CHAPTER ONE: Divorce papers

“Common zephyr, stop it, your wife Nova is waiting outside”. Tiana whispered coyly to Zephyr, who was lustfully sniffing and nuzzling her neck with desperate intensity.

“Don't pay attention to her, let's have a quickie, okay”. He said in a commanding and raspy voice that seemed otherworldly. He moves his hands that laid on her exposed cleavage to his trousers, fumbling with the zipper.

“I want to fuck you right now Tiana, against that door, so she can hear us”. He growled with silent anger, his breath quickening as he kissed her more aggressively.

“Stop it Zephyr, at least let's hear what she has to say”. Tiana reprimanded, pushing his hands away and biting her lips seductively.

“Shit, he whispered under his breath. What the hell does she want?” His eyes darkened as he hated the interruption. Hasn't she done enough? He thought within him. She betrayed him even after all the things he had done for her.

He guessed the saying, once a stripper, always a stripper, was true. Don't ask him where he heard that from, he just knew.

He met his wife Nova as a stripper, fell deeply in love, and married her. He didn't mind her background, even going against his mother just to be with her.

Nova was like a flower in its blooming stage. When he first saw her, the attraction was instant, and right there at the club where he met her, he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. But what did he get at the end?

A video of her moaning sensually while having sex with his own brother, Eryx.

“Okay, Tiana, but this isn't going to take long”. He said with a frustrated sigh as he made his way outside to meet Nova. 

Tiana’s eyes followed Zephyr as he moved, her lips curling into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She admired his strong build and the way he carried himself, but there was something calculating in the way she watched him. Her fingers lightly traced the edge of her blouse, a slow, deliberate movement, as if she were mentally weighing her next move.

“Now let's see how this goes”. She whispered with a malicious grin before following suit.

Nova kept pacing around the living room in anxiousness, looking around. The house loomed in front of her, once a symbol of love and security, now just a painful reminder of everything that had fallen apart. She could barely breathe as memories flooded her, laughter in the kitchen and stolen kisses by the door, but now, it all felt so far away, like a life that didn’t belong to her anymore.

Her hands trembled as she tried to calm herself down. “Don't worry, Nova. Everything will be okay?” she said, but her thoughts were soon shattered by the sight of Zephyr striding towards her, his face a mask of fury.

He stopped a few feet away, his voice cutting through the air with icy precision. “What are you doing here?” He seethed.

Nova’s gaze shifted to the woman behind Zephyr, Tiana, who was barely covered, her hair disheveled. The sight made her heart pound vigorously against her chest.

“I…umm”. Her hands fumbled with her dress as she struggled with her words. ‘What if this is a mistake?’The thought clawed at her mind. She had rehearsed this moment a thousand times, but now, facing him, the words felt fragile. “I have something to discuss with you, Zeph”. Her voice trembled a little. “And I'd appreciate it if it's just the two of us”.

Zephyr's mocking laughter reverberated, making Nova wonder if she had said something funny.

“You think you are that important, huh”! He paused, looking at Nova intently before memories of her and Eryx flashed in between his eyes. “Fuck”!. He cursed angrily with closed eyes.

“Whatever you have to say, say it here”. He spat while pulling Tiana closer, who in turn smirked at Nova.

Nova clenched her teeth, her fists trembling with suppressed emotion. She took a deep breath, steadying herself and opposing the jealousy and anger that she felt.

"Fine, Zephyr. Is there something I am missing?. If there is, Let's solve whatever misunderstanding we have”. She quivered. Nova had no idea why Zephyr suddenly grew hateful towards her.

Ever since she woke up in a room with no idea of what happened to her, zephyr hated her guts and kept calling her a cheap slut, his attitude changed drastically and it was unbearable. She had to move into her old apartment so she wouldn't lose her mind.

“Misunderstanding? He repeated in disbelief. Can you hear yourself, Nova”? Zephyr’s jaw tightened as he spoke, each word coming out like a growl. His chest heaved with every breath, and his hands curled into fists at his sides. His eyes, once soft when they looked at her, were now like cold, burning coals. He stepped closer, his voice low but trembling with barely restrained fury. 

"I hate you and everything about you.”

His words cut deeper than any blade. Nova bit down hard on her lip to keep her from crying. ‘How can he say that? How can he hate me when all I’ve ever done is love him?’ Her mind raced, each word like a punch to her gut. She wanted to scream at him to question his actions but her voice came out in a whisper. “But I love you,” she said, weak and hollow.

Zephyr's anger wavered for a moment. He remembered the qualities he loved in Nova, her strength, her honesty. But the betrayal overshadowed everything. The image of her with his brother haunted him relentlessly. 

“I just told you I hate you. Get used to it and leave,” he said coldly, grabbing Tiana and attempting to walk away.

Nova blinked slowly, trying to wake from this nightmare, but the reality was inescapable. “Wait,” she called out, stopping him. She reached into her bag and pulled out a set of papers, thrusting them towards him. 

"If you hate me so much, then sign this,” she said while clutching onto her chest with her other hand.

Nova had hoped she would be able to talk sense into him today. But she guessed he made his decision already. After all, the ideal thing is to let those you love go when it's no longer working out.

Zephyr turned slowly before walking closer to her, his eyes widening in disbelief as he saw the divorce papers. He snatched them from her, his hands trembling. 

“You never cease to amaze me, Nova. Is this because of the alimony? You want the money, huh?” he snarled, frustration evident as he ran his hands through his hair. "You are such a gold digger. How did I not see this coming?”

But why was he so worked up, he wanted Nova far away from him, but the thought of her requesting for divorce did nothing but kill him.

Nova blinked back tears, shaking her head. "It's not about the money, Zephyr. I can't stand being so close to you yet so distant. If you sign the papers, I can try to move on.”

But her words fell on deaf ears. He moved closer to her with an angry gaze. “Who is it this time Hun”! He muttered sinisterly with green veins popping at the side of his neck.

“What are you saying?” Nova blinked, trying to stop the tears from falling.

Zephyr stomped his feet on the ground, his anger boiling over. "WHO ARE YOU FUCKING THIS TIME?” he yelled dangerously.

Nova's spine tingled with fear, but she wouldn't let him insult her. She slapped him hard across the face. “This time?” she questioned cocking her head to the side. “ What does that even mean and Don't ever talk to me like that, Zephyr. I am your wife, not some slut,” she mumbled weakly, tears finally streaming down her cheeks.

Zephyr rubbed his cheek, stunned. For a moment. Nova was the only woman who could slap him without consequence, and she knew that.

“Weren't you once a slut that men pay to see you strip”. Oh!, you are still one”. Zephyr emphasized with a tightened grip.

Nova scoffed with a horrified face.“This isn't the zephyr I used to know”. She shakes her head severely as if in disbelief before throwing the rest of the papers in his face. She couldn't watch him belittle her anymore.

She took one last look at the lady behind him, and she could swear that she saw nothing but delight and satisfaction in the eyes of the lady. An emotion so fast that it looked like it was never there.

“make sure to sign it”. She said before walking out, her heels clanking on the marble floor.

As she struggled to walk across the road, her heart felt heavy and empty. She never imagined her life would turn out to be like this.

She held her chest as she suddenly felt an excruciating pain. It was as if she had been stung by thousands of bees. The pain was so immense, that she didn't seem to notice that she was walking towards the main road.

“Get off the road young lady”. An angry voice echoed behind her and after the voice, the last thing she heard was the loud honking of a car, lights flashing in her eyes, and incoherent screams echoing from different corners before slipping away into peaceful darkness.