Innocent Prisoners

BEATRICE:

“Sign the divorce papers like what we agreed,” Drake, my husband, ordered, shoving the divorce papers in my hand. 

We were supposed to be watching a romantic movie in the living room like what he said, but his mood suddenly changed. Was it because of the movie? He asked me to come here because of the divorce. 

“B-Babe…” was all I could while my lips trembled.

I was already expecting this day. A couple of years ago, he also wanted to divorce me. We came to an agreement to give ourselves another time. And now…

But why did it still hurt? 

"I tried to wait for you, Beatrice, but I don't have all the time in the world. I'm a busy man. I'm not getting any younger."

“You think I am not?” Tears simmered in my eyes as I continued to stare at the divorce papers. 

What would my family think after this? Mom will hate me. They will disown me. 

It was never tolerated in the family to have any divorce. And if this will push through, I will be the first Watson in the family. My relatives will laugh at me. I will not inherit anything at all. No. Scratch all of that. I did not care about any of that. As long as I got to keep my husband. 

Drake did not know my feelings, but I loved him. So much so that seeing the divorce paper in my hand felt like I was being stabbed a million times. 

What did I do wrong? What did I not know? 

"We did go to the doctor, Babe. I'm already taking my vitamins. I'm watching my food intake. All we have to do is to be patient."

"Fuck," he cussed, then stood back and forth. "Don't you dare cry? You're always a crybaby, Beatrice. Why do you always make me feel as if I am the evil one here? If there is someone who is evil, it is your family who pushed you to marry me. Your family knows our family. Your Mom knows I impregnated someone in the past, yet she still pushed this marriage even if I don't love you at all."

It was an arranged marriage at first. No. Mom was arranged to marry Dad. Everette, my younger brother, was also arranged to marry Christina. The same goes with me. 

Three years have passed. I thought we would be like Mom and Dad who were able to withstand all the difficulties of married life. But maybe I was only expecting that. Maybe I was the only one who was hopeful about it.

In the first place, my husband had no affection for me at all.

He was only using our money to their advantage.

I wiped the tears from my eyes.

No matter how much I stopped myself from being a crybaby, it won't stop at all.

"Babe. Please give me a month, okay? I will get pregnant after this. Be patient with me."

He gritted his teeth. "You need to accept that the problem is not me. It's on you, Beatrice."

"I know. I know. That's why I always have my check up right? You're not the only one who wanted a child, Babe. I do, too. I want to see my son who looks like you. Please. Please. Just a little longer?"

I sauntered towards him and grabbed the hemline of his suit. But as fast as he could, he slapped my hands away, as if he did not like it.

"You've been saying that for how many years, already."

"Babe. Please. Not all women find it easy to conceive." We’ve been trying for three years but failed every time. How come it was easy for others to conceive while difficult for me?

He shook his head and stepped back away. "You won't sign the divorce paper?"

I shook my head. "I won't. I will never let you go. I love you, Babe. You might not love me, but soon, you will. We are meant to be together. I will give you a child this month. I promise."

He scoffed. "You really won't sign the divorce papers? You're forcing me to do this."

He pulled out something from his pockets, grabbed my hands, and put something. Pictures? 

Scanning each of them, my strength left me seeing my sleeping form beside a man whom I didn't even know and remember. When did it happen?

Next, there was a picture of me leaning heavily on that man, my buttons unbuttoned while he kissed me on my forehead.

My heart hammered against my ribcage. 

How did this happen? I did not have any memories of this one. Who was this man? 

My hands trembled as I continued scanning the pictures, all of them showing that I was not faithful to our marriage.

“W-Where did you get these?”

Drake looked at me with disgust. “Seeing your face makes me sick, Beatrice. Despite not loving you, I am faithful in this marriage! I never take another woman except you! But how could you do this to me? How could you maintain two men at the same time? Is this what your family is capable of doing? Is this how your Mom raised you? To cheat on our marriage? I was about to let go of asking for a child from you. I told myself that it would be okay. You’re good to me, anyway. But cheating? Really, Beatrice? My dick is not enough for you?” he growled. 

Something snapped at me when I heard my Mom’s name.

“D-Don’t drag Mom’s name into this,” I exclaimed while gathering my courage. “I never knew the man. I did not know how I was taken a picture with him and where the fuck did, we go and what happened next.”

Drake laughed. “What a load of crap. You want me to believe that you have a twin who looks like you? You don’t have a twin, Beatrice. Your siblings don’t look like you. The woman in that picture is you seeing the birthmark on your chest.”

“Who gave you this? Did you do this so that I would sign the divorce papers?”

His face turned dark. “How could I bring shame to this family? You are bringing the Hamilton name now. I would never taint our name just because I wanted to divorce you. I received a package this morning. And when I opened it, imagine my surprise to see your pictures all in an uncompromising situation.”

My legs wobbled and I fell on the chair.

Who was the bastard who would do this to me? It was definitely not my family. They did not tolerate divorce. The only one whom I could think of was Drake or someone who wanted to have him. Perhaps there was also someone who wanted to separate us. But who?

"What will you do with these?"

"I will show them to your family why they need to accept the divorce."

My tears started coming up again. "Don't you have any feelings for me? Aren't you mad because your wife cheated on you? Are you only mad because seeing the pictures hurt your ego?"

"Do I look like I have feelings for you?" he asked coldly. "If I have feelings for you, I will not initiate this divorce."

I heaved a long sigh and wiped the tears from my eyes.

"There is nothing I can do to change your mind."

"I finalized my decision when I saw the pictures. I refused to stay in a relationship where my mind would not be at ease if my wife was being loyal to me or not."

I stared at the ceiling.

Can I just die, because that's the thing I wanted to do right now? How could I face my family after this? Everything was unfair.

"You did not even ask if the pictures you see are edited or not."

"Don't you remember, Beatrice? Two weeks ago, you asked permission to go out with Christina, your brother's wife. You two went to a club."

"I went there because I wanted to forget my problems, temporarily." I got drunk. I remember Christina informed me that she would go to the bathroom. She left me on the table as I waited for her. Then someone sat beside me. We talked, and I did not remember anything anymore. Who was that bastard? What was his intention? When I woke up, I was already in a hotel alone.

I did not believe it was Christina’s plan despite having a riff between her when we went on a cruise ship. 

I was set up. That was the only thing that I could think of right now. But who?

"You went there and went home for lunch. Don't you deny it, Woman. I checked our CCTV footage."

I balled my palm into a fist.

"No matter what I say, it won't change your mind."

"Yeah. It won't. Sign the divorce paper." 

"If I don't?"

"Your family will know what kind of woman you are." A threat. Coming from someone who vowed never to hurt me in front of the altar. “I will send these pictures to all your family.”