Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

—ELEANOR

-

My legs feel numb, and my throat and heart, I can swear they’re in my stomach.

Never have I thought this day would come. And in as much as I try to tell myself I saw it coming.

My subconscious is still not buying it. I’m sad.

And the worst of it all is Arthur is—was my foundation, my backbone, my only family.

I left our— his home— willingly, but to be honest. I have nowhere to go.

No fuckin place to my name.

I’ve been alone for as long as I can recall, my parents died a long time around when I was around sixteen.

I’ve pretty much lived on strings and have gone so far alone, until I met Arthur and now everything has sunk with Arthur.

I stand in the middle of the road after getting out of the taxi and call the only person I know I can talk to.

Cindy. My only friend.

And she picks up almost immediately, her voice is cheerful and alive and it makes me feel even worse.

My voice shakes like a tractor clearing a bush as I ask the one question.

“Are you home?”

She notices the shakiness and I can hear the unease in her voice.

“Yes, I’m home- What’s wrong Eleanor?”

“Arthur and I are getting a divorce” I say the words a bit faster so it doesn’t sound too true.

Cindy goes quiet for almost ten seconds— strangely I was keeping count— she breathes on the phone and tells me to come over before ending our call.

-

Cindy’s apartment is spacious and always feels welcoming to me, but today, it doesn’t feel very welcoming with Cindy’s voice taking up the entire space.

“That bastard! Did he call for this divorce?” She yells.

“Cindy.. please” I sigh.

“But why Eleanor? I don’t understand, after all you did for him. After all the lengths you went for him when he broke his damn legs, you basically raised and babied that man and he dares—

“Cindy please” I stop her. “I agreed to this divorce because I wanted to, and I’ll love it if you respect my decision” I swallow my breath and the words I wish I could say.

Cindy glares at me, her arms crossed fiercely and her mundane grey eyes staring at me like she’s either about to cry or curse.

“You of all people knew how we were and why we got married” I say almost too quietly before leaving to isolate myself in her guest room.

I take my time to sob and unleash everything in me.

As I unpack, I receive a spam message and it causes me to check my phone. And it is a horrible mistake because it redirects me to a link after an unintentional touch.

And there I see the news of Brianna’s return.

Arthur’s woman.

She is a model, of course she’s known and averagely recognized.

The news is highlighting her coming back home to the city.

The picture is highlighting a welcome party being thrown for her. Though I can’t get a good view of what she looks like because of how blur the photo is, I can recognize the man who is standing beside her with a blurry smile on his face.

It is my husband.

My heart throbs heavily.

Seeing them together, they look so good together like puzzle pieces that fit. And it’s only right that a sophisticated and noble man like Arthur is only suitable for a woman like Brianna. A woman with class and wealth.

I’m no match for Arthur. Just an aid he took in as a wife.

I throw my phone and sob until I drift off to sleep.

**

For two horrible days, I've locked myself in my room, overwhelmed by grief.

But today, on the third day of my self-imposed isolation, I've decided to break free from this cycle of sorrow.

I refuse to spend another day wallowing in tears while Arthur continues living his life, oblivious to my heartache.

Immediately after my morning routine, I call Arthur, not because I want to hear his voice but because I need to know where we’re going with this.

He picks up immediately, his gentle "Hi" sending a flutter through my chest, which I quickly suppress.

"Hey," I reply cautiously, taking a deep breath before diving into the heart of the matter. "Have you finalized the divorce proceedings? When can we go through it?"

His response is hesitant.

"Oh... that... I haven't had a chance to focus on it. I'm on a business trip, Eleanor. We'll discuss it further when I return."

I nod silently, despite knowing he can't see me, and offer a curt and slow "Sure," eager to wrap up the conversation.

However, he hesitates, and his tone shifts to genuine interest and concern. "Wait, what are your plans after this? What's next for you, now that... everything is ending?"

His thoughtful question catches me off guard, and I bite my lip, momentarily speechless and broken.

Now that everything is ending?

"I... uh...," I stumble, collecting the thoughts I’ve fixed while isolating myself. "I plan to return to my old music school and resume teaching piano." I press my hand to my nose.

“Okay,” Arthur says, and I can feel him nodding. “Don’t pressure yourself or work too hard, I can always help with every financial situation you know that Eli… That’s if you only need me to” He adds.

It’s not fair how he calls me Eli, it’s not fair how someone who I’m about to start calling my Ex-husband can still be so considerate and gentle with his words towards me. How can he sound so loving?

I shouldn’t get ahead of myself, if he ever loved me he wouldn’t have asked for a divorce!

-

As I step into the familiar halls of the music school, a mix of nostalgia and nervousness swirls within me.

The once-familiar surroundings now seem altered.

I had heard rumors of a new investor, and I wondered what changes lay in store, and I know he’s heard of me too.

"Mornin', Eleanor!" A charming voice accompanies the greeting. "Welcome back!"

I turn to face the speaker, and it is Justin, the investor's son, who now oversees the school's operations. His polished demeanor put me at ease.

He is tall and has dark brown curls that accentuate the rest of his face, especially his dark brown eyes and thin lips.

I’ve heard so much about him. Finally meeting him feels like a well-done task.

"Thank you, Justin. It's great to be back."

Before I can exchange another word, a flurry of parents descends upon us, eager to introduce themselves and secure spots for their children in my coveted piano classes.

The whirlwind of faces and names leaves me breathless. I forgot what this used to be like.

For the next few days, my schedule is a blur of lessons, rehearsals, and meetings.

The relentless pace is a blessing, keeping my mind occupied and leaving little room for thoughts of Arthur.

As I wrap up a particularly grueling day, Justin appears at my classroom door, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"You're doing fantastically, Eleanor," he says with a warm smile. "The parents are thrilled; you're our best."

I smile, feeling a sense of belonging wash over me. Maybe, just maybe, this fresh start will be the balm my wounded heart needs.

"Thanks, Justin," I reply gratefully. "Means a lot coming from you."

I get on my feet and his sudden words take me off so that I almost crinkle around my ankle and heels.

“For your job well done, is it okay if I can take you out for a meal? Any day soon?

I swallow hard, caught off guard.

Just as I'm about to respond to Justin, a tall figure emerges from behind him, capturing my attention.

My heart skips a beat as I realize it's Arthur.

Why is he here?

My voice gets stuck in my throat, and instead of speaking, I let out an awkward cough.

Both Justin and Arthur rush towards me, concern etched on their faces.

"Are you okay?" Justin asks hastily.

"Do you need water?" Arthur adds, panic lacing his voice.

I take a step back, trying to compose myself. "I'm fine," I assure them.

Justin's gaze shifts to Arthur, his expression curious. "And who might you be?" he asks offensively.

Arthur starts to speak but I take over.

“He’s my cousin!” I almost yell.

Arthur turns to me and I am quick to catch the look of shock he immediately replaced with anger and then neutrality before I look away.

I don't want Justin to hear my sob story about him becoming my ex-husband. We’re strictly director and subordinate. He doesn’t need to know about my business off work.

“Justin, we can talk about this later” I press a smile and he nods and bids me well before walking away.

“Why are you here?” I immediately turn to Arthur. “Are the divorce procedures ready? Do you need me to sign now?” I clutch my purse a bit too hard.

My heart starts to ache and there’s this throbbing feeling that hits my head immediately.

Why is he rushing things? I hate it enough that I have to divorce him and now he’s making me feel soggy showing up.

I’m not ready for this.

I hate this.

Arthur shakes his head.

“I’m not here for that. Grandma called. She wants to see us both”

—-