The Hundredth Divorce

She Didn't Come Back

Alexander's POV

I was sure Amelia would come back, of course she will, she had always did.

I had seen her cry, beg, kneel before me more times than I cared to remember, so when she walked out of the bar without saying another word, I wasn't worried, not even a little.

I leaned back against the sofa and looked at the door she had just walked through.

"Give her some time," Ethan said with a laugh. "She'll be back."

I smirked.

"Exactly."

I picked up my glass and took a sip. Honestly, I knew my wife, Amelia could never stay angry with me for long. No, she cant, that shaky hand loved me too much. At least, that was what I believed.

I had threatened divorce ninety-nine times, and every single time, she had found a way to make me change my mind.

Sometimes she cried, sometimes she apologized even when she wasn't wrong.

Once, she actually knelt in front of me and my friends for almost ten minutes, begging me not to leave.

I had always found it satisfying. Well, that may sounds cruel. But the truth is that I needed to always know that she still cared.

After everything that happened seven years ago, I needed that reassurance, I needed to know that she wouldn't choose someone else over me again.

The fire had changed something between us, I will never forgot that night.

I was trapped. I remembered the heat, the smoke, the ceiling collapsing.

And Amelia disappearing, at least, that's what I remembered.

I remembered waking up in the hospital and being told that Amelia had been injured, I saw her hand trembling afterward.

I remembered the anger that had filled me, maybe I had never really forgiven her, and which was why I kept testing her.

Every divorce threat was a question.

Would she choose me this time?

And every time she begged me to stay, I got my answer, she still chose me.

So why should tonight be any different?

I stood up.

"Let's go."

Ethan looked at me.

"You're not going after her?"

I laughed.

"Why would I?"

He smiled.

"Fair enough."

We left the bar and I drove home alone, when I entered the mansion, the lights were on. I expected to see Amelia sitting in the living room.

Maybe crying, or waiting for me, or even to apologize.

I walked into the living room only to find nobody.

I frowned, I checked the bedroom and itvwas empty, then the bathroom, also empty even the kitchen too was empty.

"Amelia?" I called out but no answer.

I pulled out my phone and called her. It rang three good times but she didn't answer.

I frowned as it was already clear to me that she was probably ignoring me deliberately.

Fine, let her.

I tossed my phone onto the sofa and walked toward the bedroom.

That's when I noticed it, her side of the closet looked strangely empty.

I opened the doors to see that half of her clothes were gone.

I stood there for a moment trying to understand, then I opened the drawers and I saw that her things were missing too.

I walked back into the bedroom.

"What is she doing?"

I called her again, she still no answer.

This time, I felt a little irritated, she was trying to make me worry, that was just all.

She wanted to make me believe she was serious about leaving, but I wasn't going to fall for it.

I went downstairs and my eyes landed on the little table near the window where she kept her camera but it was gone.

Then I stopped.

She loved that camera, she carried it everywhere before we got married.

Then she stopped, I had never really understood why.

I used to complain about her taking photographs all the time, I told her she should focus on being my wife and she always listened.

But now the camera was gone, I walked into the kitchen. To see that even the small things she usually left behind were disappearing.

Her favorite mug, the little plant she kept near the window, the book she had been reading recently Everything was gone.

I suddenly felt something strange in my chest, I didn't like it.

I picked up my phone again and called her, this tine she answered this time, she answered.

"Where are you?"

She answered me with a calm voice, almost too calm.

"I'm at my mother's house."

I frowned.

"Why?"

There was a brief silence.

"Because I'm not coming back."

I almost laughed.

"Amelia, stop being childish."

"I'm not."

"You're angry. I understand."

"I'm not angry."

"Then come home."

"I can't."

I rubbed my forehead.

"Why?"

"Because I don't live there anymore."

I froze.

"What?"

"I moved out."

My jaw tightened.

"You can't just leave."

There was silence before she said something that made my blood boil.

"You asked me to leave."

I didn't know what to say, she was right.

But somehow hearing her say it made everything feel different.

"You're actually serious about this?"

"Yes."

"Because of what happened at the bar?"

"No."

Her voice remained calm.

"I'm leaving because I'm tired."

"Tired of what?"

She laughed softly, but the laugh wasn't a happy laugh.

"Tired of begging."

I remained silent.

"You've asked me for a divorce ninety-nine times, Alexander. I begged you ninety-nine times."

Her voice cracked slightly.

"This time, I'm not going to."

I tightened my grip on the phone.

"Amelia..."

"I'm going to sleep."

The call ended.

I stared at the screen, it was very funny, the Mrs shaky hands had hung up on me.

Amelia had never hung up on me before.

I stood there for a while then my phone rang, checking the phone, it was Isabella, I answered.

"Hello?"

"Alexander, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

She hesitated.

"Did Amelia really leave?"

I looked around the empty room.

"Yes."

"Thats good, this time you better not fall for her tricks."

I didn't answer.

Isabella continued.

"You know how manipulative she can be."

I frowned, for some reason, that sentence irritated me.

"There is no manipulation, she said she's not coming back."

There was a pause.

"Well thats good, that cripple is finallyvout of our lives."

I looked toward the empty doorway.

"No."

I don't know why I said it so confidently, maybe because I refused to believe otherwise.

"She'll come back."

I knew Isabella will want to say something else, so I ended the call before she gets the chance to.