Chapter 53 Divorce
Vivienne's POV
"Hey babe, you know it's been three years since we got married and I think we should throw an intimate marriage anniversary party," I said, smiling while wrapping my hands around his waist from behind.
His face wasn't visible enough for me to see his reaction because he was standing there looking out the window. The evening light was coming through the glass, making his silhouette look dark and distant.
"And you know tomorrow makes it exactly three years since I saw you in that dark alley, bleeding and barely alive. I also think we should celebrate your being alive, celebrate us," I continued, my voice soft and warm.
I traced small kisses along his bare shoulder, hoping he would turn around and smile at me the way he used to.
But he didn't turn around.
"I want a divorce."
The words dropped into the room like a bomb. Like someone had suddenly cut off all the air from my lungs. I couldn't breathe.
I heard it. I heard it loud and clear but my mind refused to accept it. I pretended that I didn't hear him right. Maybe I misheard. Maybe he said something else. I needed to be sure if I heard correctly.
"What did you say?" I asked again, my voice already cracking like broken glass. I could feel the tears building up behind my eyes, hot and heavy, threatening to stream down my face any second now.
He wasn't rude about it. He wasn't harsh or angry. He was calm. Too calm. He spoke the words softly, gently even, like someone whispering sweet nothings to his wife. Like he was telling me he loved me instead of destroying me.
"I said, I want a divorce and it's not up for debate or discussion. The lawyer will send you the papers to sign tomorrow."
That was it. Those were his final words.
I couldn't say anything back. The words wouldn't form in my mouth. My lips refused to move on their own, like they were glued shut. I just stood there frozen, watching his shadow move across the wall as he walked away from me. He didn't look back. Not even once.
My breath hitched in my throat. I couldn't breathe properly anymore. Each breath felt like swallowing broken glass.
I know it's a contract marriage. I've always known that from the beginning. But somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling like one. It felt real. He made me fall for him. He made me love him with every part of my being.
I helped build his business back up from where I met it, helped regained his CEO position, spent sleepless nights working beside him, cared for him when he was sick, laughed with him, lived with him. And now this? This is how it ends?
I have never grieved a loved one before in my life. I don't even know if I should cry or just sit here and stare at nothing. I didn't witness the death of my mom since I was still a baby when she passed away. Dad never talked about it much. But this? A divorce is definitely worth grieving for. This feels like death. But somehow, the tears refused to fall. They were stuck somewhere inside me, choking me but not coming out.
Just then my phone buzzed loudly on the dressing mirror, breaking the horrible silence in the room.
I walked over slowly, my legs feeling weak and shaky. I picked it up and opened the message. It was from our family lawyer. David Anderson. The same man who drafted our marriage contract three years ago.
"Do come by my office tomorrow morning. You have documents waiting."
That's all it said.
Straight to the point. Simple and cold. No extra lines. No extra words. Not needed. He didn't even bother with pleasantries.
I just sat down heavily on our bed. The bed we've shared for three years. The bed where he held me on bad nights. The bed where we made love. The bed where I felt safe.
Now it just felt empty and cold.
I sat there thinking of all the ways I might have offended him over the years. All the times I had to disobey his instructions because I thought I knew better. All the small arguments we had. Little things that didn't seem to matter at the time but maybe they did. Maybe they added up.
Maybe I pushed him too far without realizing it.
My mind kept wandering, going over every conversation, every moment, every word I said or didn't say. Trying to find the exact moment where everything went wrong. Trying to find the moment he stopped loving me.
If he ever loved me at all.
And my mind wandered to a far place. Back to three years ago. Back to that dark alley where I found him.