LOVE WON - fighting her parents' battle

Chapter 1

Erin Bitro sat on the couch fiddling with her phone and her book. She looked at her phone screen again for the umptieth time. His flight had landed 6 hours ago, she had called him, he had not picked the call. She sent him messages on WhatsApp: the blue ticks showed he read them, but she did not get any reply. She sat there with tears streaming down her eyes, he had changed he was distant. He was not abusive or mean but he was distant. She did not know what was wrong. She had asked, done all she could to make him comfortable, but it was all going downhill. He was gone most of the time and when he came home he was just oblivious of her. She was dragged out of her thoughts by the keys turning in the door. She wiped her tears and looked at the door expectantly.

Kevin walked through the door and sighed as he walked to the living room, where the light was on. He was done shuffling back and forth, he wanted to lead a normal life. "Hi," he said looking at her, she had been crying, he felt bad. "Rin, I can't do this to you anymore." He said seating on the couch opposite from her. "I don't think there is an easy way to say this, but we should file for divorce." He heard the strong intake of breath then the silent sobs as she started crying. He sat staring at his fingers as she continued to cry. After a while the sobs subsided.

"What changed? What went wrong" she asked in a thick painful voice.

"I found someone who makes me believe that everything in life can be perfect. I am sorry Rin, I can't live without her and I cannot keep stringing you along." He said.

Erin loved Kevin they had met in her first year of university while he was doing his final year. He was her first love, the first man in her life. They had been married for 3 years. Now he was ready to move on without her.

"Can we try, to work on us? Give us 3 months to see if....." she started

"No Erin, there is nothing you can do that can change my mind. I need to focus on her and our unborn child. She needs me there more than ever" he said sounding irritated.

"she is pregnant? But you told me to wait," she said.

"I know what I told you, but it does not change the fact that she is expecting my child." He snapped.

"Kev, I love you...." She whispered.

"Don't hurt yourself Rin, are you happy with me?" he asked

She just sat there crying.

"Look, the papers will be brought here tomorrow. Look at them, I have been quite generous with you and I will always be available for you. If there is anything you do not like, let me know and we can discuss or change it. You also get to keep the house, so you don't have to struggle with that. I am going to pull out my stuff and put them in my office, the movers will come and pick them." He looked warily at her crying form and walked out to sort out his stuff.

Erin sat there sobbing her heart out then slowly stood up and went to their bedroom. Kevin was busy taking clothes out of the walk-in closet they shared. She walked in and took a pair of black skinny jeans, a red knee length sweater top, a black scarf, a black ankle-length trench coat and went into the bathroom. She quickly dressed up and walked out. She pulled on her red vans and took her wallet and car keys and started walking out.

"Rin," He called. She paused without turning "The papers will be brought here tomorrow. I want you to be here to sign them. I don't want unnecessary drama." He said.

"You just have to change two things, if you can call your lawyer to do it now I will be here by 4pm to sign them. I don't want the house or your money." She said and walked out.

Kevin should have felt relieved that she was not going to give him a hard time but instead he still felt burdened. However, one thing was clear there was no other woman he wanted to be with other than Patricia, his angel, the perfect woman for him.