Signed In Silence
1448 Words
Selvina’s POV
I didn’t stop walking until I reached our bedroom. The moment the door closed behind me, I leaned against it and squeezed my eyes shut. The tears I’d fought so hard to hold back finally spilled over.
For six years, this room had been my safe place. Every photograph on the wall, every piece of furniture, every book on the shelf held a memory of the life Dylan and I had built together. Now, everything felt unfamiliar.
I wiped my face with the back of my hand and walked to the wardrobe. My fingers hesitated on the handle before I pulled it open. His suits hung neatly beside my dresses. For the first time, I noticed how naturally our lives had become intertwined.
A sound behind me made me freeze. “Selvina.”
I didn’t have to turn around. Of course I knew the voice of the man I had loved endlessly for six years.
The bedroom door clicked shut.
“I asked you to give me a minute, but you walked away.”
“Oh wow, so I was supposed to stand there and listen to whatever rubbish you had to say? Are you serious, or is this supposed to be rage bait?” I yelled, with both hands on my waist. I was already losing it at this point.
Dylan stood a few feet away, his tie hanging loose around his neck. He looked exhausted, as though the last hour had drained every ounce of strength from him. His eyes were red.
I’d seen that look only once before—at our wedding, when he admitted he was terrified he wouldn’t be a good husband.
I should have taken his word for it, but I had laughed and promised we’d face everything together. Neither of us had imagined we’d end up here.
He stepped closer. “I need you to believe me.” His expression softened. “I don’t remember going to Vanessa’s hotel room.”
“But you can’t say you didn’t,” I said almost immediately.
His shoulders stiffened. “No.”
“I thought as much.”
He ran both hands through his hair and turned away for a moment.
“I’ve been trying to remember since she spoke. I remember dancing with her. I remember the charity dinner. After that…” He pressed a hand against his forehead. “Everything is blank.”
I looked at him quietly.
“You always told me that no matter what happened, we’d tell each other the truth. So why don’t you just own up and tell me the f*****g truth? You wanted an heir so badly, so you decided to sleep with your mistress under the disguise of alcohol. Perfect plan, right?”
This time, I was screaming at the top of my voice.
“I am telling you the truth,” Dylan insisted.
“Okay, let’s say I believe you. What does it change?”
He lowered his head in guilt, as if admitting that nothing actually changed.
“Let me even ask you.” “Tell me honestly… if the child is yours, what are you going to do?”
Dylan answered after a long silence. “I’ll take responsibility.”
“Even if it costs you our marriage?” I asked calmly.
“If Vanessa is carrying my child… then I have a responsibility to her and the baby.”
His words echoed through the room. I felt something inside me c***k. I searched his face, hoping there was more. Hoping he would tell me I was still the woman he wanted beside him. Instead, all I saw was guilt.
“And me?” The question escaped before I could stop it.
He stared at me with his lips parted. He didn’t utter a word.
I laughed softly, though there wasn’t a trace of joy in it.
“I see.” “I finally understand.”
He tried to reach for my hand, but I stepped back, as all I could see was a man who had already made up his mind and was just pretending to care. “If you touch me right now, I’ll forget myself and land my hands on your face.”
His hand slowly fell to his side. “I never wanted to hurt you, Selvina.”
“But you did.” “You didn’t even fight for us.” “You’re fighting your guilt.”
“I mean, you already made your choice.”
I walked toward the dressing table and opened the top drawer. Inside was a small leather folder that contained our marriage certificate and other important documents. For a long moment, I stared at it, reflecting on how I’d exhausted six years of my life with an indecisive man. Six years reduced to a few sheets of paper.
“I think…” I said quietly, “…we both know what comes next.”
His breathing became uneven. “Don’t say that.”
“If that baby is yours, you’ll never walk away.”
“I can’t.” he replied
“And I won’t ask you to.” I added
His face twisted with pain. “I hate this.”
“So do I.”
Just then, three soft knocks interrupted our conversation.
“Young Master.”
It was Eric, the butler.
“Madam has asked both of you to come downstairs, but neither of us answered.
A few seconds later, Eric spoke again. “The family solicitor has arrived.”
My heart sank. I already knew why. Without another word, I walked past Dylan and opened the bedroom door. The living room looked exactly as we had left it.
Only now, an elderly man in a dark suit sat quietly beside Mr. Sebastian.
A stack of documents rested neatly on the coffee table. The divorce agreement.
Mrs. Daisy looked at us without the slightest hint of emotion. “I’m glad you’ve both come. "None of us responded.
She turned to the solicitor. “Please explain.”
The man adjusted his glasses.
“The agreement has been prepared according to the family’s instructions. Once both parties sign, the marriage will be legally dissolved after the required filing period.”
I barely heard another word. My attention remained on Dylan. He stood beside me without moving.
Mr. Sebastian finally spoke. “Dylan.” His voice carried the weight of authority. “If the child Miss Reed is carrying is yours, then you already know what the right thing is.” The room fell silent for a few moments.
Mrs. Daisy added quietly, “No child deserves to grow up without a name.”
I looked at Dylan to see what he would do next.
He closed his eyes for several seconds before opening them again. When he reached for the pen, my heart stopped. He read the agreement one last time. Then… he signed.
At this point, several thoughts began to run through my mind: Could this man be under a spell, or did he deliberately impregnate her and decide to come up with this plan just to make himself feel less guilty? Because why the hell did he sign without thinking twice? Can someone wake me up from this nightmare? I said all this to myself.
His signature appeared at the bottom of the page with one smooth stroke.
When he placed the pen back on the table, he looked at me. “I’m sorry,” were the two words that came out of his mouth.
They arrived far too late. I picked up the pen. For a moment, I stared at the empty line beneath his signature. I looked at the space where my name belonged. A lifetime of memories flashed through my mind. How we first met,our wedding and all preparations that followed, the nights we spent dreaming about the family we’d build. Our birthday parties, anniversaries, endless promises. One by one… They slipped away in the blink of an eye.
I signed. The room remained silent. I removed my wedding ring and placed it gently on top of the papers.
“I hope,” I said quietly, “that one day you become the father your child deserves.”
Dylan’s eyes filled with regret. He took a step toward me.
“Selvina—”
I shook my head. “Goodbye.”
Without looking back again, I walked toward the front door. This time… No one followed me.
By the time I stepped outside the gates of Garrett Mansion, I realized that I wasn’t leaving with wealth, status, or security. I was leaving with the only thing no one in that house had managed to take from me.
My dignity.
- Writer
