[2]

BEATRICE:

I laughed bitterly while wiping my stupid tears. "And now you're blackmailing me? Suppose that those pictures are true, you won't even give me a chance? You just grab this opportunity to be out of the marriage."

"You are right. I don't want to sleep with a woman who’s not even clean."

His words felt like a dagger plunged into my chest. As much as I could remember, he was the only man who touched me. 

I never knew my husband could be this cruel. After everything that I sacrificed for him? He would just leave me like this? 

When we got married, I forgot about myself. I stopped working in our family's company just to serve him as suggested by Mom. She said that Drake wanted a baby as fast as I could because of his past in which he wasn't able to hold his baby when his girlfriend gave birth.

How could I cling to this marriage if he no longer trusts me? 

“Fine. Do you want this? I will give in. I hope you will not regret this later on.”

He laughed evilly. “Good. Don't make this even more difficult, Beatrice. Let's pretend that we did not talk about your man.”

“I don't have a man.”

“Bullshit. You should be happy that now, you're finally able to be with him.”

If I found the person behind this, I would make him pay. 

“I don't have any other man except you,” I insisted. “But why would I force you to believe? You don't believe me anyway.”

“Don’t ever call me or approach me when you get pregnant. That child was not mine.”

My heart shattered into tiny pieces. Yeah. Maybe not having a child was the best thing right now if he would only question it. 

“You will never know you have a child. Ever.” I extended my hand. "Give me a pen."

"I'm glad we are finally in agreement."

Snatching the pen from his fingers, I hurriedly signed all the documents with a heavy heart. Maybe this was for the best?

 I put my signature without reading further the contents. It was all the same. My husband demanded that I divorce him. 

When I was done, I shoved the paper to him. 

"How could I stay in a relationship where my own husband would question my dignity? You all should know that you're the first man in my life. You took my virginities after we got married. How dare you say I am not clean. Fuck you, Drake! Rot in hell!"

He checked the papers and when he was satisfied, put them back in an envelope. 

"I will stay away from you, Beatrice. After this, let's consider each other strangers." 

Maybe it was time to stop clinging to a man who didn't even love me. Maybe it was time to stop clinging to a man who could not even wait until I could give him a child. Above all, maybe it was time to stop clinging to an asshole like him.

I threw the pictures right into his face. “Bring those thrashes with you. ” He picked the pictures and put them in the same envelope. “Be sure not to leave any of your clothes because if you do, I will burn all of them after you leave.”

“You don't have the right to get mad at me, Beatrice. You were the one who cheated on me. 

Shut your mouth, Beatrice. No matter what you say, he won't believe you anyway. 

“Go,” I ordered, hardening my heart. I promised that this would be the last time that I would cry like this. This bastard was already part of my past.

“I won’t be asking for any of your assets and money. I’m not after your money. Everything I have for you is now yours. This house. The cars. You can sell them.”

“You don't need our money? Bullshit. Do you want me to believe that? Your family threw a feast when both families agreed to this marriage. You make me sick.”

“Say whatever you want. I will be giving you a copy of these. I’m sorry for the things I said earlier. I don’t mean to expose these pictures to your family. All I wanted was for us to get a divorce. I did not have any copies of that. I can burn them for you. I will send a video of me burning them.”

I did not answer because that was what he deserved. My silence.

Don't you dare cry again, Beatrice? You were wronged. Your ex-husband just told you that you cheated. Hate him all you want because that was what he deserved from you. 

Sighing, Drake continued, “I wish you nothing but the best, Beatrice. Thank you and goodbye.”

I heard his retreating footsteps and wanted to see him for the last time. Yes, I was angry at him, but my love for him overpowered everything. 

I wanted to memorize how he looked. The shape of his nose. The color of his eyes and everything.

But I stopped myself.

This was for the best.

The door closed with a soft click. 

And for the first time, I realized the house had become even emptier when Drake was gone. Now, what would I do with this empty house?