A Lover Scorned

Chapter 5

 Celest looks over the stretched, dining table to her husband on the other end. He has aged. her eyes wander over the silver in his hair, the slight wrinkle under his eyes, his hands. The list can go on, however, the deafening silence can not. "Anything you would like to share?" she nudges him. He places his cutlery firmly on the table. "Can we not do this now?" he snaps. He has been short with her for a while now, and today she found out why. While he was snapping away at her for walking into his office, she caught the familiar red glare of a Louboutin shoe from underneath his desk. It the kind of shoe that he can afford. "IS it Stacy?" she asks. Her voice sounds empty. She has cried herself empty. He looks down, but only for a second. "Yes" he answers soft. "What do you want to do now?" Celest asks. "I want out. I want you out." he says cold and gets up from the table. "And the company?" she asks. "I will give you an amount that i think is fair and you will release your shares" Xavier walks away and leaves the statement in the air. "That is not happening, and we both know it" Celest says softly to herself as she watches him. 

She slowly stands up from the table, grabs her keys and purse from the entryway table and heads to her car. She has prepared a weekend bag in advance. She needs a break. She has been in need of one for a very long time now. She will go somewhere, where no one would think to look for her. Her hometown. She hasn't been there since she had gotten married. She started dating Xavier when she was still studying. The two of them worked on a business plan together and fell in love. The company was their child. It was her life. There is no way that she will just give it away to the man who betrayed her. Besides, she had unfinished business back home. What is it that all the self help books say? After a great loss, it's necessary to find yourself again? What does not kill you, makes you stronger? Well, whatever it is, who ever she is, she is ready for that person.

After a five hour drive, Celest stops in front of a storybook house. It still has the same, old, white picket fence; petunias growing around the old oak tree and the grey, cobble pathway leading up to the two story house. An older woman opens the door. Celest walks over to her. For a few minutes, they just stare at each other. "Welcome home, baby" the older woman embraces Celest. "Hi, mama."