Divorce Papers

The first thing I felt was that sharp pain as a rough hand shook me hard. My whole body was aching so bad that I couldn't even lift a finger or open my eyes.

"What the fvck, Olivia?!" a deep voice roared. "Wake the hell up!"

That voice. I knew it instantly.

It was Liam Smith. My so-called husband. The man who hadn’t shown up for sixteen hours of labor. The man who only ever touched me when he wanted to remind me that my body was his, not mine.

Love has never existed between us.

Our marriage had always been just sex, more sex, anger, war, and scars. We didn't know another language. And I was always the one left bleeding.

"Liam?" I said, but my voice was very weak.

I bit my lip hard as I tried to move, but my limbs wouldn’t listen. I could still feel the stitches holding me together after the tear I had suffered after giving birth. They burned like fire.

"Don't fvck with me, Olivia. I know you can hear me," Liam growled, shaking me harder. "You gave birth, not got run over by a damn truck."

Then another voice cut in, it was shaky and terrified. Who wouldn’t be, standing near the devil himself?

"Um, Mr. Smith… labor isn’t easy on most women. And your wife, she–uh–she had a tear, you know, because the babies were big, and she got stitched–"

"Who the fvck gave you permission to speak before me?" Liam snapped, cutting her off. "You’re just a nurse who changes pads, and you dare open your mouth before I do? How fvcking dare you?"

I could already imagine the poor nurse peeing herself and trembling like a leaf. That’s what Liam did to people.

"F-Forgive me, Mr. Smith, I–"

"Director Simpsons?" Liam’s voice shifted, it was colder now.

"Yes, Mr. Smith. My apologies for Nurse Peters–"

"Fire her. Right now. And sweep this hospital from top to bottom. If this shit happens again, you’re next."

"Y-Yes, sir. My apologies. I warned them–"

"Get the fvck out."

Footsteps rushed away.

That was when I forced my eyes open. The hospital room came into focus. And there he was. Liam. Towering over me, and looked furious.

He was dressed like a god in a black slim-fit suit, his shirt was open down to his chest, and his sleeves were rolled up to reveal those strong forearms. His gray eyes cut through me, they were sharp as knives.

I swallowed hard, and then I pulled myself up slowly.

“Liam… you're here." But I winced when I felt the stitches tear fire through me.

I clutched the hospital bed's rail anyway and forced the words through my cracked lips. "We had twins, Liam. Not one like we thought. A boy and a girl. The doctor… she-she said our princess was hiding behind her brother during the scans.”

I turned my head toward the bassinets beside my bed, where our babies slept. Their two tiny chests were rising and falling softly. My heart swelled with joy. I tried to smile, but it felt like I was frowning.

“Look at them. They’re so beautiful. They look just like you.”

But his eyes never softened. He didn’t even look at the babies at first. His eyes stayed fixed on me, it was cold, like I was a problem he would rather erase.

"Liam?" I bit my lip and blinked at him when he didn't say anything for like forever.

Without a word, he ran his fingers through his messy jet-black hair and sighed sharply.

Finally, he stepped over to the bassinets and picked the babies up; one in each arm, with a gentleness that didn’t match the man I knew. The sight of him holding them so gently stole my breath.

“Liam, I–”

“Vincent,” he called sharply, cutting me off.

I noticed the man by the door for the first time. Vincent Miller, Liam's right hand. He was always around. Always watching. He was older, maybe mid-forties, with salt-and-pepper hair, and a calm expression, like he had seen too much of Liam's cruelty to be bothered anymore.

Vincent walked over with a folder in his hands, and his eyes shifted to me briefly before settling on Liam.

“Congratulations on the twins, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. They're beautiful,” Vincent said smoothly, but there was no warmth in his tone.

I groaned as I forced myself to sit up straighter. “Thank you, Vincent,” I whispered, then turned back to Liam who was still holding the babies. “Sixteen hours of labor. Sixteen hours of me screaming in pain. I begged you to come, but you didn't. And now that you're finally here… why do you look so angry? Why are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?

“Give it to her,” Liam ordered without bothering to answer me.

Vincent hesitated for a second, then he stepped forward and handed me the folder. My hands shook as I took it.

"What's this, Liam?" I asked, my voice was barely above a whisper.

I didn't like the feeling in my gut, and it made my palms sweaty.

Liam placed the babies carefully into car seats on the floor, then he straightened and looked at me. His eyes were cold and merciless.

"Liam... what's–"

“Divorce papers." He cut me off firmly.

I froze.

“What?” My voice cracked.

"Sign them. You’re moving back to your parents’ place. Straight from here. Don't bother coming back to the estate.”

My chest squeezed tight.