My Regretful Ex Husband

With the divorce papers in my trembling hands, I got out of my car and slowly walk towards the mansion. The weather had been slightly cold that morning, and yet I couldn't stop sweating. I was still having a hard time believing that it was done. That I was finally divorced from him. The proof of that was currently in my hands. I was here to bring the final papers to him, and then it would really be over. Forcing myself to enter the building, I walked towards the sounds of hushed voices but as I stood mere inches away from the kitchen door, I halted my steps. The voices behind the door were now clear to me. Without intending to, I leaned closer, listening to each word they spoke. “I don't understand, we have always lived together. Why does that have to change now?” Daniel asked. My hand–still trembling– was raised to my chest to calm my pounding heart. The sadness in Daniel's voice shattered my already battered heart. If I could, I would have stayed, if not for anything, for his sake. It's what kept me here for so long, but the divorce was unavoidable. Our marriage should have never happened in the first place. If I hadn't been so blinded by my feelings, I would have seen the truth right from the begining. Or maybe I did see the truth, but turned a blind eye to it out of love. “Daniel, your mother and I are no longer together. So we can't live together anymore.” His voice had a gentle tone to it as he replied. Something that I had never experienced first hand. Whenever I spoke to my husband, his replies were always harsh and cold, and sometimes just devoid of all emotions. “But why?” Daniel demanded. “In life, we can't control all that happens to us." From the tone of his voice, I could guess the expression that was on his face. He probably had that small frown he wore whenever he didn't want to talk about something again. Daniel's curiosity was probably starting to annoy him. “Do you still love her?” My breath caught in my chest when I heard Daniel's question. My heart rate tripled and I had to breath through my mouth to calm myself. I took a step closer, waiting for his answer. It was a simple question, and yet he was having a hard time answering it. I already knew his answer though. During the long years of our marriage, his answer had always been the same. And except for Daniel, I'm certain that everyone else knew his answer too. He never loved me, and that was very obvious. He never had, and pretty I'm sure he never will. Even though I knew this, my heart still ached to hear his reply. What would he say to our son? The truth? Or something else? He cleared his throat, obviously stalling. “Daniel, I–” “Just tell me the truth! Do you, or do you not love my mom?” Daniel repeated more firmly, though I could tell that he was close to tears. I heard him sigh and he said. "Well, what I love about your mom…is you." Typical. He would never say he loved me, even to our son. I shut my eyes to keep any tears from spilling. After all these years, I was still left with a bitter feeling in my heart. A small part of me was actually hoping…that maybe his answer would he different this time. All through our marriage, I never had the joy of hearing those words from my husband. Those three special words that would have made me feel fulfilled. Even after the birth of our son, I had hoped and hoped, but I never got anything. For ten long years, we ate together, lived together, and slept together. Yet, I only had his last name, but never his heart. A marriage was supposed to be a union between two hearts, but it wasn't like that for me. The whole time, I always gave him my all. I never held anything back, but all I got from him was heartache and misery. Rather than me, my husband's heart longed for another, a woman he refused to let go of. The tears I was trying hard to to shed fell unhindered down my cheeks, but I quickly dabbed them away. I had spent the last ten years of my life crying. Crying over a man that never wanted me. I was done with that. “Don't you even have proper curtsey? Eavesdropping on other's conversation is rude." I flinched as I heard his deep voice. He was standing right in front of me, just a few feet away, his blue eyes staring into my soul. It took me a moment to gather my thoughts and I managed to regain my composure. Daniel looked up from the cereal he was eating and he locked eyes with me. He really was a splitting image of his father. The only resemblance he had to me was my inquisitive personality and my blonde hair. "Mommy!" He dropped the bowl and ran to me. I went on my knees so he could hug me properly. "Mom, I missed you." He said, still holding on to me. "I missed you too dear." He kissed my cheek before going back to continue his meal. I got back to my feet, feeling awkward and uncomfortable. To think that the same place that I used to call home now felt like I didn't belong there. Though if I was being honest with myself, I never actually did belong. Though I should have known, he made it quite clear that he built his house with HER in mind. Everything, down to the last detail, was to please HER. If that wasn't a declaration of love, then I don't know what is. To him, she was the one who got away. "Why are you here?" Once again, he sounded harsh while speaking to me, and the look on his face wasn't any better. "You're supposed to own a copy of the finalized divorce, so I thought I could give it to you while I pick up Daniel." He eyed me with a seemingly irritated look, and for the thousandth time, it hurt me. I had given my heart to him for as long as I could remember, so everytime I'm faced with the fact that I mean nothing to him, it breaks me. Time after time after time, he had destroyed me, heart and soul. Even though, I kept on holding on to him, I loved him wholeheartedly, thinking that one day, he would change. That day never came. On the day I saw him standing at the altar, I thought that finally, I was getting what my heart desired. A love that I had been wanting since forever. The dream that I had been having for years…but I was wrong. Rather than love, I got immense hatred. My dream was turned into a nightmare, and no matter how hard I tried, no matter what I did…I was never enough. We've been separated for three months already, but everytime I come face to face with him, I can't help the pain I feel in my chest. "Daniel, go to your room. I need to have a discussion with your mother." He looked angry as he glared at me, and his jaws were clenched. "Dad, please don't fight with mom." Daniel said softly. He hugged me one more time before walking out of the kitchen. Once he was sure Daniel was out of ear shot, he started. "Why are you here, really? Shouldn't you have just sent the damn paper to my office? Why did you have to show your face here again?" He wasn't raising his voice, but every word he spoke stabbed my fragile heart like an icy dagger. "Liam, I –" "What? What do you have to say? Is this some kind of sick joke you're playing? You flipped my world upside down with this godforsaken marriage ten years ago. And yet three months ago, you did it again by filing for a divorce. What on earth is going on inside that head of yours huh?!" This time, his voice was growing higher and his nostrils were flared in anger. "Are you trying to separate me from my son so I'll take you back? Is that it?!! Well sorry to disappoint you Aria Smith, but I will never love you!!" I heard myself gasp when he said that. He had never told me he loved me, but he had never told me he would never love me either. Mr heart clenched in pain as the words settled in my brain. It felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest and shattered right in front of my eyes. “I-I…” I couldn't make out the words to say. But what was there to say to a man who had your heart, but wanted nothing to do with it? “Just get the hell out of my house. When it's time, I'll drop my son over.” he said coldly. I slowly dropped the divorce papers on the kitchen counter and was about to leave when I got a call from my mother. Considering the fact that she never called me unless it was important, I answered it and waited for her to talk. "Aria! Come over to the family hospital right now. Your father has been in an accident!" The woman said hysterically and hung up. In a daze, I slipped the phone back in my purse and raced towards the exit. I felt a hand on my wrist and turned to see Liam staring down at me. "What happened?" He asked. "My father had an accident."