THE DIVORCE

Isabelle woke up early in the morning, realising she had just spent the night on the couch. She sat up and stretched her neck while trying to figure out why she had just spent her night in the uncomfortable couch instead of her bed.

She picked her phone up to check what time it was when she realised that she had been calling her husband Lucas before she fell asleep. "He hasn't called me back?" She said to herself while she ran her fingers through her curly hair as she always did since she was a little girl. "Where could you be Lucas?"

In all the thirteen years they had been together, Lucas had never spent the night away from home without informing Isabelle about where he would be, this was new. Isabelle was worried that something could have happened to him. Something terrible.

She had called his office the previous night but was informed that he had just left the building at the time, so she waited a few hours before calling his driver who had informed her that Lucas had insisted on driving himself home.

Isabelle began to take deep breaths. She put her hand on her chest to feel her heart rate as it increased, she imagined everything that could have possibly gone wrong with Lucas.

Lucas Archer wasn't the most perfect husband to ever live. He was an arrogant billionaire who always had his way, but Isabelle loved him unconditionally still. She had known him since she was 16 and had been married to him since she was 19.

She loved him, he was her first and he was her only. She never imagined herself with anybody else but him. He was the only man she ever knew and loved. She was his, and he was hers.

She stood up from the couch while she scrolled through her contact list, thinking about who she would call, who would know where he was or what had happened to him, if something had happened to him.

She paced around while staring onto her phone screen.

The door knob turned just as she dialled Lucy's number, Isabelle knew that only his mother would know. She knew everything her son did, Lucas couldn't make any major life decisions without running it through her.

Lucas walked in the door. Worry left Isabelle as she exhaled. She had been holding her breath since she heard the door knob turn, but it felt like an eternity.

"Lucas! Where have you been? I was worried, " she said to him in a state of both anxiety from what he would say and relief from the panic she had gone through all night and morning.

Lucas stood a stone throw away from her. He looked at her but did not show any emotion. His face was blank without an expression.

"Lucas! Didn't you hear a word I said? Where have you been?"

"I called you all night, I called your office and was told you had left, so where were you?"

"I was worried sick Lucas, say something!" Isabelle demanded.

There was silence for a moment, the air between them felt so cold, Isabelle stood in place staring at him while she wondered what could have have happened, where he was and why he wasn't responding to any of her questions.

She finally moved towards him, hoping that he could speak to her if she got closer, She lifted her hand to touch him, but he stopped her with his eyes. He stared at her so coldly she froze.

"Can you just stop?" He spoke even more coldly than he had starred. "Just stop." I don't want you nagging me, and I definitely do not need you touching me."

"Lucas, please..." Isabelle started, but he did not let her finish. "I asked you to stop Isabelle," He moved, and he moved away from her, evidently irritated by her presence. "I want you out." He said while trying not to yell.

Isabelle was not sure about what she had just heard or what it meant. "Out? Lu.. I..." She sturtead. "What do you mean out? out of what? out of where?"

She shook her head and ran her hand through her curls.

"Lucas? What happened? Can you tell me what happened?"

"Stop! Stop! Stop! Isabelle Stop!" Lucas yelled on top of his voice while he threw his hands around. "I said I want you out!!"

He starred at her almost as if she were some kinds of trash. "I want you out of my house, we?" he said, pointing between them, "we are over and getting a divorce."

Isabelle shook as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. "What? Why?" Tears began to roll down her cheeks. She plopped herself down on the couch and barried her face in her palms.

"I want you out of here, today and now." Lucas demanded.

"Why ar.. are.... you doing this t..to..to me?" She managed to say in-between sobs. "I h..ha...have given my b..best years to..to you an..and this mm.. marriage"

Lucas walked towards the bar counter. He poured himself a glass of whiskey. "This marriage?" Lucas scoffed as he brought the glass of whiskey to his mouth.

"What marriage, Isabelle? We both know this marriage has been over for a while now." He lowered his tone almost as if he was trying not to embarrass her, "look at yourself Isabelle, you are old now. You look more like my servant than my wife."

Isabelle tried to speak, but she couldn't. All she could do was cry out loud. Her whole life had just shattered right in front of her. She knew her marriage wasn't the same anymore, but she hopped they would fix things. She thought all they needed was a little time, but she was wrong.

Her whole life was built around Lucas, around being his wife, but that was gone now. Her life had just crumbled right before her.