Love Unleashed

2

He cut me off. “This was a contract, Serena. You knew that from the start.”

“I didn’t know it would feel like this!” I shouted, my voice cracking. “I didn’t know you’d break me like this, Ryan!”

He sighed, pulling a stack of papers from his briefcase. “I had these prepared,” he said, placing them on the table. “You can read them at your own pace. I’m willing to offer financial support if you need it.”

I stared at the divorce papers, my hands shaking. “Support?” I laughed hollowly. “You think money will fix this? Fix me?”

“I’m trying to be fair,” he said defensively.

“Fair?” I repeated, my voice rising. “You cheated on me, Ryan. And now, you’re talking about fairness?”

He didn’t respond, only adjusted his tie again. “I’ll give you some space,” he muttered, turning toward the door.

“Ryan,” I called after him, my voice shaking.

He paused but didn’t turn around. “What?”

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding. “I hope she’s worth it.”

For a moment, he didn’t say anything. Then he nodded and walked out, the door clicking shut behind him.

I sank back onto the couch, tears spilling down my face. The man I had loved with all my heart had chosen someone else.

I looked at the divorce papers on the table, their presence mocking me. Slowly, I picked up the pen and signed my name.

With that, it was over.

I placed a hand on my stomach, a bittersweet smile forming on my lips. “It’s just us now,” I whispered. “And we’re going to be okay.”

Chapter 2.

5 YEARS LATER

Serena’s POV

I walked into my bright, sunny workplace at Rocky’s Designs. The walls were painted a light yellow, and the shelves were filled with sketches and small flower pots.

My large desk was at the centre, with a window behind it showing the city skyline.

This was my firm.

I developed it from the ground up, using only a few ideas and a lot of hard labour.

"Good morning, Miss Serena!" Emma, my assistant, said with a wide smile as she entered behind me.

She held a cup of coffee for me.

“Good morning, Emma,” I said, taking the cup. “Thank you. Do we have a busy day today?"

"Oh, yes," she replied, gazing at her tab.

“You have a meeting at 10 with the marketing team, a call with a client at 11, and a lunch meeting with Mr. Hayes."

“Mr. Hayes?" I enquired, lifting an eyebrow.

Emma nodded. "He wants to discuss the new project." I sighed, yet smiled.

“Alright, let's get to it."

As I sat down, I looked at the photograph on my desk. It was a picture of my four-year-old daughter, Amy.

Her sparkling blue eyes and curling brown hair would always make me grin. She was my entire universe.

“Mommy's working hard for you," I said to the photo before turning on the computer.

The meeting began at ten o'clock. I sat at the head of the table, with the marketing team assembled around.

“Okay, let's hear your ideas for the new campaign," I said, tapping my pen on my notebook.

Jason, a young team member, spoke up. "We were thinking about using bright colours and fun patterns to complement the new designs. It's clean and modern, just like Rocky's designs!"

I nodded, enjoying his exuberance.

“That sounds fantastic, Jason. Let's make sure the message is clear and easy to understand. Our designs aim to make homes happy and beautiful."

“Yes, ma'am!" Jason replied, scribbling notes.

The meeting lasted an hour, and at the end, I felt proud of my team.

They were as inventive and passionate as I thought they would be.

I met Mr. Hayes for lunch at the cafeteria in my company. He was a tall man with grey hair and a pleasant smile.

“Ms. Serena, it's always a pleasure," he added as we exchanged handshakes.

“Good to see you, too, Mr. Hayes," I said.

We sat at a table near the window. The server handed us menus, and we ordered sandwiches and ice tea.

It wasn't long before the meeting was wrapped up. We shook hands, and I walked towards the lift to return to my office.

My heels clicked against the tiled floor. I was deep in contemplation, going over the concepts from the day, when I got a weird sensation.

It was as if someone was observing me. I looked over my shoulder and saw nothing peculiar.

I dismissed the feeling and entered the lift, pressing the button for my floor.

The doors started to close, and as they did, I heard a voice say, "Wait!" The voice caused my breath to catch.

It sounded too familiar… the voice. But before I could respond, the lift doors closed and I was on my way up.

I shook my head, convincing myself it was nothing.