MIO FIORE

DIVORCE

“Should you really be at work?" I looked up hearing Daxton's voice.

“Oh, yeah," I shrugged while stirring my coffee, "I have work to do. Also sorry about the other day I got caught up with something," I said, not admitting that I forgot he was even there in the lounge room. I was too distracted by that statue. I had to buy super glue to fix it on the way home.

“No that's alright, it was rude of me to invite myself over."

"No no, you were helping me with my missing data, thank you." I smiled. Daxton nodded and I grabbed my cup walking out.

I wasn't going to stay long at work, I was here because I had a meeting, a meeting with my lawyer.

I walked into my office and my eyes stinging at the sharp slight coming in, god why did my head still hurt? And this stupid nausea that wouldn't go away.

I looked at the old man in the chair already there, “Harrington." I nodded walking around to my desk, "You should have told me you were here."

“I wouldn't have spent so long trying to make a coffee.” The old man smiled, wrinkles forming around his eyes, "It's alright, I can wait. I heard what happened to you the other night, are you okay?”

I frowned, why were people talking about that, and how did everyone know? It was almost like Aiden was tweeting it live, but then I wouldn't really be surprised if he was.

"I’m fine.”

“Did you want to pursue legal ac-"

“You know I didn't call you about that." he knew exactly why I called him. Harrington sighed and nodded grabbing his brown suitcase type bag and placing it on my neat table, "Yes I do."

“Well, what do you think you can do about it?"

I knew he read my email. "I’ll look into it," He nodded.

I frowned taking a sip of the warm liquid, and my stomach didn't like the taste nearly pushing it back up. I pushed my cup away.

“I don't want you to just look into it Harrington, I want you to make sure that I get a divorce."

The one-year limit was over, and we still haven't consummated the marriage, so technically it should be extremely easy to get a divorce.

“Are you sure about this?" Harrington asked, rubbing his knee. Something he did often when he was deep in thought.

"of course I'm sure!" and I knew exactły how to get Aiden to sign the papers. Soon, I could be a free woman. And my parents had no say in this whatsoever. I had been listening to them for the past few years and look where that's gotten me, in worse situations.

Speaking of parents I had about six missed calls from them, I better call them after this meeting.

"I can't get documents ready right away, it'll take at least a week to a fortnight."

I waved a hand, "That's good enough for me." as long as I got them, a fortnight was better than a lifetime with this man. Harrington nodded, grabbing his stuff as he left, and he handed me an envelope, "That was the agreement you had, read through it again."

I read through it a million times, I took it but chucked it into the draw, I didn't need to read it again. I knew the agreement backward, word to word.

"Thanks,"

"Don't thank me just yet."

I frowned but nodded as I watched him walk out of my office before I sighed. My head was spinning and so was my stomach. A part of me wanted to go home and curl up in bed, but the other part laughed. Was I that weak?

I had so much to do, I better suck it up and get back to work, especially all the things that I lost, I had to make up for that.

There was a knock on my door after a bit and I called out for the person to enter, not expecting Nelly.

"Hey," she murmured softly as she walked inside closing the door behind her, "How are you feeling?

"My head hurts."

She laughed pulling the chair to sit next to me,

“Well, that would explain since you had a bad fall, did you find out who it was yet?" I shook my head.

"I haven't heard anything, Aiden took care of it," I said and added, "Apparently." I better check if he really did file the complaint about me. Nelly raised an eyebrow and I gave her a look, Don't.

But she went there.

“0oh, what has him doing this chivalrous act all of a sudden, I heard he has been taking eh, good care of you," she gave me a knowing look which I returned with a disgusted one.

"Don't even go there," I said looking at my glass of cold coffee nearly tempted to drink it to keep my mouth occupied from talking, he clearly wants something" Something like a cruise. If he thought taking care of me for a few hours was going to get him that, he was dreaming.

“Why are you so...paranoid Krystal."

I nearly choked on my imaginary water, ”Paranoid? Me?"

“Why can't Aiden change, be nice?"

"Because he has never been nice in the twelve months and three weeks we have been married, Nelly. Besides, I'm trying to end the stupid marriage, I don't need any other dramas coming up,"

"What do you mean," she asked sitting down.

“I’m getting a divorce," I said calmly, while her reaction was not so calm.

"What?! Why"

I shrugged, “Why not. We don't love each other. We married because we both had a selfish reason, and now we-well I realized iťs not working out, and I don't need that reason anymore." I was selfish in the decision and I was sure Aiden was selfish as well. We both knew what we wanted and whilst it was working out, living with someone was just so much work.

I couldn't do it.

It wasn't about love, it was about tolerance and my tolerance with him was over, I was pushed right over the edge.

"Krystal, have you thought about this?"

I looked up at her crossing my legs, "What do you think?" I thought about buying a fruit three times, was it worth the cost per kilogram, did it look fresh, would I eat it, did it look like it was filled with steroids. For a matter about my life, I would think about it so much more.

Nelly just shrugged, saying that in the end, it was just my choice, and it was, and I knew what I was doing.

I looked at the time sighing, "I better go."

“Why it's only seven, aren't we going to work on color schemes?"

I nodded, "Yeah but I have a charity gala to go to tonight. I promised dad I would be there." I said.

"Alright, have fun and take care."

I nodded,” I will.”

There were plus points as well as minus points about galas. I loved looking at the art, and this was charity art, paintings worth thousands on display, but the people, that was a minus. Standing next to pretentious people talking about paintings like they knew exactly what the artist wanted was annoying.

“I can see the despair in this." I raised an eyebrow looking at Samuel, who seemed to be glued to my side since the start.

I took a sip of my wine, wrinkling my nose at the taste, why was I even drinking this?

“Oh, why is that?" I asked, all I saw was a couple sitting on a bench in a park, they were smiling while a kid was feeding the ducks. 

“The colors were bright, I couldn't see sadness at all. There is a lot of black in this painting, the artist is clearly converting their depression, and look at the way the girl is sitting, very..rigid. Definitely not wanting to be there.." He went on and I sighed, draining the rest of my glass by the time he finished.

“Excuse me," I excused myself trying to walk away without him following me. I had already tried that three times and failed.

I turned around the corner nearly running into the waiter, "Sorry,"

"No worries ma'am, would you like another glass." the waiter asked.

"No thank you, "I paused "Actually, sure." I swapped my empty glass for another one, turning to look at another picture.