Annulled to Restart (English Version)

“Will you please stop, Allyna? My ears are starting to hurt from everything you’re saying! How many times do I have to tell you that there’s no one else? I’m just busy with work—that’s why I can’t stay here at home for long!” Ram said as he paced back and forth, following Allyna around the room while she kept pulling clothes out of the built-in closet. Large suitcases were already laid out on the bed. Allyna’s whole body was trembling, and it felt like she could explode at any moment from anger. She was hurt—hurt by everything her husband was saying and by all his denials, even though the evidence was right in front of her. “Come on, Ram… I know you too well. We’ve been married for six years, and for the longest time, I followed everything you wanted. You asked me to give up my career to become your full-time wife because you didn’t want to share my time with anyone else… and I agreed. I gave up everything for you. I barely kept anything for myself… and now this is what you do? You’re the one who gave up first! You keep denying that there’s another woman, but I can feel that you’re not happy with me anymore! You come home late at night… and leave early the next morning!” she fired back, angrily stuffing her clothes into a large suitcase. Allyna planned to go home to Batangas for a while to cool off at her parents’ house. She needed to get away from Ram. Otherwise, she might lose her sanity from overthinking—and she didn’t know what she might end up doing. “So that’s your definition of a cheater now, Allyna? If I don’t have time for you, does it mean I have someone else? Is that it?” Ram shot back, his voice rising. His face darkened, and Allyna could see his jaw clenching—a sign that he was trying hard to control his emotions. She knew that look very well. It meant he was already at his limit. “Yes… because that’s exactly how you make me feel!” Allyna replied, her eyes now brimming with tears. It felt like something was stuck in her throat. She could barely breathe as she struggled to control her emotions, afraid that her tears would fall in front of him. And she didn’t want that. She didn’t want to show weakness in front of Ram anymore… because she was tired of being weak. “Is that so? Did you actually see something? Did you catch me in bed with someone else? No, right?! All you have are suspicions—nothing but suspicions! I’m exhausted from work, and instead of supporting me, all I get from you are complaints and nagging! You’re asking too much from me now, Allyna!” Ram snapped. “Oh really?! Is it all just suspicion? Then try explaining why you always bring your phone with you—even to the bathroom! I can’t even touch it because you get mad every time I try! And how are you going to explain your other phone? Did you really think I wouldn’t find out? Did you think I was that stupid not to notice you have two phones, Ram?!” she shot back. Ram suddenly froze. His eyes darted nervously, unable to meet Allyna’s gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” he insisted. “Oh really? Then what about this, Ram?!” Allyna said, holding up the backup phone she had secretly taken from under the driver’s seat of his car. “And don’t you dare deny that you slept with your ex-girlfriend—I already have copies of all your conversations. Even if you delete everything, I’ve saved them all!” “You’re just overthinking, Allyna! There’s nothing going on between me and Shane!” Ram continued to defend himself. “Nothing? What about your sweet conversations? Maybe there aren’t any pictures proving you slept together… but isn’t it enough that you talk all day? That you call each other again and again? While me—your wife—you can’t even check on me here at home?!” she cried, her voice filled with pain. She had read everything—their conversations, their call history. They talked almost the entire day. There were even messages about secretly going out together to eat at different restaurants. It felt like a bomb exploded inside her when she saw everything. There may not have been explicit photos—but there were sweet pictures of them together. Proof that her husband was giving his attention to someone else… someone who used to be his lover. And that hurt. It hurts so much… to be betrayed by the person you love the most. “You’re impossible, Allyna! You’re judging me based on things you never even saw me do! Those are just speculations—we don’t have a relationship!” Ram insisted. Allyna stopped what she was doing and looked him straight in the eyes, full of pain. “That’s enough, Ram… I’m tired of this relationship. I’m so tired of trying to understand you. You’ve become so hard to love… and I’m hurting.” She didn’t even know why—but no matter how many times Ram denied everything, she could no longer believe him. It hurts to see that the person you love is happier with someone else. “So are you saying you don’t want this marriage anymore? Fine. I’ll call Attorney Meneses right now and file for our annulment. That’s fine with me if that’s what you want!” Ram challenged. A sharp pain pierced Allyna’s chest. Because of another heated argument, it had come to this—him challenging her to end their marriage. How could he be so bold to suggest separation… when he was the one at fault? For five years, their marriage had been good. Ram was kind, understanding. But everything changed when Shane came back from abroad and became his business partner. That’s when the doubts started. She could no longer trust him, no matter how hard she tried. She was only twenty years old when they got married… and even then, she knew that Ram’s mother preferred Shane over her. Her feelings were ignored in favor of business—the partnership between Ram and Shane was too promising, and his family supported it. But she had always known… That Shane still had feelings for Ram. “Oh, so now you’re the one asking for a separation? Annulment right away? Fine! Call your lawyer and file it! I’ll sign it as soon as it’s granted! And don’t worry—you don’t have to wait for the annulment for me to disappear from your life! I’m leaving this house today!” Allyna declared. She grabbed her suitcase. “Goodbye, Ram Steven Contreras… you’re finally free.”