Episode 5
1182 Words
Sheila walked into the house, her heels clicking crisply against the tiled floor. Jacob was waiting for her, standing dead center in the living room with a look that could have burned through steel.
His glare didn’t waver, filled with anger and something else she couldn’t bother herself with anymore. He moved into her path, blocking her way.
“Move,” she said flatly, her voice stripped of the warmth she used to waste on him.
“How dare you do this to me?” he spat, his voice shaking with rage he was barely holding together. “Is this your revenge? After everything I’ve been through? After what Elena did to me?”
Sheila tilted her head, unimpressed. “Move, Jacob,” she said again, colder this time.
But he didn’t budge. “Answer me! How could you humiliate me like that knowing what I’m already dealing with? You had me thrown out by security from my own company...”
A laugh escaped her, low and humorless. “Your company?”
“Stop this! Whatever game you’re playing, end it now. You’ve pushed me to my limit! You picked today of all days to pull this? Are you really this cruel? I’ve been dealing with enough already.”
She folded her arms, watching him as though seeing him clearly for the first time. “Your suffering isn’t my concern. You wanted a divorce, didn’t you? Congratulations, Jacob. I’m helping you get what you wanted.”
His expression faltered. The anger in his face slipped into something desperate. “You’re really leaving now?” His voice turned pathetic, softer, as if begging might undo everything. “How can you do this to me? Yes, I made mistakes, but this… this wasn’t my fault. If you’d told me about the infertility sooner, I—”
“Don’t,” Sheila cut in, her tone slicing through his excuses. “Don’t even think about blaming this on me.”
Without another word, she reached into her bag, pulled out a set of divorce papers, and pressed them to his chest. “I’ve had enough, Jacob. Honestly, it’s exhausting how predictable you are.”
He’d always been good at twisting things, making her feel like she was the problem. But not anymore.
He took the papers, staring down at them like he couldn’t quite understand what he was holding. His legs gave out beneath him, and he sank to the floor, clutching at her hand like a man about to drown. “Sheila, please. Don’t leave me. Not now. We’ve been through so much together. I gave you everything—love, a family—”
“A family?” she echoed, disgust curling in her voice. “What family, Jacob? The one where your mistress had your child? Or the one where your own family treated me like trash from the start?”
Right on cue, Jacob’s mother and his sister, Chloe, appeared. Chloe, fresh from years abroad, had impeccable timing.
“You can’t leave him now,” Jacob’s mother said quickly, dropping beside her son. Her voice carried its usual false sympathy. “You’re his wife. This is when he needs you most. Can’t you see he’s suffering?”
Sheila stared at the woman who had spent years tearing her down. She shook her head, the weight of every insult crashing over her at once. “You expect me to stay? Where was this concern when you humiliated me at every turn? When you called me worthless, mocked me, belittled me? Now suddenly I’m important?”
A laugh bubbled up, not from humor but from disbelief at her own stupidity for staying this long.
Jacob’s mother launched into another self-righteous lecture, insisting Sheila had a duty to remain loyal. Sheila silenced her with a look, her words steady. “Enough. I’m done letting this family treat me like a punching bag.”
She turned to leave, but Chloe stepped into her path.
“You can’t just walk away like this,” Chloe said, her voice faltering. “What if he… what if something happens to him? Could you live with that on your conscience?”
Sheila paused, then turned slowly toward her. For a moment, her face gave nothing away. Then she gave a bitter smile. “Would you stay with a man who couldn’t give you children? Or is it just me who’s supposed to make all the sacrifices?”
Her words hung in the air, sharp and unforgiving.
Jacob’s mother’s expression twisted in rage. “How dare you speak to my son like that?” she hissed, stepping forward with her hand raised.
But Sheila caught her wrist mid-air, her eyes burning with quiet fury. “Don’t ever try that again,” she warned, her tone steady.
“I knew it! You’ve only ever been here for his money. You’ve brought nothing to this family. If you were any good, he wouldn’t have fallen into someone else’s arms!”
Sheila smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Oh, you mean my money?”
She shoved the woman’s hand away. “You thought I stayed for wealth? Everything he claims to own belongs to me. The company, this house—my name is on it all.”
The silence was deafening. Jacob’s mother and Chloe exchanged glances, confusion creeping into their anger.
“What are you saying?” Chloe demanded, her voice shaking.
Sheila smirked. “Check your phones. Go ahead. You’ll see whose name is on the deeds. Ask him about it. Or better yet…” She nodded down at Jacob, crumpled on the floor. “Let him explain.”
Jacob squirmed under the weight of their stares as Chloe pulled out her phone, her fingers flying across the screen. Her eyes widened. “She’s… Wilson Grey’s daughter?” she whispered, stunned.
Sheila disappeared upstairs for a moment, returning with her bag in hand. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, watching them like strangers she no longer recognized.
“Oh, and one last thing,” she said, almost like an afterthought. “This house is up for sale. You’ll need to vacate soon. Or don’t. Either way, it’s no longer my problem.”
At the door, she paused, her voice quieter now, almost pitying. “Sign the papers, Jacob. While I’m still willing to keep this civil. You won’t like what happens if you force my hand.”
And with that, she walked out, leaving the house—and everything it stood for—behind.
Once in her car, she pulled out her phone and dialed a familiar number. Mira, her cousin and her friend.
“Mira,” she said, her voice lighter than it had been in months. “I’m coming over. Finally free.”
The excitement on the other end was unmistakable. “Yes! I knew you’d finally listen. I’m starting the celebration now!”
For the first time in weeks, Sheila smiled. A real smile. As she drove away, she didn’t look back once at the house behind her.
“Time to be Sheila Grey again.”
- Writer
