Chapter Seven

Gwen.

Throughout the car ride home, Henry remained silent, completely disregarding my presence. But I paid no mind to it; I knew it had become his preferred course of action. We arrived home just before dinner, and I carried the sleeping Jasmine out of the car. I turned to Henry, who had not bothered to come out.

"Are you not coming in?" I inquired. Sometimes I wondered why I even bothered with him, but he was my husband after all.

"No," he replied before turning the car around and driving off.

I stood there, watching the car leave our home, for a long time. I only went inside when Jasmine stirred in my arms. I first went to her room and laid her down on her bed. I removed her dress and tossed it in the laundry basket. Then, I grabbed a damp towel and wiped her body, knowing she wouldn't sleep comfortably with a sweaty body. After that, I dressed her in a light nightgown and left the room once I was certain she was comfortable.

Thankfully, Sheila was not around. It was a double stroke of luck since my mother-in-law was also out of town. She was off on one of her extended vacations, which she called her "relaxing times." I made my way to the kitchen to start dinner. I wasn't sure if Henry would be back from his mistress's house, but I wanted to have something prepared just in case. And I also did it for my daughter, so she wouldn't wake up hungry.

You must be wondering why I was doing the dishes and cooking myself when my husband is a billionaire. Well, since we got married, Henry has refused to hire even a single helper for me. Even when I was pregnant and constantly begged for him to hire someone, my pleas and tantrums fell on deaf ears. He told me to my face that he married a housewife, not a trophy wife.

His words hurt me, and seeing the determination in his eyes as he said it, I resolved to do everything for myself.

Although, it proved to be quite challenging, but as time passed, I managed to overcome the arduous process, and I found myself enjoying the act of cooking. It was also a means for me to forget my worries. After careful consideration, I settled on preparing a simple dish of spaghetti, knowing it wouldn't take too long and would be relatively easy to make. I was emotionally drained, so I didn't have the energy to take on anything too demanding at the moment.

Before I knew it, the food was ready, and I served Henry's portion before covering the rest and retiring to my room. In dire need of a refreshing shower, I quickly undressed and slipped into my nightie before heading to the bathroom. As I stood under the running shower, my father's disapproving face and harsh words when I told him about my plans to marry Henry flashed through my mind, but I pushed the thoughts aside.

There was no use dwelling on the past when my future was with me. After I finished my shower, I emerged from the bathroom, dressed in my nightie, and nearly jumped in shock at the sight of a figure sitting on my bed.

"Who on earth is that?" I wondered.

But upon closer inspection, I identified the figure as Henry. He wasn't facing me and with the way he acted like he was looking at something, he seemed to be holding something in his hands.

Without acknowledging him, I went to my walk-in closet and retrieved my night body cream from the shelf. I wasn't sure if Henry had noticed me or if he was simply pretending not to hear my movements. After applying the lotion, I made my way back to bed, and that was when he finally turned to face me.

"Are you seriously going to tell me you didn't see me, Gwen?" He snapped.

I let out a sigh and climbed into bed without responding, knowing full well what he was trying to do. He was looking for an excuse to pick a fight with me.

"Now you're giving me the silent treatment." He stood up and walked around the bed, soon hovering over me with his massive frame.

"What is it that you want, Henry? If you're hungry, your food is in the dining room. All you have to do is simply microwave it." I had no other option but to speak with him, or else he wouldn't leave me be.

"You thought I came to you because I was famished, huh? What makes you think so highly of yourself and your terrible culinary skills?" He growled.

I remained unfazed by his impulsive demeanor; as I had mentioned, it was something I was accustomed to.

"Well then, what do you want if not food?"

"Here." It was only then that I noticed what he held in his grasp.

It was an envelope, a tightly sealed brown envelope bearing a seal on it. My heart began to race as I shifted my gaze between the envelope and Henry, who was glaring at me.

"What is this?" I inquired, not even bothering to take the object from his hand.

"You have to take it to find out, Gwen," he spoke through gritted teeth.

Giving him a scowl, I accepted the file and tore it open. My heart now pounding irregularly, I was hit by an inexplicable sense of fear. Whatever was contained within this envelope couldn't hold something good... It felt like bad news.

But I didn't let that delay me, swiftly opening it and peeling away the layers. Inside was a sheet of white paper, which I cautiously brought out with trembling hands. As my eyes connected with the bold letters written on the top, my breathing grew loud and rapid.

DIVORCE AGREEMENT.

What? I couldn't comprehend what this meant.

But the paper remained silent and wouldn’t give me the answer I was searching for, so I turned my eyes from it to Henry's.

"What is the meaning of this, Henry?" I demanded, my gaze holding his.

With a contemptuous scoff, he folded his arms across his chest. "I assume you can read, Gwen," he sarcastically retorted.

"Of course I can. All I want to know is why you're presenting this to me," I glared at him.

"Because, clearly, I'm divorcing you. That's what this appears to be, Gwen."

The divorce papers slipped from my grasp as my eyes widened. What on earth was this brute talking about?