Chapter 16
1212 Words
Isabella
The next morning, I woke to music, but not just any type of music. Soft music to be precise.
For a moment, still half asleep, I frowned slightly against the pillow as the melody drifted faintly through the room. It was slow, familiar and painfully nostalgic.
Our song. My chest tightened instantly as I recognized it.
William used to play it constantly during the first year of our marriage. On quieter nights, he would pull me into his arms in the middle of the living room and sway with me slowly while the lights stayed dim around us.
Back then, I used to think moments like that meant he loved me, now I wondered if he had simply been lonely.
I opened my eyes fully and stared at the ceiling for a second before slowly sitting up.
The room was brighter than usual, sunlight spilling through the curtains in soft golden streaks and I couldn't help but think about last night.
Last night I'd told him I wanted a divorce. He'd thought it was a joke, or perhaps I was stressed. He even went as far as opting to sleep in the living room if I needed time or space to think.
I hated that I'd fallen asleep almost immediately after he'd left. What if he'd crept back into the room when I wasn't aware?
“Stop it.” I scolded myself as I pushed the thought aside. My leg ached faintly as I stood and reached for my cane.
The music grew clearer once I stepped into the hallway, and then, I smelled food.
I blinked, because that alone was strange enough to make me pause. William was almost never home this early, and making breakfast? That was literally unheard of.
Confused, I made my way downstairs carefully, and the moment I reached the kitchen entrance, I froze.
William stood by the stove in a dark shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, one hand holding a spatula while the other adjusted something on the counter.
The sight felt so unfamiliar it almost looked unreal, especially because he was smiling.
“Morning,” he said the second he noticed me standing there.
I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, my gaze swept slowly across the kitchen. Breakfast was already spread across the counter. It held pancakes, eggs, fruit and coffee, literally my favorite breakfast.
“You’re awake earlier than I expected,” The music continued quietly in the background as William said casually. “Breakfast will be ready soon.”
“William.” I stared at him for another second before finally speaking. “What are you doing? What's going on?”
“Isn't it obvious?” His smile softened slightly. “Making breakfast for my wife.”
The answer came so naturally that for a moment, anger and confusion tangled together painfully inside me. If this had happened a month ago, I probably would have cried from happiness, now all I felt was exhausted.
“And your mother?”I leaned lightly against the doorway while I asked quietly. “Did you get permission before making all this noise? I wouldn't want to get your beloved mother all riled up for nothing, and before her morning coffee too?”
“Bella.”.William sighed immediately, already sounding mildly annoyed.
“I’m serious.” My grip tightened around my cane slightly. “She hates me and she hates noise. Isn’t this behavior unacceptable? What would she think? And seeing her beloved alpha by the stove?”
Something flickered across his face at the word “hates.” I expected him to last out, to say I was being difficult, but he did none of those.
“Don’t worry about my mother,” he said firmly. “I’ll handle her.”
Handle her, well that was interesting.
Three years, three years of silence and nonchalance and suddenly now he wanted to handle things.
Before I could say anything else, William crossed the kitchen toward me.
“Come here.”
“What….” I barely got the word out before he gently took my free hand and pulled me closer.
The music swelled softly around us, and then he started dancing with me. He was slow and careful, making sure there wasn't any added pressure on my leg.
One hand rested lightly against my waist while the other held mine gently, guiding me into an easy turn.
My breath caught slightly in my throat, and for one dangerous second, muscle memory almost betrayed me. I almost leaned into him because this, this used to be us.
William smiled faintly as he twirled me again, noticeably careful with my injured leg.
“There,” he murmured. “See? You haven’t forgotten.”
I hated how familiar this felt, hated how my body still remembered him so easily. We moved together for another couple of seconds before reality crashed back into me hard enough to hurt.
“William.” I sighed softly and pulled away from him. “There’s no need to do this.”
“Bella.” William’s expression shifted slightly. “What do you mean?”
“I mean exactly what I said.” I snapped back, anger slowly boiling in my veins.
He stared at me for a second before suddenly reaching out and pinching my cheek lightly. The gesture caught me completely off guard, I almost stumbled.
“You’re still angry,” he said with quiet amusement, like he had finally solved some impossible mystery.
“I know I haven’t spent enough time with you lately.” He shook his head slightly. “That’s my fault. I accept my mistakes.”
“So I’ll fix it,”My jaw tightened but he didn't seem to notice as he continued easily. “But I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear all that nonsense about divorce yesterday.”
“William…” I trailed off as something cold settled heavily in my chest.
“And don’t mention it again,” he added casually, waving one hand dismissively before turning back toward the stove.
I stared at him in disbelief. For a moment, I genuinely wondered if he had lost his mind.
“You think I wasn’t serious?”
“No, Bella.” He glanced at me over his shoulder. “I know you’re emotional right now.”
The calm confidence in his voice almost made me furious.
“William.” My voice sharpened. “I meant every word.”
“We’re not getting divorced, Bella.”He waved his hand again lightly, dismissing the conversation entirely. “And that's it.”
That was it, that tiny gesture, that casual dismissal, like my feelings, my pain, my decision meant absolutely nothing.
Anger, red hot anger, flared so suddenly inside me that I took an unconscious step forward.
“You don’t get to decide that alone…..” I had barely gotten the rest of the words out before the doorbell rang.
The sharp sound cut through the room instantly and William frowned slightly at the interruption while I fell silent.
For one strange second, neither of us moved, then William sighed softly.
“I’ll get it.”
And suddenly, I had the overwhelming feeling that whatever waited behind that door was about to make everything worse.
- Writer
