0002.

Amby descended the stairs in a cloud of fury, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't believe the news that she had just heard - that her husband, Jake, had known about her infertility for years and had kept it a secret. What's worse, he had asked the pack doctor to hide the truth from her, asking him to continue giving her fake test results of hope, probably to keep her feeling better. She felt like she had been living a lie, that her husband had been nothing but a cruel manipulator. She couldn't believe the man she had trusted had deceived her so deeply. It was shattering.

Amby was in deep turmoil as she headed straight to her room, her devastated heart was in deep pain and her whole body shaking with anxiety. How could he? She had trusted him and believed his words not knowing he had been only lying to her to keep her hanging on an impossible hope for childbearing.

"Did he feel sorry for her? Was he afraid that if he told her the truth, she would lose all hope and self-confidence? Did he think she was too fragile to handle the truth? But why keep it from her? If the pack elders knew, why didn't she? Was she the only one being kept in the dark? Were the constant loathing, mockery, and gossip from the pack members due to this? Was she the only one who didn't know?" The thoughts reeled through Amby's mind as she thought about the new information.

Damn… Amby. the unending questions in her mind were killing her.

“Honey…” the door opened to reveal Jake as he walked in. He had a smile on his face with some documents in his hands.

“I cannot believe the test results, this is good news,” he said, fixating his eyes on the papers in his hands as he approached her.

“We are going to have a baby, honey! I think this will be our final trial,” Jake said as he excitedly kissed Amby lightly on the lips without looking at her face. As he dropped the test results on her lap, he leaned on the closet opposite her direction.

“These are the doctor's reports right about your last scan. I found them on the ground in the passageway, I believe you mistakenly dropped them,” He explained, looking her in the face.

On seeing how grumpy and not lively she appeared, he knew something was wrong, and the smiles on his face died away.

“How could you have been lying to me?” Amby let out a word, staring at him in anger before he could ask what was wrong.

“What do you mean?” Jake asked, his eyes widening as he sensed Amby’s rage.

“You had the doctor lie to me all these years, and you dared look at me with loving eyes and act all excited by the results you know we're fake, Jake? Had you been this wicked? Had I been blinded by your witty charms from the beginning?” Amby was in a rage as she spat these words, leaving Jake in confusion.

“What do you mean, Amby?” Jake asked, caught in turmoil as he tried to understand what she was talking about.

“All these years, the doctor’s report about me having a chance to conceive had been false and you made him do it. I am barren and can never conceive because I have a weak womb. Did you think I would never find out?”

Jake's heart raced as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He'd been caught in the act, and he knew there was no easy explanation for what he'd done. Amby's temper was legendary, and she had a reputation for making rash decisions without considering the consequences. Jake's hands shook as he desperately tried to think of something to say, but no words would come. He was at a loss, and he could feel his world crashing down around him.

“Amby, please…”

“I overheard your conversation with the elders. And I think they are right. I don't know why you chose to lie to me these past years but I think it should come to an end, everything should come to an end now,” Amby said without restraint as she looked up at Jake, her beautiful eyes filled with tears.

“No, Amby, it's not what you think. I had only loved you much more to allow you to know that you would never get pregnant. You love kids so much and talked a lot about wanting one, I couldn't watch you become a shadow of yourself on learning about your infertility. I know you would pity me too and ask me to divorce you which I can not do.”

“Please Amby, I'm sorry everything happened this way…” Jake continued.

“When were you ever planning on telling me about it?”

Amby asked quietly and Jake swallowed hard.

“Did you ever think of how I feel every time the doctor tells me I will be able to become pregnant, and I try and fail, just to be told again I will get pregnant if I try harder?”

“Did you know how it hurt to keep having hope that something could work and it kept on not working, not knowing it was never meant to work? I was only being deceived.”

“Amby, I'm sorry. I was blinded by how much I never wanted to see you hurt and I couldn't bear the thought of you asking me to let go of you. The thought of you raising a topic of divorce,” Jake explained, trying to take hold of her hand but she pulled it away.

“Then for how long were you going to keep deceiving me and having the elders put pressure on you and talk behind my back? For how long, Jake? Three years, four years, five years until my barrenness makes you lose your throne, huh? You are just unbelievable.”

“I never knew you could choose to hurt me like this, I always believed you no matter the situation, I always believed you could never do anything to hurt me but I think I doubt now but it's fine. There is only one way to settle this Jake, to make it easier for the both of us,” Amby said, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes.

“Amby! No, please reconsider,” Jake pleaded, knowing the next words that were going to come out of Amby’s mouth.

“No, Jake, I won't because I need a divorce!”