Too late , wife

The last straw

"What happened, Damien?"

Jonathan's eyes flew open His heart sank.

l The morning after they had finally found their way back into each other's arms the first person Diane called wasn't her husband. It was Damien.

She stood by the window with her back to him, her voice lowered to a whisper.

"Okay... I'll be there." She ended the call and turned around. The moment she saw Jonathan sitting on the edge of the bed, she froze."What is it?" she asked flatly.

Jonathan searched her face. "I just want to talk. About last night. About us."

Diane sighed impatiently. "I don't have time for this, Jonathan. I have somewhere to be."

"So you can run to Damien again?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I told you, I don't have time."

She reached for her handbag.

Jonathan stood and gently caught her wrist."No not this time. I'm not letting you leave so you can spend another day with him."

She tried to pull away. "Let go of me."

"No. I've spent months watching you choose them over me. I'm done pretending it doesn't hurt."

"Jonathan!"

She jerked her arm harder. The handbag slipped from her shoulder. Its contents spilled across the floor. A small silver packet slid across the hardwood.

Diane's face instantly lost its color. "Don't touch it." Her voice carried unmistakable panic. "Leave it."

Jonathan bent down anyway. The moment he picked it up his entire body went still. Contraceptive pills. His fingers tightened around the packet.

Slowly , he looked up at his wife. "What is this?"

She folded her arms, forcing herself to remain calm."You're a doctor. You know exactly what it is."

His chest rose and fell unevenly. "How long?"

She remained silent.

"Diane how long have you been taking these?" His eyes slowly widened. "...Three years?"

She looked away.

He laughed. It wasn't a happy laugh. It sounded broken.

"We've been trying for a baby for three years. You cried with me after every failed appointment. You held my hand when I blamed myself. "You told me maybe stress was making it difficult."

He stared at the pills. "...All this time. ..you were making sure it never happened."

She finally spoke. "I didn't want children."

His heart shattered. "What?"

"I'm finally where I want to be in my career. A baby would've changed everything. I wasn't ready."

Jonathan couldn't breathe. "Then why didn't you tell me? You let me hope. You watched me dream about our future." His voice cracked. "Was I really such a fool to you?"

She closed her eyes. "You wouldn't have accepted it."

"You never gave me the chance!"

The words echoed through the bedroom. Jonathan ran a trembling hand through his hair. Everything suddenly made sense.

The distance. The excuses. The months without intimacy. She had never wanted the future he dreamed of.

Then something inside him broke.

"You know what's truly heartbreaking?" His eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I would've forgiven almost everything. The forgotten anniversaries. The birthdays. I even tried convincing myself there was nothing between you and Damien."

His voice shook "But this is the last straw " He held up the packet. "...you destroyed every dream I ever had about us."

When Jonathan spoke again , his voice was frighteningly calm. "I think we should get divorced."

Diane's eyelashes trembled. For a brief moment he thought she would stop him. Instead she nodded.

"If that's what you want I think it's for the best. Have your lawyer send the papers to my office."

Jonathan stared at her. "...That's it? You're really letting me go?"

She swallowed hard but kept her face expressionless. "It'll be easier this way."

His chest tightened painfully.He gave a bitter smile. "I spent years believing there was still something worth saving. I guess I was the only one."

He stepped aside."Go. I won't stop you again."

She hesitated for the smallest fraction of a second. Then she walked out of the bedroom without looking back. The front door closed.

Jonathan remained where he stood. After several long moments, he reached for his phone. His fingers trembled as he dialed a familiar number.

"Mr. Carter?" His lawyer answered.

Jonathan closed his eyes."Please..." His voice cracked.". Draft the divorce papers."

There was a stunned silence on the other end. "...Are you certain?"

Jonathan looked toward the front door. The home that had once been filled with laughter now felt painfully empty.

"...I've never been more certain."

After ending the call, he sank onto the edge of the bed. His marriage was over. He couldn't stay in this city.

Not when he would have to watch her build the life he had always wanted... with another man.

His eyes slowly hardened.

Before he left , there here was one person he needed to see.

Damien Cross.

The man who had taken her from him.