The Signature Of Freedom
1643 Words
HERA POV
A week passed like a long dream. I stayed temporarily in a small condo owned by my only friend, Mia. Jaxen didn’t know about this unit because I bought it using the commission from my last project before he made me stop working.
I was now sitting inside my car in front of the Sarmiento Group Tower in BGC. I took a deep breath as I looked at my reflection in the rear-view mirror. The pale Hera from the hospital was gone. I applied just the right amount of blush on my cheeks and bold lipstick. An armor made of make-up.
As I entered the lobby, the receptionist immediately approached me. “Good morning, Mrs. Sarmiento! Long time no see. Ma’am, Sir Jaxen is still in a meeting, but you can wait in his office.”
“No need, Claire. Just tell him I’m here. I have an appointment,” I said directly.
She didn’t get to respond because I was already heading to the elevator. When the doors opened on the executive floor, Jaxen’s secretary, Sarah, greeted me. She looked completely surprised to see me.
“Ma’am Hera! I thought…” she glanced at her desk, seeming hesitant. “You’re not scheduled today.”
“I am, Sarah. Tell Jaxen his wife is here to finish what needs to be finished,” I said as I walked toward his office door.
“But Ma’am, he has someone inside,” Sarah tried to stop me.
I didn’t listen. I opened the door without knocking. There was Jaxen, sitting behind his large mahogany desk. And of course, his “shadow” wasn’t missing. Bianca was seated across from him, holding a folder and laughing.
“Hera,” Jaxen said softly. He stood up, looking unsure whether to be angry or pleased. “You’re finally here. I told you, you’d come back.”
I looked at Bianca, who immediately straightened up and pretended to be serious. “Hi, Hera! It’s good to see you’ve rested well. Jaxen was so worried about you.”
I ignored Bianca’s greeting. I walked toward Jaxen’s desk and placed a blue folder on it. “I’m not here to move back in, Jaxen. I’m here for your signature.”
Jaxen’s smile disappeared. It was replaced by irritation. “Hera, seriously? You’ve been gone for a week and this is what you show me? Are you still not done with your drama?”
“This isn’t drama, Jaxen. This is a legal process,” I replied as I slowly sat on the empty chair beside Bianca. “I already talked to my lawyer. Everything you need to sign is in there.”
“Hera, sweetie,” Bianca interrupted, reaching for my hand, but I immediately pulled it away. “Don’t rush things. You know Jaxen, he’s just busy. It would be such a waste to throw away your history together.”
“Bianca, can you give us a moment?” Jaxen ordered. The tension in his voice was clear.
“Sure, Jax. I’ll step out for now. Hera, talk to him nicely, okay?” Bianca said before leaving the room. She even gave Jaxen a gentle smile before closing the door.
When it was just the two of us, Jaxen picked up the folder but didn’t open it. He just tossed it to the side of the desk.
“When did you become like this, Hera? You’ve gotten too hard. You know I won’t sign that. It will look bad for the company. We have an upcoming merger with the Valdemar Group. I can’t afford a scandal right now,” he said as he loosened his tie.
“Company. Business. Scandal. Do you know any other words, Jaxen? You didn’t even ask where I stayed this past week. Or how I’ve been after losing the baby,” I said calmly. No shouting, no anger. Just exhaustion.
“I knew you were safe somewhere. You were probably just at a hotel or with a friend. And I told you, I’ll hire the best therapist for you after the merger. Just… stop this nonsense for now,” he replied. He leaned back in his chair and stared at me. “Come home. I’ll tell the maids to prepare your favorite dinner tonight.”
I let out a soft laugh. “You really think everything can be fixed with a ‘favorite dinner’?”
“Then what do you want? A new car? A trip to Paris? Just name it, Hera. Just don’t embarrass me in front of the board of directors,” he offered, as if buying my silence.
I took out a pen from my bag and placed it in front of him. “I want your signature, Jaxen. That’s all.”
“No,” he said firmly. “I won’t let you destroy what I built just because you’re having an emotional breakdown.”
“This isn’t a breakdown, Jaxen. This is the clearest state of mind I’ve had in three years. If you don’t want to sign that now, fine. But remember, this news will come out sooner or later. The scandal will be even worse when the media finds out that the CEO of Sarmiento Group’s wife is already living separately and has filed a case,” I warned.
Jaxen stood up and walked toward me. He held both of my shoulders. I could smell his familiar scent, but instead of feeling butterflies, I felt disgust.
“Hera, listen to me. I need you. At least for the next six months. Once the merger is done, we can talk about this divorce again. But for now, please… be the supportive wife I married.”
I removed his hands from my shoulders. “The supportive wife you married died in that car accident, Jaxen. The woman standing in front of you now doesn’t care about your merger or your company anymore.”
“You’re heartless,” he whispered, clearly shocked by my transformation.
“Learned from the best,” I replied. “Now, sign the papers. I have another meeting to attend.”
“What meeting? With whom?” he asked, suddenly jealous even though he had no right.
“With my career, Jaxen. Something you made me give up three years ago. I’m going back to interior design. And my first project? A big firm that happens to be your company’s competitor.”
Jaxen grabbed the folder harshly and opened it. He quickly scanned the terms. When he realized I wasn’t asking for a single cent from him, he paused.
“You’re not asking for alimony? No properties? No cash?” he asked, as if he couldn’t believe it.
“I don’t want anything from you, Jaxen. The only thing I ask is that you stop using my name and never approach me again,” I replied.
He picked up the pen. I could feel my heart beating fast. This was it. The final step.
“I’m signing this because I’m tired of your attitude, Hera. Not because I want to. If you want to leave and starve, go ahead. Don’t come crying to me when you run out of money,” he said as he quickly signed each page.
“Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself, Jaxen. Because once I’m no longer by your side, you’ll realize who’s truly real around you,” I said, glancing at the door where Bianca was.
He threw the folder back in front of me after signing. “There. You’re free. Now get out of my office. I have real work to do.”
I took the folder and slowly stood up. I carefully placed it inside my bag as if it were gold.
“Thank you, Jaxen. This is the best anniversary gift you’ve ever given me,” I said as I walked back toward the door.
Before I could even touch the doorknob, it opened. Bianca entered, holding two cups of coffee.
“Oh, you’re leaving already, Hera? What a shame, I brought coffee for us,” Bianca said with a hint of mockery in her voice. She looked at Jaxen, who was now turned away, staring out the window. “Jax, are you okay?”
I looked at Bianca, straight into her eyes. “You can have him now, Bianca. Signed and delivered.”
“What do you mean?” Bianca asked, pretending to be innocent.
“The divorce papers are signed. He’s all yours. Just make sure you can stomach a man who doesn’t know how to value his own family,” I said with a smile.
“Hera, enough!” Jaxen shouted from behind, but I didn’t turn back.
“Good luck to both of you. You’re going to need it,” I said before finally walking out of the office.
As I walked through the halls of Sarmiento Group, it felt like the world around me was shrinking while the sense of freedom in my chest grew larger. When I reached the elevator, Sarah, the secretary, rode with me.
“Ma’am Hera… are you okay?” she asked softly as we went down.
I looked at her and nodded. “Actually, Sarah, this is the first time I’ve ever felt this okay in my entire life.”
When I stepped out of the building, the warm sunlight of BGC greeted me. I took a deep breath. I took out my phone and called my lawyer.
“Attorney, it’s done. He signed it.”
“Good to hear, Hera. Now, are you ready for the next phase?” the attorney asked on the other line.
I got into my car and looked once more at the building that felt like a prison I had just escaped from.
“Attorney, more than ready. Let’s start the reveal,” I said as I started the engine.
- Writer
