A divorce

RAYNA

“What?” I blurted, my palms feeling sweaty. Just maybe, I didn’t hear that right for a second.

“What do you mean because you called him out?”

“You didn’t know?” Taliah looked at me with innocent eyes, before glancing at Cassian. “I was having a very bad stomach pain that day, so I called him out and he rushed to attend to me.”

Wait…so that was what Marcelline meant?

It’s better to lose a baby than to lose an adult. She wasn’t talking about me…she was talking about Tahlia.

“Cassian…tell me she’s lying.” My voice shook. He was my husband. As the father of Ryan, he should at least say something to defend himself, shouldn’t he?

“You said you had a pressing issue. Tahlia was the issue?” I asked, tilting my head.

“What do you want me to say? Tahlia was so sick that I had to leave quickly. It wasn’t my fault that Ryan crawled out from the room I had kept him.”

My body acted before my brain.

His cheek reddened as my hand connected with his face.

Idiot. How could he say that? It wasn’t his fault that Ryan moved?

“You…this time, I’m the one who regrets getting married to you. You are an asshole.” I spat, pulling out my ring and shoving it to his chest. “Don’t you dare say a word to me.”

I turned, walking out of the place.

He should chase me.

Every married couple does. But not Cassian, Not this time.

My phone buzzed as I sat on the chair in the bus stop, for a public vehicle. I sighed, wiping the stray tears that escaped from my eyes, before staring at the message.

“Rayna, I’m sorry. I will come home after taking Tahlia home. She seems to have caught a cold.”

My throat closed. Heat flooded my skin as tears slipped down my face. “Cassian…you–“

He had gone to be with that woman, yet again.

I should have known better from the first time I met him, from the day I walked into his family house. There was only one person they adored in that home, and it definitely wasn’t me.

But hurting my baby because of her, and letting our marriage go sideways the past three years. It was enough. That was the last straw to break the camel’s back.

I’m exhausted. I am.

***

The clock strikes 12am.

Midnight.

Cassian wasn’t back yet.

I gulped hard as I picked my phone, dialing his number.

“Where are you?” I asked the moment he picked up.

“Tahlia got very sick, we had to rush to the hospital. Is it possible for you to come over with something liquid for her to eat? Mom couldn’t cook up something in time.” He said.

“You…want me to cook something for her?”

“Of course. She’s family to us.” He said, “If you are not going to make anything for her, don’t bother calling me again.” He said and ended the call.

I stared at the phone blankly, the only thing there was my reflection staring back at me.

The old me would have quickly rushed to make something for Tahlia as soon as possible, because I didn’t want his wrath.

But now…it’s impossible anymore. She caused the death of my baby. How can I care for such a woman?

I tightened my hand around the phone, walking up the stairs before I got into the room.

I didn’t realize when I slept off, but my eyes opened the next morning at 5am when Cassian climbed into bed beside me.

“Good morning, Rayna.” He whispered, kissing my shoulder.

“You are just coming back?” I raised my brow as I turned to face him.

He stared right at me in the eyes, sighing lightly. My eyes traced his lips, seeing the faint color of lipstick on them. A scoff escaped them slightly, Tahlia had been sick, yet they had kissed. How dare him throw that on my body?

“Tahlia got better earlier and I immediately rushed here, knowing you must be mad from yesterday. But to be sincere, Rayna, it wasn’t Tahlia’s fault. I accept the blame and I take full responsibility for it.”

“Full responsibility? Is that going to bring Ryan back?” I muttered, my eyes glassy. “You left your baby to wander around a duplex while you went to meet your side chick.”

“Side chick? What do you mean, Rayna? I and Taliah have no such relationship. We are just childhood best friends.”

“I see.” I scoffed, sitting up, “I want to ask you a question, Cassian. Why didn’t you get married to Taliah? Why me?”

“What do you mean why? We loved each other.” Cassian said.

“Liar.” I muttered, throwing the papers on the table near to him. “It was because there were talks of Taliah getting married, so you got married to me to cover up…or to make her jealous? Is that what I am to you? A simple pawn…do you think you can just push me over because I allowed–“

“Where did you get this?” Cassian cut me off, like I wasn’t saying something important. Something that could make or mar our marriage.

“Did you dig into Taliah’s background?” He asked, throwing the papers on the floor as he got out of bed. “Seriously, Rayna, I’ve had enough. What exactly do you want from me?”

My eyes narrowed.

“What–“

“I got married to you, I take care of you for crying out loud, what exactly do you want? I even came back home to you this morning when Taliah is still sick, isn’t that enough for you?!” He shot, exasperated. “Looks like I’ve been so kind to you and that makes you feel entitled to me, but let me repeat this to you…you are nothing to me. Taliah is someone that I love and someone I would forever love. You don’t expect me to run to you every time you are feeling angry or something?”

“Can you listen to yourself right now, Cassian? You can’t run to your wife but you can run to…” I gasped, running my fingers through my hair. This is unreasonable.

“Fine, Cassian. Go to her.” I said.

“What?” He blurted before scoffing. “You are trying to create another argument, aren’t you? So when I go to her place, you’ll cry out that I don’t treat you well.”

“That’s….” I gulped, “That’s not going to happen anymore. I refuse to compete with a woman who killed my son.”

“What do you mean by that?”

I throw my feet out of the bed as I get up, waking towards the vanity table. The brown envelope stared right back at me before I picked it up.

“Cassian, let’s get a divorce.”