Raindrops and Ruins

When I stood in front of Harry's apartment door, the rain had stopped.

The sky was still dark from the overcast, and the bone-chilling cold wind made my body tremble. But that's not what made me feel like I was going to collapse. It wasn't what made my hands tremble as I clutched the cloth bag at my side.

It was the pain that constantly gnawed at my chest, shaking every joint until I could barely stand.

I knocked on the door three times, barely making a sound. I knew Becca and Anna were inside, waiting for me with hope. Maybe they were laughing, imagining me coming in with a smile full of happiness because of the surprise lunch they'd encouraged me to have. But they don't know—nobody knows how broken I am right now.

The door opens slightly, and Becca's face appears. Her hair is disheveled, but her smile is wide, as always.

"Ky! You finally—" She stopped, her smile vanishing instantly as her eyes caught mine.

I couldn't speak. My lips trembled violently, and the tears I had been holding back finally burst out. "Becca..." my voice broke, almost a whisper.

"Oh, my God. Ky!" Becca opened the door fully, pulling me inside apartment. I felt her hands hold my arms tightly.

Anna emerged from the kitchen with a glass of wine in hand. "Finally! We thought—" She stopped talking as soon as she saw me. Her eyes widened, and the glass in her hand almost dropped. "Ky, what happened?"

I tried to answer, but my voice caught in my throat. The tears continued to flow, covering my face like a steady rain. I stood in the middle of living room, drenched in cold sweat, trying to catch my breath. But I couldn't. It felt like something heavy was crushing my chest.

"What did he do?" asked Becca in a sharp tone. Her hand was still on my arm, now gripping tighter. "What did that asshole do?"

I just shook my head. The words were too painful to say. I bit my lip hard, trying to hold back the growing sobs. But my efforts were in vain. I sobbed again, louder this time, and my body shook violently.

Anna put her glass down on the table with a loud clunk before coming over and hugging me. "Sit down. Breathe first, okay? Breathe deeply. We're here."

I nodded weakly, letting them lead me to the sofa.

I heard heavy footsteps approaching, then a low grumble.

"Why is this apartment always like a night market when I'm trying to sleep?" It was Harry's voice.

I didn't see him, but I knew he was standing in the doorway, his hair probably disheveled, his face showing his usual annoyance.

"Bad day to complain, Harry," Becca replies without turning around, her voice sharp.

"What the hell is—" Harry's voice trailed off.

I feel like he's watching me now. I'm still looking away, but I know he sees my puffy eyes and my wet cheeks. The room went silent.

Harry didn't speak right away. I could feel his piercing gaze even though I kept looking away, trying to hide my wet cheeks and my still labored breathing. His heavy steps echoed in the small living room as he approached.

"What's going on here?" his baritone voice sounded rough. He stopped behind the couch where I was sitting, and I could tell he was staring at my back.

Becca let out an exasperated sigh, pulling her hand away from my arm. "What's going on? I'll tell you what's going on—Alvaro, that jerk, had an affair. And with Camille. Her own sister!"

"Are you kidding me? Please tell me I heard wrong. He's having an affair... with Camille?" His voice rose, almost in disbelief.

"Yes," Becca snapped. "And he still had the nerve to treat Raquel like shit all these years! Can you believe that?"

"I can," Harry muttered, his tone dark. His steps sounded closer this time until I felt his presence at my side. "Raquel," he said quietly, softer now. "Look at me."

I bit my lip, trying to hold back the tears rushing back. But I finally turned my head, our eyes meeting. He looked at me with an expression I'd never seen before, one I couldn't read.

"He did this?" Harry asked.

I nodded slowly. "I... I saw them. With my own eyes." My voice was hoarse, my throat so sore, every word like a slicing knife.

Harry let out a long breath, closing his eyes briefly. But when he opened his eyes again, his gaze was sharp. "That asshole," he muttered low. "Raquel, listen to me. You don't deserve to be treated like this. You know that, right?"

I bowed my head, not knowing what to answer. I knew his words were valid, but it was hard to believe them when that sense of worthlessness gripped me.

He knelt before me, touching the hand I held tightly in my lap. "Look at me," he said again. "You're not alone. We're all here for you. Whatever you need, say it."

I lifted my gaze, looking into his serious face. "I need..." I took a deep breath, trying to gather courage. "I need a divorce."

The room seemed to freeze. Becca and Anna exchanged glances, but they didn't say anything. On the other hand, Harry just tilted his head slightly, eyes scanning my face intently.

