Death to divorce

YUANITA.

     “Till death do us apart.” 

      That was my thought as I plunged face up from the height. As my arms flailed against nothing, the night air clawed at my skin, causing an excruciating pain from the open wounds on it. My vision blurred into a cold haze, before I hit the tiled floor with a loud thud. I felt my skin damp against the blood that pooled from my head. 

    I should be thinking of my life. Of my mother's funeral, the last time I'd see her smile, my happy memories with Rapheal.. but none of them existed. My mind was only filled with rage and fear that had brought me here. 

    To the edge of freedom and oblivion.

      Like everyone's fantasy, getting married to a famous mafia billionaire was a dream come true. But in my case, it was a nightmare I wanted to escape. I still remember the first time it happened. He had stormed into the house, drunk as usual and when I tried to confront him, in hopes that he would at least apologize for his actions, he pounced on me till I went numb.  

    The funeral had ended quite early, after I managed to deal with the whispers and strange looks from the guests, thanks to the patches and maps on my face. 

   After I managed to hide the rest with my dress. 

   Earlier, the house had been oppressively quiet, as it always was when Raphael was away with one of his mistresses. My phone buzzed with a message I wasn't expecting – the hospital confirming what I feared; I was pregnant. My pulse quickened , a mix of fear and resolve flooding through me. I couldn't raise my child here. 

   The courage that surged through me made me sign the divorce paper, I had been hiding for months. If I wanted to achieve this feat, I had to leave here before he came back. 

    Everything was already set but while dragging my luggage through the glass hallway, I ran into Gladys, my husband's most treasured mistress. Her eyes scanned me with disgust.      

   “Where are you headed?” 

   “I.. I'm..leaving.” I managed to stammer, clutching my bag tighter.    

   A bitter laugh rippled from her throat

   “You what?” She pushed me with an arched brow. “ If anyone should be leaving, it's Raph and not you!” 

   I gulped, gathering a small strength.

   “Get out of my way.” 

   “How ungrateful can you be, Yuanita? You should be thanking your husband for even stooping so low to marry you. Do you know the multitude of women that wish to be in your place?” 

   “They can have him for all I care!” I finally snapped, and pushed past her, dragging my luggage along with me. Her brown eyes followed me with a dark rage before she grabbed the picture from my tight grip. 

    “What's this?” She grabbed my shoulder, in another confronting manner, glaring at the white and black image of what was growing in me.

    “This…this..” her lips parted in disbelief. “It can't be real..” 

    “Give it back!” I tried to snatch it from her, but she lunged, gripping them tighter. 

    “So you think I'm just going to let you leave like that?” 

    I stared at her in surprise. “This is what you have always wanted. You’re supposed to be happy about it.” 

    “You can get lost for all I care. But I won't let you go with what's his!”

     My pulse hammered against my ribs. I wouldn't let her take this from me. This child was mine. My choice. My future.

    Determined, I pushed her and grabbed the image from her. 

    “I let you have my husband, Gladys.” My breath was haggard but I kept going. “I won't let you have my child too.” 

     I pushed past her but her hand caught mine. We stumbled backwards before my heels hit the railings and I slipped.  

     What should have been a peaceful divorce, ended up being my death turn. 

    As I lay in my own blood, knowing I won't last long, anger washed through me. It was never my fault to begin with. Fate had only chosen me as a collateral. I stared at the stars above me, that shone bright and cold, indifferent to my suffering. My hand still instinctively went to my stomach.

   “I'm sorry.” I breathed in tears, cursing the heavens as blood gurgled from the corners of my lips, before darkness finally swallowed me.