Divorce

"Mrs. Maria," The doctor called, his voice firm but gentle.

Maria's heart skipped a beat as she stood up, her eyes fixed on the doctor's face. She had been feeling unwell for weeks, and the uncertainty was eating away at her. She took a deep breath, bracing herself for the worst.

"Hope I'm alright, Doc?" She asked, her voice trembling slightly, her eyes wide with anxiety.

The doctor's expression was unreadable, his face a mask of professionalism. Maria's mind raced with worst-case scenarios, her imagination running wild.

But then, a hint of a smile played on the doctor's lips. "Ma'am, I am happy to tell you... you're pregnant," He said, his voice warm and congratulatory.

Maria's eyes widened in shock, her face pale. Then, a radiant smile spread across her face, and she let out a squeal of delight. She stood up, her hands flying to her mouth, her eyes shining with tears of joy.

"Oh my goodness! I'm going to be a mother!" She exclaimed, her voice trembling with emotion, her heart overflowing with happiness. 

"Yes, Ma'am, you're going to be a mother!" The doctor exclaimed, his face beaming with excitement. "I am so thrilled for Mr. and Mrs. Lefevre - they're finally going to have an grandchild!"

Maria's heart skipped a beat as she hastily gathered her belongings, her hands shaking with anticipation. "Thank you, doctor! I so much appreciate this!" She gushed, her face radiant with joy.

As she left the office, her happiness knew no bounds. She floated on air, her heart singing with excitement. She couldn't wait to share the news with Alejandro.

"Alejandro, you have to hear this! You're going to become a father very soon!" Maria squealed with delight, her voice trembling with emotion, as she drove home.

Pulling into the compound, she leapt out of the car, her feet barely touching the ground. She rushed towards the house, her heart racing with excitement, ready to share the life-changing news with her loved one.

As she burst through the door, Maria's eyes widened in shock. The house was in disarray, a stark contrast to the tidy space she had left just hours before. Her mind raced with worry, "What happened? Is Alejandro okay?"

But then, her gaze fell upon a lady's shoe, carelessly discarded on the living room floor. She approached it cautiously, her heart sinking as she realized it wasn't hers. The brand was unfamiliar, and a sense of unease crept up her spine.

Her thoughts spiralled out of control, "Who does this shoe belong to? And what were they doing here?" The possibilities swirled in her mind like a vortex, each one more disturbing than the last.

With a sense of trepidation, Maria made her way up the stairs, her heart heavy with foreboding. She prayed silently, "Please, let it not be what I think. Maybe he was trying to prank me"

Maria's heart raced as she approached their bedroom, the noises growing louder with each step. She couldn't make sense of what she was hearing, but her instincts screamed at her to hurry. She flung open the door, and her world came crashing down.

Before her, on their bed, lay Alejandro, entwined with another woman. Their lips were locked in a passionate kiss, their bodies wrapped around each other. Maria's mind recoiled in horror, her eyes fixed on the unthinkable scene.

She stumbled backward, her hand flying to her mouth, as if to stifle a scream. But it was too late. "Alejandro, what's this?" She shrieked, her voice echoing through the room, shattering the intimate moment.

They froze, their eyes snapping towards Maria. Alejandro's eyes widened in shock, his face pale, as he scrambled to disentangle himself from the woman's embrace.

Maria's heart shattered into a million pieces, her world crumbling around her. She felt like she'd been punched in the gut, her breath knocked out of her. Tears sprang to her eyes, her mind reeling with shock, anger, and betrayal.

Alejandro stood up from the bed, his eyes locked on Maria, but devoid of any remorse. "When did you get back?" He demanded, his tone casual, as if he'd been caught doing something trivial.

Maria's shock turned to incredulity. "Are you kidding? Is this what you're going to say?" She asked, her voice trembling, trying to process the scene before her.

Alejandro shrugged, his expression unrepentant. "What was I supposed to say? Maybe I wouldn't have brought her home if I knew you'd be here earlier."

Maria's tears flowed freely now, her heart shattered into a million pieces. She couldn't believe the man she loved could be so callous. "I thought we had something together. I thought you loved me?" She demanded, her voice cracking.

Alejandro scoffed, his eyes rolling. "What do you know about love? How can I be in love with you when our marriage was based on a contract? Did you forget?"

Maria's world crumbled around her. She felt like she'd been punched in the gut, her breath knocked out of her. She couldn't believe the man she thought she knew could be so heartless. She clutched her belly, remembering she was pregnant, and a wave of anguish washed over her. How could he do this to her, to their unborn child?

"Why are you crying now? Are you trying to make me the bad person here, when you played the victim?" Alejandro's words cut deep, his tone cold and detached.

Maria's tears flowed uncontrollably as he continued, "I don't want to talk about this. But you should know better, our contract ends tomorrow. I have informed my lawyer, and he said the divorce papers will be ready soon. Get your things ready."

