The Vows We Shatter

Erika’s POV The moment I stepped into the sitting room, everything felt wrong. The air felt heavier than ever before, tightening my chest. I shuddered even before I saw Josh. I couldn’t place my finger on what my body was trying to tell me, I just knew my heart hammered louder at every step I took into the living room. Then, I saw him. He was sitting on the sofa in a ramrod position, staring into thin air, but his expression wasn’t soft. A lump formed in my throat as I stood in front of him. He didn’t look at me. He didn’t even greet me. It felt like I was just a stranger who wandered into his house by mistake. Breathe, Erika. I told myself. “Why are you home so early?” I asked softly, trying to sound normal even though my voice trembled. He did not answer. Instead, he reached for a file on the table in front of him, stood up and walked towards me. I took a step backwards on impulse as he towered over me. His gaze fixed on me for a second before he threw the papers at my feet. I stared at them in confusion. Then my eyes caught the bold letters at the top of the page. ‘DIVORCE AGREEMENT.’ My heart dropped into my stomach. I gasped as I bent down to pick up the papers while shaking hands. I saw both our names written boldly. It looked official and neat, like he had been waiting to do this for a long time. “What is this?” I whispered, my throat burning. “You know what it is,” he said, finally lifting his eyes to me. I barely recognized him. The man in front of me looked nothing like the husband I married. There was no warmth in his gaze, no hesitation, no trace of love. Only coldness and something I couldn’t place my hands on. “I don’t understand,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “What did I do?” My eyes burned. He laughed, but there was no humor in it. “You still want to lie?” “I am not lying,” I said desperately. “I swear, I don’t even know what you’re talking about.” “So you’re going to pretend you were not found by another man? I can’t believe how good you are at this,” he said flatly. What? The room spun. “That’s not true. I don’t remember anything. I was with—” My voice broke as I turned toward the only person who should defend me. “You were with me. You know I didn’t cheat. Please tell him I didn't cheat.” My best friend stood near the wall with her arms folded. She looked calm, almost bored, as if this situation did not concern her. “She was drunk,” Monica said casually. “Well, she kept talking about her ex. And believe me, I tried to stop her, but she just wouldn’t listen.” My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. I stared at her, unable to believe what I just heard. “That’s not true,” I whispered. “Why are you saying that?” “She insisted on meeting him,” she continued. “She even told me to leave so she could go alone.” My heart felt like it was being crushed. I looked back at my husband, hoping to see doubt, confusion, anything that showed he was thinking. Instead, his face twisted with disgust. “So you admit it,” he said. “No,” I cried. “I swear I didn’t cheat. I don’t even remember that night. Please, just listen to me. I will never betray you.” “There is nothing to listen to,” he replied. “You signed your shame the moment you spread your legs for another man.” I felt suffocated as those words cut through me sharper than knives would. Tears began to roll down my cheeks. “I am your wife,” I said, my voice breaking. “Does that mean nothing to you? Don’t you trust me at all?” He turned his back on me, and that hurt more than anything else he had said. My knees gave up, and I dropped to the floor. “I love you,” I whispered. “Please believe me. Please don’t do this to us. Please.” His fingers dug harder into his fist and I could hear snickering coming from Monica. How could she? Why can’t he believe me too? I can’t decide which hurt more. “Sign,” he said without turning around. I stared at the pen on the table. My vision blurred with tears as I picked it up. I don’t want to sign. Every part of me screamed that this was wrong, that this is not how our story should end. But I was tired. I was overwhelmed. I felt alone. My hand shook as I wrote my name. The pen slipped from my fingers when I finished. He turned around slowly, his eyes narrowing in surprise. “You signed just like that? You didn’t even hesitate?” What else do I have left to give him? My gaze shifted to Monica standing behind him. She lowered her head, pretending to look guilty. But I could see beyond this facade. “She never moved on from her first love,” she said quietly. “You always knew that.” His jaw tightened, and his face came to rest. Jealousy? Disappointment? It all turned my head. I didn't know what to do anymore. He threw divorce papers at me and made me feel guilty when I signed them? It didn’t make sense, not one bit. Seeing Monica made it worse. Then, I lost it. I dashed into the bedroom to pack my suitcase as I let out the cry I'd been holding in. My mind felt numb, just as it felt heavy. I folded some of my clothes and bags into the box and dragged it to the front door. I didn’t want to leave. But that was the only way to save my mental health. I didn’t glance back to look at Josh or Monica. I didn’t need to. They already discarded me like I was just some toy. Josh appeared suddenly and grabbed my arm, his fingers digging into my skin. “You’re going to him, aren’t you?” “No,” I cried. “I’m leaving because you told me to leave.” He pulled me back into the bedroom and slammed the door shut. He pinned me to a wall and put me in between his arms, trapping me. My breathing fastened. “You think I don’t see your plan? You want to run into his arms. You want to escape me, you want him.” “I begged you to believe me,” I said through tears. “You chose not to.” His chest rose and fell, still locking the icy blue eyes on me. They burned with anger and something twisted in them. Then he grabbed my jaw with his fist, forcing me to directly look at him. “You belong to me.” My pupils dilated. “I will marry another woman,” he said coldly. “But you will stay in this house.” My heart skipped. “What?” “You will watch me build a new family,” he continued. “And you will remember what you lost.” Then he stormed out. I felt weak, and I fell into bed before I knew it. I curled into myself and cried until my throat burned. My best friend’s voice kept replaying in my head. The way she lied and said it in a calm tone. ‘Monica would never hurt me.” I reassured myself about that over the years, but I finally faced reality. Why would she do this? Why would the two people I loved the most destroy me together? Everything started to turn, the shelf in front of me turned to two. What was going on? I struggled to lift my upper body up to get a glass of water. I reached for the door handle, and then, I fell. I blacked out.