happy never after

chapter one

now

jaden

i hate her, i hate her so much, 6 years, 6 fucking years down the drain all for nothing. god,  It feels like my heart is being torn from my chest, pierced by a thousand sharp knives.

"Jaden, are you still with me?" My lawyer's voice pulls me back to reality.

"Yeah."

"She's already signed the papers," she slides a stack of papers towards me, "now it's your turn."

I gaze at the divorce papers, my mind a whirlwind. Her actions not only shattered my trust, but she managed to sign the divorce papers in just three fucking weeks. I feel a pang of regret, like I've been naive. I was so deeply in love with her, so ready to sacrifice everything, all in the hope that we would have been each other's forever.

"Do I have to sign them now?"

Jessica lets out a sigh. "Yes," she says, handing me a pen.

If you'd told me four years ago that I'd be sitting here, staring at divorce papers, essentially being forced to sign away the love of my life, I would've said you were out of your mind.

That day felt like the end of my world. She entered my life and restructured it, placing herself at the center of my universe. I was so taken with her, I allowed it. She was my everything, my life orbited around her like the Earth around the Sun. Then she left, and my world crumbled. I used to wake up to ensure she was okay, even in the middle of the night I'd worry about her. I feared waking up to find her gone. It was a nightmare, and suddenly, that nightmare became my reality.

I pick up the pen, my hand hovering over the papers. Suddenly, my throat tightens, my breath quickens, and I can't keep still. My fingers tremble around the pen. "Jaden," Jessica's voice breaks the silence, "the sooner you sign, the sooner it's over." I take a deep breath and sign my name. As I look at my signature, my vision blurs.

I thought I'd feel relief, I thought I wanted this. Why wouldn't I? She hurt me, betrayed my trust, lied to me, used me for six years. Why would I still want to be married to her? These questions flood my mind, but there's one that stands out: why does she want this divorce more than I do?

Jessica's words become a distant murmur as my mind drowns in memories. Our marriage, our life, everything we built together flashes before me. They say your life flashes before your eyes when you die; I didn't know the same would happen when I lost Madelyn.

I abruptly rise from my chair, leaving the room in haste. I rush down the stairs, making a beeline for my car. Once inside, I let out a frustrated scream, "Why?!" Of all people, she was the last one I thought would betray me. She knew me, my strengths, my weaknesses, my daily routine. And she used it all against me.

As I press down on the gas pedal, the car surges forward on the highway. The blaring horns of other vehicles don't distract me. I'm focused, single-minded. I need to get there, to see if she's there, if her belongings are still there. If they're gone, I'll have my answers. I'll know the truth, I'll understand everything I need to. And I'll know, once and for all, if it's truly over.

During our marriage, we purchased several homes in various countries. We knew our work would require hideaways, and these places were our secret, known only to us. It felt like a thrilling game of hide and seek between us and the rest of the world. And I cherished it - I cherished her, I cherished everything that entwined us.

Her favorite was the one I chose. She said it reminded her of home because that's where we spent the majority of our time, just the two of us, with no one else in sight. It was genuinely enchanting, like we were floating on cloud nine. Not a single dull memory was made in that house. It was situated about an hour away from the city, quite secluded, yet it had everything we needed. But most importantly, she was there.