Blinded by vows

Emily sat in the car for a moment before stepping out, her fingers resting lightly on her stomach. The doctor’s words still echoed in her mind. You’re pregnant. For years those were the two words she had longed to hear. For years she and Gael had waited, hoping and praying that one day their home would no longer feel so quiet. There had been hospital visits, tests, and months when hope slowly turned into disappointment. But today everything has changed. A small smile touched her lips as she stepped out of the car. The evening air was cool, brushing softly against her skin, but inside she felt warm. She imagined Gael’s face when she told him. He would be surprised first, then happy. She could almost see him laughing, pulling her into his arms the way he used to when they were younger. Emily pushed the gate open and walked inside. The house was quiet. Not unusual, but something about the silence felt different tonight. She removed her heels near the entrance and walked across the marble floor. The soft sound of her steps echoed through the large living room. “Gael?” she called. No answer. She frowned slightly. Maybe he was in his office. Lately, he spent more time there, buried in documents and business calls. She had given him access to most of her companies months ago. It felt natural at the time. They were married. Everything she had was his too. At least that was what she believed. Emily moved further into the house. Then she stopped. Gael was standing in the middle of the living room. He looked as if he had been waiting. His posture was stiff, his expression unreadable. In his hand was a single sheet of paper. Relief washed over her for a moment. “There you are,” she said, smiling as she walked closer. “I was just about to come look for you.” He didn’t smile back. Emily slowed her steps. Something felt wrong. “What is it?” she asked gently. Gael didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he stepped forward and held out the paper toward her. “Sign this.” She took the paper from his hand, confused. “What is it?” Her eyes scanned the first line. Then the second. For a moment, she didn’t understand what she was reading. And then she laughed. “This… this is a joke, right?” she said, looking up at Gael. Surely it had to be. But Gael’s face was cold. He didn't laugh. He didn't even smile . “You want a divorce?” she asked. “Yes.” The single answer landed heavily in the room and that was when she knew that the papers in her hands no longer looked like a joke. Emily shook her head slowly and the smile on her lips faded completely. “But… why?” she asked. “Have I done anything wrong?” He looked away briefly, as though the conversation bored him. “This marriage isn’t working.” Emily stared at him in disbelief. “Isn’t it working?” she repeated. “We’ve been together for a good seven years, Gael! Seven years! We built this life together.” His gaze returned to her. “And now it’s over, he said coldly.” Her chest tightened. Just hours ago, she had been sitting in a hospital room, hearing the heartbeat of the child they had both wanted so badly. Now the man standing in front of her was speaking as if none of those years mattered. Emily swallowed hard and asked again, “Did I do something wrong?” Gael sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re making this harder than it needs to be.” Her grip on the paper tightened further. “Harder?” she whispered. “You walk into our home, hand me divorce papers, and you think I’m the one making it hard?” He didn’t respond. The silence between them stretched. Emily studied his face carefully. She remembered the first time she met him at university. He was confident, charming, and ambitious. Back then she had admired the way he spoke about the future. He had told her he didn’t care about her wealth, that he admired her mind more than her money. She had believed him. Now she wondered if she had ever truly known him. “Is there someone else?” she asked quietly. Gael’s jaw tightened slightly. “That’s not the point.” Emily felt a small, painful laugh rise in her throat. “It usually is.” He didn’t deny it. That silence answered everything. For a moment, Emily closed her eyes. She thought of the baby. The words she had been planning to say when she walked into this room. Gael, we’re finally going to have a child. The thought made her chest ache. Her hand drifted unconsciously to her stomach. Gael noticed the movement. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked. “Nothing,” she said quickly. She lowered her hand. Now wasn’t the time. Something inside her warned her not to tell him. Not like this. “Just sign the papers,” Gael said. Emily looked down at the document again. Her name was printed neatly near the bottom of the page. Everything about it felt so final. “You’ve already prepared everything,” she said slowly. “Yes.” “You planned this.” He didn’t argue. The realization sent a chill down her spine. “How long?” she asked. Gael didn’t answer. Emily lifted her eyes to his again. “How long have you been planning this?” He shrugged slightly. “Does it matter?” The casualness in his voice hurt more than anger would have. Emily took a step back. Her mind began to race. Over the past few months, Gael had asked her to sign several documents. Business restructures, he had said. Adjustments to make things run more smoothly. She had signed them without question. She trusted him. “You asked me to sign those company papers,” she said slowly. “Yes.” “You said they were just routine changes.” “Yes, they were.” Emily’s stomach dropped. “What kind of changes?” Gael’s eyes hardened. “You should speak to your lawyers.” Her breath caught. “Gael… what did you do?” He looked at her for a long moment and walked out on her. Emily shouted his name. “Gael! Gael!” But he didn't look back. Finally, Emily folded the paper in her hands, sat down on the couch, still trying to figure out where everything went wrong, but she couldn't just wrap her head around it. Her hands trembled slightly as she placed them over her stomach. “Everything will be okay,” she whispered softly. A few minutes later, her phone buzzed on the table beside her. She ignored it at first. It buzzed again. Then again. Frowning, Emily reached for it. The screen lit up with a message from her financial manager. We need to talk immediately. Her brows pulled together. Another message followed. Several of your accounts have been frozen. Frozen? Emily sat up straight. A third notification appeared. An emergency board meeting is scheduled for tonight. Her heart began to beat faster. She hadn’t approved any meetings. Her phone started ringing. She answered. “Emily,” her lawyer’s voice said urgently. “Where are you?” “At home. What’s going on?” There was a brief pause at the other end. “You need to come to the office right now.” “Why?” Another pause. Then the words came slowly. “Gael filed more than divorce papers.” Emily’s fingers tightened around the phone. “What else did he file?” Her lawyer hesitated. Then he said quietly, “Control claims.” Emily asked, “Control of what?” The lawyer replied, “Control of all your properties, Em.” Emily couldn't hold it back any longer, and she just lay down and began to cry. Someone she trusted her whole life had just betrayed her without looking back when she thought their life was about to change for the better. Emily looked around the house she once felt safe in. For the first time, it didn’t feel like home anymore. And deep inside her, a quiet fear began to grow. This divorce was only the beginning.