Ebibokumo Beniangba의 작품

Chapter six My heart sank hearing that line “Julie is pregnant with my child.”I stood rooted in place, unable to move, the suitcase laying in front of me waiting for me to resume my packing. The words rang so loud in my ears that I thought I was about to lose my hearing ability. Pregnant. Not a brief reunion. A baby. His baby. With Julie, the woman who’d walked away from him at the altar in a white dress that cost more than my entire wardrobe, the woman whose name still made Sean’s eyes soften in a way my name never did.My mind flashed backward to the pictures I had seen hidden in his drawers; Julie laughing on a beach in a very sexy bikini, skin glowing with Sean’s arm around her waist. I had stared at the pictures until my vision blurred, then quietly slid the drawer shut and pretended I hadn't seen them. I told myself it was the past. I told myself I could change history.Now history was repeating itself.I finally came back to my senses. I turned to Sean slowly. Tears rolled do

Sean stood there, jaw clenched. The anger I had just shown him was a shocker to him. I had always been gentle and calm to him, so he probably wasn’t expecting all this from me. Something flickered in his eyes. Something that looked almost like shame. Good. He wasn’t the only one who was ashamed, because I was ashamed of myself for letting myself believe someone like him could be capable of loving me.I didn’t wait for him to speak. I turned my back on him, walked to the kitchen counter, picked up the plate, and dumped it all in the trash. Tears threatened to leave my eyes because I’d spent two hours preparing his favorite garlic butter steak, truffle mashed potatoes, the stupid little rosemary sprigs I’d arranged like I was still trying to win a man who had never been mine to begin with.One by one, I dropped every piece into the trash. “Claire…” His voice was quieter now. “Don’t,” I said without turning around. I couldn’t even hear his voice without being angry. “Don’t you dare sa

“I want a divorce,” Sean said in an emotionless voice.I knew this was coming. I just didn’t think it would be this soon. I had been preparing myself for this conversation for a while, but I was still trembling with pain. The moment I heard that Julie, my stepsister, was back in town, I knew the divorce conversation would be next. I dropped my spoon and tucked my hands under the table. He had just gotten home from work, and we were having dinner. I had prepared his favorite meal. I lifted my head and looked him straight in the face, trying desperately to hold back my tears. With shaking lips, I asked, “Why?” I already knew the answer, but I wanted to hear it from him. “You… you know we didn’t get married because of love. I only married you because your sister left. We can’t go on like this, and our baby that we lost… we’ve been miserable for months now,” he said outright.The tears I’d been fighting threatened to break free as the memories I had tried so hard to bury came flooding

The dinner was apparently a celebration.Father had called it “a small family meal’ to welcome Julie home.”He hadn’t warned me. No one had. But then again, it was my fault, because as always I was expecting too much from my dad.I was already seated when they walked in together. Father, Stepmother, and Julie, looking amazing in a red sleek dress.For one heartbeat I thought I was seeing a ghost.Then Julie looked over at me, then smiled politely. If you were seeing us for the first time, you would think she liked me, and I understood.Father didn’t bother acknowledging me. He pulled out Julie’s old chair, the one directly across from mine, and said, “Sit, my dear. You’re finally where you belong.”Stepmother’s eyes flicked over me. I knew nothing good was going to come out of her mouth. “Claire, you’re not looking very good. Are you ill again?” Again.As though the night I was rushed to the hospital four months ago, bleeding and shaking, had been nothing more than a dramatic episode

I got up very early in the morning, prepared Sean’s clothes for the day, and even told our chef to take a day off so I could be the one to cook him breakfast and also prepare his work stuff.I was setting up the table when I heard Sean walk down the stairs.“Breakfast is prepared. I made a lot of food for you,” I said with a smile, standing straight with my hands tucked in front of my apron.He stared at me for a few seconds before resuming walking straight to the front door. “I’m okay. I’ll eat at work when I’m ready,” he said, fixing his watch.I dashed to the door with the food I had packed so he could take it to work. “I already prepared lunch and packed it up for you. Here you go.” I stood in front of him with the packed lunch stretched out to him, hoping he’d love it.“I don’t want it. Stop trying too hard. It’s irritating.” He walked out and slammed the door so hard I thought the house was going to fall apart. I stood there, stunned for a minute.I didn’t know what I had done w

I sat at the living room patiently waiting for when my husband would return home, Sean was arriving very late from work every now and then.I sighed and turned on my phone to check for any message from him but there was none and he hadn’t reply to the ones I sent too.I rested my head on the chair and closed my eyes. I don’t know how much time had passed when the front door opened with a clickHe entered still looking put together in a white dress shirt and black pants his jacket hanging on his arm.Our eyes met and I smiled at him but he didn’t return the gesture. Ive been waiting for him all night and he couldn’t even smile back at me.“Why are you back so late?” I said walking towards him to take his jacket from him but he walked pass me ignoring my attempt to help “Why are you still awake Claire?” He asked avoiding my question,and walking towards the stairs “I was waiting for you” i stated “I even made you your favorite” I added with excitement walking towards the stair closer