The Divorce
1131 Words
“Ouchhh!” Sophia yelled, holding her forehead with her right hand as she tried to stand up from the bed.
“No, relax,” Rohan said, handing her a glass of water.
Sophia was having a headache due to drinking the night before.
“My head hurts,” Sophia said, collecting the water and starting to drink it.
“Take this,” Rohan said, opening his hands and giving her pain relief.
He was prepared because he knew what it was like to get drunk for the first time.
Rohan was already prepared for work.
“I made breakfast.”
“Awwn, that's sweet,” Sophia said with a smile on her face.
“Come, let's have breakfast,” Rohan said, leaving the bedroom.
Sophia sluggishly stood up, put on a nightgown and slippers, and went to join Rohan in the dining area.
Rohan made toasted bread, scrambled eggs, and orange juice. They were both eating, and the room was silent, the only sound being the food they were chewing.
"I want to tell you something," Rohan said, still facing the food he was eating.
"Alright, go on," Sophia said, reluctant with food in her mouth.
"I want a divorce," Rohan said in a soft tone.
Those words felt like a knife piercing Sophia's heart; her breath immediately became shallow.
"What...do you mean?" Sophia asked, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
"Rachel is back, and we have decided to continue our relationship," he answered, still trying to keep a soft tone.
"So we're throwing away one year because Rachel is back?" Sophia asked, dropping her bread on the plate.
"Everything was just an act. Have you forgotten?" Rohan asked, looking surprised.
"What about last night?" Sophia said, in confusion.
"Sophia, it was just a mistake; we both were drunk," he said with no hesitation, still trying to keep his tone soft.
On hearing the words, Sophia's heart immediately shifted; she had a lot of words to say but her voice stopped working.
"You're still like a sister to me," Rohan continued. "So will you sign the papers?"
"Yes, I will. You're still like a brother to me," Sophia said. This time, her heart was silent; it wasn't making any noise. It just felt heavy, more than Sophia could handle.
She left the food, walked into the room, and stumbled, crashing onto the bed. Remembering the vows they made to each other, Sophia's hands were cold, her heart was pounding, and she tried to swallow her tears. But fear held her still, quiet, trembling, and unsure of what came next.
Rohan walked into the room. "Sophia, are you okay?" he asked in a worried tone.
"I'm fine, just the headache," she said, lying facing the other side of the bed, not wanting Rohan to see the tears welling up in her eyes.
"I'm heading to work; Williams will bring the divorce papers over," he said and walked out of the room, leaving Sophia devastated.
Sophia couldn't help but burst into tears; the pain in her heart was something she hadn't felt before.
"How did I...allow myself to be foolish? His heart was somewhere...all this while," she said to herself in a trembling voice.
"Rohan, I love...you," Sophia VIP sobbed bitterly. "I don't want our...marriage to end," she continued, squeezing the duvet on the bed in her hands.
Sophia continued crying until her eyes began hurting, and she fell asleep.
Ding! Ding!
The doorbell rang, which woke Sophia up.
"Open this door! Open the door!" Mrs. Davis yelled continually.
Sophia immediately went to open the door.
"What kept you so long, you witch?" she shouted.
"So sorry, Mummy—"
Mrs. Davis immediately slapped her on the cheek. "This would be the last time you call me Mummy. I won't warn you again."
She walked out, pushing Sophia out of the way. It added to the pain Sophia was already feeling inside, and she continued to sob bitterly.
Ding! Ding!
The doorbell rang again. Sophia stood up, cleaned her eyes, and was prepared for anything that came next.
She opened the door. It was Mr. William, Rohan's lawyer, who brought the divorce papers. Immediately Sophia saw him outside the door, the pain in her heart continued, and her headache returned.
Flashbacks of how Rohan told her about the divorce kept roaming around her head.
"Good morning, ma," William greeted.
"Good morning," Sophia said with a fake smile, trying to hide her tears, but anyone could tell she had been crying.
"Here are the papers," Williams handed Sophia the divorce papers.
"So it's real," Sophia said under her breath. She collected the papers without reading them and signed.
Rohan's signature was already on the papers.
"You will be settled with three houses, three cars, and ten million dollars," Williams said, putting the papers back into the envelope.
"It looks like I'm going to be rich," Sophia said, laughing gently. She was at the point where pain turns into laughter. Her heart was too weak to cry; it could only laugh out the pain and devastation.
William stared at her, surprised, and left without uttering a word, wondering if she was only after Rohan's money. Unknowingly to him, Sophia's heart broke in a way that wealth couldn't mend.
Sophia went back inside. This time, all she could do was accept fate. She arranged the house and went back to bed. She had no appetite to eat. She kept thinking about what her afterlife held for her, and then she fell asleep again.
It was past 10 pm when Sophia woke up. She walked down to the sitting room and kitchen, but only her footsteps echoed; everywhere was empty. She checked the time on her phone; it was late, but Rohan wasn't back, and no call from him either.
She dialed his number without hesitation and called. The phone rang for a few seconds before he picked up.
"Good...evening," she greeted, her voice dull because she had just woken up.
"Evening," Rohan said at the other end of the call. His voice was steady, and he sounded fine.
"I won't be coming back home today," he continued. "Baby, I'm still waiting." Another voice sounded in the background.
On hearing this voice, Sophia's devastation increased rapidly. She kept quiet, still on the call.
"Don't tell Dad that I asked for the divorce. You can say you were tired, and you were the one who asked for it," Rohan said.
"Okay," Sophia answered; that was the only word she could bring out from her mouth. The rest were stuck in her throat.
"I will give you anything you want, as long as you cooperate," Rohan said.
Immediately Rohan said these words, Sophia ended the call, regretting why she allowed herself to be used so much.
- Writer
