wanted. Praised her intelligence. Compared her to Aadhira indirectly. Invited her to private family dinners.
Once, Aadhira had overheard Savita saying-
"Some people match status naturally."
That sentence stayed with her for months.
Arjun suddenly stepped closer. "You think I cheated on you?"
The question hiung heavily between them.
Aadhira looked straight into his eyes.
"No," she answered honestly.
That surprised him.
"Then what exactly is your problem?" frustration finally entered his voice. "I gave you everything."
"There," she whispered.
His brows furrowed.
"That's the problem." Tears finally filled her eyes. "You gave me everything except yourself."
Silence crashed between them.
Painful silence.
Arjun stared at her like he genuinely didn't know how to respond.
And maybe he didn't.
Because men like Arjun Oberoi understood business deals better than emotions.
Aadhira wiped her tears before they could fall.
"I spent three years competing with your work, your reputation, your mother's approval... and a ghost from your past."
His expression hardened slightly at the last sentence.
Naina.
Even hearing the name now irritated him.
Not because of guilt.
Because suddenly he realized how deeply Aadhira had been hurting while he kept dismissing it as insecurity.
The realization settled heavily in his chest.
Too late.
Aadhira picked up the divorce papers again and placed them back into his hands carefully.
"This marriage has been ending for a long time, Arjun," she said softly. "I just finally stopped trying to save it alone."
Then she walked past him.
But before she could reach the door, his voice stopped her.
Low.
Dangerous.
"And if I don't agree to the divorce?"
Aadhira's fingers tightened around the doorknob.
For the first time that night, fear mixed with her heartbreak.
Because the tone in Arjun's voice no longer sounded indifferent.
It sounded possessive.