Shattered Vows

Chapter 4: The Breaking Point

Fran’s POV

The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. Uncle Philippe stood by the window, his hands clenched into fists, glaring at the world like he was ready to take Caesar down himself. My mom sat beside me, her hands wringing in her lap, trying to stay calm but failing. Marco was quiet, hovering near the door like he didn’t want to intrude on family matters but wouldn’t leave me to face it alone.

I was exhausted. Every word I had spoken felt like it had pulled more energy from me, and now, I had nothing left. It wasn’t just the betrayal; it was the weight of everyone’s expectations, their anger, their sadness. I had always been the one to hold things together, to be the one everyone could rely on. But now, I felt like I was unraveling.

“So what happens now?” my mom asked, breaking the silence. Her voice was soft, tentative, like she was afraid of the answer.

I shook my head, my throat tight. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I asked Caesar for a divorce, but... he won’t sign the papers.”

Philippe spun around, his eyes blazing. “He won’t sign? What the hell does that mean? Does he think he can just keep you trapped in this marriage after what he’s done?”

“I don’t know what he’s thinking,” I said, my voice cracking. “He says he still loves me, that he wants to fix things, but—”

“But nothing!” Philippe exploded, his voice filling the room. “He cheated on you, Fran. He got someone else pregnant. There’s no fixing this. He destroyed your marriage the moment he did that. If he won’t sign the papers, then we’ll find a way to make him.”

My heart pounded in my chest, torn between wanting to get away from the chaos Caesar had brought into my life and the part of me that still remembered the love we had shared. I didn’t know how to reconcile the two. How could something that had felt so perfect be shattered so completely?

Marco, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. “Fran needs time, Philippe. He’s been through a lot. Pushing him to act before he’s ready won’t help.”

Philippe shot Marco a look filled with disdain. “And what exactly are you doing here, Marco? What gives you the right to be involved in this? This is family business.”

“Philippe, please,” I said, holding up my hand. “Marco is here because I asked him to be. He’s been a friend to me, and right now, I need all the support I can get.”

Philippe’s jaw clenched, but he stayed quiet. He turned back to the window, muttering under his breath. My mom gave me a small, sad smile, her hand gently patting mine.

“Fran,” she said softly, “no matter what happens, we’re going to be here for you. I know you still love Caesar, but love isn’t always enough to fix things. You need to think about what’s best for you, sweetheart.”

Her words hit me hard. I had spent so much time worrying about what Caesar wanted, about how he felt. But what did I want? Could I really walk away from the man I had built a life with, the man I had dreamed of growing old with? Or was it too late for that now?

Before I could respond, there was a knock at the door.

Everyone froze. Philippe’s eyes darkened immediately, and I knew what he was thinking. I knew who it had to be.

I got up slowly, my legs trembling as I approached the door. When I opened it, there he was—Caesar. He stood in the hallway, his face drawn with exhaustion, his eyes red like he hadn’t slept in days. My heart twisted at the sight of him. For all my anger, for all my pain, seeing him like this still hurt.

“Fran,” he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “I need to talk to you.”

I swallowed hard, glancing back at my family. My mom was watching with wide, concerned eyes, and Philippe looked like he was ready to tear Caesar apart with his bare hands. Marco had shifted slightly, his body tense, ready to intervene if things got ugly.

“Caesar, this isn’t a good time,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

“I know,” he said, his eyes pleading. “But I need you to listen to me. Please, just give me a chance to explain. I can’t lose you.”

“Explain?” Philippe scoffed from behind me. “What’s left to explain? You cheated on him, Caesar. You ruined everything. There’s nothing more to say.”

Caesar’s eyes flicked to Philippe, and I could see the anger flaring behind his exhaustion. “This isn’t your business, Philippe. This is between Fran and me.”

Philippe took a step forward, his fists clenched. “It became my business when you broke his heart. I won’t stand by and let you manipulate him into taking you back.”

I stepped between them, my hands raised. “Stop,” I said firmly. “Both of you. I don’t need this right now.”

Caesar’s eyes softened as he looked at me, his voice breaking. “Fran, I love you. I know I messed up, but I can fix this. Please, just... don’t give up on us. Don’t let one mistake destroy everything we’ve built.”

Tears welled up in my eyes. His words tore at me, pulling me in two different directions. The part of me that still loved him wanted to believe him, wanted to find a way back to what we had. But the part of me that had been broken by his betrayal screamed that it was too late.

“I don’t know if I can trust you again,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “How do we come back from this, Caesar? How do I ever look at you the same way?”

He took a step closer, his hands trembling as he reached for me. “I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I’ll do whatever it takes. Just give me a chance.”

Before I could respond, Philippe stepped forward again, his voice low and dangerous. “He’s not going anywhere with you, Caesar. You don’t deserve him.”

Caesar’s eyes flashed with anger, and he took a step toward Philippe, his body tense. “Stay out of this. This is between me and Fran. You don’t get to decide what happens in our marriage.”

“Enough!” I shouted, my voice cracking through the tension in the room. Everyone froze, turning to look at me. My heart pounded in my chest, my breath coming in short, shaky gasps.

“I can’t do this anymore,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’m tired of the fighting, the anger, the guilt. I need time to think, to figure out what I want.”

Caesar’s face fell, but he nodded, his voice thick with emotion. “I’ll give you time, Fran. I’ll wait as long as you need. Just... please, don’t shut me out completely.”

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. The weight of everything was too much. I just needed space, time to breathe, to think.

As Caesar turned to leave, Philippe muttered something under his breath, but I didn’t care anymore. I was too drained to deal with more anger, more blame.

Caesar paused at the door, looking back at me one last time. “I love you,” he said softly, his voice breaking. Then he was gone.

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Fran’s POV

That night, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. My mind was a mess of conflicting emotions—anger, sadness, confusion, and, worst of all, love. As much as I wanted to hate Caesar for what he had done, I couldn’t shake the years we had spent together, the memories we had built.

My mom stayed with me, her gentle presence a comfort, but I could feel the tension simmering beneath the surface. Philippe had left, vowing to come back in the morning to “deal with things.” I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I was too tired to care.

Marco stayed too, quiet and steady, giving me the space I needed but never too far away. I knew what he felt for me. I wasn’t blind. But I couldn’t think about that now. My heart was too tangled in knots to untie anything else.

Tomorrow, I would have to face it all again—Caesar, the pregnancy, the future I no longer recognized. But for now, all I could do was breathe and hope that somehow, some way, I would find a way through this mess.

End of Chapter 4

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