Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Divorce Me

Emily's POV

The smile on my face didn't fade as I opened the door. "You're finally home," I said, holding the gift box behind my back. Gregory stepped inside without looking at me. 

His face was cold, and he walked past me as if I wasn't even there. I blinked in confusion before closing the door behind him. "Gregory?" I called softly. "Is everything okay? You don't look..."

 Before I could finish, he turned around so suddenly that I stopped talking. His eyes met mine, but there was no warmth in them, I had never seen him look at me like that before. It felt like I was standing in front of a stranger instead of the man I had shared my life with for four years.

I forced a small smile and walked closer to him. "Did something happen at work? We can talk about it after dinner. I made your favorite cake, and I have something really important to tell you." 

I reached for his hand, hoping he would calm down if I stayed close to him. Instead, he pushed me away so hard that I lost my balance. The gift box slipped from my hand as I landed on the floor. My shoulder hit the tiles first, sending a sharp pain through my body.

 I looked up at Gregory, waiting for him to apologize or help me up, but he didn't move,he didn't even look concerned. My smile disappeared.

 "Gregory..." I whispered. "Why did you do that?" 

He didn't answer. Instead, he reached into his briefcase, pulled out a set of papers, and threw them onto the floor in front of me.

I frowned as I picked them up. The moment I saw the words written across the first page, my hands froze. Divorce Agreement. I looked at Gregory again, expecting him to tell me it was a mistake.

 "What is this?" I asked, letting out a nervous laugh. "This isn't funny." 

He folded his arms across his chest. "It's not a joke."

 I stared at him, unable to understand what he was saying. "You... Do you want a divorce?" My voice came out so quietly that I barely recognized it. "Why?" 

Gregory looked at me without showing a single emotion. "Because this marriage is over." 

My head shook on its own. "No... there has to be another reason we were fine this morning we were fine yesterday Gregory, talk to me please."

He looked away for a second before speaking again. "I've already made my decision, sign the papers." 

My eyes filled with tears, but I refused to let them fall. "At least tell me what I did wrong." 

 I searched his face for anything that would tell me this wasn't real. Then I heard the sound of high heels coming from upstairs. My heart skipped, Gregory and I were the only ones who lived in this house. 

Slowly, I turned toward the staircase and a woman stepped into view, smiling as though she belonged there. The moment I recognized her face, every thought in my mind disappeared.

 "Lucy...?" I whispered. My own cousin smiled back at me as she walked downstairs, and without the slightest hesitation, she slipped her arm around Gregory's.

I looked from Lucy to Gregory, hoping someone would laugh and tell me this was some kind of cruel joke. No one did. Lucy rested her head against Gregory's shoulder and smiled at me.

 "Surprised?" she asked. 

My mouth opened, but no words came out. She was my cousin. She had spent holidays with us, ate at our table, and smiled in my face while this was happening behind my back. 

"Lucy..." I finally managed to say. "What are you doing?" 

She looked at Gregory before turning back to me. "I should be asking you why you are still here?" 

My eyes moved to Gregory again. "Please tell me this isn't true." 

He didn't hesitate. Instead, he slipped his arm around Lucy's waist and pulled her closer. "It's true. Lucy and I are together now."

 I felt as though the room had started spinning. Everything I thought I knew about my marriage was falling apart right in front of me.

I slowly got to my feet, refusing to believe this was the end. "Gregory, we've been married for four years," I said, my voice shaking. "We've been through so much together. If I've done something wrong, tell me we can fix it." 

He looked at me with the same cold expression. "There's nothing to fix." 

I took a step closer. "Then why?" I asked. "Why are you doing this?" 

He let out a slow breath before answering. "Because I need a family, I need an heir. Four years have passed, Emily, and you've given me nothing." 

His words hit harder than the push that had sent me to the floor. Without thinking, my hand moved to my stomach. I wanted to tell him the truth. I wanted to tell him our baby was growing inside me at that very moment. The words reached my lips, but they never came out. Looking at the woman standing beside him, I realized he had already made his choice.

Gregory picked up a pen from the table and held it out to me. "Sign the papers."

 I looked at the pen but didn't take it. Tears blurred my vision, yet I refused to cry in front of either of them. "You don't mean this," I whispered. "You'll regret it."

 Lucy laughed softly. "He's waited long enough for you. Stop making this harder than it has to be." 

Gregory dropped the pen onto the divorce papers. "Sign them now, Emily."

 Before I could answer, Lucy smiled and said, "Go ahead. After all, it's not like you can give him the one thing he really wants." 

My fingers slowly closed into a fist. If they thought I was leaving this house without saying a word, they were about to find out they were wrong.