"I want a divorce ".
I looked up staring at him but all I could see was an emotionless look on his face, confirming what he said.
"A divorce, you say…". I sat there staring at the man I spent most of my life with, loving and devoting my life to, I couldn't breathe well.
"I don't think we're happy with each other anymore." He added, his tone firm, like he had been rehearsing this for weeks.
I stared at him, trying to process what he just said. Suddenly, the warmth I had worked so hard to create in this place felt like it had evaporated in an instant. I watched him, waiting for some sign that he didn't mean it, that this was all just a prank. But there was nothing. Just some detached expression, his eyes avoiding mine.
Finally, I found my voice, my words coming out like a whisper.
"Is there perhaps… someone else?"
He looked at me then, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face . But it was quickly replaced by that same detached expression.
"Yes".
He said simply, picking up his fork again.
The single word felt like a knife to my chest. All the memories we shared together, all this years, reduced to a simple "yes". This wasn't just a divorce, this was Derek choosing some else over me.
"Who is she?"
He pushed his food around his plate, avoiding my gaze.
"It's not important ", he said, evading the question.
"Just someone I met at work".
His casual way of saying it made my heart ache even more. Work. So she was close, someone he saw everyday. The thought of him going to work, seeing her, talking to her everyday made my stomach turn.
Then, it suddenly hit me, "Sarah!!! My best friend".
He paused, his fork stilled for a moment. His eyes flickering, proving I had just mentioned the person. The One friend I trusted the most.
"You cheated on me with my best friend"
I felt my heart sink and I could hear my heart break completely.
I stood up and pushed the plates down in anger, "How dare you?!!!, I hate you".
The sound of shattering porcelain filled the room as the dinnerware crashed to the floor. Derek's expression stayed stoic as he watched.
"Don't act surprised,"
He said, his tone still calm, still detached.
"You really thought I was happy with you?"
The sharp words stung my heart like knives.
"Sarah is young, intelligent, passionate. She listens. She gets me in a way you never could."
He said, his tone taking on a hint of annoyance.
"You've been... suffocating. Constantly demanding more and more from me, always needing reassurance and attention. It's exhausting."
I felt tears welling up in my eyes. This words were like a punch to my gut. Every insecurity, every doubt I ever had about myself was being thrown back at me, twisted to justify his betrayal.
"How long has this been going on?"
I forced out the words, my throat tight with pain.
"A few months,"
He said, his voice matter-of-fact.
"When we started working on the Celine case, we just...connected. She gets me. She understands the pressure, the stress of my job."
His words were like salt on my wounds. My best friend. The person I'd confided in, shared secrets with, knew better than anyone else. And she stabbed me at my back.
I raced up the stairs, the tears blurring my vision,slamming the bedroom door shut, I leaned against it, the room spinning around me as a strangled sob escaped my lips. The pain felt like it was going to consume me, tearing me apart from the inside.
"I loved him… I sacrificed my life, my job, my womb and all I get at the end is…" I choked on my tears, the pain overwhelming. I had given so much to this marriage, to him, only for him to discard me so easily. My love, my sacrifices, none of it mattered to him. The bitter reality was crushing, the weight of it all feeling unbearable.
I waited for him to walk through the door and say it was a lie. Hours passed, the house eerily quiet. But the house stayed silent, the only sound was my breathing and the occasional muffled sobs.
Eventually, the tears ran out. The rage and pain had subsided into a sort of numb acceptance. This was the reality now, no matter how much i wished it wasn't.
I slowly fell asleep.