"Petition for Divorce"
I stared at the document on the counter, my heart racing with every passing second. The words seemed to sear themselves into my brain, refusing to let me look away. My hands trembled as I reached out to touch the paper, as if verifying its existence.
"Finally, you're home,"
A voice said from behind me, devoid of emotion, echoing off the walls. I spun around to face him, my eyes locking onto his cold expression. The scent of his cologne wafted towards me, familiar yet distant. Easton leaned against the doorway, his expression as cold as ever.
"What's this?"
I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, holding up the document. The paper rustled softly in my hands.
"Sign them, Cyrena," he replied, his voice as detached as his gaze. I felt a lump form in my throat as I searched his face for any sign of emotion, but there was none. The lines around his eyes seemed to deepen in the silence.
"You want a divorce?" I asked after processing what seemed to be true, though I knew I shouldn't have asked.
Easton was never going to love me the way he had loved her, but here I was, holding onto something I knew wasn't mine.
"Let's not do this—" He noticed my growing emotion.
"Sign the papers, I'll have my lawyer finalize everything." He stared at me one last time before turning to leave.
"I won't sign those," my words cut him off in his steps, the sound of his footsteps halting abruptly on the hardwood floor. My heart raced with every step he took towards me, the creak of the floorboards beneath his feet echoing through the room.
Easton and I had been married for two years; it wasn't perfect, but I wasn't ready to throw away what we had.
Easton's gaze darkened, clearly not expecting my refusal. He fixed his eyes on me like he'd see right through me. My hands trembled as I held the divorce papers, my eyes fixed on the floor as tears welled up.
"I won't sign those," I managed to say again, battling the feeling of guilt that lingered around me.
"We can still fix this," my lips trembled.
As Easton's gaze darkened, the shadows in the room seemed to grow longer, casting a somber mood.
"There's nothing to fix," Easton spat, his words sharp as the sound of shattering glass. I finally looked up at him, tears streaming down my face, the saltiness stinging my lips. I searched for something in his eyes, but I saw nothing.
"Why?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
He let out a deep breath, running his hands through his hair as his gaze finally settled on mine again.
"We can't continue like this, Cyrena... We barely talk to each other or look at each other. This isn't working. I thought I've moved on, but..."
"Oh, this is because of her?" Anger flared up in me.
"Cyrena—" Easton scoffed.
"You're willing to throw everything we have away because of her? I am your wife, for God's sake!" Something welled up in me—anger, pain—I couldn't tell.
"It's not," Easton clenched his fist, moving to the other side of the room.
"Then why can't we fix this?" I asked.
"I don't feel anything for you anymore," he said, his words cutting through me like a knife.
"I don't want to be in a loveless marriage. It's best we end this."
I froze, trying to breathe, but it became difficult. I tried to process what Easton had just said, but my brain seemed to shut down. My hands reached out for something to hold onto as I lost my balance.
"I'm getting a divorce, and that's final," Easton stormed out to his room, leaving me shattered. I became a stranger to my own self.
I dragged myself to my room, remembering that Easton and I had never shared a bed since we got married, claiming he enjoyed his own company, which I had accepted. I fell to the floor, begging and praying for the pain to go away, but it never did.
"Sign the papers"
kept ringing in my head until it became evident that everything was real.
Just then, my phone rang, breaking the silence, its shrill tone piercing the air. I picked it up, my hands still trembling.
"Cyrena, we have a problem," the voice on the other end said, the words distant yet urgent.
I let the phone drop from my hands, the sound of it hitting the floor a stark contrast to the silence that followed...