1. From Love To Lone

♛

Aurora:

People usually talk about marriages that fail because the love was never there, but no one talks about the pain of losing the love that was once there.

“I have something important to tell you.” A frown curved up my brows as I read the text.

“Don't wait up. Busy with work. Eat without me.” I could feel my heart crash in my chest the longer I read the second message he had sent.

No one tells you about the heartbreak of watching a once-loving man drift away.

And no one tells you how it feels to watch love wither away because of being neglected. When your husband’s affection turns to indifference. Or where a man who once loved you simply stops trying.

Breakfasts on the table aren’t as warm as they used to be. Lunch is skipped ‘cause he got busy with work.

While dinner is just me alone with the cutleries in my trembling hands as I stare at the door, waiting for him to show up, only to get a text an hour later that he wouldn’t be able to make it.

The good morning kisses are replaced with hard stares. The soft assurance and words of affirmation are now replaced by curt words, and when you complain about the neglect, you get responses like:

A deep sigh, and an,

‘I don't have time for this, Rory.’

‘I have better places to be, Rory.’

‘I have work to do, Rory.’

‘Stop complaining about little things like this, Aurora.’

Cold midnights aren’t about cuddles anymore, just me and my tear-soaked pillow wondering where it all went wrong.

Pondering on how to make things better…but usually, you never really get the chance to make things better, ‘cause when a man isn't interested anymore, you simply can't make him come back to you.

Especially when he doesn't even have time for you anymore.

My name is Aurora Smith, and this is how my marriage with Adrian Rossi ruined me.

✩✩✩✩✩

The bright sun rays filtered into the room through the blinds, warming every single place they touched, but the warmth didn't reach my heart.

I could say it hadn't reached for months; ever since the moment I started stretching on the bed and finding the space beside me empty.

Adrian's side of the bed was cold. The sheets were crumpled... it didn't seem like he slept there.

A sigh escaped my lips, and I could feel a familiar ache in my chest as I brushed my fingers through my hair and dragged myself out of the bed.

The house was quiet as I made my way down the stairs, although the scent of coffee filled the air.

A smile curved up my lips; Adrian is at home.

My heart skipped a beat in joy at the thought.

He was always out for work by the time I woke up. I looked for him in the living room and frowned when I didn’t see him; I checked the kitchen, and he wasn’t there either.

I stepped into the dining room, and my gaze fell on the man sitting on the chair.

Adrian sat at the table, sitting straight and somehow rigid, which made me uneasy.

His dark, stark hair fell on his face as he stared down at a paper resting flat under his hands.

He didn’t look up when I entered. “You haven't left for work,” I said softly, spotting the cup of black coffee beside him. “Good morning.”

I noticed the slight tremble in his shoulders at my voice.

He finally looked up, and I froze at the sharp, dark eyes. He didn't respond to me. His gaze lingered on me for a moment, so cold. And so dark.

He glanced back down to the paper in front of him and brushed a finger through his hair in frustration.

Something was wrong. I could feel it as it pricked my skin.

“Rory…” he called me softly, “I can’t do this anymore,” he shook his head as he finally spoke out, his voice soft, tired, and low.

“Is everything okay?” My brows pulled into a frown, “And what's that?” I asked softly as my gaze fell on the paper placed on the table.

Before I knew it, my legs were moving on their own accord to the table.

Without a word, he pushed the piece of paper across the table towards me. I blinked my eyes and picked it up from the table, hoping and praying that it wasn’t what I thought it was.

But one thing about my hopes and prayers? They never get answered. Never.

The papers shook slightly as my hands trembled. The words on the paper slowly registered inside my head, and I felt my world shatter like a fragile piece of glass around me.

A dull pain pierced through my heart. Divorce papers… Divorce. Papers. No. No. God, please, no.

“W-What is this?” I whispered, more to myself than to him, my voice barely above a breath.

I looked up at Adrian, but his face remained as cold as the paper trembling in my hands.

“Adrian, what? Actually no, tell me why… Are these papers for us?”

The question was as stupid as I felt presently, because as my gaze traveled low, I saw both our names boldly written and waiting for our signatures.

I had hoped we’d somehow find our way around everything and come back to each other.

Every single day I woke up, I made sure to always mutter a silent prayer… But even before my prayers could be answered, he gets me this?

He didn’t even look at me when I spoke; his voice sounded far off and uninterested. “What does it look like, Aurora?” I flinched at the dryness in his tone.

