Chapter Two
1011 Words
"Divorce" The word echoed in my head as I stared at the document in my grasp, unable to fathom if this was real or some kind of nightmare that I needed to wake up from. The camera was doing a turn towards me, and all that light was making me dizzy. I turned around, searching for the nearest chair I could just drop down on. When I turned, however, I realized that I had made a big mistake, and I was now faced with ten reporters all talking at the same time.
"Mrs. Ericson, were you aware that your husband was coming back home with the divorce papers today?" "Mrs. Ericson, do you know why your husband would suddenly want to divorce you after just one year of marriage?" "Mrs. Ericson, could this divorce be as a result of your difference in status?" "Mrs. Ericson, did Mr. Ericson ever complain about how he felt about you not being from the same financial background as him before now? "Mrs. Ericson, would you like to contest this divorce your husband just offered to you right now?" "Mrs. Ericson, do the papers contain proper alimony, and would you like to include more if it is not to your taste?" "Mrs. Ericson, did you sense something like this was coming? I mean, did you ever feel like being with a man like Richard was too good to be true?" "Mrs. Ericson, what are your plans now that you will be no longer married to Mr. Ericson and live in such luxury?" The questions kept on coming, and all were insinuating that this divorce was only about money and status, but it was more than that to me. Although it had not been so at first, after some time, I had gotten used to having Richard around with all his flaws. I had accepted him as mine in all senses of the word. And now he... "No comment," I said as I prepared to dash out of the massive room before all the tears I was holding back decided to break out.
I only managed to make it a few inches before a strong arm caught hold of me. Even before I saw his face, I already knew it was my husband, Richard Ericson. "Aren't you forgetting something?" he said, pointing at the document in my hand. He was right. I had forgotten I was still holding on to this piece of paper that had the power to change everything. "Take it," I cried, stretching my hands to him so he could rid me of that thing that only brought me pain. "Please.Not until you sign it first." With that said, Richard hastily brought out a pen from one of the pockets of his suit. "Take it and sign" I looked around searching for signs that this might be an anniversary prank like I saw in the movies, but there was no clue to be seen anywhere. "I…."
"What is going on here?" as if my night could not get any worse, my mother-in-law stepped in: "My son, you are home!" Elizabeth Ericson, the mother of Richard Ericson, stepped forward to give her son a hug, not minding the hundred cameras pointed towards them. "Wealthy people and their drama," the leader of the gossip group began again, and I immediately locked eyes with her. "First they throw a party, send us an invite, then suddenly..." she gave a dramatic pause, "Boom! They pretend like we just walked in here on our own, like we have nothing better to do with our lives. "Yeah. So disrespectful! "Another member of her fan club chimed in after her, "Like we do not have TVs to watch all the drama we need. "But this drama is way better than anything showing on TV, though, another one cut in, and everyone began giggling again. Like my current state was a joke. "Agreed," another said, and the subtle laughter continued. I was suddenly surrounded in a room full of wolves who wanted to devour me without mercy."Excuse me, Mrs. Ericson?" I snapped back to attention only to discover that the reporter was calling for Elizabeth instead. "Yes?" my mother-in-law turned to look at the reporter with a cold glare. She hated it when someone interrupted her time with her son. "Were you aware that your son was planning to divorce his wife?" the reporter asked, and I was glad the spotlight had left me for a while. Although the cameras were no longer all over me, I still felt like I was being watched. I turned to find that Richard's blue eyes were glued to me. "Did you just say divorce?" she asked in surprise and turned to face her son. "Am I hearing correctly? Did you ask your wife for a divorce?" "Yes," Richard said simply, his voice low for the very first time he stepped foot in the mansion. His shoulders even came down as he stared at his mother. From his behavior, I could tell that there was only one thing that could end this madness and that was if his mother told him not to push through with it.
So let her sign it," Elizabeth asked, and all my hope went up in smoke. Elizabeth turned to look at me, and I just looked,Or has she?" "She was about to," Richard said, moving towards me again, and I just stood there, frozen. Until he was so close, I could feel his breath on my hair. "Please," I said as teardrops left my eyes and fell down my cheeks in silent sobs. "Richard, we can talk this out." "There is nothing more to talk about," my husband said with finality. "I don't want you anymore. It is as simple as that. No sign! I don't know whether it was because of the look in his eyes or the conviction in his tone or if it even had something to do with the crowd of onlookers and his own mother, but I picked up the pen and signed. "Done" Divorced!
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