Two

(Aria's POV)

I was still wiping the tears from my face, trying to breathe through the ache in my chest, when I heard the click of the front door downstairs.

Just the familiar scent, I knew Lucien was back. He was home. And I don't know how to face him or how to talk to him.

But can I just easily stand in front of him, throw the divorce papers on his face and yelled at him to sign it. I smirked, who am I kidding? It's going to be hard for me.

I sat up straight, wiping the last tears away even though they were replaced instantly with new ones. I wasn’t ready. I would never be ready. But this moment was coming whether I liked it or not, I had to do it now matter what.

His footsteps grew louder as he climbed the stairs. The room suddenly felt too small, too suffocating, like the walls were closing in on me.

My heart beat raced faster that I thought I might faint.

The door opened, and Lucien stepped in.

He looked… normal, like nothing had happened, like he hadn't been inside another woman hours ago.

His tie was loosened slightly, his shirt sleeves rolled up, his hair messy from a long day or from something else. His cologne drifted into the room with him, the same scent I used to love inhaling when I hugged him.

He paused when he saw me sitting on the bed.

His brows furrowed.

“Aria?” he said softly, like he actually cared. “Are you okay?”

I swallowed hard, staring at the man I used to love more than myself. The man I broke my back trying to please. The man whose betrayal was still burning in my throat like acid.

He stepped closer, concern creeping onto his face when he noticed my eyes.

“You’ve been crying.”He reached for me. “What happened? What's wrong? Did mother say anything again?”

I pulled back immediately, and something flickered in his expression, confusion, annoyance, maybe even guilt, though I wasn’t naïve enough to believe his guilt was for me.

I held the phone in my hand, screen facing down. My fingers were shaking. He hadn’t noticed it yet.

He sighed, already irritated.

“Aria, if this is about earlier, if it's about me pouring away the food you cooked…I'm sorry, you know I hate eating so early and I was…”

“Don’t,” I whispered, my voice so low I barely heard it myself. “Enough of that.”

He stopped talking surprisingly.

I took a shaky breath, lifted my eyes, and looked straight at him,the stranger I married.

“I saw the video.”

His face didn’t react at first but there was a flicker of panic in his eyes, and his jaw tightened.

The way his eyes darted to the phone in my hand.

“What video?” he asked, trying to sound calm, but his voice had a slight tremor he tried to hide.

I clicked the screen and held it up to him.

His eyes widened for half a second before he masked it with a scowl.

“Aria, where did you get a disgusting video like this? And why would you watch p**n?”

“I don’t want to hear your lies,” I said, my voice cracking mid-sentence. “Not this time, not again, not after everything.”

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration and took a step toward me, but I stood up so fast that he froze.

“Yes, what do you have to say? Or I wasn't good in bed? I was hallucinating? You were framed? It's a lie right, that woman isn't my secretary.”

“Aria…

“I gave you so many chances,” I said, breathing shakily. “I asked you every single time I felt something was wrong. And every time, you lied to me. You made me feel stupid. You made me question my own sanity. You made me believe I was the problem.”

“Aria, be quiet”

“No!”The word ripped out of me so violently that he shut up instantly. “No. You don’t get to silence me this time.”

Tears streamed down my cheeks again, but I didn’t wipe them. I needed him to see what he had done.I wanted the guilt to choke him.

“You gaslight me. You manipulated me. You treated me like I didn’t matter. Like my feelings were nothing. Like I was… disposable meanwhile you were busy screwing someone behind my back.”

He swallowed, eyes shifting away.

“And all that time,” I whispered, my voice breaking, “you were with her.”

He closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply, like he was preparing his excuse.

But I didn’t give him the chance.

I walked to the drawer beside the bed, opened it quietly, and took out the envelope I had hidden there for weeks, not because I planned to use it, but because I thought one day the pain would be too much to bear and today was that day.

When I turned back to him, he finally looked scared.

“What’s that?” he asked, though his voice was already tight.

I walked forward slowly, every step feeling heavier than the last. My fingers trembled as I extended the envelope toward him.

“Divorce papers.”

“What?”

“You heard me,” I whispered. “Divorce papers, Lucien. It's signed already so sign it.”

He didn’t touch them.

“You’re joking,” he said with a strained laugh. “Aria, don’t be ridiculous. We can talk about this.”

“There’s nothing left to talk about,” I said quietly. “You ended this marriage long before I did. I just didn’t want to see it.”

He took a step forward. “Aria, stop. Put that away.”

“I’m done putting things away,” I snapped. “I’m done swallowing my feelings. I’m done pretending everything is okay. I’m done letting you treat me like I’m worthless.”

He flinched as if the words physically hit him.

He finally reached out and grabbed my wrist, out of desperation.

“Aria, don’t do this.”

I looked at his hand on me, his hand that once made me feel safe but now made my skin crawl.

“Let go.”

“Aria, please, I promise to change, I won't cheat anymore, I swear I'll change…” he said pleading, his manipulative pleas.

“I said let go of me…

He slowly released me.

I placed the envelope into his hand. His fingers closed around it instinctively.

He stared at it, then at me.

“This is not happening,” he whispered, shaking his head. “I can't let you go, I love you Aria…I do not love my secretary, I'm just having fun with her.”

He said it as if I should jump up that he loves me not his secretary, Wow, his audacity. He cheated, treated me like trash and had the guts to tell me he loves me not the whore he cheated with.

“Go to hell with your feelings, I'm done!” I yelled at him and walked inside my closet to pack my belongings.

“Aria, you can't live without me and we both know that!” He scowled.

I didn't reply immediately, packed my belongings in my suitcase and walked out of my closet. I chuckled bitterly as I stared at him.

“Watch me do that!” I said with finality.