Return To Be Mine

THE ROOM (PART 2)

JOSHUA

“s**t, what happened?” I asked myself out loud.

I blinked a couple of times to realize that I was at my parents' house. I was in the room I had used when I was single before moving in with Estefanía. I got up feeling a bit weak and stumbled as I put my feet on the floor. I was naked. My clothes were scattered all over the room.

I put on my pants with some difficulty. I was zipping them up when the door opened and my mom walked in with one of the maids pushing a food cart.

“Well, look who finally woke up.” She put her hands on her hips.

“What happened?” I asked her confusedly. “I don't remember anything.”

“I'm not surprised with the epic drunk you got. How could you remember? We didn't let you go because you weren't in a condition to drive back home.”

The maid started to leave the food on the nightstand. It was chicken soup for the hangover, but at that moment I was only interested in getting out of there and searching for my wife.

“Did I drink until I got wasted?” I asked her. “What exactly happened? Because I woke up naked.”

My mom shrugged. I didn't get any response from her.

“What happened, mom?” I demanded an answer.

“I told you, you drank so much you passed out. You said something about having problems in your marriage. It makes sense that we didn't let you drive in that state.” She looked at me seriously. “If you're asking me why you woke up naked, honestly, I don't know.”

I glared at her. I finished buttoning up my shirt and dashed out of the room.

“Joshua! Joshua!” my mom shouted behind me. She was chasing after me. I stormed down the stairs towards my car. “Joshua Chevalier, you can't just leave like this!”

“The next time you invite me, make sure it's just us, and that the invitation extends to my wife too!” I yelled angrily.

I opened the car door and slammed it shut. I was in a hurry to go get Estefanía rather than wasting time with my family's nonsense. In the distance, I could see that Isabela and my dad had hurriedly come out upon hearing the screams. I started the engine, and in the end, I saw Lea, holding a suitcase in her hand. She looked at me with shock. It wouldn't surprise me if my dad made her go to another boarding school.

I sped off towards the house where Estefanía was. It had been a mistake to try to make amends with my family. I accelerated because I wanted to arrive as soon as possible and talk to her. I felt nervous because there was a high chance she would reject me.

I entered the house's parking lot and felt a tightness in my stomach. I turned off the car engine and looked at myself in the mirror, fixing my hair with my fingers. I had terrible breath. I smelled like a lion that had just woken up, so I sprayed some perfume and mint spray in my mouth. I got out of the car and grabbed the flowers from the trunk, luckily the arrangement was still in good condition.

My heart skipped a beat as I entered the house. Something invisible hit me in the stomach, leaving me breathless as I saw that a large part of the house was destroyed.

I let go of the floral arrangement and the first thing I did was rush inside.

“Estefanía! Estefanía!” I shouted with a lump in my throat.

I didn't know if something had happened to her while I was unconscious at my parents' house. No, this couldn't happen.

“Estefanía, please answer!” I shouted again in despair with no response. No one had come to meet me.

I walked through the rubble like a basilisk. My heart was pounding in my chest at the thought that something bad had happened to her. However, I still couldn't find any traces.

I was walking towards the stairs to go to my wife's room when I stepped on a frame. I lowered my gaze, about to move away what was in my way, when I realized it was a photograph of our wedding. Trembling, I picked it up, seeing that it was completely destroyed.

Who had been the i***t who dared to do that? I felt a wound open in my chest. I let go of the destroyed frame and went upstairs.

“Estefanía! Estefanía!” I shouted in desperation. Damn it, I just wanted to know if she was okay.

I entered her room, opening the door violently. For a moment, I forgot to breathe when I saw that the whole room was completely destroyed.

“Fanny, please, if this is a prank, stop it and come out!”

No response.

I was about to leave when I noticed that the desk was the only piece of furniture that was intact and in order. I approached cautiously and saw a folded piece of paper.

It had my name on it.

For a moment, my hands refused to touch that paper, but in the end, after taking a deep breath, I picked it up.

I unfolded the paper and found Estefanía's handwriting. My heart skipped a beat when I saw that she had written me a letter.

Joshua,

First of all, I want to tell you that you were the great love of my life. With you, I learned to live spontaneously and I dared to do many things because it was fun to do crazy things with you, like when we distributed tequila at formal parties to make people go crazy, or the times when you listened to me talk for hours about clothes and fashion, and you always went to the seat of the "resigned boyfriends" to wait for me. I learned many things from you, you were always there for me and even gave up your family for me.

I'm so sorry things ended like this between us. I can't find the words to tell you how much I regret failing you. I made a huge mistake and I accept it. I was fine with your absence because it was a way to feel like I was paying for the pain I caused you. I saw it as okay, I felt like that was an acceptable way to treat myself, but I couldn't handle it.

Love hurts, you know? And I feel like this time I'm forcing myself to tear you out of my life because I don't want to hate you. I'm returning your freedom, I'm returning your dreams, and the serenity to find someone who makes you happy. I'm sorry I couldn't be that woman, even though I wished it with all my heart...

The truth is, I'm so angry with you, for the way you handled things, that instead of wanting to solve them with me... i***t. I know it all started because of me, but I can't help feeling disappointed...

Be happy, Joshi. Turn the page and don't look for me anymore. From today on, I'm no longer your wife.

Estefanía Falero.

I fell to my knees with trembling hands.

“No, my love. No, please no.”

For the first time in a long time, I cried.