My Chaotic Divorce

Kathy The white BMW stopped in front of the building. The driver got out, opened the passenger door, and I stepped out. My black hair shone under the lights, and my long black dress clung to my figure. I held a small wrapped gift in one hand and looked up at the towering structure before heading inside. At the reception desk, I smiled at the receptionist, who greeted me in return. “Good evening, Mrs. Jackson.” “Is my husband in?” “Yes, Director Jackson just finished a meeting. He’s in his office.” “Thank you.” I turned and walked to the elevator, the sound of my heels sharp against the floor. I stepped out of the elevator onto the 25th floor, my heart light with excitement. Walking down the hallway, I held the small gift box tightly, eager to see Hugh. I loved him with all my heart, and I knew he felt the same. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for him. I stopped in front of his office door, reaching for the handle when I heard something—soft, breathless sounds. My heart pounded. At first, I wasn’t sure, but as the noises continued, my stomach twisted. I covered my mouth, trying to steady my breathing. For a moment, I stood frozen. Every part of me begged to turn around, to pretend I hadn’t heard anything. But I couldn’t. My hand trembled as I slowly reached for the door handle. I pushed the door open. The gift box slipped from my fingers, landing on the floor with a quiet thud. My whole body went cold. Hugh—my husband of seven years—stood there, pants around his ankles. His hands gripped the waist of a naked woman, her long red hair spilling over her shoulders as she pressed against him. They hadn’t noticed me yet. I stood there, silent, my vision blurring with tears. I pinched my arm hard, hoping—praying—that I would wake up. But the room smelled of sweat and perfume, and the sounds I had heard were still ringing in my ears. It was real. I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced out his name. “Hugh.” Both of them froze. “s**t,” Hugh muttered, scrambling to pull up his pants. The woman grabbed her clothes, pressing them against her chest, her face going pale. I stood there, frozen, my whole body shaking. My chest felt tight, like I couldn’t breathe. Everything I had ever believed about Hugh—my husband, the father of my child, the only man I had ever loved—was a lie. And the woman standing beside him, fully dressed now, was Savannah Titan, the CEO of Titan Corporation. "Kathy?" Hugh’s voice was soft, cautious, like he already knew there was no way to fix this. Tears ran down my cheeks as I stared at him. "How could you?" My voice cracked under the weight of my pain. His lips parted, but before he could say anything, I cut him off. "Don’t you *f*****g* dare tell me you can explain." My hands clenched into fists. "You were my first everything, Hugh. I gave up my dreams of becoming a fashion designer to raise *our* child. And I believed you. Every time you came home late, I thought you were busy with work." I let out a bitter laugh. "Turns out you were just busy screwing your boss." He said nothing. No excuse. No denial. Just silence. I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced my voice to steady. "How long?" He frowned slightly, like he didn’t understand. "What?" Rage burned through me. "I asked you—*how long have you been screwing your w***e of a boss?!*" Savannah, who had been adjusting the buttons on her blouse, finally spoke. "I’d watch my tongue if I were you," she said coolly. I snapped my gaze to her, my blood boiling at her audacity. "*Savannah*," I muttered, tasting her name like poison. "*You* have the nerve to look me in the eye after ruining my marriage?" I stood there, trying to hold it together, but I could barely keep myself standing. Four years. Four years of lies. My mind kept replaying everything that had happened over the years. When Hugh got his big promotion five years ago, our life of poverty was finally over. We moved into a nice duplex in the suburbs, everything seemed perfect. But after the first year, things changed. Hugh became distant. He stopped making time for me. Every time we made plans to go out, he’d bail at the last minute, always with an excuse about work. But now, I knew the truth. He and Savannah had been seeing each other for *four years*. My stomach turned. I covered my mouth, feeling like I was going to throw up. I remembered the first time I met Savannah. Hugh, Mark, and I had been invited to her home for dinner. I thought it was odd, but Hugh just shrugged it off, saying they’d be going over business plans. I’d never suspected anything. Not back then. I looked at Hugh, disgust flooding me. “When the two of you went to her personal office for those closed-door meetings, did you have s*x?” Hugh didn’t answer, and he wouldn’t even look me in the eye. That was enough of an answer. I sank to the ground, feeling like a fool. “I can’t believe it. You left your wife and son at the dinner table to go have s*x with her.” Savannah folded her arms and smiled. “Oh, believe me. We did the deed many times. In many weird places.” She began counting off on her fingers. “The week-long business trip to Hawaii, the fundraising event, the company’s annual award ceremony… Oh, weren’t you and Mark there for those too?” My heart felt like it was being ripped from my chest. I couldn’t breathe. Savannah giggled, covering her mouth. “Oh, poor thing. Did I say too much? Now, I’m curious how you’ll feel when I tell you the only reason your loving husband got his promotion is because of me?” Her words hit me like lightning. All I could think about were the many things Hugh had done for me—the clothes, the jewelry. It was all because of her. My eyes flooded with tears, and I couldn’t stop crying. My chest hurt, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Savannah grinned, enjoying my pain. “Everything Hugh has ever given you was only possible because of me.” I could barely find my voice. “Shut up,” I said, my voice breaking as I stood up. I wiped my eyes, feeling the anger rise in me. I stomped to the other side of the office, my mind spinning. I turned and slapped Hugh hard across the face. “I want a divorce. And I’ll be taking custody of our child.” Hugh growled and yelled, “Mark is my son too, and you have no right to take him. I’ll make sure of it.” I scoffed, my voice shaking with anger. “With the money you got from your w***e of a boss? I’ll see you in court.”