Anastasia's wishes

Chapter 14 -Disaster Anniversary-

9 months later

Anastasia's POV

Nathan has been very busy lately. Always come home late. He looks so stressed out lately. I asked him what happened but he will say nothing is wrong. There are times when he doesn't come home. Sometimes he just forgets to tell me so I will sleep on the couch and wait for him. I know being a CEO is not easy.

As his wife, I try to support him. I always wait for him to come home, no matter how late he is. I always wake up early to cook his favorite food. We have maids, but cooking, preparing his clothes, cleaning out bedroom are my jobs. I don't want to rely on everything on our maids. I want to be like my mom. She always be there for my father.

There are certain things that make me uneasy though. Whenever he's at home he spends time calling or texting somebody. He will go as far as possible from me when he takes the call. I wonder if there's a secret that he keeps from me. This morning when Nathan was in the shower, I heard a ping notification from his phone. I read it from the screen, it said the sender was Lisa.

I can't wait for tonight.

It can't be Lisa Jones, right? There are thousand of Lisas in this world.

***

Tonight for our anniversary I cook Nathan's favorite food. He loves rib-eye steak with french fries and choco lava for dessert. I'm preparing red wine for him and juice for me. I know he'll come home anytime soon. He promised me this morning that he won't come late. I already dress up. Even I go to the salon to put my make up and hair. I can't wait to see him and give him the present. I know he will love this.

***

"Hi, husband. I've been waiting for you," I greet him the minute he arrives at home.

I run to him and hug him. But he doesn't hug me back. I smell a woman's perfume on his clothes. But I erase my ugly thought away.

"You seem quiet tonight. Come on, let's eat. I make your favorite food, baby."

While we eat, I keep telling him stories about my patients, his family, everything, but he says nothing. Lately, he's getting quieter and quieter. I feel like I'm talking to a wall. Normally he will say something, at least to get involved in the conversation. Something has been bugging him.

"Nate, what's wrong? You can tell me everything, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, let's finish our food, and then we'll talk."

After we finish our meal, we wash the dish together. No words are spoken. I am so anxious. Why do I feel that a storm is coming?

"Nate, talk to me. Share it with me. You know I love you. We are in this together. We always find a solution together."

"I want to have a divorce."

I stare at him. After a minute, I ask him again.

"What did you say?"

I thought maybe I heard wrong.

"We need to have a divorce. I don't want to continue this marriage. I—"

"I'm pregnant," I cut him.

"What? Please tell me you lie. It can't be." He blurts it out.

His words hurt me. I run to our room and when I come back, I toss away an envelope.

"What is it?" He asks.

"Just open it."

Inside the envelope is an ultrasound picture.

"As I said, I'm pregnant. With your baby," I repeat it. Although this time I say it while I cry.

"It doesn't change anything," he says sternly.

"Why? What did I do? Tell me, Nate. I don't get it. We were okay. Now you're asking for a divorce. I can't understand it!" I'm sobbing.

My heart breaks. I can't understand what is happening. We were so good together.

"I don't love you. I thought I did. But I was wrong. I met someone else. She was different," he answers.

"Different?"

"Yeah, unlike you, she comes from my kind of family. She knows how to dress up. She knows how to put on makeup. She isn't a cry baby like you. You're always busy in the hospital. You don't take my calls or answer my texts. If somebody calls you about your patient tonight, you will pick up, right? Even though it is our anniversary night, you wouldn't care. You're too selfish, Ana. I admire your ambition as a good doctor. But you're not a good wive."

"No. No. No. It's a lie, right? You're just playing me because it is our anniversary right? Please tell me you're just playing me. I'll forgive you, Nate."

"I'm sorry, Ana. Tomorrow, my lawyer will see you. He will explain the process to you. You can have the house, cars, money. And now that you are pregnant, I will pay for his expenses. Don't worry, I will take responsibility."

"You lie. I know you lie. I will see your parents tomorrow. They will talk to you. I won't accept this. I won't have my son grow up fatherless."

Then I run to our room and lock it. I cry and cry. What the hell is happening? I never see it coming. What he said was true, I spend hours in the hospital. I rarely open my phone when I'm working.

I thought he understands my situation. I thought he knows I don't like to put makeup or use sexy dress.

And what about my baby? It's his too. He always says he wants a baby. I don't want my kid to grow up fatherless. My father died when I was in high school. But I grow up with him by my side. I couldn't imagine my younger days without him.

I open my wallet and take out a picture. It was an old picture of me, my father, and my mother. We were on a river. I just got a fish on my hook. My father tried to help me with the fish and my mom was cheering on me.

"Mom.. Dad.. what should I do?"