Chapter 7 ~ A Painful Decision
986 Words
"Um..." Ivana slowly opened her eyes, her body aching all over. She noticed that the handcuffs on her wrists had been removed at some point, though she didn't know when.
She moved cautiously, gripping her bruised and wounded wrist, injured from her earlier struggle to free herself from the restraints.
Ivana's gaze landed on the man sleeping soundly in front of her. She stared at her husband with a mix of sorrow and anger burning in her chest, threatening to explode.
Carefully, Ivana lowered her legs to the floor. "Ishh..." she winced as a sharp pain coursed through her intimate area.
She glanced at her tattered clothes scattered across the floor, all torn apart by Arsenio. Slowly, Ivana rose from her position and made her way to the bathroom.
When she emerged, she was dressed in Arsenio’s clothes, which provided a bit of warmth amidst the cold morning air. She walked quietly, her gaze fixed on Arsenio, who was still peacefully asleep on the bed, looking as if nothing was wrong in the world.
But inside Ivana, a storm was raging. Sweet memories now felt bitter, and with vacant eyes, she felt her heart shatter into pieces. Every moment they had shared now seemed like a burden too heavy to bear. The decision to leave had already taken root in her mind, firm and unwavering, overpowering any lingering doubts.
She had loved Arsenio with all her heart, but now, the pain he had caused her was deeper than anything she could have ever imagined. In an instant, that love transformed into a desire to hate, and she knew she had to leave this room filled with painful memories.
Ivana took a deep breath, feeling as if a weight had been lifted, and with determined steps, she left the man who had once meant everything to her, resolved to rediscover herself on an uncertain journey ahead.
"Mrs. Ivana?" Reno, Ivana's personal attorney, was taken aback when she arrived unannounced without an appointment.
"Can you help me file for divorce, even without Arsenio’s signature?" Ivana asked bluntly.
"This—?"
"Please, expedite the process. I will attend the court hearing later," Ivana stated firmly.
"Understood, Ma’am. I will take care of it," Reno replied, unable to say anything else, especially after seeing the unwavering determination in Ivana’s eyes.
After making her decision known, Ivana left Reno’s office with a heavy and shattered heart. She got into her car and sat in silence, gripping the steering wheel. The tears she had been holding back all morning finally spilled down her cheeks. She cried, overwhelmed by pain—not just from Arsenio’s cruelty the night before, but also from the memories of her past life. There was still a part of her that couldn't believe this was real, desperately hoping it was all just a bad dream. Deep down, she still wanted to believe that Arsenio was not a bad person. A part of her even wished that he truly loved her.
"You made the right decision, Ivana," she whispered to herself. "This divorce is the best way to escape that man."
She could only cry, releasing all the emotions she could no longer suppress.
Once she had calmed down, Ivana picked up her phone and called her secretary.
"Yes, Ma’am?" Anna answered from the other end.
"Anna, I will be taking an extended leave. Please handle my work and reschedule all my meetings with important clients," Ivana instructed. "And can you contact a security company? I need five bodyguards. Once they’re selected, I will meet them later."
Ivana wanted to be cautious in case Arsenio made a move.
"Oh, and one more thing, Anna. If Arsenio asks about me, tell him I’m away on business out of town."
"Understood, Ma’am."
Anna was confused by her boss's sudden change in behavior. To her, Ivana seemed different—acting strangely and making abrupt decisions. However, she knew better than to ask questions and simply followed Ivana’s orders.
Ivana ended the call and set her phone down. She grabbed a tissue to wipe away her tears.
She had made up her mind to leave and find solace, but before she departed, she needed to ensure her father’s safety by assigning bodyguards to protect him.
"Ivana... Ivana...!" Arsenio shouted her name as he searched the grand family home but found no sign of her.
He rushed into their bedroom, checking the bathroom, but she was nowhere to be found.
"Where did she go?" he muttered with a sigh. When he had woken up earlier, Ivana was already gone.
"Did she go to work?" Arsenio wondered as he prepared to leave. But before he stepped out, his eyes caught sight of the slightly open wardrobe door. He walked toward it and swung it open. Several of Ivana’s clothes were missing. Even her suitcase was gone.
"She left?" he murmured, feeling an unsettling frustration.
"Damn it! What is she thinking? Why did she suddenly change?" Arsenio was truly confused.
He immediately called someone.
"Anna, did Ivana come to the office?" he asked.
"No, Sir. But she did call me earlier to cancel all her meetings and asked me to handle her work. She said she was taking leave," Anna explained.
"Leave? Why so suddenly?" Arsenio questioned.
"I don’t know either. Oh, and she also asked me to contact a security company to arrange for five bodyguards. I’m not sure who they’re meant to protect."
"Bodyguards? She went that far? After hiring a private investigator..." Arsenio muttered, piecing things together.
"Mr. Ar, do you think Ivana has discovered our plans?" Anna’s question made Arsenio fall silent for a moment.
"That’s impossible," he murmured, convinced that he had planned everything meticulously. "Anna, keep an eye on her movements. The moment you find out where she is, inform me immediately."
"Yes, Sir."
The call ended. Arsenio clenched his phone tightly.
"You won’t escape from me, Ivana. Not ever!"
- Writer
