LOGINAria POV "Don't fucking touch my wife, you filthy bastard!" Damien's voice cut through the air like a thunderclap, raw and seething with a fury I'd never heard from him before, each word driven home by another vicious punch. I stood there frozen in shock, watching Vaswani reel back against the couch, his arms flailing uselessly to shield himself while Damien kept coming relentlessly, face contorted in protective rage. Blood sprayed from Vaswani's nose and mouth, staining the rug beneath him as he crumpled to the floor, groaning weakly through busted lips. "How dare you come into my home and lay hands on her? I'll end you for this, you piece of shit!""Damien, stop!" My voice broke high and desperate, tears already streaming hot down my face as I threw myself forward, grabbing at his arm with both hands mid-swing. Vaswani lay there now, face unrecognizable a swollen mess of blood and bruises, barely conscious and wheezing through the carnage Damien had unleashed. But Damien's f
Aria POVOne Week LaterOne week had slipped by since that revealing night at the hospital, and life with Damien had eased into this tentative new rhythm where mornings brought him standing at the stove flipping pancakes as if trying to wipe away all those lonely breakfasts I'd endured alone, while evenings filled with conversations that stayed light but honest, gradually mending the trust we'd nearly lost. He'd been caught up with late nights at the office most days though, endless meetings keeping him away as I moved through the expansive house with just the staff for company, feeling like we were finally gaining some solid footing even if the old scars lingered beneath the surface. Tonight around six his text arrived straightforward as always *Meeting running late. Home after nine.* so I told Martha and the others they could head out early, figuring I'd reheat leftovers and wait for him stretched out on the couch. The house grew still as twilight deepened outside, me lounging i
Aria POVRain poured in relentless sheets across the windshield as we pulled away from my parents' house, the wipers struggling to keep up while a tight ball of unease tightened further in my stomach with every passing street. I'd only agreed to this one hour because a small corner of me still clung to the possibility of an explanation, something that might justify the divorce papers I'd placed so carefully on his pillow, but sitting beside Damien in the passenger seat felt like willingly stepping back into the exact silence that had driven me away in the first place. The familiar road home unfolded ahead, streetlights smearing past through the downpour, and I kept glancing across at him jaw clenched firm, eyes locked straight ahead, not one word exchanged since we'd fastened our seatbelts. I expected him to break the quiet eventually, to start outlining whatever proof he believed would change my mind about us, but the minutes dragged on thick and oppressive until the weight of it
Damien POVThe drive home always unwound the day's tension, city lights fading behind me as I pulled into the driveway expecting the usual quiet house waiting. But something felt off tonight from the moment I stepped inside no faint clatter from the kitchen where Aria sometimes lingered over late dishes, no soft glow spilling from the living room, just an emptiness that settled heavy in the air. Shook it off as fatigue while loosening my tie and heading upstairs, keys jingling lightly in my pocket, eager for a shower and bed. Pushed the bedroom door open casually, and that's when it hit a crisp white folder lying perfectly centered on my pillow like it had been placed there with purpose. Stomach tightened as I picked it up, flipping it open to bold black letters that stopped me cold: *Petition for Dissolution of Marriage*. Pages rustled under my fingers, legal terms blurring slightly as reality sank in sharp and disbelieving. Her handwriting sat neat on a note below: *Sign when r
Aria POVMorning came too fast after that sleepless night, sunlight slicing through the curtains like it had no business being so bright when my world felt so dark. I lay there for a long time, staring at the ceiling, letting the decision settle deeper into my bones divorce wasn't just an idea anymore, it was the only path left. I'd given everything to this marriage, chased shadows of connection through storms and silences, only to end up hearing him whisper love to another woman in the room next door. No more. Quietly, I got up, pulled on jeans and a sweater, and slipped out while his car was still gone, the house holding its breath around me. Hailed a cab downtown to the lawyer's office I'd looked up late in the night, a small firm with good reviews for handling things discreetly.The meeting felt surreal, sitting across from Mr. Reynolds in his cramped office lined with law books and faded certificates. He listened without judgment as I laid it out irreconcilable differences,
Aria's POVI stopped trying after the hospital day. No more early mornings rushing to make his favorite breakfast or setting the table with that quiet hope he might sit down with me for once. No more fixing my hair in the mirror or slipping into the colors he used to notice just to catch a glance from him. No more standing by the door with soft questions about his day when he came home late, hoping to pull him into some kind of conversation. What was the point of any of it when I'd walked in on him kissing Sophia's forehead in that hospital room, holding her so gently like she was the only person who mattered? I'd seen enough. So I pulled back completely, staying locked in my room through the long days, only creeping out once I heard the sound of his car pulling away down the driveway each morning. Then I'd make a quick coffee in the kitchen, sit for a bit in the living room if the light was good, or wander the gardens when the weather allowed. But the moment his engine rumbled







