Teaching Harry... | Harry Styles | AU|

Prologue

A/N: This is an idea that's been playing on my mind for a while...

"I just want you to know that I really am sorry, Harriet— for everything." His tone was strained and sincere, his tired eyes full of torment and utter remorse.

But his apology only made Harriet wince. A wash of sickness running through her stomach as she stared back at him.

He had used the word 'sorry' so many times now that it had lost all it's meaning. Instead the word now actually caused a jolt of anger to shoot through Harriet every time she heard him say it.

Because it was a waste of breathe, it was nothing.

Because if he was so 'sorry', he never would have hurt her so much in the first place.

But Harriet managed to expertly hide away her anger, and pain.

Because he wasn't fucking worth it.

"I know you are, Jack." Harriet finally murmured after a few moments, pursing her lips once she had rubbed them together.

The ache in her chest climbing it's way up to her throat where it seemed to burn. Her body begging to release the tears that pooled in her eyes.

After so many gruelling months, she was so desperate to let go of the anxiety and emotion that had built up inside her. She wanted to sob her heart out and crumble to the floor in defeat.

But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

And luckily for Harriet, her internal battle was diminished when her and Jack were interrupted from their awkward conversation by the heavy brown double doors of the meeting room suddenly opening. A suited man and finely dressed woman walking through the threshold. Their voices exchanging casual words as they both clutched on to files and notepads.

The fact that they were lawyers could be spotted from a mile away.

However their polite conversation ended when they both caught Harriet and Jack's uneasy expressions. Their eyes fixed on them both as they sat slumped in their chairs. Their faces depressed and nervous while the lawyers tried to ease the tension by shooting them forced smiles.

The colour of Harriet's normally vibrant bright red hair was dull and lifeless as it sat on top of her head in a messy bun. Her newly frail and stressed body wearing the most comfortable yet, professional clothing she could muster together. Her face holding just a light spread of makeup. Makeup that didn't do a very good job at hiding her anguish and lack of sleep. Her expression making it seem as though she was actually 53 years old instead of 33.

The past few months had been hell, and it was blatantly fucking obvious.

It was even obvious in Jack, who looked like he hadn't showered for a while and reeked of a brewery. Very prominent circles around his eyes as he glanced around the room, his focus always seeming to land back on Harriet.

Harriet.

His wife.

His wonderful wife of 7 years.

Well... his soon to be ex wife.

Someone he had been in love with since he had first laid eyes on her.

And now he was losing her.

He was losing the love of his life.

Jack's pining was then disturbed when the woman who had just walked in cleared her throat before taking a seat next to Harriet, while the man circled the large table and took the chair next to Jack, opposite them.

"Okay, so it's just some final signatures and then everything should be done and dusted." The woman next to Harriet said, flicking through some documents that she had laid out on the table. "I trust everything is in order." She spoke again, skimming copies of the documents across the table to reach the man next to Jack.

After today they would officially, and finally, be divorced.

And Harriet could finally be released from this agonising limbo she had been in for so long.

Dealing with their separation was hard enough, but arranging the divorce, splitting their belongings and assets, and organising the sale of their house, it had all taken months. Almost a year actually— And they had been separated for nearly 2 years.

So to be free from limbo.... A limbo that began when she came home early from work to find her Husband aggressively fucking into the younger woman who babysat for the couple who lived next door.

They were fucking in their bed.

In the bed they shared together.

That Harriet slept in at night—with Jack.

And it wasn't the first time they had done it. The affair had apparently been going on for just under a year.

The discover of which absolutely destroyed Harriet.

Seeing her Husband, who she was supposed to be spending the rest of her life with, completely naked and sweaty as he pounded into another girl, a younger girl— from behind.

Well, that will do great things to anyones self esteem.

It made Harriet question everything about herself. It made her completely question her life, her choices, what she had done wrong—what was she supposed to do now?

However when she walked out the meeting room today, there would a slight perk in her step. Because she can finally strip every ounce of Jack from her system and finally, finally move on.

Start again.

Be free.

Bring herself back from the brink of despair.

Even though from then on, Harriet had no idea just how upside down her life was about to turn.

A/N: Soo excited about this!! Thoughts??

Thanks for reading! Xx