Chapter 003

Alessia closed the front door gently behind her, the soft click echoing through the quiet hallway. She stood there for a moment, her back to the door, letting the silence settle around her. Her eyes scanned the house she had once called a home. Everything still looked the same… but somehow, it didn’t feel the same anymore.

She placed her purse on the table by the entrance, slipped off her shoes, and walked barefoot into the living room. The dishes from breakfast were still on the table as she hadn’t had the energy to clean them before going out.

She sank into the couch, pulled her knees close, and wrapped her arms around herself.

Her mind wouldn’t stop racing.

Klein was really cheating on her? No. It couldn’t be true.

He was Klein. Her Klein.

The man who used to surprise her with breakfast in bed just because she mentioned craving pancakes. The man who stayed up with her when she was sick, holding her hair back when she threw up, whispering how beautiful she still looked even when she felt like a mess. The same man who held her hand so tightly on their wedding day and promised to protect her always.

So what changed?

Her fingers gripped the sleeves of her sweater.

“Is it because I haven’t gotten pregnant yet?” she whispered, her throat tightening.

They had agreed to wait. They both wanted time to enjoy being newlyweds, to travel, to focus on their careers. There was no rush. He had said that too.

So why did it now feel like he was blaming her?

She stared blankly at the house they once cherish. A house her husband was always eager to come to.

“I’m still the same woman you married, Klein,” she thought bitterly. “I work hard. I take care of our home. I’m not perfect, but I’ve always given my all.”

Her eyes stung as her thoughts drifted to Olivia.

That girl had wormed her way into their lives with fake tears and a carefully crafted innocence. Always looking so broken, so helpless, so sweet. Always playing the victim.

And Klein… he believed her. Or maybe he didn’t just fall for it, maybe he chose to.

Can someone really change so much after marriage?

Maybe Klein was confused. Maybe Olivia was manipulating him. Maybe he just needed to see the truth.

But… what if she was wrong?

What if he wasn’t confused? What if he chose Olivia? Would she be able to take it?

The tears she’d been holding back finally spilled, tracing silent lines down her cheeks. She cried quietly for a while, letting the pain wash over her.

Then, slowly, she got up from the couch.

She walked to the mirror in the hallway and stared at herself. Her eyes were red and puffy, her hair a little messy from the wind, but she was still beautiful. Still strong, still Alessia.

If Klein had truly betrayed her… if he was cheating like she feared… then he wasn’t the man she had married.

And she would make sure he regretted ever forgetting the woman who stood by him.

She took a deep breath, wiped her face, and looked herself in the eye.

“I’ll give you one last chance, Klein,” she whispered. “If you blow it... then we’ll have to part ways.”

With that, she turned and headed to the bedroom.

****

Alessia was asleep when she felt a hand gently touch her arm.

She stirred, slowly opening her eyes to see Klein sitting beside her.

She sat up, glancing at the clock. 11:30 p.m. Almost midnight.

“You’re just getting in?” she asked softly, her voice rough from sleep.

Klein nodded. “Yeah. I had to drive Olivia home. None of the others offered, and since I’m her supervisor…”

“It’s okay,” Alessia cut in quietly, her tone flat; not just tired from sleep, but from hearing excuses like this too many times.

Klein gave her a small smile, as though expecting her to be impressed, and reached into his coat pocket. He brought out a small, elegant box and handed it to her.

Alessia looked at him, surprised, then opened it slowly. Inside was a beautiful, expensive necklace that glinted under the low light. Her lips parted slightly. When was the last time he had gifted her anything without it feeling like a cover-up?

“I saw it on my way home. Thought you’d like it,” he said, sitting up straighter. “And I’m really sorry about this morning.”

A faint smile appeared on her lips. She wanted to thank him, to believe this actually meant something but before she could speak, his phone rang.

Klein checked the screen. Alessia watched his jaw tighten just slightly before he stood and took a few steps away.

“Klein… I had a nightmare, and I’m really scared,” Olivia’s voice rang clearly into the quiet room. “And the lights at home aren’t working. Can you please come stay with me?”

There was a pause.

Then Klein turned slightly, glanced back at Alessia.

"I’ll be there," he said and hung up.

Alessia pressed her lips together. “Klein,” she called softly.

He turned to face her.

“If you’ve fallen for someone else,” she whispered, “just tell me. I’ll step aside and let you be happy with her.”

Klein frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Her voice shook. “It’s been seven months, Klein. Seven months of you coming home late. Of silence between us. Of living like strangers under the same roof.”

“Alessia…”

“Let’s get a divorce,” she said, her voice quiet but firm.

His face hardened. “Do you even hear yourself?”

She opened her mouth to answer, but his phone rang again and Olivia’s name flashed on the screen.

He picked it up without hesitation.

“Klein,” Olivia cried on the other end.

“I’m on my way,” he said quickly and ended the call.

He turned back to Alessia and walked over, standing tall without bothering to sit.

“If you don’t like the necklace, I’ll get you something else,” he said coldly. “But don’t ever talk to me about divorce again.”

And without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked out, the door slamming shut behind him.

Alessia sat there in silence, a sad smile forming on her lips as tears rolled down her cheeks.

She picked up the necklace box and gently closed it.

“He doesn’t want a divorce… but he doesn’t care about me either,” she whispered. “So what am I to him? Just a card he keeps in his pocket to play when it suits him?”

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

“His secretary calls him at 11 p.m. because her light went out, and he runs to her like he’s an electrician?” she scoffed bitterly.

“Klein Johnson… you may not want a divorce, but I’m done being your second option. I gave you a chance… and you ruined it.”

Her fingers curled into a tight fist.