Alejandro's words felt like a death sentence, his intention to discard her like trash clear. He turned to the other woman, "Let's go," he instructed, as if Maria was nothing but a minor inconvenience.

As they walked out of the house together, Maria's world crumbled around her. She felt like she'd been punched in the gut, her breath knocked out of her. She couldn't believe this was happening, that the man she loved could be so heartless. How could she foolishly fall for him. 

Maria's legs gave way, and she fell to her knees, her body wracked with sobs. She felt like her heart had been ripped out, her soul shattered into a million pieces. The sound of the door closing behind Alejandro and his mistress echoed through the empty house, a stark reminder of her newfound solitude.

""Why would you do this to me, Alejandro? I thought we were falling in love with each other. Why didn't you tell me you were still bound by the contract? How could you make me fall so deeply, only to break my heart like this?" Maria's words were laced with anguish, her body shaking with uncontrollable sobs.

"How could you do this to me when I'm already carrying your child?" She cried bitterly, her voice hoarse from hours of weeping.

Exhaustion eventually took its toll, and Maria fell asleep, her body curled up on the floor.

When she opened her eyes, she was met with a sight she never thought she'd see again - Alejandro, looking at her with a mix of remorse and pity. He bent down to her level, his hand gently ruffling her hair.

For a moment, Maria forgot about the pain and heartache, and a glimmer of hope sparked within her. Maybe, just maybe, Alejandro had realized his mistake and was willing to make things right. But as she looked into his eyes, she saw something that made her heart sink - regret, not for what he had done, but for getting caught.

"I am sorry for doing this to you. I am sorry, I didn't realize how much you love me. Please forgive me, and let's start over. I promised I am going to protect you and love you," Alejandro said, his tone filled with sweetness and sincerity.

Maria's heart melted at his words, and she searched his eyes for any sign of insincerity. "Are you truly sorry?" She demanded, her voice barely above a whisper.

Alejandro nodded, his eyes locked on hers, and pulled her into a tender kiss. As they savored the moment, Maria felt her heart heal, and her love for him reignite.

After a while, they broke apart, and Maria held his hand, her eyes shining with happiness. "I am happy you are saying this to me. I am happy to hear you want things to work out," She said, and kissed his hand.

"I have something to tell you," She said, her voice filled with excitement.

But before she could reveal her secret, a hand tapped her shoulder, and Maria woke up with a start. She stared into Alejandro's cold, distant eyes, and her heart sank. It was all just a dream.

"Are you here to tell me sorry?" Maria demanded, her voice laced with hope, as she pulled him into a hug.

But Alejandro scoffed, his expression twisted in disgust, and pushed her away. "Are you kidding? Are you trying to seduce me? Didn't I tell you this was over?" He spat, his words dripping with venom, as he stood up, his eyes cold and detached.

Maria was speechless, her heart sinking like a stone, as she realized she had been dreaming. He wasn't going to come crawling back, apologizing for wronging her. He was really done with her.

"I was expecting you to have packed your things, and just sign the divorce papers then leave. I stayed out of my house overnight just to give you space, but you're still here," Alejandro said, his tone icy, his voice devoid of any emotion.

Maria slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes, trying to shake off the haze of sleep. She couldn't believe she had slept for so long, especially with everything that was happening. Her mind was foggy, but as she looked around the room, the memories came flooding back.

"Alejandro, why are you doing this?" Maria asked, her voice shaking, as she tried to process the scene before her. "Did you want to tell me something? Maybe I can understand. Because I'm wondering why you wouldn't involve me in this decision beforehand. I know you too well, you don't make decisions randomly. Did I do something wrong?"

Alejandro's expression was icy, his eyes cold and detached. "How was I supposed to tell you this?" He sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "Are you struggling to understand? I said the contract was over. We should go our separate ways. We're not destined to be together."

With a flick of his wrist, he dropped the divorce papers in front of her, the sound echoing through the room like a death sentence. Maria's heart sank, her eyes scanning the papers as if searching for an escape clause.

"I don't want to come back and meet you here," Alejandro instructed, his voice firm, before turning and walking away, leaving Maria alone with her shattered dreams and the crushing reality of their failed marriage.

"I guess I was stupid," Maria muttered to herself, her voice laced with regret and disappointment. "How could I forget this was a contract from the beginning? How could I be so foolish?"

She felt a wave of shame wash over her, realizing she had let her emotions cloud her judgment. She had allowed herself to believe in a fairy tale, a love story that was never meant to be.

"Maybe he was right," she whispered, her eyes welling up with tears. "It's over. Even though he has left me with something I can't forget."

With a heavy heart, Maria steeled herself and picked up the pen, signing the divorce papers with a sense of resignation. The scratch of the pen on paper seemed to echo through the room, a stark reminder of the end of their relationship.

As she signed her name, Maria felt a part of her die, the hope and dreams she had once held dear slipping away. But she knew she had to move forward, for herself and for the tiny life growing inside her.