Chapter 1

He thought it was the end, the end of his longing for his wife, Madeline. The woman he was dying to see and hold in his arm was now in front of him. It's been a month that he wasn’t able to get a single glimpse of her since she disappeared from the eyes of the world to protect herself. More hurtful to his heart is that he has become also one of those eyes she is trying to be away from. If he wanted, he would have turned the world upside down to find her and keep her by his side, but he couldn't. He lost that right because of his foolishness a long time ago to desire her feelings and live with him.

"Madeline" he called her name with so much affection that gives goosebumps to his own body as her black diamond eyes looked into his. He was slow but successful to notice the hatred in her eyes that once tried to get along with him despite his pitiful life.

After holding onto his faith to see her again, she was finally here, just a couple of meters apart from his body. After waiting for this woman desperately to show up, his body was shaking to scoop her in his arms and take her home. He wanted to live with her like before but only if he had tried to cherish the moment of them together over his overthinking, maybe Madeline would have chosen to erase those couple of meters’ distance between them and run to him.

Just a minute ago, he hugged her and congratulated her on the success and dream she achieved after presenting her hard work of years in front of the world. There were hundreds of reports waiting for her outside this dark parking lot. She was never an ordinary girl that his father introduced to him but the center of everything happening in his Mafia world for the past three months. She was always special, but he failed to recognize her under the mask she created to hide and misunderstand her situation.

The underworld that scared him was darting for Madeline, and he foolishly abounded her in front of those thirsty wolfs. The god brought her into his barren life and made it colorful with emotions that he once feared to feel. In return, he only had to protect her, but he failed in his duty without his knowing.

Today, everything is in its place, and he finally has the chance to clear up the misunderstandings and take her home. But to his surprise, the thing his lovely innocent wife considered more important today was for him to get arrested. 

The police were there in between them, surrounding the enraged husband after being separated from his wife by force.

"Mr. Kennard Davis, you have to come with us. You are under arrest." Police showed him the cuff.

Kennard didn't take a single word of them and struggled to get off by the two bulky policemen holding him from the sides.

"Leave me!" the helpless man shouts, as his body itched to touch his wife after so long but she was again going further from him.

As Kennard yelled to release himself and run to Madeline but his heart shivers with every step she took away from him with the emotionless face towards his misery. His voice stopped as he heard the echo of some footsteps and face the owners of those noises. It was his best friend Preston, Preston's girlfriend Rae, followed by his father Mr. Darnell Davis.

They all stand at the scene in shock as Preston tried to talk with the police officer.

"Why are you arresting him? On what charges when we pay your department enough in advance?" Preston bombards the officer.

"Crime department is having a good sleep because of your charity but the Domestic Violence Court has sent an invitation for Mr. Kennard." the officer clicked his tongue at the lion that got numb on his word.

Kennard slowly looked towards Madeline who was looking at him coldly. Everyone was silent, stopping themselves to talk back.

Preston didn't catch up with the environment, so he lifts his hand towards him. "Warrant? Where is the warrant?"

The officer chuckled and took out an envelope from his pocket and read it for them. "Here." He slaps it on his face.

"His wife, Mrs. Madeline Davis, reported against him for domestic violence with all proofs. He is sentenced to 3 years in jail and a penalty. If he wants, he can ask for a lawyer in the locker. Right now, we have to take him."

The hands that were shaking to hold her, brush her hair, feel her soft skin and lovingly feed her favorite food, were now bound by cuffs. There was no remorse or concern in her merciless eyes towards the numb body of her husband staring at her with tearing eyes.

"Y-You are not that mad at me Madeline." his all focus was on Madeline with pain in his eyes. But Madeline didn't show any cure for them like she wanted them to suffer intentionally.

His world took a step by the way she looked at him. He desperately wants to wipe it away by any means. His heart was breaking in pieces by her cold-blooded stares that he never imagined to be so brutally effective on him.

Madeline broke eye contact with Kennard and stretched her hand at Rae. Everyone shifted their gaze to her as she walked hesitantly towards her and took out an envelope from the side pouch of her gun belt. She slowly hands it to Madeline and looks at her with concern, whereas Madeline swaps a blank countenance while passing it to Kennard.

He looks at it perplexed and then at the two ladies. Mr. Davis and Preston confusedly reach closer to Kennard and the fright painted on them as he opened the envelope and took out the paper.

"Marital Settlement A-Agreement." he read it as his eyes came out of his socket. 

He steps at Madeline to utter something but she backs off in instinct. His heart dropped to his stomach in anxiety, and her next phrase broke him into utter appalled.

"Ken... I want a divorce."