Chapter 0002

"Jason did what? Good Lord!" I heard my friend practically scream with surprise on the other end of the line. She seemed stunned by that sudden news. "Tell me it's not true, Laura, please."

"I wish it were untrue too, Ava, but Jason just left the house with his bags..." I said, my voice still choked with tears.

I tried to stop Jason from leaving, but it was all in vain; he picked up his things and left without even explaining the reason.

"Oh my God, Laura... You must be so shaken," my friend said, sounding sad for me. "I'm coming over, okay? I'll take care of you." She ended the call and headed to my house, just as she always did when I was in trouble. She was the person closest to me, and I loved her.

I cried while Jason's stern face and harsh words wouldn't leave my mind. What had I done wrong for him to want to separate from me? I had been a good wife, patient and dedicated. We never had any conflicts in our relationship, and we were even planning to have our first child. But suddenly, everything was turning into a nightmare, and he hadn't even explained it to me.

Ava didn't take long to arrive at my house. As soon as she saw me, she gave me a tight hug. "Oh, Laura, I'm so sorry... How did this happen?"

"I don't know, he just arrived with a divorce request and wanted me to sign..." I said, trying to explain what had happened while I cried in my friend's arms.

"That’s ridiculous, you seemed so in love. There's simply no reason for Jason to ask for a divorce out of the blue," A suspicious look appeared on her face, as if she knew something. "Laura... I'm not sure what I heard, but you know that Jason and Terence are friends."

I nodded. Both of us and our husbands were friends and worked together.

"So, I overheard Terence talking to Jason on the phone a few days ago, right after they returned from London. It seemed like Terence was telling Jason to stay away from someone named Kendall. But as soon as he saw me coming, he hung up the phone."

I furrowed my brow at this news. What did that mean? "Who is this Kendall?" I asked.

"I can't say for certain, but the only Kendall we know is that annoying girl from college who used to be Jason's girlfriend," Ava shrugged slightly.

"Are you speculating that Jason met up with an ex-girlfriend recently? Do you think that's why he wants to divorce me?" I was quite surprised. Ava shrugged.

"I’m not sure but this could be. Jason might have reconnected with Kendall in London, and now he's acting this way," she said, and I had to laugh because I found it unbelievable.

I had been married to Jason for five years, and even though he was never very open or affectionate, he had never looked at another woman either.

"Ava, I'm sorry, but I don't think Jason cheated on me. He respects me, and that's what I value the most in him," I said to her as honestly as possible. She sighed and hugged me again, seemingly giving up on that hypothesis.

"I've asked Terence to try to convince Jason to give up on this divorce so that everything can go back to how it was before. Don't worry, friend, everything will work out." She said this, comforting me.

Ava stayed with me the entire night, providing emotional support because I needed it. She even offered to stay at my house to keep an eye on me, so I was able to sleep that night. However, in the early hours of the day when I woke up, it seemed that the weight of this divorce situation was crushing me. I was so emotional and felt so weak that I found myself picking up my phone and dialling his number, insisting on calling him twice.

Jason finally answered after I insisted on calling him twice. "Why are you calling me? Haven't I told you it's better if we talk in the presence of our lawyers?" He said this while being harsh with me.

"Jason, please. I'm calling you to ask you to reconsider and back out of this divorce plan," I pleaded, almost crying again. I heard him sigh on the other end of the line.

"You never give up, do you, Laura?"

"I can't give up on us..."

"But there's no 'us' anymore. Get used to it once and for all!"

"No, Jason. Please..."

"I'm coming over today because Terence asked me to talk to him. I hope you're ready to sign the papers today. Don't call me anymore, okay?" Then he hung up the call.

I stared at my trembling phone, tears of anguish falling from my eyes. I didn't want to lose him; I didn't want to separate from him. So, I was willing to fight to the end. However, I didn't expect the surprise that came next.

That afternoon, Terence and Ava were at the mansion, waiting with me for Jason to arrive so the four of us could have a serious conversation about the situation of our divorce. We were all sitting in the outdoor lounge of the house, and I had asked the servants to serve a light snack for my guests. We were talking and drinking wine while waiting for Jason to appear.

"Do you think he'll show up, Terence?" I asked my friend Ava's husband. He smiled and nodded.

"Don't worry, Laura. I've put my friendship with him on the line, so he'll have to show up." He assured me that Jason would indeed appear for that conversation.

I sighed and crossed my legs, feeling very anxious. My friend Ava gently stroked my arm, smiling warmly and always taking care of me.

It was at that moment that Jason appeared in the outdoor lounge of the mansion. He was dressed casually, wearing sunglasses, and he looked radiant, not sad at all. He seemed light, as if he were about to float away.

Furthermore, he was holding hands with a beautiful blonde woman who had a confident smile. The two of them approached the three of us, who were surprised to see him with this new woman.

Then he said something, introducing the woman to us. "Hello, meet Kendall McLean, my bride."