5

Ariane’s POV

"How is my baby, Doc?" I asked in a weak voice, almost a whisper. I tried to get up from the hospital bed, but my body felt too weak, and my stomach was still cramped.

The doctor standing beside my bed smiled.

"Everything is fine, Ariane. Your baby is healthy. All you need to do now is rest and avoid stress. Your condition is quite stable, but don’t neglect getting enough rest and maintaining your mental state."

I nodded, although inside I was still feeling anxious. This baby was everything to me. After years of waiting, there was life growing inside me. However, amid this happiness, there was a storm that wouldn’t go away.

As the doctor left, I closed my eyes, trying to calm my turbulent mind. But the calm didn’t last long. The sound of the door opening made me turn my head, and there stood Leon, her face filled with guilt and worry.

"Ariane, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let this happen. I should have taken better care of you."

I looked at him, holding back the tears that threatened to fall.

"Sorry won’t change anything, Leon. We’ve come too far."

She sat on the chair next to my bed, her eyes glazed over.

"I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes, and I regret them every second. But please, for the sake of our baby, can we postpone this divorce? I want to be here for you, for our baby."

I let out a long breath, looking at her with eyes filled with fatigue.

"Leon, it’s not about postponing or giving time. This decision is final. I can’t go on living a lie. I’ve hired a lawyer, and the process is already underway. Nothing can change that."

"Ariane, think of our babies. They need both of us. You know that. I want to be a good father to them. I want to be by your side, supporting you, taking care of you."

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to hold back the wave of emotions that came.

"I don’t doubt your desire to be a good father. But being a parent isn’t just about being there when a baby is born. It’s about creating a healthy, loving environment for them. And I can’t provide that in an already broken marriage."

She looked like she wanted to argue, but I didn’t give her the chance.

"I’ve taken care of this baby myself. I won’t let them grow up in this situation. I have to be strong for them."

Leon bit her lip, holding back tears.

"Please, Ariane. I know I’ve ruined everything, but I want to fix it. I want to give them a whole family."

"No. That’s not possible anymore. I have to protect them from all the lies and betrayals that have happened. It’s no longer about us, it’s about them. And I’ve decided to do it alone," I said firmly, even though my heart was breaking it.

The atmosphere in the room was tense. I could see how hard Leon was trying to hold back her emotions, but I could no longer give her a second chance. Not after everything she’d done. Not after all the pain I had gone through.

"What’s going to happen to us, then?" asked Leon quietly, her voice trembling.

"I don’t know, Leon. One thing is for sure, we can’t go back to the way things were. And I won’t change my mind about this divorce. I hope you can respect this decision," I replied in a slightly trembling voice.

Before Leon could reply, a knock on the door made us both turn our heads. A man entered, wearing a neat suit with a serious face. I immediately recognised him as the lawyer I had appointed to handle the divorce.

"Good afternoon, Mrs Ariane. I’ve come to discuss some matters regarding your divorce proceedings."

Leon’s face turned pale at the sight of the lawyer. She looked at me with a look of disbelief, as if only just realising how serious this situation was.

"Do you really want to do this now? Even after what just happened?"

I nodded, although it felt heavy.

"Yes, Leon. I have to do it now. I can no longer procrastinate."

The lawyer turned to Leon, giving her an understanding yet firm look.

"I’m here to help ensure that everything goes according to the law, and make sure Mrs Ariane gets her due. It’s not an easy process for anyone, but it’s a necessary step."

Leon looked cornered.

"Please, think again. Just for a while. For the sake of our baby."

"I’ve thought about it, Leon. And it’s for the best," I said in a firmer voice than before.

The tension in the room grew thicker, the air heavy and full of unexpressed feelings.

I could feel Leon wanting to plead further, but the lawyer stood there, ready to continue his task.

However, before the conversation could continue, the door to the hospital room opened again. A nurse came in with a tense face, looking in a hurry.

“Excuse me for interrupting, Mrs. Ariane. The doctor asked me to take you to the observation room. There is something we need to check further.”

Feel anxiety washed over me.

“What happened? Is there something wrong with my baby?” I asked in panic.

The nurse shook her head, trying to reassure me.

“We just need to make sure everything is okay. This is just a precaution.”

I looked at Leon, who looked worried. He tried to move closer, but the nurse held him back.

“Excuse me, sir. We need to take Mrs. Ariane now. You can wait outside.”

I wanted to say something, but the words were stuck in my throat. I could only nod as the nurse helped me out of bed and carried me out of the room.

Leon stood there, looking confused and helpless. I could see how much he wanted to follow, but he knew it was impossible.

My eyes burned with the tears I was holding back. But I had to be strong. For my babies, I had to be strong.

As the nurse wheeled me out of the room, I looked back, seeing Leon still standing there, looking so small and helpless. My little heart whispered that maybe, somewhere deep inside, I still had a glimmer of hope for him. But the reality before my eyes, about how broken our relationship was, covered that hope with the darkness of reality.

And behind the closed door, Leon could only stare, while I was led towards the uncertainty that waited at the end of the hospital corridor. Something big and scary waited there, something I couldn’t yet understand. But I knew one thing: no matter what happened, my life would never be the same.