4. Distraught

As the first rays of dawn pierced through the curtains, Alex found himself gripped by an inexplicable restlessness. Thoughts of Sophia consumed his mind, leaving him no choice but to act on his mounting anxiety. It was still dark outside when he threw a jacket and stormed out, determined to confront her before she could disappear from his life.

Driving swiftly through the empty streets, his knuckles white against the steering wheel, with clenched jaws, he frustratingly punched the wheel, and brushed his hand through his hair, he replayed the events of the previous day, struggling to make sense of it all. What have I done?

Pulling up to the grand mansion, his heart pounding with a mix of dread and anticipation, he stepped down from the car, his eyes darted around the surrounding for a brief moment, he ruffled his hair in both frustration and confusion as his mind was in chaos.

He agrees he has never been the best husband over the year, but how could she break his trust and betray him so easily? He made sure she had everything a woman would need in life. She had an excess amount of money paid into her account every month, what else did she need? Why would she sleep with someone else? Alex wrestled with the storm of emotions raging within him.

Without wasting another moment, he pushed open the front door and entered. He had wanted to go over to Alice's house last night but just before he could reach her residence, he turned the car and ended up sleeping in a hotel room instead.

Standing in the middle of the living room and contemplating on whether to go upstairs and check her first or go to the dining room where he had left the divorce papers. Alex decided on the latter as he walked purposefully towards the dining room, his gaze immediately falling on the divorce papers which were on the table. The sight sent a shiver down his spine.

Alex breathed in the air, before resting his hands on both sides of his waist, hesitating to check the papers as he found part of himself wishing she is yet to sign it.

Bringing out the papers from the file with a hand trembling with a mixture of anxiety and desperation. As he unfolded them, his fists involuntarily clenched, and his head throbbed in pain—There it was, her signature, the stark confirmation that Sophia was willing to sever their ties without a fight. Sophia doesn't care about him, or else she wouldn't have signed it. He had expected her to plead more, then he would have had a rethink about it.

Anger surged within him, mingling with the hurt and confusion that clouded his thoughts. With a furious swipe, he swept the papers off the table, an emotional turmoil raging inside him.

It appeared she also wanted to end the marriage, Alex thought as he angrily ruffled his hair, hating the fact that he had come here, hoping for something else. The reality hit him hard, he had arrived too late—hoping for something that Sophia was no longer willing to give. Anger and disappointment engulfed Alex, fueling his action as he stormed out of the house, slamming the door shut behind him.

Alex's gaze fell on Eric who was standing outside the mansion, he had been so enveloped in the thoughts about Sophia that he failed to notice the chauffeur when he just arrived "When did she leave?"

"An hour before midnight" Eric answered. Alex nodded, she left an hour after he left the house. Was she that desperate to leave? Was this always what she wanted?

The thought only further boiled the rage within Alex. Hurtling toward his car, his movement driven by the maelstrom of emotions and confusion, Alex climbed inside. Gripping the steering wheel tight, he sped away from the mansion, leaving behind a shattered marriage and a heart consumed by anger.

*******

Alex sat down in his lavish office in the family business headquarters, staring blankly at the file on his table which he was unconsciously flipping through continuously, his mind was divided and he couldn't pinpoint the reason why he should be in such a distraught situation. His gaze fell on the divorce papers which he was yet to submit, although he had already mentioned it to his family.

Just as he had expected, Grandfather and his father were angry about the abrupt decision he had made. A gentle knock on the door pulls him out of his subconscious state.

The door was opened and a man who appeared to be in his early fifties walked in, his jet-black hair was slicked back in a clean sweep. Wearing a composed expression, Charles, Alex's uncle enters the office.

Alex was surprised by the abrupt visit, has his uncle heard about the divorce already?

"Alex, my boy. I heard about the divorce" Charles says as he steps into the large space and sat down on a couch, locking gazes with Alex who was watching his every movement.

"That was fast, considering I only told Grandfather about it, two hours ago"

"For a news that is already the talk of the city, I don't think it reached me early," Charles said.

Talk of the city? How come rumors are already out when it had only been between him and Sophia?

Alex sighs and rubs his forehead, confused and hoping to find solace by talking to someone, so he opened up "I'm not sure what's wrong with me Charles. This has always been what I wanted —to be free from the shackles of my marriage with Sophia, and now I have it, I'm a free man, I can do whatever I want, but still" Alex pauses as if his next words were difficult to spout.

Swirling a pen in his fingers, He continues after a while "I can't help but feel like I made a terrible mistake. Maybe my level of approach to the situation was wrong, and I feel like I need to go find Sophia, explain everything, and try to make things right" Alex says, completely distraught.

Charles leaned against the couch "I understand your desire to find closure, and I must say it's a shame things turned out the way they did. But perhaps it was for the best given the circumstances" he said.

Alex frowned "What do you mean by that?"

Charles plays with a Rubik's cube in his hand, interlocking blocks as if solving a complex puzzle, a subtle smile grazes his lips.

"Oh, you know, sometimes there are forces at play that we can't fully comprehend. Sometimes things happen for a reason, even if they are difficult to understand at the time. That aside, your marriage with Sophia was forced and not what you wanted, it appeared to be something she also never wanted or else why would she sleep with someone else outside her marriage?" he pauses and gauges Alex's every facial expression.

After a while, Charles continued "She might not be happy in the marriage, but engaging in extramarital affairs is generally frowned upon by society. If she couldn't remain faithful during the marriage, what makes you think she would change if you were to go searching for her?" he pauses and raises his finger, subtly making a gesture by tapping the side of his head "Think Alex, think. In my opinion, things are actually better this way."

A troubled expression settled on Alex's face as he reclined on his chair. Uncle Charles's words echoed in his mind and a wave of realization washed over him.

He felt a mix of emotions — regret, frustration, and a sense of foolishness— for even contemplating the idea of searching for Sophia. Was he being naive? She wronged him, so why should he go search for her?

He felt that what Charles said where right, but at the same time another part of his mind thought otherwise as he tries to make sense of his uncle's cryptic words. There's a flicker of suspicion in his eyes, but he quickly brushes it aside, attributing it to his troubled state of mind.

Alex's gaze fell on the divorce papers "I suppose you're right, Charles. It's just hard to accept that things happened the way they did"

Charles smiled faintly "Life has a way of unfolding in unexpected ways. We must learn to adapt and move forward."

But even at these words, and even though it appeared that Sophia has done something very wrong, Alex still felt as if part of him has been shattered, he might accept his uncle's words but he couldn't just sit back. Standing up and picking up the divorce documents, Alex walked over to the door.

Charles stands up at the same time "Are you heading somewhere important?" he asks and Alex nodded

"Yes," Reaching out for the handle, he opened the door, reminding himself that even though what she had was wrong and it made him lose his mind, it wouldn't hurt to at least speak to her and hear her reasons.

Something which he had failed to do last night.