Chapter 4

A dark hollowing had formed under her eyes. Tracy had barely shut her eyes and it was already half past five in the morning. Scenes from her previous day's encounter with Charles would not stop flashing in her eyes. 

Everything had happened so fast and now she was left in a state of wonder. "When did Charles sign the divorce papers?" She thought. 

His busy schedule would not permit him to commit to so many sheets of paper at a sitting. Then it dawned on her that Charles had planned his move a long time ago. 

She got out of her bed and kept staring at how empty it was. Her wish was for her husband to share her bed with her. But Charles never beckoned to any of that. He would rather sleep in the guest room.

For a second she forgot herself and lifted a vase next to her bed with her wounded right hand. Immediately she felt pain and dropped the vase. Her wound had not healed completely. Blood stained the bandage wrapped around her right hand.

The sound of the shattering vase invited Mrs Briggs to her doorstep. 

"My child, is everything okay?" She asked from outside the door. "Everything is fine, Mrs Briggs. You can go back to sleep." She assured her and sat on the edge of the bed and stretched her left hand to get an extra bandage as the blood kept getting deeper.

Then she saw the wedding ring on her wedding finger. She had not taken it off yet. 

The sight of the ring sent tears streaming down her face. “It is too early for this. Stop crying,” she mumbled to herself. “You are no longer married to him. He is a free man. Now put yourself together” she convinced herself.

She went to the washroom and fixed her bandage and stopped the blood from getting deeper.

From across the street, she could see some people walking their dogs and others jogging. An indication that the day was fast-breaking. But what was she supposed to do? She thought.

Tracy was confused and pacing about in her room. Then she chanced on the locket she had seen the day before. It had a picture of her late parents embedded in it.

As though she was possessed. Immediately she felt some new energy. “What would you do if you were in my place?” she asked the photo of her late parents embedded in the locket. “I am confused and I don't know what to do at this point” she kept pleading. 

After minutes of talking to the locket, she decided she wanted to leave the Parker house. And started to pack her things. The pain from her right hand made her struggle. But her mind was made up at this point. Tracy packed all that she would need and left behind anything that would remind her of Charles. Or their marriage. 

The sun started to invade her space through the window. But she was all set to leave. As she took a last look at her room and made her way towards the door, she was startled by a knock. 

“Who is there?” she asked. “It is me, Mrs. Briggs. I brought you breakfast,” she announced. Tracy opened the door and greeted her with the news. “Oh, Mrs. Briggs it is you. Good morning.”

“Good morning my child. I trust you had a good night's sleep” she responded. “I wish I did, but that is fine. And oh, there is no need for this breakfast Mrs Briggs. I am leaving.” she announced.

“You are leaving? What do you mean you are leaving my child?” she queried as the tray in her hands began to shake. 

“I have decided to leave this house and move to another. I do not think I belong here anymore. Please excuse me. And do not try to convince me otherwise, please” she said and reached for her bag with her left hand. Mrs Briggs looked on as she walked away toward the hall. In a bid to shut her door locked, she could see traces of the broken vase in her room.

As Tracy approached the hall, she could hear exchanges between Charles and his father. 

“Those words you said about Tracy yesterday were not only in bad taste but projected you as a sociopath” Mr Edward Parker scolded him. “I do not care about any of that, Dad. That lady was never a wife material, at least in my estimation. I did not say anything wrong yesterday. Whatever I said about her, she deserved it.” he shot back. “It is too early in the day for this,” he added.

“I do not mean to interrupt any of this,” Tracy announced her presence as she got closer to them. “This is not a good morning but a bad one and I do not have any plans of making it any worse” she mumbled.

“To cut to the chase, here is your ring Charles,” she said and dropped her wedding ring on the coffee table closer to Charles. “And also, I want you to know that I do not want anything from you from this day forward. Thus, the monetary benefits that come with this separation are of no interest to me. You may keep all of that.” she added and turned to Charles’ father.

“Mr Edward Parker!  A man I revere and regard as my guardian. If words were enough, they’d be all I’d say to you to register my gratitude for everything you have done for me. But I dare say that no amount of words in this world could substitute for your benevolence. Thank you for everything once again” she praised him as Mrs. Briggs watched from a distance with tears rolling down her face.

“I am a lady today because you took a chance with me. And for that, I am eternally grateful. But I must leave now, sir.” she announced.

“Leave? My child, it has not come to this. I will make this work” He said as Charles kept making faces in reaction to his father's utterance.

“That would not be necessary, please. I have to go now,” she said and dragged her bag along the hallway till she was lost in sight. 

Mrs Briggs rushed to the entrance of the house to talk her out of her decision, but her mind was made up for good. She ignored her plea and exited the Parker house.

***

The night before, Charles had gone to an exclusive lounge with his friends. He was excited and jumping about. His behaviour got his friends curious and they wondered what they were celebrating. 

They had not seen him gulp so much alcohol down his throat. “Easy man. Are you sure everything is okay?” Chris asked. “I'm a good man. I am super good,” he assured his friend.

Albert and Lorenzo watched on as Charles kept drinking. Then he revealed that he had got a divorce from Tracy.

“What!” Albert and Chris screamed. “You did what?” they repeated. “Did I have a drink in my mouth? You heard me right. I have divorced Tracy” he confidently shouted.

“But what on earth would make you do that?” asked Chris. And just as he was about to respond, Leonardo cut in. “Come on guys. Take it easy on him. What is wrong if he decided to separate from Tracy?”

“My goodness. Can you hear yourself speak?” Albert cut in. “Everything is wrong with this move and that is a fact,” he added.

“Guys! Guys! Come on. This is not the time for any of this. let‘s just drink up” Charles said. He was getting tipsy at this point. 

“Drink up to what exactly? I am very much disappointed in you Charles.” Chris bellowed. “To think that you had a lady of Tracy’s calibre and you just throw it out the window?” he fumed.

“Why are you taking this personally? Were you the one married to her?” Leonardo rudely interrupted. “If she tickles your fancy, why not go after her now that she is a free woman,” he added.

“Gosh! What the hell is wrong with you Leonardo.” Chris shot back. “Our friend has made such a terrible mistake and you dare take his side?” he lashed at him once more and snatched a bottle of whisky from Charles who was at this point not very much aware of his environment.

“Why are we raising our voices in the first place? The bone of contention here is not even mentally present as we argue. But this conversation is not over Leonardo. Do you hear me? It is not over.” Chris warned and held Charles's hand from getting any more drinks.

“There is nothing to be said after today, Chris, so say whatever you have to say.” Leonardo pushed further. But Charles’ state would not permit Chris to argue any further with Leonardo. 

Albert held one arm of Charles and Chris held the other as they made their way out of the lounge with their friend. Leonardo was left alone.

And he pushed the drinks on the table onto the floor.