“I’m not signing those papers, Shania.”
Adrian's voice came through the phone with a crackling sound, each word filled with defiance. I held onto the gadget firmly, sensing a combination of irritation and rage coursing through me. I thought he would oppose, but hearing him say the words infuriated me.
I snapped while pacing around the kitchen, “You no longer have control over this. It’s over, Adrian. You’ve already done enough damage.”
A bitter laugh echoed from his side of the line. “You think I’m going to let you walk away that easily? After everything?”
I tightened my jaw, trying to remain composed, but the shaking in my hands betrayed my true emotions. “I don't need approval. The divorce is going to happen, regardless of your opinion.”
A significant silence could be heard from the opposite side. When he ultimately talked, his attitude had changed to be severe and unfriendly. “You don’t get to decide that. You were mine first, Shania, and I’m not letting you run off with some random man.”
My heart skipped a beat at his words. Adrian had no idea about Stefan, no idea about the baby. He still thought he had some kind of claim over me, as if the years of marriage had given him a permanent right to control my life.The idea caused my skin to shiver.
I stated. "This is unrelated to another individual. This is about me finally being free of you.”
Another bitter laugh. “Free? You think you’re going to find freedom with a child in your belly? Because let me tell you something, Shania—your life is going to be even more tangled up with mine once you give birth. You won’t be free of me. Ever.”
I froze, my breath catching in my throat. How could he have known? I hadn’t told him about the pregnancy. In fact, I hadn’t told anyone but my lawyer and, well, Stefan.
“What did you just say?” My voice was barely above a whisper.
“I know, Shania. You’re pregnant,” Adrian continued, his voice smug. “You think you can keep that from me? I have people watching you.”
A shiver ran down my spine. People watching me? How deep did his control go? My head spun with the implications. How long had he known? Was he planning to use the baby against me?
I spat with disgust and scrunched my nose as I replied to him. "You're completely unaware of who I am now. No matter what you believe you are accomplishing, it will not be successful.”
He said calmly, "We will find out about that. Shania, you are still my wife according to the law. That child is legally mine, too, until proven otherwise. And trust me, I’ll make sure the courts see it my way.”
I suppressed a scream of frustration. "You have no idea what you're saying. Do you believe the courts will support a man who has been having an affair with his wife's sister?”
Silence.
I struck a nerve.
“That’s different,” Adrian said, his tone darkening. “Stephanie… that was a mistake.”
“A mistake?” I let out a sharp, humourless laugh. “You call having a child with my fucking twin sister a mistake? You destroyed this marriage, Adrian. You destroyed me.”
A sudden inhalation was heard from the opposite side, and briefly I believed I detected a soft noise of an infant sobbing. Adrian stayed quiet, and I imagined him standing with a irritated expression on his face in my imagination, his calmness beginning to break down.
I murmured softly, sensing the weight of tiredness creeping in, "It's about time for you to switch things up. There is no longer anything remaining between us. Allow me to leave, Adrian. I kindly ask you, Please."
He growled, “I will never release you.” Then disconnected the line.
I stayed in place, staring at the phone, sensing my heart racing in my chest. He was always going to make this difficult. I was aware of that. However, as soon as I heard him verbalise those words, the intense sense of ownership in them gave me goosebumps.
That evening, I found myself seated on the couch, gazing absently at the television screen, with the show hardly capturing my attention. I was caught in a whirlwind of thoughts, stuck between chatting with Adrian and making a big choice regarding Stefan.
What was expected of me? I had a man who had deceived me, destroyed my confidence, and was now trying to manipulate me through our failed marriage. However, there was Stefan - enigmatic, strong, and unquestionably hazardous. He presented me with an escape route, but what was the price?
The noise of a door knock snapped me out of my thoughts. I didn't anticipate someone's presence, and the unexpected interruption made me feel anxious. I paused briefly, my feet glued to the ground before moving towards the door at a gradual pace.
When I looked inside, I saw someone unexpected.
Adrian.
He stood before me, wearing his typical well-maintained suit, appearing exactly like the man I used to believe I loved. However, his presence now caused me to feel a sense of fear. His gaze met mine, icy and strategic.
"Why are you here, Adrian?" I inquired, attempting to maintain a steady voice. My grip on the door tightened, instinctively wanting to shut it in his face.
“We need to talk,” he said, pushing his way inside before I could protest.
“Adrian, you can’t just—”
“I said we need to talk,” he repeated, his tone sharp as he turned to face me."I will not move an inch until we accomplish it."
I folded my arms, feeling my heart racing in my chest as I held my position. "There is no more to be said. You have accomplished enough already."
Frustrated, he sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “I came here not to engage in a fight, Shania. I arrived because... because I don't want it to finish this way.”
I arched my eyebrow, taken aback by his abrupt shift in tone. “Like this? You mean after you had a child with my twin sister?”
I observed as his jaw tightened, and I could sense the growing frustration in his eyes. “I committed an error. I'm not refusing that. But we can fix this.”
I let out a short, bitter laugh. “Fix this? There’s no fixing what you’ve done. This marriage is over, Adrian. I’ve already filed for divorce.”
He took a step toward me, his expression hardening. “I’m not signing those papers, Shania. You’re still my wife. And until this is over, we need to figure out what happens next.”
“What happens next,” I repeated slowly, disbelief washing over me. “You think there’s something next after what you’ve done?”
He sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly. “Look, I know I screwed up. But we have a history, Shania. Years of marriage. You can’t just throw that away.”
I looked at him, feeling the heaviness of his words bearing down on me. A part of me desired to shout at him, to let him know the extent of the harm he had done. However, another portion of myself was too fatigued to continue bickering and fighting.
“Why are you really here, Adrian?” I asked, my voice quieter now.
He didn't respond immediately. Instead of that, he made his way to the window and gazed at the street below. “I want to keep you close and not let you go. This is not the way.”
I shut my eyes, struggling against the tears that were on the verge of flowing. His words carried no meaning anymore, just hollow echoes of promises he had already failed to keep. There was no going back. Not for us.
“I’m already gone, Adrian,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “You lost me the moment you slept with Stephanie.”
He shifted his gaze toward me, his emotions impossible to determine. I briefly noticed a hint of remorse in his eyes, only for it to vanish instantly.
"I'm not surrendering," he whispered. "Not at this moment."
He departed, the door shutting quietly as he exited.
I remained in place, experiencing a blend of relief and sadness sweeping through me. Adrian was holding on to something that no longer existed, but I was unsure how much longer I could continue to reject him.
While gazing at the shut door, I experienced the baby's first kick. I reached for my stomach quickly, feeling a surge of emotion within me. This became my new norm. Adrian was part of my history, but this child is what I looked forward to in my future.
Stefan was in the midst of everything, expecting me to make a crucial decision that could have a significant impact.
