CHAPTER 6

Standing before the departure section of the airport, i held my luggage in hand, eyes fixated at the crowd of people boarding the escalator.

Some were with families and others were in pairs - then,there were a few like me  whose dire wish were to flee. Only a handful wished to never return.

I heaved a long,heavy sigh. Sunlight peered through the glass, casting a shadow before me. Three days and nights of careful preparation and now i was here, standing rooted to the spot. My thoughts wandered to the times I'd sat on the floor, wondering about nothing in particular asides hate.

My tensed shoulders relaxed - almost as if a heavy burden had been put down from them. And it's right, i was no longer weighed down with the chores of being an unloved wife nor an unwanted Mom.

There were no strands of relationship binding me to that cruel pair.

I inhaled, finding this freedom more enticing than anything else in this world. As of today, i'll do things my way and with no hesitations. All i could feel was pain and an intense hatred, accompanied by an ungodly feeling of achieving my revenge even if it crushes my soul and grinds my body into bits - i couldn't be bothered to relent.

I gritted my teeth, resentment blurring my vision. I tried to hold steady as i stumbled forward when i heard my phone trilling in my coat's pocket.

Listening to that familiar ringtone, i knew it was an incoming call. I swiped my finger, simultaneously accepting it without another thought.

"Selene, where the hell are you?!" - Jason's high pitched voice came through almost instantly, a clear indication that he was pissed beyond words.

I smirked - Three days with his white moonlight and he suddenly remembers that he has a wife!.

How disappointing!. Wasn't this what he had always wanted?

Or was he trying to drag me back,so he could savor every moment of having dismembered like he had done the previous times.

I stood still, not aware of how much time had passed, a thick shroud of silence.

"Since when did my absence bother you this much?" - I spoke calmly, my voice devoid of emotions. But my clenched fists betrayed the inner turmoils of my heart.

"What the hell do you mean by that ?" - Jason snapped. " You just upped and left without a single say about your whereabouts and when i ask you about it, you fail to provide a sensible answer!"

" I'll only say this once,Get back here!!"

I scoffed, " I'm sorry,but i can't do that."- I refused him outrightly.

Jason chuckled angrily, " Selene!!. You dare...... Come home right now!. Irina was just discharged from the hospital and is now caring for the child all alone. Is this how you behave, leaving your responsibilities in the hands of an ailing lady?!" - He yelled out, a soft thud of his hands making impact with a surface reached my ears.

I created a small distance between my delicate ears and the phone, listening to him cuss out with so much agitation. A small scowl graced my face, feeling repulsed by the fact that i had now been reduced to a handmaid - easy to insult and push around.

Did he think he i'd come running just because he said so?. If it had been in the past, then sure.....but we weren't living in the past anymore.

Child...... Obligations?. Those burdens weren't mine, they're solely hers to bear.

"Jason, i wish to assume you weren't deaf the first time. I won't be coming back to that place anymore." - I rasped, flipping a strand of hair that fallen out of place.

" Who are you calling deaf?. And what dumb things are you spouting now?!" - He ranted, his voice almost hoarse from having yelled too much. "I give you five minutes...... five minutes to return home. Or i'll never let you back no matter how much you beg me to!" - He seemed too confident that i'll come crawling on all fours begging him to let me in.

I pinned my lips together, finding his lame threats barely laughable. "It's best that way, never let me back to that shit hole of a place...ever again." - I ended the call abruptly, feeling my anger and resentment spike up.

I pulled out my phone's sim, casually tossing it into a trash bin close by.

"Two years, Jason. Give me two years and all these pain i've had to endure - I'll make sure that you experience it a hundred fold. I'll leave you crumbling without a wall to lean on....."- I muttered,my voice low. " So enjoy what you've got.....now that you have them at your dispense."

******************

It was 6:15 pm when our plane touched down in Paris, France.

I stepped out of the airport, my hand buried in my coat as i pulled my  luggage which consisted of one trolley bag. I halted, taking in the fresh airs of Paris. I pulled down my sunshades, easily locating my designated driver who was waving a placard admist the teeming crowd.

I walked over, flashing a quick smile as i waved at the driver, a tall male who looked like he was in his fourties with a well trimmed beard.

"You're Miss Selene Woods?!" - He asked in french, his eyes filled with undisguised scrutiny.

"Yes,i am. It's a pleasure meeting you." - I replied in fluent french, handing him my luggage as he walked towards the car's boot.

"Please...." - He opened the car door, ushering me inside in a polite gesture.

"Thanks." - I smiled, expressing gratitude.

He got into the driver's seat, driving into the busy street. I leaned against the car's windows, staring at the orange rays of the setting sun. Paris looked utterly breathtaking this time of day - each building looking magnificent with it's unique architecture.

I felt exhausted, but never slept a wink, instead, i engaged the driver in some small talks. By nightfall, we pulled into an underground parking lot, the bright lights illuminating the driveways.

"We are here,Miss."