CHAPTER THREE — A MISTAKE.

Chapter 03.

A MISTAKE.

Abby's POV

I buried my face in my palms as I settled on the couch across the room. It's been two days, and yet there's been nothing. The emergency rescue team had been searching, but they were yet to find the bodies of my parents, not even one of them.

As I sat there with my face buried in my palms, the scent of vanilla hit me. I lifted my face and found Claude standing in front of me.

“Here,” he said, holding out a hand towards me with a paper in his grip.

“What is this?” I asked, looking at the paper which he held out to me.

“Why don't you go through it and see for yourself?” he said. “I am sure you'll understand better.”

“No, just tell me what it is.” I sniffled, wiping my face with the back of my hand. “I don't think I'm in the right frame of mind to go through anything now.”

“Alright then, I'll tell you what it is.” he dropped the paper on the center table, and settled on the couch facing me. “It is our divorce.”

As his words fell upon my ears, my heart sank.

“Divorce?” I asked, narrowing my gaze at the words. “I–I don't understand what you're saying right now. What divorce? How? What are you talking about?”

“I am sorry, Abby.” he said, in a soft voice. “I only gave you some time to grief your parents. I think you've done enough of that. It's time to face the reality of things.”

“You aren't making any sense, Claude.” I said, dropping my gaze to the paper on the center table. “What is this about? It's only been two days since we got married, and now you're asking for a divorce? What's come over you?”

“Nothing.” he said, shaking his head. “I am fine. However, I can't do this with you. This marriage or whatever you think it is, I'm sorry, but it's over.”

“You haven't given me any reason why you've chosen to get a divorce.” I said, blinking back tears. “Besides, it doesn't even make any sense that you're asking for a divorce just two days after getting married. What is this about?”

“We don't have to make it any difficult than it is for either of us.” he said, shaking his head. “All you have to do is sign the papers, and that'll be it.”

“Are you kidding right now?” I asked, with a broken voice. “Can you even take a moment to listen to yourself? You stepped out for a moment, only to return with a divorce paper, and you expect me to sign it? Aren't you human? Don't you have any conscience at all?”

I raised my voice at him.

“I lost my parents, both of them on our wedding day, and I'm yet to see their bodies.” I continued, trying to steady my voice. “I also lost my best friend on that day. Do you know how I feel right now? I'm barely holding it together!”

“I didn't ask for either of them to lose their lives.” he said, his voice as cold as the look in their eyes. “I am not the cause of their deaths. So, why should I put my life on hold because of them? They're dead, and gone. I'm going to continue living my life.”

“Claude?”

“Just sign the papers, and let's go our separate ways.” he said, pushing the paper on the table across to me. “All I need you to do is to put your signature on it.”

“This isn't you.” I said, shaking my head as tears burned in my eyes. “What has come over you? Why are you suddenly acting this way? Or are you stoned?”

“No, I'm not!”

“Then why are you asking for divorce!” I shot back, my eyes glittering with anger. “I am going through a lot of pains right now, and the best way you think you can help me is to ask for a divorce, really?”

“Ok, let's get something straight here.” he said, looking me straight in the eyes. “Perhaps, you misunderstood me from the onset. I never loved you to begin with, Abby. I never wanted any of this. It was all your idea.”

“It was all my idea?” I narrowed my eyes at the words.

“Yes, but guess what? I saw it as an opportunity to get everything I wanted.” he said. “I am sorry it had to turn out this way. But come on, your father owns the biggest automobile company in the country and a few other companies around. I just had to take my chances.”

“No, no that's not true.” I said, shaking my head. “You loved me, Claude and you still do.”

“See? This is the problem with you.” he said, speaking through his teeth. “You find it so hard to believe the truth. But I'm sorry, I never loved you to begin with. I was only after what I could get.”

I closed my eyes, and gripped the sides of my head for a moment as I tried to process his words. If he wanted a divorce because I hadn't given him so much attention the past few days because I'd been grieving my parents, then all he had to do was say so.

I knew I'd starved him of my presence in the past few days, but I couldn't help the situation either. However, I don't think it has gotten to the point where we have to go our separate ways.

“Look, I know I haven't given you so much attention these past few days,” I said, blinking back tears. “But asking for a divorce isn't the best way to go about this. You should understand that I'm grieving the loss of my parents.”

“Don't you get it!” he yelled, a flash of temper lighted his eyes. “How many times do I have to say this? This has nothing to do with your parents, neither does it have anything to do with you not giving me attention. I got what I wanted, and now I can't continue with this marriage.”

“Two years, Claude.” I said, as a tear trickled down the side of my nose. “We have been together for two years. Are you trying to say that you were only toying with my feelings for those years?”

“You can call it whatever you want to, but I was never interested in you to begin with.” he said, his voice matching the hardness of his gaze. “Everything I did was nothing but an act. It's such a shame you believed them all.”

“Claude!”

“Don't you raise your voice at me.” he warned, righting himself from the couch. “Sign the papers, or I will force you to do so.”

“I can't believe you're saying all these to me right now.” I said, my voice sounding strained all of a sudden. “It is hard to believe that the time we spent together was nothing but an act.”

“I had to make sure it felt real.” he said. “But it's not my fault that it took that long. You didn't believe me at first, and it would have been better if you never believed my words.”

His voice dropped.

“Just sign the papers already.” he added.

“I am sorry, but I won't sign this paper.” I said, my voice firm. “You aren't getting any of my father's properties.”

“Trust me, you don't want us to do things the hard way.” he said, shaking his head. “While I'm still being nice, just sign the papers.”

“I said, I won't.” I said, standing up to him. “In as much as I hate to admit it, I have to. Maya was right after all.”

“About?” he said, his curiosity piqued.

“About you.” I said, with ice in my voice. “I can only imagine what she saw that made her say something like that about you. But it was my mistake.”

“I don't care what she said to you.” he said. “It doesn't matter because she's dead now, and won't be coming back. Besides, there's no one to fight for you. So just sign the paper.”

“Haven't you been listening to me?” I asked. “I said, I won't.”

“Alright then.” he said, snapping his fingers. “You can come in now.”

The door opened, and two men walked in.

“Make sure she signs it.” he said, putting his hands in his pocket.

As they moved towards me, I shuffled some steps backward. However, one of them turned around, and approached me from behind, while the other kept coming at me.

“What do you think you're doing right now, Claude?” I asked, looking at him.

“Taking what now belongs to me.” he said, with a brief smile. “Perhaps, if you'd listened to me, then it wouldn't have gotten to this point.”

“I hate you!” I picked up the flower vase from the center table, and lifted my hand to throw it at him.

But before I could do so, the man from behind gripped my hand, and collected it from me.

“Are you going to sign the divorce papers?” he brought out a gun, and cocked it. “Or would you rather lose your life?”