THE CROWNLESS HEIR

PROLOGUE

“Making sure that you will come there earlier so this pizza will not be cold before our customer receive it.”

“Yes, I know.” Nicholai nods.

“Eh, Nick ….”

“What else?” Nicholai who is pressed for time that morning, snoring in annoyance. Who is his boss so fussy, even in this situation which forcing him to minimalize conversations.

“Do not forget to say ‘Enjoy the meal’ to our customer. It is—”

“I know, Mr. Maximillen.” Nicholai cuts. “Nevermind, I will go now so the pizza will not be cold.” Nicholai quickly turns his motor on, leaving that old man.

“See if you do a mistake, Nick, I will not forgive you.” Mr. Maximillen shakes his head.

Nicholai drives his motor with high speed, splitting the city streets which are quiet at that time. People are busy working now, it is not the lunch time.

SCHREECH!

Nicholai brakes his motor so hard when a nowhere old ma suddenly stands a few meters in front of him.

Nicholai sighs of relief because he succeed to hold his motor to not hit that man. Otherwise, he must have spent his day at the police station.

“Sir, can you look around first before you walk? You almost make yourself and other people in an accident.” Nicholai protests.

“I am so sorry, it is my first time to come here and I lost.” That old man answers.

Nicholai shakes his head. Why are the elderly allowed to wander around unsupervised? What is more, it is his first time here. Where is his child? Why his child leaves him like this?

“Take care, Sir!” Nicholai says, then drives his motor again. He does not want to prolong the problem.

Luckily, there is no problem anymore until Nicholai finally comes to the luxury apartment. Nicholai parks his motor in the public parking lot which is located in front of that apartment, then he walks to lift, presses the number 18, the floor where the customer lives.

“Floor 18^th, number 18. The owner is so smart choosing this beautiful number.” Nicholai says.

Ding dong!

Nicholai presses the bel of this unit 18.

“Yes.” Sounds a man from the unit and not longer, that man opens the door.

“Pizza of Mr. Justin Cole?” Nicholai asks, making sure.

“Yes, it is me.” That man nods.

“It is your pizza, Sir. Enjoy the me—”

“Baby, is the pizza coming?”

Nicholai did not finish his sentence. He freezes when he sees who comes.

A beautiful woman with her long blonde hair which he knows very well. This woman comes with her sexy clothes and looks so messy.

“A—Alicia?” Nicholai is stammering, can’t believe with what he sees.

Alicia looks pale.

“You both know to each other?” Justin is surprised.

“She—she is my wife.” Again, Nicholai’s tongue is numb. It is so difficult for him to understand what he looks at today. How can a woman which is still his officially wife in an apartment with a man which Nicholai does not know? And how can they meet with this situation?

“Wife?” Justin is more surprised. He looks at Alice, asking her to tell him.

“Yes, in law, he is still my husband.” Alicia says after silent for a few seconds. “But, but, Baby, I will divorce with him.”

“Divorce?” Now Nicholai is surprised. They never been in a big argue, even lately their relationship is still okay. Why Alicia suddenly said that they will divorce after Nicholai caught her with another man?

“Alicia, what you mean? Divorce? Hey, we even did not have a problem before.”

“For you, it is no problem, Nick. But, for me, our marriage already has problems. I can’t live with this poor life with a pizza currier. I can’t. You know, seeing my friends who always get luxury gift from their husbands, I also want to. But what did I get? I only has to force myself to life in below the poverty line with a husband who only works as a pizza currier every day. I can’t, I am ashamed, Nick.”

“Ashamed? So, cheating on your husband like this, you are not ashamed?”

Alicia shakes her head. “I am never ashamed as long as I have much money. With him, he can buy anything I want. Not like with you which I always eat half stale pizzas, the rest of the people who do not want it anymore. It is so disgusting and ashamed.”

Alicia’s sentences success hurting Nicholai’s heart. For five years marriage, it is the first time Alicia says the bad sentences to Nicholai.

“This is money for you looking for foods.” Alicia says while she is throwing a few money in front of Nicholai’s face before finally she closes the door so loud.

Nicholai freezes, he can’t believe that his wife—a woman who is always be his reason to be excited to do his life will give the hurt wound in his heart. Today, all he did is broken.

Nicholai looks down, taking the money which are scattered on the floor.

Yes, Nicholai admits that his self-respect is so low, even he is okay to take the money from his wife who betrays him. However, in the other hand, Nicholai also really needs the money, no matter how small it is, he will definitely not waste it.

Nicholai goes, leaving the 18^th floor and goes back to the lift.

Nicholai’s tears fall down. At first it was just a drop, then he quickly wipes it away. But, after a while, like a dam that was full, the tears flows without being asked, making it more difficult for Nicholai to wipe them away.

“Stop crying, Nick! You would look like a loser more!” Nicholai screams to himself.

***

Nicholai opens his heavy eyes.

“Ah!” Nicholai sighs heavily. His head is so aching because he cried last night, and now he has to start his day, he has to work anymore. World is not fair.

Nicholai is silent for a while, he looks at the threes in his yard, the leaves start fall down, signifies that autumn has just begun.

Usually, when autumn starts, Alicia will be busiest person and so excited to collect the dry leaves, then she would make the cute and unique accessories.

Huh, again, memories about Alicia comes into Nicholai’s head, reminds Nicholai about how hurt Alicia’s words yesterday.

“Alicia!” Nicholai is surprised when he sees Alicia comes. Smile in the order of Nicholai’s lips suddenly blooms without he realizing it, Nicholai’s heart blooms. A hope that Alicia regrets what she did and she will comes back to Nicholai, it is so big in Nicholai’s heart.

“You are home?” Nicholai asks unbelievably.

Alicia is silent, does not want to reply to Nicholai. That woman walks to her room, and quickly, she takes all of her things into a big suitcase.

“What do you want to do?” Nicholai asks confusingly.

Alicia is still silent, but her hands are still busy.

Nicholai sits, takes Alicia’s hand, making that woman who does not want to look at him, should look at his face clearly.

“What?” Alicia asks with her cold gaze.

“What you mean about it? What do you want to do?” Nicholai asks again.

“What you mean? You do not see that I am taking my things?”

“No, you can’t go!” Nicholai screams, removing Alicia’s body from her suitcase.

“Let me go!” Alicia rebels. “What the hell you are?”

“I should ask you, what the hell you are? I caught you with another man yesterday, and now you are home just for taking your things? You are really want to divorce with me?”

Alicia smiles triumphant, looking one side at a man who is still her official husband.

“Now you know. Yes, I want to divorce.”

Alicia approaches her suitcase again, closing the zip when all of her things are already in her suitcase.

“Take it and do not forget to come to the court on the date!” Alicia says while she is putting a map with the court logo on the table roughly, then she goes.