A shocking demand

The rain beat down the roof of the Harris’s mansion in its fury this night, as it had done for the past three nights, as though it intended to pull off the roof of the house. The occupants of the grand living room paid the weather elements no mind though as they faced each other, one angry and unmoving with an impassive face, and the other tearful and pleading, but still trying to maintain an air of nonchalance, even though she knew that she was failing dismally.

The dull weather mirrored exactly how Becca Harris was feeling. She was feeling dull, sad and most of all, the feeling of despair and pain refused to leave her. Pain that a man whom she loved with all her heart, had planned to spend the rest of her life with, and would gladly die for, was standing right in front of her and staring at her in utter disdain. But even worse than the look on his face were the words that he had uttered not more than a minute or two ago.

“I want a divorce.” The worst thing about this whole thing had been the cold and distant tone in which he had uttered those words … as though Becca was a stranger whom he had just met and not someone whom he had married and lived with for the past two and half years. The ringing in Becca’s ears refused to subside, even though she shook her head several times to clear it, so she simply stood there and stared at her husband, waiting for him to take back his vile words. Ryan did no such thing, though, but rather, continued to stare at his wife with a cool, measured look that gave her the sinking feeling that all this wasn’t just some bad joke as she had been hoping in a part of her mind.

“Did you hear what I just said?” Ryan asked her at last, when it became evident that she was not going to say anything.

“D…divorce? Did you say divorce?” Becca stammered in confusion, hoping that he would burst out laughing and tell her that it was all some horrible joke, at which point she would scold him severely and tell him that she did not appreciate such jokes, after which they would go about their lives as usual.

“Good. You heard me then. I was beginning to think that you’re now deaf.”

“Ryan… please, I don’t understand. What are you talking about?”

“What I’m talking about? I’m talking about the fact that I’m so over this sham of a marriage. I want nothing to do with you anymore, and frankly, I can’t wait to be rid of you. Seeing you is annoying the hell out of me.” Ryan spat in irritation and anger, although what was causing his anger and irritation remained a mystery to her.

Becca continued staring at her husband as though he had grown horns right in front of her, and maybe he had because she did not recognize the angry and bitter man in front of her. Granted, they had not had the most romantic of unions, but even then, she had never anticipated such behavior from him. He was acting as though she had poisoned his favorite dog. As though the dog was aware of this comparison that Becca had just made in her mind, it ambled into the living room, immediately pausing as it sensed the tense atmosphere between its owners. It paused in the middle of the large living room, looking from husband to wife, undecided, and not knowing whom to go to. Besides, neither of them paid it any mind as they were too focused on each other.

At that moment, a loud sob escaped from Becca’s lips, and the dog made his decision, walking over to where she stood facing her soon-to-be ex-husband, from the looks of it, and nuzzling her legs in sympathy. Becca was too heartbroken to pay the poor dog any mind, so after a while, it padded back the way it had come, looking almost as dejected as Becca did. It was almost as though it could feel the pain of its female owner, and knew that her time here was almost ended.

“Why? What’s wrong? Have I done something to offend you?” She asked, her voice breaking as she walked towards him, stretching her hands to touch him, but he backed away from her touch as though she was going to burn him with it, or as though she were some leper. Becca paused with her hands held towards him in midair, utter confusion clouding her pretty features as she observed him. It was only now that the gravity of the situation was really hitting her.

“Look, don’t make this harder on yourself than it has to be. I don’t want to be married to you any longer. It’s as simple as that. Naturally, I will leave this house to you, or if you prefer, I can buy you a house anywhere you want. But, I cannot continue living with you any longer.” Ryan said, turning away from her finally, but Becca refused to let him off the hook so easily.

“In all of this, you’ve refused to answer my question. Why? Why are you saying this all of a sudden?”

“My reasons are mine and mine alone, Rebecca. You shouldn’t bother yourself with them, and you most certainly shouldn’t keep reminding me of them, because doing so just makes me angrier. If you keep it up, you may well walk away with nothing.” Ryan replied in the coldest tone that anyone had ever directed towards her, causing her to stiffen. His back was still turned towards her, and she longed to go touch or hold him as she had done the last time she had seen him before today, that is before he had gone on the business trip that seemed to have changed him.

What had happened on that trip? Had he found himself a mistress there and now wanted nothing to do with her? It would not be the first time that she had known something like that to happen. In fact, it had happened to her best friend, who had taken her own life after her husband had served her divorce papers, and had gone on to move in with his much younger mistress, a girl who was barely legal. Her death had touched Becca to the marrow, but inwardly, she had known that her friend’s action had been too extreme and drastic. Now, however, she realized how painful hearing such a thing from someone whom you loved and had envisioned spending the rest of your life with was.

“Here, sign them,” Ryan ordered, drawing Becca out of her reverie. She glanced at him to realize that she had been so lost in thought that she had not noticed him go wherever it was that he had gone to get the papers that he now gripped in his hands and held out to her.

“W…what’s that?”

“Divorce papers, of course,” Ryan said, and Becca felt her whole world crumbling before her.