CHAPTER 4

ANTONIO’S POV

"I really think you should reconsider this whole divorce thing." Zayn, my best friend said to me. 

I scoffed. "Laura is worthless to me. She can't give me a child and neither is my marriage with her gaining me any business deals. Helen's father is well connected and what's more, she's stunning." 

"Laura is stunning too." He argued. "Even more stunning if I'm being honest. Helen just looks like hundreds of other rich, spoiled girls." 

I shot him a warning look and he raised his hand in surrender. I didn't like hearing him say that Laura was stunning. It felt like he had been looking at my wife and I didn't like it. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that about Helen." 

It suddenly struck me that I had been more pissed about him saying my wife was beautiful than saying the woman I was about to marry was a rich, spoiled girl. What did that mean for my pending marriage? I pushed the thought away, focusing on packing up my things to go home. 

"Look, it doesn't matter. I don't want to be with Laura again. That's that. She should stop being so stupidly hardheaded and sign the divorce papers." I snapped. Didn't she understand that there was no going back for us? Our marriage has been over for a long while now. 

Zayn just gave me an unimpressed look. "You're going to end up regretting this and I'm going to tell you I told you so." 

"Don't bet on it." I told him. 

"Why don't you just adopt?" Zayn shrugged. "in my opinion, it's the best of both worlds. There are hundreds of parentless children out there just waiting for a family to take them in and love them. If you really loved-"

"Enough, Zayn." I snapped. "This is none of your business. What I choose to do is none of your damn business. Keep your nose out of it, okay? Laura and I are done. She's my past and Helen is my future." 

I got back from work with Helen, anticipating another round of stubbornness from Laura. She thought she could get her way in this matter, but little did she know that my mind was made up and I was never going to stop pushing for this divorce. 

"That bitch had better not still be in there." Helen said. "She's such a liability. Just sitting around in your house eating and getting out of shape. Did you see how fat she is?"

I had noticed that Laura had been gaining some weight. 

"Ugh." Helen groaned, twining her arms through mine. "What does she even contribute to your life? You make all the money and provide for her and she just sits around all day. You're so nice to not have gotten rid of her a long time ago." 

"I'm so glad you convinced me to get this divorce." I placed an adoring kiss on her temple. Laura had really been keeping me stagnant and when I finally got rid of her, I could start making progress in my life again with Helen by my side. Helen was business minded and smart. She was fun and she knew how to mix with people at events, unlike Laura who just stood there like a statue. 

Helen had been born into this life unlike Laura so she knew how to navigate her ways through social events and situations. Laura had truly been a liability to me. 

"I love you so much." Helen said. 

I smiled at her as we made our way into the house. I expected to see my wife cleaning as she often was by this time but to my surprise there was nobody at the foyer. 

"What a relief that she's not hanging around stinking up the place." Helen sighed in relief. 

"Go on up, baby. I'll be right there." I told Helen. 

"Hmm." She plastered herself to my body and raised her neck to plant a kiss on my lips. "Don't take too much time. I have a surprise for you." 

I grinned wolfishly. "I can't wait to see what you have planned." 

"You know I never disappoint." She laughed and walked off, hips swaying. She looked over her shoulder to make sure I was staring at the show she was putting on for me before disappearing around the corner. 

I made my way to the kitchen to check up on Laura. She was almost always there trying to whip up some delicacy or the other. 

To my surprise, the kitchen was empty. My brows ruffled in confusion and just as I made to leave the kitchen and head up to the guest room which she now occupied, something caught my eye. I headed to the kitchen island where the divorce papers hadn't been this morning. I could clearly remember them being beside the gas cooker. 

I picked it up and stared at Laura's neat signature at the bottom of the paper. A feeling of despondence and loss suddenly settled on my shoulders. I grabbed the papers and raced to the guest room and found most of her things gone. On closer inspection I saw that she had taken only the things she had bought by herself, all the shoes, bags, clothes and jewelry I had purchased as gifts for her were still sitting in the closet like cruel mockeries of our marriage. 

I was now officially divorced from Laura. It was what I had wanted for a long time. I should have been ecstatic, but all I felt was crushing sorrow. Had Zayn been right? Had I made a terrible mistake? I tried to convince myself that this was good news, but it wasn't working. 

"Are you coming, baby?" I heard Helen call out. 

"Y-yeah. Give me a minute." I called back, staring at the bedside table where her wedding bands sat. 

I looked down at the papers in my hand. The signature on it was the last piece of Laura left in this house and

I was hesitant to let go of it.