"I never wanted to disappoint you, Grams. I never…" Reyona paused as she realised that she had unconsciously never wanted what happened to her parents to happen to her; she did not want an unhappy home or a separated one. Even as that feeling sank in, she remembered the vow she made to herself on her wedding day. "Till death do us part indeed," she laughed bitterly as more tears squeezed out of her eyes, unaware that her vice was carrying on the night wind. "
"I was such a fool. I am such a fool. I have failed, grandmother. I have a husband who would rather be with another woman than make a family with me. I have a mother-in-law who could look me straight in the eyes despite all I have done and still deceive me along with her son. I…" She was unable to continue as her breath started heaving and she was crying profusely.
The floodgate had finally opened, and she had no idea how to stop it. She stopped trying, and she let it all out. Silently, she wept her soul out right in front of the home. She had had many beautiful dreams about the man she thought she would spend the rest of her life with.
Reyona's anguish poured out bitterly right there in the driveway that she rode with her beloved when going on many of the loving trips she made sure they never let go of to keep their marriage strong.
"How am I supposed to believe and accept that a man who loved and showered me such affection throughout these years has been acting? How…" She felt her heart close to bursting from anguish as she stopped talking and rested her head against the wheel as more hot tears flowed from her face, plopping on her exposed toe.
"I tried, Grams. I tried, yet I am not enough." She shook her head as bitterness welled in her heart and the fleeting thought that maybe it was a genetic thing passed through her mind.
"Clever of you to think you can make it happen when your parents couldn't," her mind's voice whispered sarcastically, and she let out a wet laughter that only ended in an anguished cry.
"I am so stupid. I was so…" She laid her head back against the headrest and stared into the distance as images and memories passed through her mind's eye.
The sound of the opening door sounded closed, but Reyona was too deep in her thoughts to hear it. Not even when the door closed, did she give any indication that she was aware of anything.
A voice jolted her from her thought, and her eyes flew open when she heard, "Reyona? What are you doing here? Why are you not coming inside?" Then he leaned closer as he peered into her face. "Have you been crying?" Disbelief was shown in his face, and he hurriedly opened her door to touch her shoulder.
"There he is," Reyona thought wearily. "My beloved husband, my soon-to-be ex-husband,. The man I gave a lot of my life to. The one who owns my shattered dreams"
She raised her hand to his face as she trailed his features as if she were trying to commit them to memory. The fact that she could remember Leah's face through him was another source of anguish for her. Reyona remembered the first day she met his children physically. Out of the three of them, the image of the youngest had stayed with her the most. That image had been the reason why she felt guilty for having a hand in their mother's being away from them.
"Well, I am done with all that now," she thought to herself firmly. Her waning strength came back as she gave him a long look beneath her lid as she trailed her hands on his face before tucking his newly cut brown hair beneath his ear.
"Are you okay, Rey?" he asked, and her gaze went to his lips. She wondered how many times those lips had lied to her and remembered vividly how he had driven her crazy most of the time with those lips.
"I loved you," she said quietly, so quietly that he needed to lean closer to hear her.
He moved back and looked at her. "Yes, I know, and I love you too. You still haven't told me while you are seated with her in the cold and crying, though.
Reyona shook her head, as she knew that he did not get what she was talking about. "I loved you for the better part of my life," she said, and she laid her slender finger against his lips when he wanted to talk against her. She shrunk away from him when he tried to lift her, and she continued, "I wanted to continue loving you. I wanted a family with you. I was honest in everything, but what did I get? I got... you," she stated wearily.
All the assertive way she had intended to tell it to his face that their union could be no more was gone as she spoke in the barest of a whisper.
"What are you talking about, Rey?" he asked in confusion "Of course, you got me. I am your husband, aint I?"
"Not anymore," she stated simply.
"What?" Thomas gave her a disbelieving look.
"I am divorcing you," she said, trying to move past him as she wanted to get out of the car.
"What a joke!" he said with a smile. "Ah, ah, yes, I am laughing now," he said with an attempt at humor, even though she could see that she was confused "Yes, the joke is over now, babe. Now tell me what is going on."
Reyona gave him a straight look and pushed at his shoulder to pass him. She lost her footing as she stepped down, and she mistakenly stepped on him.
He swiftly held her so she wouldn't fall and asked again "What are you talking about, Reyona? I don't understand."
"Let go of me," she said firmly, and he reluctantly did. She stepped back and gave him a direct look. "I want you to listen very well to me, Thomas. I am no longer interested in this marriage with you; I want a divorce." Her voice rang clear and true, the earlier breathiness gone from her tone.
Even though her face was still a bit puffy from the earlier crying, her eyes were totally dry and devoid of tears now.
"You can't just say something like that to me and expect me to believe it, you know. Why would you want to divorce me when I did nothing wrong?" He asked in a heated voice.
Reyona realised that she could still find enough strength in her for amusement as she smiled at him. "If you can still sit there and boldly say that to me despite all you did,. Then I have not realised how truly shameless you can be."
Reyona said it sadly and turned to leave.
He pulled at her arm, trying to hold her in place as he said, "What did I do? We did not have a fight, and you think you can just... aargh!" His tirade was cut short when Reyona lost her temper at the way he was pulling at her, and she flung her arm away from his grasp, turned back, and gave him a resounding slap.
It happened so fast that Reyona herself was more surprised at her action. She had never been a violent person. People had always called her rational because she preferred using her words to her fist, no matter how bad the situation was.
The shocking look on Thomas's face was more than enough to express how surprised he was at her action. He held his palm to his face for a while as his eyes bulged out in shock.
"What would you hit me for?" he yelled at her. "Are you crazy?"
"Yes, I am," Reyona said simply. "I am crazy for ever saying yes to a scumbag like you. I am crazy for ever lowering my standards for a bastard like you. I am crazy forever pinning my hope on an asshole like you! Do you need a list? I can assure you that you will never be able to go through it fast enough," she stated evenly before turning away from him like a fish caught on a hook.
"I did not even do anything to you! You bitch!" he yelled after her.
Reyona scoffed, "Yeah, there goes my man."
She ignored the sound of his footsteps behind her as she approached the porch.