"Are you sure?" he asked finally.

"Yes." My voice sounded firmer this time. "I can't do this anymore."

Harry nodded slowly, then stood up, his hand still on my arm as if to offer support. "Fine," he said in a colder tone. "We'll take care of this. I'll make sure you can get away from him."

"Harry, are you serious?" Anna made a soft sound somewhere between surprised and relieved.

"I'm a lawyer, Anna," he said sharply, his eyes still fixed on me. "This is my field. And I'll do whatever it takes to ensure Raquel gets justice."

Becca leaned closer, her hand returning to my shoulder. "We'll settle this quickly, then."

I nodded slowly, feeling tears welling up in my eyes again. But this time, the pain was a little less. I still felt broken, but the warmth around my friends gave me a small glimmer of hope.

"I don't know where to start," I whispered.

"You don't need to know," Harry replied quickly. "I'll take care of everything. Trust me."

I didn't know what would happen next, but I wasn't alone now.

<<<>>> 

I stood in front of Alvaro's office door, my fingers trembling despite my best efforts to look strong. The letter in the envelope in my hand felt like a heavy burden. I took a deep breath, steeled myself, and knocked on the door. Alvaro's cold bass voice came from inside.

"Come in."

I opened the door stiffly. Alvaro stood by the large window of his study, wearing an expensive suit that perfectly wrapped his body. He turned his head briefly, his expression flat, before looking back out the window.

"What are you doing here?" he asked without looking back.

My hand gripped the envelope tightly as I stepped inside. My legs felt heavy, but I wasn't going to back down. I stood in front of him, trying to take a deep breath to calm myself down.

"I came for this," I said quietly, handing the envelope to the table.

He stared at the envelope for a while before raising an eyebrow, then picked it up. He opened it slowly, reading with a flat expression, until finally, his blue eyes met mine. Something cold and cruel appeared there.

"Divorce?" he asked, his voice pressing each letter sharply.

I nodded, holding back the tremble in my throat. "Yes. I've had enough."

He chuckled softly, coldly, then roughly threw the letter onto the table. "You're kidding, right? You think I'm going to let this happen?"

"It's not your decision, Alvaro," I retorted, trying to make my voice brave. "You've ruined everything. I'm not going to stay in this marriage."

His expression turns sharper. He stepped closer, his height making me feel cornered even though I tried not to back away.

"Ruined? Do you think I care? You're just a tool for me, Raquel. You have no right to destroy my reputation with this nonsense."

I clenched my jaw, refusing to back down even though every word was like a whip tearing at my heart. "I know everything. I know about Camille. About what you two did behind my back."

He paused for a moment, then laughed softly, sarcastically. "So you finally know. And what are you going to do? Cry? You can't do anything, Raquel."

"You're wrong," I said, my voice filled with a strength I didn't even know I had. "I already have a lawyer. I'll make sure you lose everything."

His face changed in an instant from mocking to angry. He approached quickly, his hands gripping my arms roughly, making me wince.

"You think you can fight me?" he hissed, his tone threatening.

"Let me go, you bastard!" I tried to pull my arm away, but his grip was too firm.

He didn't listen. He dragged me toward the large bed in the room, then pushed me roughly onto it. I fell, my body hitting the mattress hard. My eyes widened, and my breath caught as I tried to get up, but he stood above me, staring at me like a wild animal.

"You've always been a disgrace to me," he said in a cold, hateful voice. "You think you can leave me? No one wants a woman like you. Fat, weak, worthless. I married you because I had to, not because I wanted to!"

Tears flooded my eyes, but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. I bit my lip hard, trying to fight back the fear and pain.

"I may be nothing to you," I said finally, my voice shaky but firm. "But I'm better than men who only know how to destroy others to feel great. You will regret it, Alvaro. I'll make sure of it."

He chuckled again, but this time, there was a note of tension behind it. "You have no idea what you're getting into, Raquel. You're only making things worse for yourself."

He leaned in slightly, looking at me with an intensity that sent chills down my spine. But I didn't look away. I stared back at him, full of the courage beginning to erode inside me, even though my body still trembled.

"I'm not afraid of you," I whispered.

He growled softly, but before I could fight back, he grabbed both of my hands and began to disrupt my days even more—taking what should have been mine forever and leaving such a sharp bite and sticking in my heart, leaving a horrible mark on my skin.

Alvaro is an asshole.

And always will be.