Check Mate

Looking at the content of the paper in her hands, a smile sits on her face. She starts to contemplate calling Caleb. As she starts the internal fight of whether to just wait until he gets back home or to call him and tell him, her phone starts ringing.

    The caller ID says ‘My Hubby’. She hurriedly picks it up and places it on her ear.

“Come to the office”. The husky voice says through the phone. Before she can get a word in, he hangs up on her.

    A wind of disappointment sits on her face briefly before she remembers the good news in her hands. She takes this as a good thing. At least now, she can tell him in person and see his reaction. She starts imagining scenarios of him kissing and carrying her up in joy.

    She leaves the hospital and orders a cab. While on the journey to his office, she thinks about how this child could change the whole dynamics between them. However, this was even a mistake because it was a result of a drunken night they had.

   That was the first time since they got married two years ago that she had been in bed with him. The marriage was arranged by his family. He had no other choice but to go through with the whole arrangement.

    But throughout the entire two years they spent together, he never once made an effort to treat her like his wife. If anything, she was the human form of trash to him.

    Although now, there’s bound to be a change. After all, it’s his flesh and blood. She arrives at his five-story building office and goes straight to his office.

    After knocking on his door and not receiving a response, she opens it. Caleb is sitting in front of his mahogany desk with his head bent over signing some documents.

   A smile sits on her lips while she takes a good look at her handsome husband. However, he doesn’t even acknowledge her presence. 

    She takes the hint and sits on one of the seats in front of him. She places her hand on her stomach with a smile on her face.

    As she is about to speak, he throws a brown folder in front of her. She picks it up and holds it confused.

    “What is this?”. She asks him. He looks up and gives her an irritated look. 

   “You can read, can’t you?”. His answer takes her aback. Not willing to start arguing with him, she opens the folder. 

    Her eyes widen as she read the content of the folder. Her hands trembling, she raises her head to look at Sebastian, who has a mischievous smile on his face.

    “You… what is this?”. She says her voice shaking.

   “Well, you read it. It is either you divorce me without a fuss or any drama or you face jail time for theft”. He says with a smile on his face.

   “I didn’t steal anything. How could I? I don’t even have access to anything! I don’t have anything!”. Tears begin to prick her eyes.

   “That isn’t what my records says…” He gives her a mock sympathetic tone.

   “I have nothing to do with this! Why are you doing this?”. Tears start rolling down her cheeks.

   For a second, a flash of guilt appears in his eyes, but it disappears as soon as it comes, leaving her with questions about whether her mind is playing tricks.

   “Don’t you see? I just want a divorce from you. I’m sick of this”. He waves his hand up and down gesturing to her. 

    “So you framed me to just get a divorce? Do you hate me that much?” She asks him, already feeling burned out.

   “Yes, I do. So if you don’t want to spend the rest of your life in jail for something you did not do, sign the divorce papers now and relocate abroad”. She looks at him dumbfounded. Her mind refused to accept what was going on.

   “So after two years, this is all I get?”. He cackles at her question.

   “This is all you get? I provided all you needed while you did your daily routine of sleeping, waking up, and eating every day. So just do me a favor and go abroad”. 

   She contemplates arguing with him and trying to see if he would truly get her arrested but she also thinks about her child and what would happen to it. 

   She makes a silent vow to keep her child safe even though its father could care less. 

   “You will regret this. For two years, you treated me like absolute trash. You barely said two words to me per day. Yes, so what if you provided money? You never treated me with respect even once! You didn’t even let me sleep in the same room with you!”. 

   “Are you done?”. He asked. 

She sighs defeatedly.

Thinking about her lack of money, she decides to make the best out of this situation for her child. 

    “I don’t even have any money to relocate anywhere. As you said, I never did anything. Well, maybe you left out the part that you told me not to work anymore. But it’s fine”. She looks away in pain.

   After some minutes of silence, she hears a ping from her phone. She checks what caused the notification and her eyes widen in shock.

   It is a credit alert from her bank. $100,000 was just transferred to her from Caleb. 

   Looking at the money, she finally comes to accept that this is the end of her marriage.

   She wipes her tears and without saying a word, she takes the divorce papers from the table and a pen. A tear drops on the paper as she puts down her signature next to his. The fact that it has already been signed by him only makes it hurt even more.

    “I have signed it. I will be out of the house today. Have a nice day and life”. She stands up to leave quickly to avoid breaking down in front of him.