Chapter Two: Close To Death

~Eve pov~

I sat on the couch in the living room, trying to process what I saw, while Brian took his time to get dressed before coming out of the room. 

“You said you had no feelings left. So what was that? Lust?” I asked him, holding my hands akimbo. 

“It was hard to resist, she seduced me and you know she is beautiful and….” 

“Shut up Brian!” I stood up, pacing back and forth. 

“I am beautiful too! Look at me…” I walked over to me, staring directly into his eyes. “Your wife is beautiful too, so save that lame excuse for yourself.” 

“You have to understand that it was a mistake.” He said, trying to take my hands in his. I refused. 

“Brian, you made fake promises and assurances, which made me trust and married you, I lived with that. You made us live with your mom and sister after your father’s death against my wish, I lived with it, now you are cheating on me with a woman you said never existed in the first place, I am not going to live with it.” I deadpanned, eyeing him from head to toe. 

“So what are you trying to say, you want to divorce me now?” He asked, holding his hands akimbo like what he did doesn’t warrant it. 

“Bingo!” I said, clicking my finger in response. 

He scoffed, “I’m the only one you have Eve, you don’t even have a job. How will you survive out there?” He asked, mocking me with his face. 

“We’ll see about that Brian.” I hit him by the shoulder as I walked past him. I picked my phone to dial a friend’s number. 

“Hello Stacy.” I said, trying to hide the hurt in my voice. 

“Who would have thought that you would be the first to reach out after our fight?” Stacy said, and I could sense her grinning from ear to ear. 

“Can you get me a lawyer?” I asked her straight up, not ready to patronize her talk on who reached out first. 

“Why?” She asked, her excitement came to halt. 

“I’m getting a divorce.” I said, as I dropped my bag on the bed. 

“Finally!” She exclaimed loudly, making me push my phone away from my ear. 

“I’m going to demand everything I can possibly demand from him. I’m not scared of losing the case, I have a lot of evidence against him that will make him hand over whatever I want.” I explained to her, hoping she would get the cue that I want an expert divorce lawyer. 

“Sure! I’ll speak to my uncle, I’m sure one of his friends will be available.” She promised. 

“Are you fine though?”

I raised my head up to stop the tears from falling. Stacy told me not to marry Brian, she said he was a big red flag, but I didn’t listen to her. She asked me to leave him when his mother and sister started misbehaving, but I was so much in love with him that I didn’t mind their attitude towards me. So, I understand why she would help regardless of my reasons. I’m glad she didn’t take it to heart that we stopped talking mainly because of Brian. 

“Stacy, I'm fine. I just need to get away from here.” I said, lying down on the bed. 

“You should stay away from home tonight. I’ll send you a voucher now. I got it from a hotel I frequent, you can use it. Don’t say ‘no’. It will expire soon and you know I am no longer in the country.” She finished off. 

“Thank you, I’ll use it.” 

Immediately the call ended, I went for my bag, packed a few things, and left the house. 

I headed for the hotel written on the voucher Stacy sent to me to spend the night. I wonder what Brian’s mother and sister would say when they found out what happened. 

I guessed I overrated my importance in their life, because none of them called while I was at the hotel, not even Brian. 

I got a message from Stacy the next morning, it contained the details of the lawyer she got for me. 

I decided to give him a call, and he set up a place for us to meet by noon. 

 I met with the lawyer, he handed over a document to me, and said I should give it to Brian. If he signed it and agreed with the terms then I wouldn’t have to drag him to court. 

“Here,” I handed over the brown envelope to Brian, “sign it and we won’t have to take you to court.” I watched as he read the words carefully. 

“Emotional damage f*e, 10k dollars!” His eyes widened in shock, “Are you planning to use me to get rich?”

“That’s rich coming from you. Do you know how many opportunities and money I had lost because of you and this useless marriage?” I shouted at him. 

“Regardless…” He waved the document in his hand, “You are literally asking me for half of my savings.” He barked, making me jump. 

“We can go to court if you are not pleased with my terms.” I said to him, tapping my foot on the ground impatiently. 

“Why don’t we sit and talk over it amicably?” He asked, his eyes begging me to do what he wants. 

I sat across from him, and he passed me a drink. 

“You need to calm down first.” He nudged me to take a drink before he continued. 

“I will sign it. I’m not really concerned about the money, but the fact that you want to leave based on a mistake I made once doesn’t feel right.” He reasoned, hoping I would understand him. 

“Do you think I’m leaving only because you cheated?” 

He raised his eyebrows, “Then what else? My mom? You know…”

“What… are… you saying?” I couldn’t hear him clearly, and I could feel my words being slurred. 

“You should go to sleep first.” My vision had started getting blurry, but I saw the smirk on his lips. 

I felt him moving my body, “Where are you taking me?” I managed to ask. 

“To death.”