The sterile white walls of the Medical Hospital seemed to close in on Rina as she sat in the cold, sterile room. The doctor's words echoed in her mind, a relentless refrain of despair. "I'm sorry, Ms. Powers, but you've lost the baby."
Her vision blurred as tears welled up, blinding her to the world around her. Rina had been so full of hope, she had been so certain that this pregnancy would be the new beginning she desperately needed in her marriage. She had clung to that hope, nurtured it with dreams of a family reunion, of a second chance at happiness.
But now, all those dreams were shattered like fragile glass, leaving nothing but a painful ache in her chest. She clutched the edge of the hospital bed, her knuckles white, her heart heavy. "No," she sobbed, weakly denying the harsh reality.
As she left the hospital, her steps were slow and heavy, as if the weight of the world was pressing down on her shoulders. The taxi ride home was a blur of city lights and rain-slicked streets. Rina stared out of the window, her mind lost in a sea of grief and regret.
When the taxi pulled up to the familiar gates of her once-happy home, she hesitated before stepping out. This place, which had once been a sanctuary of love and warmth, now felt like a prison. She paid the driver, and as the car disappeared into the night, Rina took a deep breath and pushed open the gate.
Inside, the house was silent, suffocatingly so. Rina's steps echoed through the empty hallways as she made her way to the living room. There, she found Finn, her husband, sitting on the couch with an air of expectancy.
His face, once the epitome of charm and kindness, was now contorted with anger and resentment. He didn't even look at her as he held out a stack of papers.
"Sign these, we're getting divorced!" Finn demanded, his voice cold and cutting.
Two days ago, Rina had been caught in bed with another man at a hotel. But she had no idea about it.
Finn had been out of the country on a business trip. when he had received an anonymous tip and had rushed straight back to the country.
Rina never thought that Finn would leave her to be with another woman. He had lied about it being a business trip.
Even more unimaginable was that her husband seemed to have found out something. He didn't get angry, didn't question her, and didn't give her any chance to explain.
All he said was a cold and indifferent word - divorce!
In that moment, she felt a chill all over her body, her blood almost freezing, looking at the man in front of her in disbelief. Was he really done with their marriage?
"Finn, please, let's not do this… let's not break up…I can't do without you."
"You cannot do without me, you say? Rina I'm not blind yet, you think I don't know that you're a whore? I saw the photos."
"Photos," Rina stuttered…"what photos?"
Finn threw a bunch of photos at her. Slowly, Rina picked them up, and her mouth fell open. W-what were these photos?
Finn's perfectly sculpted face was as cutting as a knife, and his eyes as dark as a pit.
He tossed a document at her, "that is the divorce agreement, sign it as soon as possible."
Rina's trembling fingers reached for the papers on the floor and as she glanced down at them, her heart sank even further. Divorce papers. Her world was unraveling, thread by thread, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
She looked up at Finn, her voice shaky. "Finn, please, can't we talk about this? I really don't understand what this is."
He scoffed, a bitter and humorless laugh escaping his lips. "Talk? What's there to talk about, Rina? You're no longer of any use to me. I take care of literally everything in this house, and all you do is sit at home and cause me trouble. You're literally of no use to me, and just when I thought to continue managing you, you cheated."
His words were like a dagger, stabbing through her heart, and she felt the sting of betrayal cut deep.
He didn't trust her. He didn't believe in her innocence.
How and when did they go from being so in love to this? She could vividly remember how.
It all started two years ago. Although having left the movie industry, Rina was still very much respected and had her loyal fans and the love of netizens.
Old actors gave her her flowers, and new ones came to her for advice. She was well revered and loved not just for her talent. She had given up her career to build a family, it was a decision only a few could make and many netizens acolladed her for it. She was an example to all.
Then one day, she was invited to the unveiling of the biggest cinema in the city. The deluxe cinema. In the cause of the ceremony, she had gone to use the restroom, and had walked in on Edward Jones, an upcoming actor in the industry, in the hallway.
Somehow, the lad had tried to get all cranky with her, but she had pushed him off, only for him to tear his shirt and start screaming for help.
A lot of people gathered and somehow videos and pictures were taken. Edward Jones had accused her of rape, and all evidence had pointed at Rina. His torn shirt and a lipstick mark on the young man's collar that Rina didn't know how it came about.
The videos had circulated on the internet and netizens had gone mad with rage, calling the young actor out as a liar. At first, no one had believed the video, but then other new male acts had come out to accuse Rina of the same thing.
The internet had once again gone mad, but this time, their madness had been redirected to Rina. She had been dragged online, called different names and had lost her reputation. That was the first time Finn doubted her.
Tears fell off Rina's eyes as she remembered this. She also remembered the days when she and Finn had first met, the whirlwind romance that had swept her off her feet. The love that had cost her to give everything all up. And now, this.
Rina's eyes brimmed with tears as she tried to reason with him, to make him see the pain she was in. "Finn, I lost the baby, our baby. Can't you understand how much I've suffered?" She asked, hoping he'd understand. Thinking he'd see the trauma she was passing through and consider his decision.
But Finn's gaze remained cold as ice and unyielding. He leaned forward, his tone dripping with disdain. "Suffered? You think you've suffered? Rina, you've become a burden to me. A has-been actress with no career and no future. All you do is create scandals for yourself on the internet. I won't be dragged down by your failures.
And… who even knows if the miscarried fetus was mine!" He said coldly.
He pointed to the divorce papers scattered everywhere across the room like a cruel mockery of their shattered dreams. Finn stood up, his tall frame casting a shadow over Rina, and without another word, he turned and left coldly, as if looking at her for another moment would make him sick.
Rina panicked, her instinctive reaction faster than her brain. In the instant that Finn turned around, she grabbed his hand.
With a pleading look in her eyes, "Finn, I really didn't…"
Finn turned around and looked at the woman who grabbed his hand with disgust in his eyes.
"Get out!" He shook his hand violently. "Don't touch me with your filthy hands!"
"Bang!"
With great force, Rina was thrown out, hitting her head hard on the edge of the coffee table, making a dull thud.
Finn's disgusted look pierced Rina's heart, but she struggled to hold back her tears as she climbed up.
The next second, she suddenly laughed, tears streaming down her face.
"Finn Smith, four long years in marriage. Do you really see me as that kind of woman?"
Finn sneered at her, his eyes full of contempt, making Rina feel like she was in an ice cave.
"Are you not? Have you forgotten your scandal two years ago, how you tried to lure those young actors to bed? You are sick, Rina. A freak. You need help." He spat and left without looking back.
Rina watched him go, her world crumbling around her. She could not help but wonder if the man that had just walked out on her was Finn, the same gentle and caring man she had fallen in love with five years ago.
It was hard to believe that the man she'd loved, the man she'd given up everything for, had just discarded her like yesterday's news. She sank to her knees, tears streaming down her face, and for the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to cry.
The room was filled with the echoes of her sobs, a symphony of pain and despair. Rina felt utterly alone, abandoned by the man she'd thought she would spend her life with. Rina's trembling hand hovered over the divorce papers, her heart torn between signing away the remnants of her shattered marriage and clinging to the hope of reconciliation.
She sat there all night and into the morning, crying and thinking. She couldn't bring herself to put her name on that cold, unforgiving document, but the weight of reality bore down on her.
In the midst of Rina's despair, suddenly, the sound of high heels clicking on the floor came from outside the door.
A figure in red walked in.