The One Who Waited

Irina knew exactly what Sophie and her mother, Beth White, meant to Uriah.Uriah's parents always worked late when he was a kid, so he would often eat dinner at Beth's house.Beth was a single mom who raised Sophie on her own. Since they were kids, Uriah and Sophie were everyone's idea of the perfect golden couple. Everyone assumed they would go from being childhood sweethearts straight to walking down the aisle together. During Uriah's senior year of high school, Sophie and Beth moved abroad, and they stayed gone for eight years. Three months ago, Sophie returned with Beth, who had pancreatic cancer, and they came to find Uriah.From the moment they returned, Uriah started coming home less and less frequently.Whenever Irina asked, his answer was always the same: he was at the hospital. Since she understood Uriah's relationship with Sophie and Beth, Irina never complained once, firmly believing that their relationship was solid enough that it would not crack just because his chi

Before long, more people gathered around to watch. Everyone was starting to point their fingers at Irina and whispering among themselves.Without a second thought, Mia stepped forward and slapped Uriah across the face.She growled, "Uriah, have you lost your mind?"Uriah had never been hit by anyone in his entire life. He glared at Irina with fury and hissed, "Impressive. You even dragged a pregnant woman here to make a scene with me. Irina, you're supposed to be a big-shot designer. Where are your manners?"Mia was ready to hit Uriah again, but Irina stopped her. "Let's go, my ride is here."Irina did not even glance at Uriah or the drama queen kneeling on the floor, pulling Mia toward the exit.Uriah had never been ignored by Irina like this before, so he furiously grabbed her wrist and barked at her. "Stop right there and apologize to Sophie!"When Irina did not respond, Uriah tightened his grip. "I told you to apologize to Sophie!"The pain in her wrist was nothing compared

The lawyer worked fast, and the divorce agreement was ready the next day.Irina skimmed through it and was satisfied. She and Uriah did not have many assets to divide between them. The only property they shared was the house Uriah had bought before they got married, though Irina had paid for all the renovations.From the design to the finishes and furnishings, Irina had been involved in every aspect of this penthouse. The money she had spent was no less than what the house itself had cost.Irina had poured her heart and soul into creating their love nest, and every corner of this house reflected her hopes and dreams for their future together. That room she had prepared early for their future child was the masterpiece she was most proud of in her entire life.Everything in this house was like a joke to Irina after everything that had happened.Not wanting to dwell on painful memories any longer, Irina ended her medical leave and returned to work, planning to start the handover proc

Over the next three days, Uriah did not come home.During that time, Irina packed up all her belongings and had everything shipped back to her parents' house.After hesitating for a long time, she finally called Linda. "Mom, I'm coming home in a few days."On the other end of the line, Linda sounded thrilled. "Oh? Are you taking time off? Is Uriah coming with you? Irina, how's the baby planning going? You need to eat well. A healthy body means a healthy baby. Oh, and make sure you tell Uriah: no smoking, no drinking, and no staying up late."She continued, "Mrs. Rogers downstairs brags about her granddaughter every single day, going on about how pretty she is. Well, you're so beautiful, and Uriah is a handsome man! When you have a baby, they'll definitely be better looking than her granddaughter."Every time they talked on the phone, Linda had so much to say to Irina. However, this time, as she listened to her mother's rambling and reminders, Irina's eyes welled up with tears.As

As soon as those words left his mouth, Uriah regretted them. However, he was genuinely furious. He could not make sense of anything Irina had done.He shouted, "Say something! Defend yourself!""I have nothing to say. Think whatever you want."I'll say it again: just sign the papers as soon as possible. When the time comes, I'll file for divorce."With that, Irina hung up.When Uriah tried calling again, the line was unreachable once more.Standing in the empty, stripped-down shell of their home, his heart felt just as hollow. He had loved Irina so much, yet all she had left him was her signature on the divorce papers.Uriah tore the divorce papers to shreds and left without even looking at Sophie, walking out of what used to be his home alone.Sophie stood there surveying the surroundings. Frankly, she had quite liked the original decor; it was a shame it had been destroyed.Well, out with the old, and in with the new. Once she and Uriah got their marriage certificate, they w