The divorce

Elaine’s POV

“You lost the baby,” the doctor's words replaying in my head as I watched my dad wail.

“He doesn’t deserve you. I want you to leave him.” He yelled as tears streamed down his face.

My dad had always been my biggest supporter. From when I decided to study Fashion design instead of business management. When I had accepted Gary’s proposal at just twenty-two.

Soon, Laura came into the room. I could tell she had been crying too, as her mascara was smeared. She asked my dad to return home, saying she would be by my side.

The door opened, and Gary walked in holding a bouquet.

“You monster! What are you doing here?” Laura spat at him as she blocked him from moving any further.

“I am here to see how Elaine is doing.” His voice was cool, apologetic. I would have fallen for how sorry he felt and forgiven me, but I was no longer the Elaine he knew.

“How could you… now she lost the…”

“Laura, don’t,” I stopped her.

He didn’t deserve to know anything. He didn’t deserve to feel sorry for the pain he had caused me. I looked at him, and I could feel my blood boiling with rage.

“Get out,” I screamed as I got out of bed, barely standing straight. I still felt sore all over my body, but that didn’t compare to the ache in my heart.

I moved slowly towards him and pulled at his shirt. “You disgust me. Go to your mistress, I never want to see you again.” I yelled with bloodshot eyes as I pushed him out into the hallway, slamming the door behind me.

“Laura, I want to divorce him. I’m done.” I didn’t know I was ever capable of saying such. I had never thought divorcing Gray was ever an option for me.

“I knew you would be needing it. I had drafted this out a few days ago. Here.” She brought out a brown envelope from her bag.

****

I stood in my bedroom, the bedroom Gary and I had shared for four years. The place that had held our secrets and dreams. I pushed open my wardrobe and began packing.

Laura had insisted I stay behind in the hospital, but I wanted to be completely done with Gary and Elizabeth. I begged her to drive me to the house and wait in the car while I packed my belongings.

I dragged a suitcase behind me as I walked down the stairs. I looked back but felt nothing but emptiness as I watched the empty house.

“What do you think you are doing, Elaine?” I hadn’t noticed Gary and Elizabeth walk into the house.

Elizabeth clung to his arms, acting like she would lose her balance if she let go. They dared to be in her house while she bore the weight of losing her child alone.

“Are you leaving Elizabeth?” she spoke calmly, pouting her lips and acting concerned.

“You both ruined my life. I did everything for you, Gary, but I was only just a replacement.” There was no sadness in my voice, only anger.

I had wasted several years of my life loving a man whose heart belonged to someone else.

“Don’t say that, Elaine. I didn’t mean for things to come to this.” He pleaded.

“Yes, Elaine. Things just happened, we didn’t mean for this to happen.” Elizabeth slowly caressed her tummy as she tugged a smile at me.

She was pregnant, and Gary was the father.

Whack!

Whack!

The slap took them both by surprise. The first landed on Gary, then on Elizabeth. “You both disgust me. You never deserved me.”

“Take it out on me, Elaine, but leave Elizabeth out of this. She is innocent.”

He was still defending her in my presence. He wrapped his arms around her as she held her cheek, which was bright red now.

“Say anything, Elaine, I will do anything to ease your pain.” He begged.

I pulled out the divorce papers from my bag. I had planned on leaving it behind for him to find, but this works better in my favour.

“Sign it.”

He grabbed the papers from my hand, looking at me in shock as he saw what they were.

“Gary, I’m so sorry for causing this. I never meant for this to happen.” Elizabeth said, tears streaming down her cheeks. She sure knows how to manipulate Gary.

“Do you really want this? What about our families?” he asked.

“Sign it, Gary. I never want to see you both after this. You are going to be a father soon; you should be glad.” I said as I noticed his hesitation.

“Baby…” Elizabeth tucked at his sleeves. “I don’t want your marriage to end because of me, but I don’t want little Poco to grow up without a complete home.”

They already had a nickname for the baby. I couldn’t help but wonder how long Gary had been deceiving me. All of the days he spent away claiming she needed help, did he already know?

Gary took out his pen and scribbled on the last page. I grabbed the papers from him and pushed through both of them as I walked out.

By the time I got to the car, the tears had begun flowing freely. As much as I wanted to hold it back, I couldn’t help but think of all the years I spent wasting on Gary.

We went straight to the courthouse to finalize the divorce. In a few hours, it was done. I stood outside the courthouse, inhaling the fresh air of being single.

“You are finally a free woman,” Laura said, smiling.

Just then, my phone beeped, and I looked at the message. It was from my dad. “Come straight home. Mr Steve Greyson, the CEO of Grey Empire, seeks to speak to you.”

Steve Greyson?  The same man who had made the headlines several times for bringing a trend in the fashion world.

Why would the most feared and ruthless billionaire in New York City be at my house, seeking to speak to me?