Chapter2
1190 Words
APRIL'S POV
My hands trembled at the papers in my hand as I stared at the man who vowed at the altar to love me till death do us part, the man who swore never to cause me pain.
The man at the altar was gone and in his place stood this merciless stranger.
“Can I talk to you, please?” I said in desperation, trying to reach out for his hand, but he slipped it into his pocket.
“Say whatever it is you want to say here because she's not leaving,” Lucien replied absentmindedly, crushing my heart further.
Taking calm breaths, I said. “Just when were you going to tell me that your ex was back in town? I was the one who fixed and helped you heal after she messed with your heart, remember? Don't you think this is a bit unfair to me?”
Lucien looked me straight in the face. “I didn't beg for your love and attention, April, so don't blame me now that things aren't going your way. There are mistakes I've made and one of them is this marriage. Now, all you need to do is sign the f*****g papers and go pack your things,”
My heart dropped at the words. In that instance, I felt like an attention-seeking puppy abandoned by the very owner it cherished.
“What if…we had a child? Would things have turned out differently between us?” I forced the words out, swallowing past the bile in my throat.
“A child?” Lucien chuckled dryly. “I've never been so glad we don't have a child. It'd break me,”
I shuddered. “Wh–what do you mean?”
“Have you gone dumb?” Lena interjected, her tone laced with mockery. “We're more than grateful there is no child to deal with the aftermath of your failed marriage,”
When I swiped through my eyes, I realized that my tears had dropped. I sniffed it back, determined that these two wouldn't break me. My pregnancy meant nothing and they had just made that clear.
“Instead of adopting a pity charade, sign the damn papers. Don't you see you're not wanted here, or is it a special trait of yours to make life difficult for everyone?” Lena hissed, her voice dripping with venom.
“Did you ever love me, Lucien?” I asked the lingering question in my mind, ignoring Lena and her disdainful look.
His face tightened and he slowly shook his head like my question disgusted him. “No, I've never loved you and I think you should stop asking useless questions and move on, before my feelings for you grow into…hatred. Anger,”
The words tore through me, sharp and agonizing, like a dagger had been plunged into my chest. Wiping the tears that rolled down my cheeks, I reached for the divorce papers and signed on each before passing them to Lucien.
Lena released a giggle, her happiness at my humiliation written all over her face like an open book. “Go pack your bags, loser. I can't sleep with you under the same roof. You might try to choke me to death,” She spat.
“As a final act of courtesy, I'll rent you a hotel where you can stay till the divorce proceedings are concluded,” Lucien said in a calm tone, but it sounded cringe to me.
Lifting my right palm, I shook my head. “That won't be necessary. I can take care of myself,”
“Then go ahead, take care of yourself, and stop being a nuisance,” Lena snickered before turning to pepper Lucien's face with kisses. “Let's go, honey. Our job here is done. See? I told you it wasn't going to be a big deal breaking up with her,”
Lucien nodded with a broad smile. “Feels like some damn weight has been lifted off my shoulders,”
With that, they walked away and I was left standing alone in the cold night with my lungs threatening to collapse while wondering what the hell just happened.
*****
The next morning, I packed my belongings shortly after Lucien left for work. Although I had no mapped-out place to stay, I wasn't bothered. All I wanted was to leave this house that held so many ugly memories.
As I approached the gate, I saw Lena standing there, her hands glued to her waist like a woman on a mission. Only this time I could sense it was a dangerous mission.
“So you sneaked into my house last night even after I warned you to keep off?” She spat.
I held back a scoff. The audacity of her to address my former matrimonial home as “hers” was enough reason to level her a warning glare. When I finally spoke, I couldn't hide the anger in my tone. “Get out of my way,”
“Off to your lover's place?” She inquired with a snort. “You didn't accept the hotel Lucien booked for you which is very weird. Wait…did you really think Lucien would end up loving you after stealing my spot?” She giggled. “I'm the only one Lucien truly loves, not a piece of s**t who doesn't know the difference between love and being clingy,”
“Your mistake was clinging unto Lucien like a blind fool,” She added mockingly, a smirk playing on her lips.
Her words pierced through me like a double-edged sword, each stroke punctuating the reality of my shattered marriage. I couldn't cry. Nah, I wouldn't cry.
“Get out of the way,” I repeated, but in my attempt to push past her, the pregnancy report paper I got from the hospital mistakenly slipped from my jacket to the floor.
Instincts kicked in and I reached out for the paper, but Lena beat me to it. She snatched the paper and accessed me with a suspicious look before directing her eyes to the papers and opening it.
She blinked first in confusion, then twice in surprise. Her eyes widened as a gasp escaped her lips. She looked almost afraid. “Y–you are pregnant for my Lucien?"
Swallowing hard, I nodded, even though I had this urge to ignore her. “Yes, I'm pregnant for Lucien. What would you do about it,”
Her hands trembled as she scanned through the report again, her face pale like she had just seen a ghost. “No…this cannot be true. I refuse to believe that…that you're pregnant for Lucien,”
“Why? Are you afraid?” I let out a light chuckle. “Although I hate to say it, Lucien and I were intimate during our marriage, hence the reason why I'm carrying his child,” My hands traveled and rested on my belly.
“You're a liar!” Lena suddenly screamed, unable to control her anger. It happened so fast and before I knew it, I was being pushed to the floor with a force that left me breathless.
- Writer
