Seven Days

Anna’s POV

“Seven days.” The words followed me all the way home. They sat quietly at the back of my mind as the car drove through London,sounding louder with every passing second.

I looked out of the window, watching the city blur past me, and wondered how something as ordinary as a number could suddenly feel like a countdown.

I remembered I had to struggle with just my marriage,now I had serious health issues. My phone vibrated in my handbag. I already knew who it was before I looked.

Mark. Of course it was him. I didn’t have a life outside him. No friends, no parties, nothing. For one stupid second, hope rose in my chest.

Maybe he wanted to know where I was. I pulled out my phone. It wasn’t even a call, just a text.

“Did you send the revised figure to the company?” Not “Are you okay?” Just work. I locked my phone and leaned my head against the window.

When the car stopped outside the house, I remained seated for a moment. The familiar buildings stood in front of me, beautiful and big.

“My home.” Atleast that’s what I like to call it but as I stared at it, something felt different. Maybe it wasn’t the house, it was me. I stepped out of the car and walked in.

Everything was exactly as I had left it. It was funny how a house could contain so many things and still feel empty. I went upstairs. Mark wasn’t home yet.

His side of his wardrobe was exactly as I had left it, his shoes arranged near the door and his watch sitting on the bedside table.

I stared at his things. My phone rang. It was Sandra. I answered. She didn’t ask how I was because she already knew. “I’ve been thinking,” I told her. She remained quiet.

“I don’t want to tell Mark.” She paused. I knew she wanted to argue but instead, she asked why. I walked towards the window and looked outside.

“Because if I tell him, he’ll stay because he feels bad for me.” I looked down at my feet. “And I don’t want that.” The truth hurt more when I said it out loud. I didn’t want my husband beside me only because he was afraid I would die.

I wanted him beside me because he loved me and after three years, I started to realize I couldn’t force the difference.

Sandra had tried to convince me that I shouldn’t go through this alone. I knew she was right but there was something else I hadn’t told her.

I had already made a decision. “If something happens during the surgery,” I said slowly, “I don’t want him to have to deal with everything.”

Her breathing changed. “Anna… I need to put things in order.” She went quiet. I ended the call before she could talk me out of it then I walked towards my desk and pulled out a notebook.

I opened the first blank page. For a long time, I stared at it. What did someone write when they believed they might not be there to finish the sentence? I had no idea.

So I started with the only thing I could think of. Day one.

My handwriting looked strangely unfamiliar. I stared at the words then I wrote beneath them.

“If I don’t make it through the surgery, there are seven things I’d like to leave behind.” I stopped. Seven things, seven days. I didn’t like it. It felt almost too perfect. I flipped to the next page and began again.

This time, I started with a name. “Mark.” My hand froze. I thought it would be easy but it wasn’t. I had a thousand things I wanted to say to him.

Three years of silent pain because I was scared of starting another argument. I could’ve written pages but instead, I wrote a sentence. “I loved you more than you ever knew.”

I stared at it then I crossed it out. “I loved you when I shouldn’t have.” I stopped. That felt more honest. I closed the notebook.

Tears filled my eyes. I wiped them away before they could fall. I wasn’t going to waste my time crying. If I was going to die, I’d die without regrets and suddenly, I knew where I needed to start.

I opened my laptop. The first document on my screen was a financial report from Brantley Holdings. I stared at it then opened another. My fingers moved quickly across the keyboard.

Over the years, I had known every part of Mark’s business. Every account, every project, every approval. If I leave tomorrow, he would eventually realize how much of his life I had been carrying but no. I didn’t want revenge. I wanted closure.

I spent the next hour organizing everything. The company's documents, my personal account, my belongings, the things I wanted to donate, the things I wanted Sandra to have, then the last order… my marriage.

I opened it. Our marriage certificate stared back at me from the screen. I looked at it for a long time then I reached for my phone. I wanted to call Mark but I didn’t.

If Mark had regretted losing me, it wouldn’t be because I had frightened him into loving me. It would be because I had finally stopped waiting for him.

I opened a new document. At the top, I typed three words. “Petition for divorce.” My hands trembled. I stared at the word then I pressed save. I had no idea by the time Mark read those words, I would already be gone and I had no idea that his signature would come much easier than ever expected.