The Divorce He’ll Regret

Rain blurred the lights of London beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Kensington residence, turning the city into a watercolor of silver and gold. Anneliese Harrington sat alone at the long dining table, her hands folded neatly in her lap as she watched the clock above the fireplace. It was nearly ten o’clock, and the dinner she had prepared more than an hour ago had long since gone cold. She had told herself she wasn’t waiting for Julian. She was simply eating later than usual. It was a lie she had become very good at telling herself during the past year. Waiting had quietly become part of her marriage. She waited for Julian Kensington to come home from work, waited for him to finish another meeting, waited for him to notice the little things she did for him, and, most painfully, waited for the possibility that one day he might look at her and see something more than the wife their families had chosen for him. Tonight, however, she had allowed herself a little hope. She had prepared Julian’s favorite dinner herself and changed into a simple ivory dress. She had even spent several minutes deciding whether she should tell him her news immediately or wait until after dinner. Her fingers drifted unconsciously toward her stomach before she quickly lowered her hand. Perhaps tonight would be different. Perhaps they could finally talk. The front door opened at 9:51 p.m. Anneliese’s heart gave a small, foolish flutter as footsteps crossed the marble foyer. A moment later, Julian appeared in the doorway. At twenty-seven, he carried himself with the quiet authority expected of the sole heir and chairman of the Kensington Group. His black suit remained immaculate despite the long workday, although his tie was slightly loosened and several strands of dark hair had fallen across his forehead. His expression was composed, as always. Julian’s intelligence, ambition, and discipline had made him exceptionally successful at an age when most people were still establishing themselves. He rarely lost his temper, rarely acted impulsively, and almost never allowed his emotions to influence his decisions. Anneliese sometimes wondered whether she had ever managed to reach the part of him that existed beneath all that control. His eyes settled on her, then moved to the untouched dinner. “You waited.” Anneliese offered him a faint smile. “I thought we could have dinner together.” “You didn’t have to.” “I know.” He removed his coat and handed it to the housekeeper before walking toward the table. Anneliese watched him carefully, sensing something unusual in the deliberate way he moved. He seemed more distant than normal, although that was difficult to measure when distance had become the defining feature of their marriage. “I’ll have your dinner warmed,” she said. “I’m not hungry.” Her smile faded. “All right.” Julian took another step before she spoke again. “Are you all right?” He stopped and looked at her. “I’m fine.” Anneliese lowered her gaze. “I’m glad.” For several seconds, neither spoke. The rain continued tapping against the windows, filling the silence between them. Then Julian’s expression became more serious. “There’s something we need to discuss.” Anneliese’s stomach tightened. Julian reached inside his jacket and withdrew a white document folder. He placed it carefully on the table between them. She stared at it. She didn’t need to open it to know what it contained. Something in Julian’s expression had already told her that whatever he was about to say would change the course of her life. “I want a divorce.” The words were quiet, almost painfully calm. Anneliese remained still. She had imagined many possible endings to their marriage during the past year, but hearing Julian say the word aloud was different from imagining it. Her eyes moved slowly from the folder to his face. “Why?” Julian pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down. “I’ve thought about this carefully. Continuing the marriage isn’t fair to either of us.” “To either of us,” she repeated. “Yes.” Anneliese looked at the folder. “Is there someone else?” Julian’s silence lasted only a moment. “Yes.” She had already known the answer, yet hearing it made something inside her ache. “Is it Katherine?” His eyes met hers. “Yes.” Katherine Hayes. Julian’s first love. The woman who had occupied his heart long before Anneliese had entered his life. Years earlier, Julian and Katherine had been deeply in love. They had planned a future together, and Julian had eventually proposed to her, fully expecting that she would accept. Instead, Katherine had chosen her career. She loved Julian, but she wasn’t willing to put her ambitions aside for marriage, and their relationship had ended. Julian had never truly moved on. At least, that was what Anneliese had always believed. Katherine had recently returned to London after years away, successful and accomplished in the career she had chosen over their relationship. Julian had told Anneliese very little about her return, but apparently three weeks had been enough to reopen everything he thought he had left behind. “Katherine came back,” Anneliese whispered. “Three weeks ago.” She looked down at the folder. “And you still love her?” Julian’s gaze shifted toward the