Chapter 5
989 Words
Raven's POV
I bit my lip, fighting back the retort that rose to my lips. I had learned long ago that arguing was futile.
“Yes, Ma,” I replied quietly.
“And do something about your appearance. I have a guest coming over. You look like a ghost.”
I turned away, the sting of Florence's words adding to my already overwhelming grief. I climbed the stairs slowly, my legs heavy with exhaustion.
As I reached the top, I heard the muffled sound of Lucas’s voice behind the closed door of his study.
I paused, my heart aching with the need to connect with him, to share my pain and find solace in his arms.
Taking a deep breath, I knocked softly on the door. There was no response. I knocked again. “Lucas? Can we talk?”
Still Silence.
With a sigh, I turned the knob and pushed the door open. Lucas was seated at his desk, a glass of whiskey by his side. He looked up briefly, his eyes dull, before turning back to his paperwork. He looked stressed.
“What do you want,?” He asked, his voice devoid of emotion.
“I just... I need to talk. About everything. About us.” I stepped into the room, his hands clasped tightly in front of me.
Ever since our baby's death, I have not been brave enough to have this conversation but I think it is about time I let him know how I feel he always avoids me.
“I’m hurting, Lucas. I miss our baby, and I miss my father. And I miss you.” I cried. Lucas’s jaw tightened. “This isn’t the time, I am busy.”
“Busy?” I said in disbelief. This was always his excuse.
“You’re always busy, you never talk to me or...”
He suddenly slammed his hand on the desk, making me flinch. “I said, not now!”
“Oh, Raven, you look so worn out. What happened?” Angela asked as she sat beside me.
She was my only comforter, with my father dead I can say she was my only close companion.
“It’s everything, Angela. Lucas won’t talk to me, his mother hates me, and I feel so alone. I don’t know how much more I can take anymore,” I cried in frustration as tears spilled from my eyes uncontrollably.
“You can’t go on like this, Raven. It’s not healthy. You deserve to be loved and supported, especially now.” Angela said as she held my hand tightly her eyes filled with concern and worry.
“I know, but what can I do? This is my life, my marriage.” “You can leave,” Angela said firmly.
“You need to leave this house, leave Lucas. He’s not there for you, and he’s letting his mother treat you horribly. You can’t stay in a place where you’re not valued.”
“Where am I going to go? Where will I start from, I have no one.”
“You have me,” she said.
I shook my head, my heart heavy with indecision. “But I love him, Angela. I can't leave.”
“Love isn’t enough if it’s only one-sided. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is walk away, walk away Raven.”
Angela's words echoed in my mind long after she left.
The next morning, I woke early, with a decision made. I have been fighting for his relationship for far too long. It is time I fight for my happiness.
I will talk to Lucas one last time, and give him one more chance to show that he cares.
I walked down the stairs and heard voices coming from Lucas’s study but I also heard someone
else's.
Who could that be this early in the morning? Was it his mother?
With a frown on my face, I approached the partially open door.
My heart skipped a beat when I recognized the other voice. It was Fiona, Lucas’s cousin. A beautiful, poised woman who had always seemed a little too close to him.
Peering through the crack in the door, I saw Lucas sitting on his chair smiling brightly at Fiona who was standing beside him. They were awfully close, maybe too close but nothing prepared me for the next scene.
Fiona kissed Lucas.
They kissed.
My heart shattered at that moment. The final blow was delivered with cruel precision.
I backed away, my hands covering my mouth to stifle the sobs threatening to escape. I stumbled up the stairs, my vision blurred by tears.
This was the last straw. I cannot stay here anymore. Angela said it was bad news but I was too stupid to grasp the full meaning of her words then.
I threw my clothes and essentials into a suitcase. I had nowhere to go but one thing was sure I was going to leave. There was nothing worth fighting for.
“Where the hell do you think you are going?” Lucas' voice echoed around the house as he walked down the stairs with Fiona beside him, her usual bright smile on her face.
Gosh I hated her, but I hated Lucas more for hurting me.
“I am leaving.”
“To where?” He asked as he approached me.
“I am leaving this house, I am leaving so you can freely kiss Fiona who is meant to be your cousin freely without hiding. I am tired,” I yelled at him.
“You are so dumb, nothing is going on between Fiona and I, and where did you get the idea she was my cousin?” He yelled in response.
“Stop behaving like a child and go back inside,” he scolded.
This was what I was tired of, his nonchalant attitude. He never cared about my feelings. “I want a divorce.”
- Writer
