Chapter 1

“W-what is this?”

“What does it look like? Divorce papers.” Bruno replied, taking a large drag of his cigarette.

“You’re divorcing me.” I whispered, gripping the sides of the file in my hand. The air in the office suddenly became too thin and too heavy, like I was breathing in blades.

“Don’t act so surprised. You knew this day would come.” He scoffed, blowing a puff of smoke in the air.

I knew. I knew this day would come from the moment I said ‘I do’ two years ago. The countless affairs and the times he threatened to do so were an added bonus. But I never expected it to be this day of all days. Not when I found out the news that was going to change our lives.

“W-what about your child?” I asked as my trembling hands dropped the file on the table between us.

“What delusions are you talk—”

“I’m pregnant.” I breathed, pulling on a paper from my purse and dropping it in front of him. He stared at it with zero emotions in his and took another drag of his cigarette.

“T-that was why I went out without your permission today. I went to the doctor, and the test came out positive.” I explained, biting my inner cheek and praying he didn’t yell at me again for leaving the house.

It was unfortunate that I just had to get pregnant the day he was kicking me out, but that didn’t mean I wanted to stay. I just wanted to know how he planned to take care of our child.

“And so? Do you expect me to keep you because of a child that isn’t mine?” He said, raising a brow and hers furrowed.

“W-what?!” I gasped as my eyes grew wide. “It’s yours. I—”

“You really have the nerve to try to babytrap me with a child that isn’t even mine.” Bruno hissed as he stood up from his chair and walked to me.

“It’s yours. I sw—!” A small scream left my lips as he grabbed a fistful of my blond hair in his hand and glared straight into my amber eyes.

‘Please don’t hit me. Please.’ I trembled at the pure rage in his gaze.

“Look! I don’t care about the devil spawn in your womb. I don’t care if you aborted it or if the two of you died. You’re going to sign these papers and leave my house. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.” I nodded, blinking back tears, and he let go of my hair. Why did I think he would want anything to do with the child? I was a fool.

My fingers shook as I picked up the pen on the table and wrote my signature on the space on the paper. I always imagined a heavy weight would be lifted off my shoulders when I finally signed our divorce, but dread curled up in my stomach.

“You have thirty minutes to pack all your stuff and leave. Sasha will be here in the next one hour, and I want your stench to be gone.” Bruno said, walking back to his chair.

‘I’m not surprised Sasha is the first girl he would invite. She has always been his go-to sex buddy, even before we married.’ I thought as I stood up and walked to the door.

“You know you’re not getting any dime from me, right?” He asked as I opened the door.

I didn’t need to turn back to see his satisfied smirk. It was very audible. And he didn’t have to tell me. I didn’t forget the prenup that completely favoured him.

“I know,” I nodded, stepped out, and closed the door.

‘Don’t cry. Don’t dare cry.’ I scolded myself as I staggered to my room, though my eyes pricked. ‘Crying won’t change the fact that you foolishly loved a man who completely hated your existence.’

(⁠´⁠;⁠︵⁠;⁠`⁠)(⁠´⁠;⁠︵⁠;⁠`⁠)

“What are you doing here?” My mother’s voice boomed through the foyer the moment I stepped through the door of my family’s mansion.

“Mother! Father!” I stiffened, forcing a pleasant smile as I tried not to squirm under my parents’ harsh glares. “I—”

“Not a word from you. Bruno already told us. How dare you disgrace us?! Do you know how hard it was for us to secure a marriage with such a good man?!” My father yelled as they stormed to me.

Good? There was nothing morally good about Bruno. He was an abusive, narcissistic, egoistic man, but that didn’t matter to my parents. As long as there was a fat bank account and business deal, even the devil was a saint. To them, he was the perfect man.

“I’m sorry I failed you, father.” I apologised, bowing my head and clasping my hand in front of me. Tears gathered, but I blinked them away. 'Crying means you’re guilty and you’re only looking for a way to escape’, said my mother always.

