Love After Divorce

3: The Ultimate Betrayal

After what happened last night in my room, I stayed awake for a few more hours before I could get any sleep at all. I realized last night that things had changed so much between my husband and I and if anyone told me that I'd be treated this way by the love of my life, I'd shout bloody liar and curse to oblivion.

Now my marriage seems like more of a shaky cohabitation, than a partnership between two individuals who love each other, so as I brush my hair, looking into the mirror, I ponder about my next action. I love my husband and I respect so much, but after all the things he has said the past few weeks, I doubt he still loves me enough to be patient with me and have hope.

I'm left with two options hereafter. I either find some way to save my marriage or I live through the years, neglected, and unhappy. Maybe we could adopt kids, but I know he wouldn't be enthusiastic about the idea. He'd never mentioned a surrogate, talk less of adoption.

I give my hair one final stroke of the brush then smile at the luscious ringlets of black hair; my most adored feature. I hop into the shower I hadn't used for years and I don't take long because all my bathing products are back in Alex's bathroom. It's past eleven in the morning so he's already at work, so I head out to get as much as I can.

"Well hello Sofia, fancy seeing you here."

I sigh, feeling my energy leave my body at alarming rates, and I wonder how unlucky I am to cross paths with Olivia.

Olivia Black, my sister-in-law and tormentor after mother-in-law. Her sly smile and degrading gaze are about the only look she's pulled off in the years I've known her, and I know my meetings with her never end well.

"I live here, Olivia, like you do," I reply dryly and shake my head, "and please, I'm tired and hungry, therefore I don't have enough blood in me for you to drain. As it is, you've already sucked my energy; now please let me be."

"Like I would? Anyway, I was just very surprised that you are still in this house. I thought that after your argument with my brother and him finally coming to his senses, that you'd be long gone. Guess I'm a little early on that aren't I?" She said in her voice filled with mockery, and I will my subconscious to put up barriers around me, because Olivia's words have always been the sharpest and I've ended up crying alone a few times.

"I mean, I expected Alex to work this faster, but I guess he needs more time for reality to sink in, especially after that torturous day at work yesterday, don't you agree, sister-in-law?"

"The only thing torturous here is having to listen to you rant. I'd much prefer to stab my ears. Now move away please," I ask, and to my surprise she moves away. Normally she'd get in my face and spit poison into my eyes, but this was better for me.

As I leave Olivia behind me, her voice drifts into my hearing, "I'd finally be able to get rid of you, then I'll rub my victory in that barren face of yours," but I try my best to ignore her words and the sudden feeling of foreboding.

I sit down on my side of Alex's bed and brush my hands on the cold, smooth surface. Maybe I should call Alex and apologize for the way I acted yesterday, just to make peace and perhaps take the first step in trying to hold this marriage together, but just as I'm about to dial, a message pops up on my screen.

A small smile breaks on my face and I re-read the sentence over and over again, the words registering in my mind.

He apologizes for treating me unfairly last night and wants to make up for it with some quality time together in the condo. Things are certainly looking good for me now. He still loves me, and my hope for being happy has never been so great, so I text him a quick, romantic reply, then twirl around like an excited little girl. "I love you so much, Alex and I know we can pull through this together."

***

It's evening time, specifically seventeen minutes past eight and I'm getting ready to meet my husband, my dear Alex. Rowena Veniz's song plays in the background at lower volume and I hum to its beautiful acoustic tone while moving my body lightly. I had taken a strong liking to voluptuous rhythm after attending a music concert in Italy. It was our honeymoon.

A knock on the door, and Reginald comes in with a tray of water and my medicine.

"Pardon me, Mrs. Sofia, but it's time for you to take your medication. You have already missed three days, and madam is curious to know if you take them," he says politely as I pop a capsule in my mouth and down the glass of water.

I still don't know why I have to take all these vitamins on schedule, but I can't question my mother-in-law's order. Everyone in this house takes them to remain as healthy as possible.

"You look wonderful, Mrs. Sofia, if I may say," he compliments with a smile that draws the wrinkles in the corner of his eyes. "Thank you so much Reginald, and thank you for all the advice you've given me in my bad situations. I'm actually on my way to see Alex. I can finally see hope, that light at the end of that tunnel."

Reginald smiles again with a slight bow. Reginald was so much like my grandpa who passed away when I was younger, so when I got to know him better, I loved him.

"That's very good, Mrs. Sofia, but always remember one important thing in that dark tunnel you're wandering in."

"What is it, Reginald?"

"Always take a flashlight so you don't get lost and waste your time," he replies jokingly, making me roll my eyes.

"Okay Reginald, I'll remember my flashlight, now I have to go, bye."

Arriving at the condo, I slow down and take the liberty to admire the environment. The yellow floor lamps shone bright and illuminated my way towards the house. It'd been years since I last visited this place, because Alex and I only came here when we wanted to escape the family's troubles and spend some romantic time together.

"You're finally here," Alex says, emerging from inside. He was still in his work clothes and a little roughed up, but he was smiling. He was smiling at me after so long.

"Yes, I am," I smile, walking towards him to give him a hug, but he puts his hand up, stopping me in my tracks.

"I…"

"I'd like you to meet a few people," Alex says, and a woman emerges from inside. She's dressed elegantly in blazing red and her stride is confident when she approaches us, and when she takes his arm in hers my irritation is unbearable.

"Who is she?" I try my best to sound as polite as possible while I rage inside me. Didn't I know all his family members? Was she perhaps a distant cousin?

"Sofia, meet Catherine Stokely, Catherine, meet Sofia…my wife," he gestures towards me as Catherine smirks at me.

"Nice to finally meet you, Sofia. I've heard a lot about you from Alex," she says in a voice coated with enough sugar to give me toothaches. She flips her hair and shifts closer to Alex, who places his hand on her hip. Who the hell is this lady?

"Have you," I trail off scanning her form. Her red dress emphasized her curvy body and her long brown hair was styled in light waves. "I don't mean to be rude, but I haven't heard a syllable about a Catherine," I say then turn to Alex, "Who the hell is she, and why is she here? Is she the surprise you had for me, because I'm not liking it one bit."

"She is part of the surprise Sofia. This woman here is the mother of my son."

I stare at him with a blank look, patiently waiting for the part where he yells 'just joking' but it doesn't come.

"What did you say?"

"Come out Sam." A moment later, a little boy that looked to be at least two years old emerges from the corner. His big eyes scan the area, before settling on Alex and Catherine.

Catherine picks him up, whispering a few things in his ear while I feel myself hyperventilate. "Meet Sam, my son."

I stare into the boy's face, locking eyes with his curious gaze and pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. This is real. Everything I've heard and seen is painfully real.

"You've been…ch– cheating on me?!" My chest hurts, feeling like someone had dropped an anvil on it. "You've been seeing…another w– woman?! And you have a child with her?!"

"She catches on fast," Catherine whispers in my husband's ear, and my vision blurs with tears ready to fall.

I sob, unable to contain it any longer, and when I open my mouth, my voice is barely a whisper, "what did I do wrong?"

"I loved you. I gave you…five years of…my life, and you go ahead and…cheat on me?!" My legs are at the brink of giving out, and I know my face is a wet mess of mascara. What hurt more at this moment was the lack of remorse on his face, and the way he looked at Catherine like she was the only woman that mattered. And here I am bearing his last name.

"Why?..."

"Well Sofia, I tried. I really tried, but what we had wasn't enough to stop what's happening now. Take this." He forces an envelope into my shaky hands, and when I tear it open, blood suddenly leaves my face.

A ringing sound fills my ears and everything around me stops.

"Papers…for divorce…"