rain-covered windows. “I never stopped.” Anneliese felt the answer like a physical blow. She had spent a year quietly hoping that Julian’s feelings for Katherine were nothing more than nostalgia for a relationship that had ended long ago. She had told herself that people changed and that spending a year together might eventually make him see her differently. Now she understood how foolish that hope had been. “She wants you back?” “She’s ready now.” Anneliese closed her eyes briefly. Years ago, Katherine had chosen her career. Now she was ready to choose Julian, and Julian was ready to leave his marriage for her. She opened the folder. The divorce documents had already been prepared, each page precise and impersonal. Julian had probably reviewed every clause himself. That was exactly the kind of man he was. Even the ending of his marriage had been organized like a business transaction. “Have you already signed?” “No. I thought we should both sign.” Anneliese nodded, though her vision had begun to blur. “How long have you been planning this?” Julian hesitated. “Since Katherine returned.” The answer hurt more than she expected. For three weeks, he had been planning to end their marriage while she had been preparing to tell him that he was going to become a father. Her hand moved beneath the table, resting gently against her stomach. “Did you ever love me?” Julian went still. Anneliese hadn’t intended to ask. She had spent a year avoiding that question because she had been afraid of the answer. Yet now that he was ending their marriage, she needed to hear the truth. “I care about you,” he said. She gave him a sad smile. “That’s not what I asked.” Julian looked away. “No.” Anneliese nodded slowly. She had her answer. “I’m sorry,” Julian said. “I know.” “You’ve been a good wife.” The words struck her with an unexpected bitterness. A good wife. She wondered if that was all she had ever been to him, someone who had fulfilled every expectation placed upon her while remaining safely outside his heart. “You deserve someone who loves you,” Julian continued. Anneliese looked at him. “I know.” She picked up the pen. Julian’s eyes followed the movement. “I thought you’d want some time.” “I’ve had a year.” Her hand trembled slightly as she signed the document. Anneliese Harrington. She stared at her name for a moment before pushing the papers toward him. Julian picked up the pen and signed beneath hers. Julian Kensington. Their marriage, which had taken months of arrangements and a year of shared life, ended with two signatures. Anneliese removed her wedding ring. The pale mark beneath it showed where the band had rested since their wedding day. She placed the ring beside the divorce papers, and Julian’s gaze remained fixed on it. Something tightened unexpectedly in his chest. He had wanted this. He had spent years waiting for Katherine, and now that she had returned, he was finally free to pursue the future he had once imagined with her. So why did watching Anneliese remove her ring feel so unsettling? “I’ll leave tomorrow,” Anneliese said. “You don’t have to.” “I do.” “I can arrange another residence.” She shook her head. “I don’t want anything from you.” Julian fell silent. Anneliese stood and looked at him one final time. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears, but she refused to let them fall. “Thank you for being honest with me.” She turned and walked toward the stairs. Julian watched her disappear from view. He remained at the table, staring at the divorce papers. The dinner she had prepared was still sitting untouched between them. Two cups stood beside the plates, one for him and one for her. Her tea had gone cold. For the first time, Julian wondered how many evenings she had waited for him like this. He had never asked. He had never noticed. Upstairs, Anneliese closed the bedroom door behind her and leaned against it. The moment she was alone, the composure she had maintained downstairs finally broke. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she pressed a hand over her mouth to keep herself from making a sound. She walked to the bedside table and opened the drawer. Inside was the pregnancy test she had taken several days earlier, along with the ultrasound photograph she had received that morning. Her eyes fell upon the tiny image. Her baby. Julian’s baby. Anneliese sat on the edge of the bed and slowly placed one hand over her stomach. She had planned to tell him tonight. She had imagined the surprise on his face and wondered whether becoming a father might finally give them something that belonged only to them. But now Julian had chosen Katherine, and Anneliese refused to use their unborn child as a reason for him to stay. She picked up the ultrasound photograph, holding it carefully between her fingers. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, tears slipping down her face. “Your father doesn’t know you’re here.” Downstairs, Julian remained completely unaware of the secret his former wife was carrying. He believed he had finally freed himself to reclaim his first love. He did not know that the woman he had just divorced was carrying his child, nor did he understand that the signature he had placed on those papers would eventually become the greatest regret of his life.