Three

3

Anna's POV 

We finished at the gym house and I dropped Jessica off in front of her house, we bade farewell and hit the road heading home. 

It was already late by the time I got home, my heart filled with so much excitement as I thought about surprising Michael with the gift I had bought him the other day at the mall. The Rolex watch! 

I had saved it specifically for tonight, Christmas Eve, because I wanted this moment to be special between us. The watch was more than just a present—it was a symbol of the love I still wanted and will always want it forever. A symbol of our eternal marriage vows, the love I hoped would bring us closer.

 I slowly walked through the front door, I smiled at myself and our wedding pictures hanging on the wall, but something felt off. I shook off the thoughts immediately.

The whole door was open ajar,Mom wasn't home yet and Michael doesn't do that.

My excitement dimmed as I noticed the faint sound of voices coming from upstairs. I paused, my heart pounding as I recognized the familiar tone of Michael’s voice. He was speaking to someone—a woman.

I took a few steps ahead as I quietly made my way up the stairs, each step slower than the last. The closer I got, the clearer the voices became. I stopped outside our bedroom door, which was slightly ajar, and my breath caught in my throat when I heard the name "Sophie.” 

"I can't keep doing this, Michael, I'm tired of this game already." Sophie’s voice was soft, almost pleading. "I love you, but this situation... it's tearing me apart. How much longer can we keep pretending? Every passing day, I want to tell Anna the whole truth about us."

"I know," Michael replied, his voice sounds frustrated. "But you have to be patient. I’m trying to end things with Anna, but it's complicated. She's not making this easy. I can't stand her clinginess anymore.”

Tears formed around the corners of my eyes as I pressed my trembling hand to my mouth, trying not to let out the sob that threatened to escape and suppressing my tears. 

My heart shattered into pieces and that was when I realized what was happening. My husband, the man I had devoted my whole life to, was planning to leave me for another woman.

"Yes, but I can't help feeling like you're still holding onto her, or probably you still love that loser." Sophie said, her voice thick with emotion. "What if she convinces you to stay? I can’t lose you, Michael. I love you so much"

"You won't sweetie," Michael assured her. "I'm not in love with Anna anymore. Everything that transpired between us was back then anot anymore. She’s nothing but a burden to me, clinging to me with her desperate need to have a baby. I don’t want that kind of life with her. I want a fresh start, with you Sophie.”

The gift I held in my hand suddenly felt like a cruel joke to me. It almost fell from hands. The joy I had felt just moments ago was replaced with a cold and unending bitterness. I could hardly breathe, my chest tight with pain. I couldn't talk, I couldn't move. I felt so empty and lost. My whole world was crumbling.

How had it come to this? What have I done to deserve this betrayal?

Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward, pushing the door open fully. The shock on their faces was satisfying, but the pain in my chest overshadowed any sense of victory. I stood there and I couldn't hold it anymore. Tears flowed down my cheeks freely. I have to let it out or my heart might boost at the moment.

"Anna," Michael stammered, his face going pale. "What are you doing here?” They quickly adjusted themselves with the blanket.

"I live here, remember?" I replied, my voice barely above a whisper as I tried to hold myself together. I rose up the neatly wrapped box in my hand, a bitter smile playing on my lips. I tried to feel better but I couldn't! I feel so broken. "I bought this for you yesterday. I wanted to surprise you today, on Christmas Eve. But what did I got from you? Betrayal!"

Michael looked at the gift in my hand, and for a moment, his expression softened. But it didn’t last. He sighed, running a hand through his hair before he got up from the bed and walked to me with a cold expression.

"Anna, this... this isn't what it looks like,it's not what you think" he began, but the words sounded hollow even to him. I aggressively landed two dirty slaps on his cheeks in tears.

"Don’t lie to me, Michael," I interrupted, my voice cracking. "I’ve heard everything. I know you’ve been cheating on me, and I know you want to push me away from this marriage. Michael… you…you're cheating on me right in our matrimonial bed! You're despicable." 

Sophie remained silent, looking away with a guilty expression, but I could see she wasn’t going to leave him. She is equally pretending to feel remorseful. She had no intention of backing down, and why would she? Michael had already assured her that he didn’t love me anymore.

"You know what Anna? You’re right," Michael finally admitted, his tone cold and detached. "I want a divorce, Anna. This marriage isn’t working, and it hasn’t been working for a long time. We’re both miserable. It’s time to end this. I think this is the perfect time to say this.”

What is he saying? Divorce?

He quickly rushed to the drawer and pulled out a stack of papers, thrusting them toward me. I took them with shaky hands, realizing they were divorce papers. My world spun as I stared at the documents, I felt dizzy. I want to end my life, I was unable to understand how this was happening.

"Why?" I whispered, tears streaming down my face. "Why now? Why do this to me?"

"Why? You want to know why?Because I can’t keep pretending," Michael said harshly. "You’re suffocating me with your neediness. You think having a baby will fix everything, but it won’t. It’s over, Anna. Sign the papers and let’s move on. I can't deal with you baby fever anymore!”

The coldness in his voice was like a knife stabbed directly into my heart. I couldn’t believe this was the same man I had once loved so deeply. The man who had vowed to be with me through thick and thin.

"I have given you everything," I choked out, my voice trembling with anger and pain. Tears rolled down my cheeks. "I’ve stood by you Michael, loved you, I supported you, I gave my all... and this is how you repay me? By cheating on me and then throwing me away like I’m nothing? Like I'm a piece of trash? It's unfair Michael, you're being so unfair to me.” Hot tears trickling down uncountablely, my eyes turned red and puffy.

"You think I wanted this? Quit your fake tears, it won't change anything…you hear me?" Michael snapped, his frustration boiling over. "You drove me to it! You and your obsession with getting pregnant, your constant need for validation. I needed something more, something real, and I found that with Sophie. The love of my life now."

I felt like I was drowning in a sea of despair, unable to find solid ground. How could he be so cruel? How could he stand there and blame me for his infidelity?

"The other day, you took strange calls and left early this morning to meet your lover but lied to me about it. You pretended you didn’t support your mom’s harsh opinions, but you did," I accused, my voice rising with anger. "You let her tear me apart, and now you’re doing the same."

Michael’s expression hardened further. "You think you’re innocent in all of this? You’ve been clinging to me for years, hoping that having a baby would save our marriage. But it’s too late for that. I’m done, Anna. Sign those papers.”