The ultimate sacrifice

“Mrs  Hale, you are free to go”  

The warden's voice comes through the corridor as the security does their final check.

That moment I stepped out of the correctional center that had held me for  two years and the cold air rushed into my lungs.

I stood there for a moment clutching on to the brown envelopes that held everything  that represented me.

 The  gold key that  represented my passage to the company, the shirt  I was brought in with and the picture of my husband.

As the breeze hit me again  a smile  finally broke out of the corner of my lips as I felt what it felt like to be free again.

My eyes scanned the area  hoping that he did come even though I knew that he wouldn’t  dare to.

No one came to take me home, not my parents or even still my sister.

When I didn't see his car or anyone, I walked slowly towards  the exit   and hailed a taxi.

As the car moved, my eyes scanned the areas, the street  that  felt so familiar but yet  it all felt distant.

The one bussing street of the Manhattan elite   had become every busier.

This was the same place my  name had spread to but yet as I drove by today  not even one person could tell me of me, not even a billboard held   my picture.

I swallowed nervously as I held the tears that were struggling to come out of my eyes, this wasn’t the time to cry.

It all started two years ago after I married my husband   Ethan hale.

I met Ethan in my final year  at school and  it was his brain that drew me to him.

When I met him he was nothing but a small business owner that had dreams of getting bigger, as the eldest daughter of the Gomez family my parents said I had to bring someone worthy but when they met Ethan they loved him.

 Two years into our marriage Ethan and I founded our company and within a year it grew bigger than anything  we had ever imagined.

We  worked even harder, side by side to make it work but it was just  three years that  the biggest scandal that I can ever think of hit us.

Our company was being accused of fraudulent activities and money laundering.

At  first it was all a joke but within weeks of this scandal our company started collapsing.

To keep my family running, I agreed to take the fall for my husband while he kept the company running and that had been a total success.

Ethan loved me and I never doubted my  sacrifice for him.

He  said it was just two years and he would visit me everyday till  the sentence was over, but all of these promises ended in just a month to my sentence.

He told me he needed time to work on the company and couldn’t visit me . 

I believed him but still a part of me wished that he didn’t have to do it this way.

 Two years had passed and I was finally free but Ethan  hadn’t even tried to come pick me up.

As we got closer  to  the mansion, I could feel my heart clench tightly at the thought of what he would say ,how he was going to react.

The cab man dropped me  in front of  the mansion  and I walked straight to the familiar gate .

I peeped into the compound and  everything felt  so different.

Ignoring the  feeling in my chest, I knocked on the gate but unlike before what I saw was a middle aged man, this wasn’t our security.

 

The man stared  at me looking at the tarred clothes before turning his attention to me.  “Who are you looking for?"

 

I swallowed,holding down the  anger “ is Ethan in?

The man looked at me again but before  he could even say a word  my eyes went to the security code at the wall and pressed   it  and the gates opened.

I slowly breathed a sigh of relief as it opened,at least he didn’t change it.

Ignoring the  security voice behind me,I walked into the mansion I shared with my husband but as my eyes scanned around the area I couldn’t help but imagine how everything  had changed  in two years.

His car was packed in the garage and that only meant he was home but he didn’t even bother to come pick me up.

Everything felt different,the decorations ,the cars in the garage and even the flowers I planted.

I could feel my heart suddenly begin to beat fast as  the fear began  to creep up inside of me.

Everything felt  different but yet so familiar.

Ignoring the sick feeling clutching inside my stomach I walked straight to the living room and I pushed open the door that led to our living room but the moment I walked in  my eyes fell  on her.

Leah, my step sister dressed in a pink transparent gown  as she poured out  coffee from my coffee jug  at the dining.

That instant  I felt   my chest beating hard against my chest as the  question lingered in my head.

What was she doing here,in my matrimonial home dressed in such a seductive manner.

Before I could  even call her name she turned and the moment her eyes met mine , I saw the oh at the corner of her lips.

Raina, when did you get out ?She  asked, her voice coming out sharp and edgy but yet I could feel the mockery in them.

I tried to say the next words but instead the words caught my throat.

My eyes slowly scanned the living room and in that instant I felt my heart shatter as  the picture by my right caught my attention.

Leah   was dressed in a beautiful white wedding gown  and beside her was my husband dressed a black suit  holding her waist tightly  as he kissed her cheeks .

 “Mummy” I heard a little voice scream   and when I turned  I saw him.

My husband Ethan.

He wore just his simple  casual wear and he carried a baby in his hands.

 In that instant , I felt the sudden tears blurred my vision as I struggled to hold myself from falling.

This couldn’t be real.

This can’t be what I’m thinking.

Ethan's eyes met mine but  yet they had no reaction. He slowly walked to Leah ignoring my presence as he handed her the baby and grabbed the  coffee and glumped it down.

As I watched him I felt my heart spiraling  in ways I never thought it would  as the tears kept coming harder  than I had ever imagined it would.

No words came out of my mouth,I couldn’t speak, I was too broken to even say a word.

When Ethan turned to face me ,I hoped  he would say something , he would welcome me home and thank  me for saving our life.

But Ethan didn't say a word , he only approached me and once he got closer to where I was he stopped .

“I want a divorce riana ” he let out as he placed the paper on the table beside him.

At that moment I felt my throat burn as my knees weakened  and I slowly slid to my knees as I grabbed the paper with me.

The words divorce were boldly inscripted on it.