It's Called PRIDE!

[27] THE UNSEEN FORCE

Laxmi

As I approached the yawning door of the house of hell, a cold shiver ran down my spine, and for a heartbeat, it felt as though my own would cease. Summoning every ounce of courage, I steadied myself and stepped inside.

After all the battles and the endless torment, here I was again, in Armand's lair, to demand his signature on the divorce papers. Today, I could not afford to be fragile or flee.

The living room was empty, an unsettling silence hanging in the air. I had already informed Armand on WhatsApp that I was coming over for an important matter. The emptiness felt like a bad omen.

As I walked towards our bedroom and knocked, the door creaked open on its own. I slipped inside and saw Armand perched on the edge of the bed, his eyes fixed on the floor, his phone lying abandoned beside him.

A malevolent aura seemed to emanate from him. Still holding myself together I inched closer, feeling the oppressive weight of the atmosphere, and stood before him, clearing my throat to break the silence.

"I need to talk to you, Armand," I said, my voice steady as I looked at him. He slowly lifted his head, his dark, lifeless eyes locking onto mine.

"What is it now?" he asked, his voice cold and disturbed, sending a chill down my spine.

"Nothing special," I replied, my eyes scanning his face for any sign of the man I once knew. "I just need your signature on these divorce papers." I held the papers up, thrusting them into his line of sight.

He stared at the papers for a long moment, his expression empty and devoid of emotion. But as he read through the document, his face gradually twisted into a mask of rage, turning a deep, furious red.

"You dare to ask me to sign these divorce papers, you bitch?" he snarled, his right hand lashing out to grab the papers from my hand, but I held on tight.

I quickly stepped back, clutching the papers behind my back, and spat back, "Yes, I dare you to sign them." My voice was icy, matching the cold fury in my eyes.

Armand stood up abruptly from the bed, his movements quick and violent as he lunged toward me, his hands reaching for my neck. I dodged, my heart pounding as I retreated a few steps, keeping my eyes locked on the beast before me.

"It's better for you to sign these, or else I will file a case against you for physical abuse and torture. Do you want that?" My words hung in the air, heavy with the promise of retribution. Armand froze, the threat sinking in.

"You bitch," he growled, his voice dripping with venom.

"You took my mother and my son from me, and now you're asking for a divorce? And threatening me with the police if I don't give you one?" His voice rose to a furious roar as he glared at me.

I met his gaze, unflinching. "You're a beastly, reckless man who beats his own child and mother out of rage," I spat back, my voice trembling with barely controlled anger.

He stared at me, the silence stretching between us like a taut wire. Finally, he spoke, his voice filled with frustration. "Fine, I'll sign."

I stepped forward cautiously, holding out the papers. He snatched them from my hand, his fingers trembling with rage as he scrawled his signature in the required spaces with his pen.

A pen, a special pen which was gifted to him by Prity at our wedding. I smiled when I saw him signing the divorce papers with that pen.

And at that very moment Prity's words came in my mind, "In your distant future, you will have to sign other memorable papers of your life. At that time this pen will assist you for sure," she was right indeed.