*Slap*

His large, rough palm collided with my cheek, sending me to the ground. Black spots dotted my vision, my head rang at the pain, and I couldn’t stop my tears as I held the stinging spot.

“You’re a disgrace to this family! Do you know what people will say when they hear you divorced just after two years of marriage? You’ve brought shame to all of us!”

“I-I’m s-sor—”

“Sorry?! You’re sorry?! After all my training, you still couldn’t keep your husband. How can you fail in the one thing you’re made to do, you useless, useless girl?!” My mother yelled, and I flinched as my tears hit the floor.

“I-I s-swear I-I’ll be a better daug—”

“And where are you going with those?” My father growled at the maids pulling my bags into the house and they froze. “Take them out now! There’s no place for uselessness in my family!”

“What?” I gasped, lifting up my head to stare at their disgusted faces and blazing glowers. He couldn’t mean what I thought he was saying.

“You are no longer a part of this family, Agatha. I disown you. I never want to see you near any of us and our properties unless you want to sleep in jail.” He sneered, and cold settled in my bones.

“P-please you.. y-you can’t kick me o-out!” I begged, kneeling in front of them and placing my hands on my belly. “I… I h-have n-nowhere to go, and I’m p-pregnant—”

“Then go to your lover, or you think Bruno didn’t tell us about that too.” He spat, turning on his heels, and walked away.

“The baby is his. I never—”

“James, throw her out now! Beat her if she resists. If I come here in the next two minutes and she isn’t out, I’ll fire all the staff in this house and make sure none of you find a job in this city!” My mother commanded, turning away from me.

“Mother! No please! I’m sorry!” I begged, struggling against the man that grabbed my arm and was yanking me towards the door.

“You are not my daughter. I regret the day I gave birth to you. I should have killed you like your father suggested. I wish you death!” She spat, glowering at me from over her shoulder.

My begging and pleading turned silent as my entire being processed her words. She had said a lot of hateful things to me, and I persevered, but those ones… they shattered the tiny fragments of what was left of my soul, leaving me empty.

I was thrown to the ground, but the force or dirt didn’t phase me. I took my bags and stared at the mansion that was once my house but never my home. I was never a part of a family.

Everything else went in a blur. One moment I was at my parents’, no, the Jacobs’ family house; the next I was on a bridge, staring at the water below. The darkness and the distance blurred my vision of my reflection, and I was glad. I didn’t want to look at the pathetic girl that was thrown away twice.

‘Where do I even go from here? I have no experience of the outside world, and I’m pregnant. How am I going to take care of a baby if I can’t stand on my two feet?’ I thought, leaning against the railings and staring down below. It was almost like it was calling me, telling me to end it all.

‘If I jumped now, in a few minutes all the pain and emptiness I’m feeling will just disappear. I won’t have to worry about living another day or taking care of a child in this awful world. I’ll be free. No one would miss me, so why do I have to cling to life.’ I leaned forward, lifting a leg up and pressing my stomach against the railings. ‘A little bit forward and it will all be over.’

But my body refused to move. Two sides of me were conflicted at my actions, yelling to jump and stop at the same time.

A figure in a distance caught my eye. A man stumbled to the railings like he carried the sorrow of the world and stood a few feet away from me.

‘Does he want to do the same too?’ I wondered as he stared at the water and shook my head, turning my head away. ‘I should focus on myself instead of poking into someone’s business.’

Still, I couldn’t help but watch him from the corner of my eyes. He threw one leg over the railings, then the next and sat on it.

‘I shouldn’t interfere. It’s his life, not mine.’ I told myself as I stood up straight and my feet walked towards him.

‘If he thinks life isn’t worth living, then fine. Let him do what he wants. I don’t judge him.’

The man closed his eyes and slowly, he leaned forward. A little bit further and he would fall off. My tentative walk turned into a sprint.

‘I should let him, but… I can’t.’ My arms wrapped around his torso, yanking him backward.