He was calling me Aurora. He doesn’t do that, no matter how serious a situation is. Adrian calls me Amore mio. He calls me Cara mia. He calls me Rory. He never calls me Aurora.

How had it changed so fast from the endearments to just Aurora?

I took a step back, not ready to accept this. My chest tightened; it felt like he had gripped my heart out, squeezed it, and then trashed it under his leather shoes.

“Divorce papers? Are you kidding me?” I opened my mouth to protest, to beg him for something.

Anything that could make him take his papers back or say this was just a prank. Or maybe April fools, but was it April? No, it wasn’t… It was January. And Adrian doesn’t do pranks; he doesn’t go so far with jokes like this.

“Adrian…” My voice cracked. I tried again, holding back the tears that wanted to spill out.

“We... We were happy, once. We could go back to that time.” He didn’t move. He didn’t respond. He didn't flinch. He didn't blink. He just stared straight at me, not uttering a single word.

His disheveled hair fell on his face, revealing a straight jawline. I felt as if the room had grown colder, thick with the kind of silence that was never there in our lives before.

Holding back the tears burning my eyes, I stared down at him, feeling my heart shatter into a million pieces as the memory of him proposing to me on my 21st birthday broke into my thoughts.

If someone had told me that a week before my 24th birthday, what I'll receive won't be a bunch of flowers but divorce papers. I would have laughed in their faces.

Happy birthday to me in advance.

“You’re just... done with us?” I asked, glancing up from the paper to meet his eyes, my voice so low I could hardly hear it myself.

“Aurora...” His voice was flat and emotionless. There was a brief hesitation in his eyes, it looked like he wanted to say something else, but instead he said, “I’m done.”

He glanced down at the time from his wristwatch before glancing up to meet my eyes again.

A flicker of something that seemed similar to hurt flashed in his eyes, but it was gone too soon; I would have missed it if I blinked.

My chest squeezed painfully, and I choked on my words. “You’re giving up on us? Just like that?” He didn’t flinch, didn’t soften.

His eyes suddenly turned cold at my words; he stared at me like I was a stranger. “Yeah, I am.” He brushed his palms through his forehead, “You deserve someone who can give you everything you want. Someone who’s not me.”

The words were dry; they sounded bitter coming from him. I recoiled, feeling my heart shatter in my chest.

“We are married!” I snapped, “What do you mean by that?” I whispered, barely able to speak through the lump in my throat.

This wasn’t a simple relationship where he could just throw it away because he felt it wasn’t right.

If things aren’t right, we were supposed to fix it together like a couple, not this! “You can’t just throw everything away. We can fix this. We can work through it.” I looked up at him.

“I'm tired of all this, Rory.” The way he called my name sent a shudder through me; he shook his head and pushed his chair back, standing up from his seat.

I tilted my head up to meet his gaze as he stood tall before me. “You think I’m not tired?” a bitter laugh tore through my throat, “But do you see me handing out divorce papers because I’m tired? because I’ve given up?” I asked him in a low tone.

He didn’t meet my eyes, and I had a feeling he couldn’t. “I have a meeting right now, so I can’t wait back for this discussion. Sign the papers. I’ll send my lawyer to you later on. He’ll contact you about everything else.”

He straightened his black suit, and I stood there frozen as he turned around and headed towards the door.

So, that was it? I was just as tired of being neglected before he brought me these papers, and despite how hard it was to suddenly breathe, I couldn’t cry over something that I knew would end this way.

I had seen all this coming, so why cry over spilled juice?

“I’ll sign it,” I declared before he could get to the door.

Adrian froze; his broad shoulders were straight. His hands, tucked into his pocket, slipped out, and I noticed the shudder that ran through him.

He turned around sharply; his eyes were dark.

He arched a brow at me, briefly struggling with his words, “What?” His voice was tinged with disbelief.

“I said I’ll sign it,” I waved the paper, swallowing the lump in my throat. Adrian’s brows pulled into a frown, but it was soon replaced by a blank expression.

“Alright.” That was all he said before he turned around and left me all alone.

My heart crumbled in my chest. I glanced down at the paper, and just before I could stop myself, the tears spilled out, rolling down my eyes and falling on the divorce papers.

My shoulders trembled, and I was thrown back in time when we both stood at the altar, promising to be by each other's side in weakness till death do us part.

Feeling suddenly heavy like everything was resting on my shoulders, I slumped and fell to the ground as the tears spilled out of my eyes continuously.

I... I wasn’t expecting him to just leave.