Freedom At Last

Chapter Two

Blake's Pov

As I watched Marianne leave the next morning, a weight lifted from my shoulders. I couldn't pinpoint the exact emotion, but joy was certainly part of it.

For months, I had longed to be free of her presence, but the fear of disappointing my parents had kept me from taking action. Now, with the divorce papers signed, I was finally rid of the burden that was my wife.

"Good riddance," I muttered under my breath, turning away from the window. "Now I can finally move on with my life.”

I called my boss at work and explained to him that I won't be coming to work today. Luckily, he accepted. I just want to celebrate today with my girlfriend.

“Hello Grace, start coming, we need to celebrate, Marianne has left” I said as she picked up the call.

“Whoa! I'll be right over”

I ended the call and poured myself a drink. It was time to celebrate, after all.

A knock at the door brought me back to reality. "Come in," I called, a smile spreading across my face.

As I set my eyes on her, I rushed to meet her, taking her bag and embracing her tightly. "You're here," I murmured, burying my face in her hair.

“Yes, I am here to celebrate with you Blake. I had been longing for you. I hate the fact that she disturb us every time, now I am free to come here anytime it pleases me”

“Of course, I don't like having her around me”

“I am sure she must have done something bad for you to have despised her that much. Blake everyone knows is a kind, loving and caring man”

“Not really though, I don't just like her. It's Grace I love, it's her I love having around me” I replied, taking another sip of drink

Grace smiled, “Is the alcohol not too much, I don't want you to go rough on me today”

I shrugged, the effects of the alcohol already setting in. "Just a little rough. I begged my boss for some time off, so we have the whole day to ourselves.”

“I am loving this” She said with a smile “Blake, I am hungry, let's go get something to eat, you can't keep on drinking, you will get hungry”

“Oh! I have enough raw food in the kitchen, go to the kitchen to cook, let's eat and dine”

"I'm not sure I understand," Grace replied. "Why do I have to cook for you? What's wrong with going to a restaurant, or hiring a chef if you need someone to cook for you?”

“Grace? What are you saying? Don't you cook? Kitchen is over there, you can go and prepare pasta, let's eat”

“I don't cook, do you understand? I am not a chef. Let's go to the restaurant to get food or you hire a chef, do you understand now?”

The fog of alcohol began to lift from my brain “It's the duty of a woman to cook for her man. Marianne cook for me at 5:00am when I am still sleeping”

“It's not too late, go and beg her and withdraw the divorce letter. Tell her you don't mean it, you can't expect a whole lady like me to be in the kitchen cooking for you. I am your partner not your servant”

“But what would you do? I am hungry and I want to eat here, I don't want to go to a restaurant nor hire a maid stop making this a big deal, it's a duty for ladies. You have eaten different food here which was cooked by Marianne ....”

“I think I am beginning to miss her food, she is very good at cooking” she interrupted me.

“Grace! Don't make a big deal out of this, go in there to cook now!”

“If you are really hungry like I am, you will go in to cook yourself!”

And at that moment, I lost control. I raised my hand and slapped her across the face.

“You just hit me? Did you just slap me, Blake. You will regret your action”

I took a step back, my mind reeling. “Please, I am sorry, I lost control, you should know I'll never do this”

“You crossed your line” she took her phone from the table.

“You will never do this again!”

I saw her dialing a number, and she went out to call.

“What have I done, Grace?” I tried calling her back. “Grace, I am sorry, I don't mean it, this isn't what I intend doing, don't worry. I'll cook, what would you like to eat?”

“What have I done? What have I caused myself?”

I saw her came back, and I heaved a sigh of relief, “I won't do that anymore, please Grace”

Grace came back, a coldness in her eyes that I had never seen before. “No! Not me, you won't try that with me and go free. I am sure you don't know me but today, I'll let you know who I am”

I thought about the words she said. I only met her at a club a year after I got married. We exchanged numbers and since then we have been dating.

She doesn't talk about her family even when I asked. I made her know about my family and I even told her my marriage with Marianne was an arranged marriage through our parents.

“But what would she do? Who did she go out to call” I asked myself, my fear mounting.

The knock on the door confirmed my worst fears.

I watched, numb with shock, as Grace swiftly opened the door. Three figures stepped inside: two men in police uniforms and a third man, dressed in a suit.

“He's the one,” Grace said in a cold voice. “He's the one who slapped me just because I said I can't

cook for him,” she said, before facing me. “this is my brother” she pointed to the one who is not on uniform, “He's a lawyer”