I want a divorce!

I want a divorce!
At almost five in the morning, she arrived at that house. Her room was dark, but she knew every corner of it, and it filled her with nostalgia. When did she become a woman? Why?
She curled up in her bed, and for a brief moment, she thought of Robert. Then she started to laugh. How could she ever have thought she would fall in love with him? Why did she believe it was possible? All Alice wanted was a divorce, to be free. She needed to talk to her parents to share her decision and get their support, because she knew Robert Graham would resist. Afterward, she had to talk to Sofia because she needed her to help Jared get a good position in her husband's company. And then what? Would she be happy with Jared? He said that was enough, a few small changes, her divorce, and that was it, right?
She slept for about three hours until her mother burst into her room at seven in the morning.
"Alice!" her mother exclaimed loudly as she opened the door. "What does this mean?" She closed the door and crossed her arms.
Mrs. Taylor was very beautiful, her long blonde hair adorned with discreet gray strands that added a charming touch to her hair, and the wrinkles on her face only became visible when she was angry, like she was at that moment.
"Good morning, Mom," they hadn't seen each other in months, and her mother looked angry.
"Good morning, Mom," Alice greeted, but her mother's anger remained. "What's the matter? What are you doing here? Did you come with Robert?"
"What? Of course not. I want to talk to both of you," Alice said and approached to give her mother a kiss and a hug. Her mother was still in her pajamas, and she embraced Alice, then pushed her away suddenly.
"Alice!" her mother's mouth opened in amazement. How could her daughter fit into that tiny dress? "But... you lost so much weight," she smiled from ear to ear and then hugged Alice again. "You look beautiful! You're stunning!"
"Thank you. Is Dad awake yet? I have something important to tell you both."
"He's in the kitchen. Will you join us for breakfast?" her mother invited.
"Yes," Alice said and left her room, arm in arm with her mother. "I've missed you so much. Why didn't you come to visit me? Why didn't anyone come?"
"Because you don't want to get used to married life, and us being in your house or you in ours only makes it harder for you to leave our nest, my girl."
"That doesn't make sense."
"Why not?"
"I agreed to get married. I did what you asked."
"And has it worked?"
"Why should a marriage between two people who don't love each other work?" Alice descended the stairs carefully. "It hasn't worked, and you both know it."
"Your attitude isn't helping."
"It's because of Robert! I tried to do my part, but how could I when he was never around? We went months without seeing each other!"
"And why are you yelling at me?" her mother asked slowly. "It's clear that you haven't done enough if you have to yell at me for me to believe you."
"I'm sorry, Mom. But this topic makes me so irritated."
"What did we agree on, all three of us?" her mother asked, entering the kitchen. Her father stood up and welcomed their daughter with a hug. Everyone knew the marriage wasn't going well, that because they didn't agree, things weren't going smoothly, especially after the death of their son a few months ago.
Sitting at the table, Alice waited for them to have breakfast.
Mr. Taylor didn't comment on his daughter's new appearance; he never commented on her weight, even if she was thin.
"Alice, what's the reason for your visit?" her father looked her in the eye, and he had already told her his opinion on divorce. Would his daughter bring up the same topic they had already discussed?
"I'm going to be honest. I spent my entire pregnancy alone. I saw him maybe three or four times at most during that time. He hates me! There was never any time to try anything. Robert Graham hates me."
"And does he want a divorce?"
"It's not about Robert; it's about me."
"Now you're both one, Alice. It's about both of you. What does he think? We know your opinion on the matter."
"In this way, this conversation won't go anywhere," she complained, leaning her hands on the table. If she let her father set the pace, she wouldn't be able to express all of her complaints about her husband. "Let me talk; I have many reasons why there's no need to try anything, and I want a divorce immediately, Dad. You and I reached an agreement, but it's not as simple as that. We're never together; he thinks he owns me, makes decisions for me, and won't let me leave the house! Am I a prisoner? I've been patient only because of what I promised you, but I've endured too much. I don't want this anymore. He's always gone, then he arrives like nothing happened, and I don't enjoy having sex with him," she admitted with embarrassment. "I don't like it. It's uncomfortable with Robert. I don't want to do it."
"So he forces you?" her mother asked cautiously.
"It's not like we've done it many times. But if I don't want to, he insists. I didn't come here to talk about sex with my husband. If I desired him, I would insist, just like he does. Sex isn't the problem, not the main problem. The reality is that we don't love each other, not as people, not as spouses, not as lovers. We are complete opposites. I want to divorce Robert Graham, and I'm here to tell you that. I've given you my reasons. Besides that, he wants children, and I don't. Not anymore."
That part overwhelmed her parents.
"A loss isn't the end, Alice. You might want to be a mother again in the future. You can't close yourself off to that. I understand that things aren't going well, and you don't want to get pregnant again, but you might want it later."
"I don't want to be a mother," she repeated. "I've already told you about my divorce. Dad, tell me something."
Mr. Taylor sighed and stood up.
"I'll call you in a few days for you to come here, and then I'll give you my answer," he said and left, leaving Alice alone with her mother.
"What do you think, Mom? I need you to convince Dad. I don't want to be married to Robert. He thinks I'm stuck-up, believes I'm above him. I don't know, but I don't want this anymore."
"You remind me of Sofia. Do you remember her? When she got married, she hated him with all her might, made that man's life impossible in every way possible, and made up the rest to continue tormenting him. She wanted to force him to ask for a divorce, to get tired of her, to hate her too."
"You can't compare Robert to him. Robert is a monster."
"He was too, until he fell in love
. And it didn't take long, I know it didn't take long because that was the only way he could put up with someone like Sofia, too much character for one woman. Not all men can handle that; it's hard for them. And you're like that calm storm until you wake up," she laughed, recalling those years. All her daughters were the same, and Alice was no exception. "Your father has always chosen well, and I know he didn't make a mistake with Robert."
"Maybe he made a mistake with me."
"Let's say he did," her mother put a hand on her daughter's face and turned it toward her. "With him, you might be able to deceive him, but since you mentioned sex, I knew what was happening. You love another man, Alice. Who?"
"You know I won't tell you," she said, apologizing with her gaze.
"Are you planning to divorce to be with him?"
"Once I'm free... I'll be happy."
"Because you'll be with him? What do you think happiness is for you? Do you think it's with someone else? We build our own happiness, and we don't give that responsibility to our partner. Nowadays, it's very hard to be happy; imagine now that someone has to be responsible for making the other happy. You're mistaken if you expect happiness to come from a man you claim to love. We're responsible for our own happiness, Alice."
"My happiness won't come from Robert, that's for sure."
"Are you the one who hates him? If you love another man, it's you who hates Robert for being the one who keeps you from being with your beloved," she stood up, angry. "More than seeing it as an obligation, you should think about what you really want, Alice. You're already an adult; you could insist on the divorce and achieve it, but... I don't think it's going to be easy for Robert to be with a woman who loves another man. You made your decision; you have to face it. It can't work if your mind is only on that man." Her mother leaned toward her, gathered her hair, and moved closer to her ear. "Maybe if you don't think about another man during sex, you could enjoy it." Alice's skin tingled, feeling exposed in front of her mother. How did she know that? "Does he know? Does he know that you love another man?" She nodded in confirmation. "Then Robert is living in hell too, not just you."
"Don't tell Dad, please," she begged her mother.
Her mother didn't respond and left the room.
What would her father decide?