chapter one: falling apart
The dining room is decorated in such a way that it looks like it came straight out of a high end magazine. Every single detail had been meticulously arranged by me with the help of Agatha,the house help. Candles flickered softly in heavy crystal holders,casting a warm, romantic setting in the dining room. In the center sat Julian's favourite meal,braised short ribs over rice. His favourite wine is sitting pretty chilled by the side.
Sarah adjusted her pretty silk dress,checking out herself one last time before Julian comes in. Today marks their third year being married. To her, the last had been nothing but exciting and sweet. He was her high school sweetheart. Though Julian is a very busy man,but when he’s done with work, he shows her love in ways unimaginable. He really loves me …… or so she thought.
he heavy mahogany front door flung open, echoing through the mansion. Sarah’s heart leaped with joy as she dried her hands and hurried out of the dining room to greet him with a bright smile and a warm embrace.
“Honey, you’re home!”she called out, stepping towards him with open arms. “You wouldn’t even guess it. i made us–”
Julian didn’t say a word. He didn’t take off his coat as usual, nor did he even spare her a glance. He brushed past her coldly, loosening his silk tie with frustrated aggression.
“We need to talk.Upstairs. In the bedroom. Now!!”, he snapped,his voice flat and devoid of any love and affection.
The smile instantly disappeared from Sarah’s face. It was replaced by an uncomfortable knot forming in her tummy.
“Is something wrong,Julian”? She asked,as she followed him closely towards the bedroom. “ Dinner is ready, I made your favourite braised short ribs and–”
“does it look like I care about dinner right now. Just do as I say.”
Panic begins to set in as they made it to the master bedroom suite.Julian was standing near the edge of their king sized bed, His back to her,scrolling on his phone.
“Julian?”she called out softly, stepping behind him. “ what's the matter. You look rather unusual.”
Julian stopped scrolling. He didn't answer her rather, he reached into his leather briefcase, pulled out a brown envelope and slammed it onto the white duvet.
Sarah stared at the papers,her breathe held. “What is that?”
“Open it and read it.” He said coldly
With uncertainty, Sarah stepped forward and picked up the brown envelope. She opened it, her eyes scanned the bold terrifying heading at the top of the first page.
PETITION OF DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE.
DIVORCE DECREE.
Breath immediately left her lungs in a sharp and painful gasp. Her head snapped up, eyes wide and body shaking.
“What the heck is this?” Her voice cracked into a hysterical laugh out of sheer disbelief.
“Why are you….is this a joke? Because it has to be a joke. Why the f**k are you issuing divorce papers, Julian?”.
Julian let out a chuckle, finally turning around to face her. His eyes were cold, completely dead of any affection.
“The only joke here is the fact that you think I'm joking. I want out I'm sick and tired of being caged. I'm so done with this marriage.”
Sarah clutched the papers tight against her chest. Every where became blurry. She felt the ground shaking. She wished the ground would just open up and swallow her, thereby relieving her of this nightmare.
“Caged?” She echoed as her voice slowly began to rise. .””What on earth are you talking about?who is caging who? We've been happy Julian!we love each other– we've built a life together baby. Why are you suddenly doing this now? “
Julian scoffed, a cruel, dismissive sound that cut deeper than any physical blade. He slid his hands into his pockets, looking down at her as if she were a pathetic stranger who had overstayed her welcome in his home.
"Did you say Happy?" he sneered, his lip curling. "You and who Is happy? Is everything really good, Sarah? Wake up. I don't love you. My heart has never been with you. I suffocated every single day in this house, playing the doting husband just to keep the family peace and satisfy the board's image requirements."
The words hit her like a quiver of poisoned arrows. Tears spilled over her eyelashes instantly, hot and blinding, tracking tracks down her pale cheeks.
"That's a lie," she sobbed, her voice breaking completely. "You said—you told me you loved me, you said you can't live without me. You said I was your light.”
"People say a lot of things when they're trapped and trying to keep up appearances," he interrupted coldly, waving a hand dismissively. "I'm done pretending. Sign the papers, Sarah. It’s over."
Anger suddenly flared through the agonizing, suffocating pain, mixing with her heartbreak into a volatile cocktail of emotions. She looked at the man she had dedicated every waking second of her life to for three years, realizing she was looking at a complete stranger wearing his face.
"No," Sarah choked out, her tears turning to fierce, unyielding defiance. "I won't sign it. You don't just spring a divorce on me after three years of 'happiness' without a single warning sign! If you want to throw our marriage away like trash, you are going to have to look me in the eye and give me a credible reason why!"
Julian’s face erupted into dark, ugly rage. He stepped toward her, towering over her with pure venom in his eyes.
"I don't owe you a damn explanation woman!" he roared, his voice shaking the windows. "I don't need your permission to make a decision about my own life! You will sign those papers, or I will make your life a living hell until you do!"
"You must be out of your f*****g mind!" Sarah countered, her voice shaking with righteous fury as she gripped the papers tighter. "I am not going to sign the papers. You'll have to come back to your senses. We will sort out our differences and remain married!!!”
With a sudden, violent motion fueled by pure adrenaline, she raised the papers and ripped them straight down the middle. She tore them again, and again, letting the shredded pieces flutter like mocking snow onto the floor around his feet.
Julian didn't even flinch. He just watched her destroy them, a cold, humorless smirk twisting his lips.
"Jokes on you, Sarah," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, icy whisper. "I have another copy printed in my car. And another one waiting with my corporate lawyer downtown. You can tear up a thousand copies, but it’s not going to change the fact that you are getting rid of my last name."
Without waiting for another word, he turned on his heel, grabbed his leather briefcase from the chair, and walked out of the bedroom, slamming the door so hard the glass in the vanity mirror rattled violently.
The heavy click of the lock downstairs echoed up the stairwell.
Silence descended on the massive, empty bedroom. The warmth of the dinner downstairs felt like a lifetime away, a cruel mockery of what she thought her life was. Left entirely alone in the wreckage of her marriage, Sarah slid slowly down the side of the bed, burying her face in her hands as the dam finally broke, and she wept until she couldn't breathe.
