Chapter 1: The thick silence breaks

Someone could cut the thick silence between the couple with a knife. The man had just come back from work and was sitting at the head of the glossy dining table inside a very richly decorated dining room. The woman was taking out the dinner she had slaved all day to prepare.

Despite having numerous maids serve at the house, the young woman makes sure to prepare her husband's meals herself. It gives her pleasure to do so. However, these days, the pleasure wanes as the man no longer bothers to eat at home—at least the days he bothers to stay home.

She sees her husband less and less these days.

She placed the covered rice bowl on the table, followed by the fruits and the baked chicken. Once she had set the food, she took a seat in the chair by his left hand.

"How was work today?" she asked in a soft, caring tone, casting an affectionate look towards the handsome man beside her.

The man didn't hurry to answer. Instead, he picked his side plate to serve his food. The expression on his sculpted features was like someone who desired to be somewhere else.

"It was fine."

His succinct response was uttered in a cold, uncaring manner that made the woman beside him heave a sigh inside. Having a conversation with her husband these days is like pulling teeth. He makes it obvious at every turn how much he dislikes being with her. It didn't used to be like this, and the woman can't help but wonder when and why things changed.

She pushed down her worries about her marriage's direction and tried to make an effort.

"How do you like the food?" She had made egg-fried rice—his favourite.

The man dropped his fork gently on his plate and stared at the woman, his expression hard and closed off. The food was tasty as always, but that wasn't what was on his mind.

"Let's divorce."

The words sounded alien to the woman's ears.

"Excuse me!"

"Don't play daft with me, Kathleen. We both know this marriage is not working," he spat at her.

Kathleen dropped the fork in her hand as well. "We can make it work. I am willing to do anything. Please give us a chance," Kathleen pleaded with desperate eyes, trying to arouse her husband's compassionate heart and see if she could reach the man who used to love her and treat her like she was the only woman in his eyes.

Those were the days.

Her heart sighed in pain at the missed old days when the man pampered and treated her like a queen when they were still in love. Showered her with gifts and made sure she lacked nothing. He told her how beautiful she was and never missed telling her how much he loved her. These days, she barely gets a kiss in the morning before he leaves, and their physical relationship is nonexistent.

The man stared back at her with loathing eyes, and her pleas irritated him. The sight of her makes him want to throw up; that is how much he was disgusted with her.

Kathleen didn't let the hard look in her husband's eyes dissuade her. She loved the man across from her with her whole heart, even if the man had stopped loving her. She had given him ten years of her life and was unwilling to throw it all away without a fight.

"How about we go to therapy? I believe if we get help, there is nothing we can't resolve. Please, honey. I still love you," she said, reaching out to touch her husband's hand.

The man snatched his hand away from her. "I don't love you anymore, and we should go our separate ways. This marriage is a sham and has been for a long time. And the last thing I want is to spill my business to a stranger."

Kathleen slowly took back her hand, her face devoid of the pain in her heart. "Is that what you want?" Her green eyes stared into the man's light brown eyes as she waited for confirmation.

For a brief second, the connection and feelings they once had for each other passed between them before the man's gaze shot down. "Yes," he uttered with confidence and no remorse. He no longer loved the woman and saw no reason to continue to be with a woman he didn't love.

"Are you saying that you no longer have feelings for me?" Kathleen persisted, her tone tiny and hurt.

"Yes. And I know that you might think fighting for marriage is the best option, but you fight for what you still want. I don't want you, and I don't want this marriage."

Inside Kathleen's chest, it felt as if her heart was being pierced with an arrow, and every hit hurt worse than the first.

Her eyes grew wet with tears, but she held them back. "Okay."

The man looked at her sharply, shocked by her easy acceptance, but this wasn't easy for Kathleen. Inside, it felt as if her world was crumbling around her.

The man felt relieved that his wife gave in quickly. He had prepared for more fights from her and was ready not to give in, no matter how much she fought. She wouldn't have been able to fight him anyway. His wife was from a poor background, and he had supported her since they married as compensation for putting up with him.

He will offer her two hundred thousand dollars every month. That should be enough for her upkeep, which is his generosity.

"I am assuming that you have the papers drawn already?"

Kathleen's flat tone drew Drew away from his thoughts. He looked at his wife coolly and nodded his head.

Kathleen nodded and then stood to her feet.

"Where are you going?" It was the middle of the night. As much as he doesn't care for the brunette any more, it doesn't mean he will put her out of his house at this time of the night.

"I am leaving. I can't stay here any longer. Now that it is over, I think I feel free."

Drew scowled at Kathleen's words. He should be the one feeling that way and not the other way around. "What do you mean?"

Kathleen stifled a smile at Drew's irritated expression. "Nothing sinister, just that for a while, the house has felt more like a cage than a home, and I am glad that I don't have to be here any more."

Her honestly uttered words irritated Drew further. "Are you saying...?"

Before he could finish, Kathleen raised her hand to stop his words. They had said all they had to say to each other. Drew wanted to end the marriage, and he had no right to whiny about her voicing her opinion of how she felt.

"I will come by your office tomorrow to sign the divorce papers. Be ready with your lawyers." After saying these words, Kathleen removed the apron she still had on, took out her phone, and dialled a number.