Bitter sweet affair

Chapter 40 - A parting gift

"Hey, Archie... I'm fine and you?.. okay, I need your help. I can't say much on the phone, could you please come over?..you can sleep over. oh okay thanks. I'll be waiting" Annie said before hanging up.
"So.. what did he say?" Reyna asked, curious.
"He'll be here in 3 hours and he might sleep over due to the distance" Annie answered.

Three hours later...
* Ding ding*
"I think Archie's here". Annie said somewhat too excited before dashing straight to the door.
She turned the doorknob and opened it to find who she'd been expecting.
"Archie, hi," she said at a loss for words, he looked more handsome and well-built than the last time she'd seen him.

"Hey, you look so good. " He complimented.
"Thanks" she slightly blushed.
She stared at him for a while.
"Can I come in?" He asked, sharply cutting off her thought.
"Yeah, sorry," she said giving way for him, once he walked in. She shut the door.

She walked him to the couch where Reyna was.
"Archie, this is my sister, Reyna, and Reyna, meet Archie. My friend and a divorce lawyer" she introduced.
"Nice to meet you"
"Likewise" and with that, they both shook hands.

"You must be starving. I prepared something for you, after which we'll get into why I called" Annie said directing him to the dining room.

After he was done, Reyna and Annie both explained the matter at hand to him.
He was astonished and furious at what he was told.

"He's such a beast. Let's file a lawsuit against him. I'll bring up your medical report from the assault and he'll serve a long jail time. We could demand 80% worth of alimony." He grinned at the thought of it.
"No..no. I don't want any of that. I just want a peaceful and quiet divorce. Just the divorce papers, no lawsuits" Reyna answered.
"But--
"Please" Reyna pleaded.
"Okay, fine. I'll file for the divorce papers" he finally agreed. He didn't understand why she didn't wanna make Andre pay.

Love maybe?

"How long is it gonna take?" She asked,
"It depends.. 4 months, 6 months, or even years," he said.
"I don't have that much time" she panicked a bit.
In that space of time, she would have been in labor or had her baby already.
"I'll try to make it come earlier as 4 months" he assured.

She still wasn't relaxed about it but it was out of their hands.

Archie left the next morning.
"Annie, what's between you and Archie? I noticed weird chemistry between you two" Reyna said with a smile.
"We were lovers once. " She confessed.
"I knew it. You kept blushing from ear to ear." Reyna teased.

"Why'd you break up?" She asked.
Annie paused for a while.
"A little detail, I forgot to add. When my marriage was arranged. I broke up with him saying I didn't love him and that I was getting married to someone I loved. We only started speaking two months ago. when I saw him at a restaurant."
"I could only imagine how you both must have felt. And I know you still love him."
"I do. I had a hard time mending my broken heart. I can't compare to how Archie must have felt"

...
A few weeks had passed by and Reyna was still at Annie's place.
Reyna couldn't wait any longer.
"Annie. I'll just go get my remaining things from Andre's house. Since I'm filling for a divorce"
"Are you sure you wanna go alone?" Annie said worriedly.
"Yeah. I'll just get my stuff and leave"
Annie reluctantly allowed her to leave.

Reyna stood outside the door, unsure of what to do as a surge of emotions surfaced.
In all, she put her keys into the keyhole. With every twist of the key, she felt anxious.

She twisted the doorknob and opened the door. Andre wasn't home, which gave her enough courage to do what she'd come for. If he was home, she may not have had the courage to do so.

Without wasting much time she brought out two empty suitcases and started filling them with her clothes.
Once she was done she dragged it down knocking down a photo frame beside the bed. She picked it up and it was their wedding photo. She teared up at the sight of it.

As much as she wanted to take the pictures along with her, she couldn't. It would only remind her more of him.

She dragged her suitcase down the stairs stopping by the kitchen to have a glass of water.
The main door opened. And Andre walked in, he looked surprised and happy to see her.

He rang over to where she was and hugged her.
She was flustered.
"I'm so glad you came. I missed you so much. I can't imagine my life without you anymore"
At this point, tears were flowing down her cheeks.

He freed her from the hug and stared deep into her eyes, before bringing his lips to hers.
She kissed him back.

It was gonna be their last kiss.

She pushed him away.
"I got you a gift," he said not minding the fact that she pushed him off.
"What gift?" She asked wiping away her tears.
"It's our 1 year anniversary. I never thought you'd show up but here you are." He said elatedly.

Their anniversary?

She had forgotten about it. And right now she couldn't care less because their Divorce was underway.

"I also have a gift for you," she said, taking slow breaths before putting up an emotionless face.

If they were still together, she would have presented a pregnancy report as a perfect, one-year anniversary gift.
That wasn't gonna happen now. It was too late.

"Really?"
" Yeah. It's a parting gift"
"A parting gift? What do you mean?" He stood there puzzled.
"I'm divorcing you. In less than 4 months, You'll get the papers. I'll sign it before sending it over" she said with much composure.

"You're not serious right?"
"I've packed up my things. Let's get divorced" she said; Grabbing a hold of her suitcase and moving forward, straight for the door.

"I love you"
He said stopping her dead in her tracks. They'd never exchanged those three words but it didn't feel right at this moment.
She took her hands off her suitcase, walked back to where he was, and held the urge to slap him across the face.

"You love me? Is this some kind of a joke? Do you even know what it means to love someone?
Loving someone is not wanting to see the person you love getting hurt or hurting, but always wanting to be by their side... How can you love me when you're the one hurting me? That's just so vague"

"That was in the past. I really love you, Reyna"
"Is it? Is it really in the past? I'm tired, of having to put up with a bitter husband and a sweet one. It's like you have a split- personality. You should get admitted into a psych ward before you completely lose yourself" she said.

"I agree that I might have a split personality. It's due to a traumatic experience I had when I was 13--
"Save it. I don't want to hear your excuses or be gaslighted any further. Ever since we got married, I can't help but feel like I've been gaslighted to forgive and listen to every word you say. Not anymore"

"Let's fix us. I don't wanna lose you" he begged.

I don't wanna lose you too. Her heart screamed.

"Compare our marriage to a porcelain tile vase. Once completely shattered into pieces, it can't be fixed. Even when brought together by glue. It can't be perfect as it once was" she said as tears prickled.

She had to hold on, she had to suppress her feelings. For the sake of her baby.

"We could start afresh," he suggested.
"Don't you think it's too late for that?" She said rhetorically.

Andre had tears in his eyes, he couldn't bear losing her.

"If you really love me as you said. You'll sign the divorce papers when it arrives" she added.

She dropped her spare keys on the table.

"I'll do therapy. Just please don't go." He pleaded.
"You should. But we're still getting divorced"
And with that, she walked out of the house.

It broke her heart, but she did the right thing for the sake of her baby.
She got home.
"Did you--
Annie didn't get to complete her statement, Reyna just walked passed her.

She locked her door, fell on her bed, She cried her eyes out. She had fallen hard for him, despite everything and it was hard to let him go. But she had to, her baby was the top priority.