My Anniversary Gift

Nova's point of view

My fingers trembled slightly as I adjusted the lace that clung against my thighs. I held my breath, listening to the soft ticking of the clock echoing through the dim room.

“Nova, you’ve got this,” I whispered to myself, pressing my palm against my chest trying to steady the wild rhythm of my heart. “He’ll like it. He has to like it.” I shifted slightly under the desk, careful not to knock the chair beside me.

My lips curved into a small smile. “Happy anniversary,” I practiced under my breath, smiling slightly. “I made this for you.” I paused, then frowned. “No… that was too stiff.” I tried again, softer this time. “Happy anniversary, my heartbeat…”

“Yes,” I nodded to myself. “That’s perfect.” My heart swelled with a fragile kind of hope. The sound of the door unlocking echoed through the house. My heart leapt.

“He’s here.” I straightened instantly, grabbing the cake carefully, my fingers tightening around the plate. “Okay, Nova… breathe.” The door creaked open, soft chuckles flowed into the room. My smile vanished.

“No, it’s probably just a call,” I whispered quickly. “He’s always on calls.” I steadied myself. The lights flicked on, I stepped out quickly, lifting the cake with a bright smile.

“Happy…” the words died in my throat. Kael stood there, his back to me. But my eyes landed on the woman standing beside him… no, not beside him, too close to him. Her chest was practically touching his. My smile faded slowly, eyes locked on Victoria, Kael's secretary.

“Kael?” my voice came out softer than I intended. He stiffened slightly, then turned. Victoria didn't move away, her lips curved, her eyes gleaming with something sharp.

My stomach dropped. “What’s… she doing here?” My voice shook despite my effort to keep it steady. I didn’t want to believe what my eyes just saw. I refused to. But the irritation on Kael’s face shattered every fragile excuse I had built in seconds.

“What the hell are you standing there for?” he snapped, his eyes dragging over me in clear disgust, like I was something unpleasant, something embarrassing. “And what the hell are you wearing?” My fingers tightened around the cake. ““It’s our fifth anniversary today, so I thought to make it special for you..for us.”

Kael exhaled sharply, his hand lifting to pinch the bridge of his nose. “And today…” I continued, “today happens to be my ovulation period, if we could just try…I'm sure I'll be lucky…”

His laughter shut my lips, even the curtains seemed to shake at the sound that echoed in the room, loud, piercing and humiliating. My eyes shifted slowly, almost unwillingly, toward him.

“Five years of wasting my sperm on you,” Kael said, his tone laced with amusement, “and you think today would be different!”

Something inside my chest tightened. But I swallowed it. “It is actually three years,” I said quietly, forcing the words past the ache rising in my throat. “You stopped touching me two years ago….” I knew I sounded pathetic, God knew I hated it. I hated every second of it.

But what else was I supposed to do? He is the only man I have ever known. The very essence of my life. Without him, I was nothing. “Kael,” Victoria said sweetly, though her eyes never left mine, “she’s dressed up for you. It’s your anniversary after all. I should leave you two to enjoy your night,” her voice dropped in perfect pretense.

She turned as if to go. Kael’s hand shot out, grabbing her wrist.“The only one leaving,” he said coldly, “is this empty lowlife.”

“Come on, Kael,” Victoria chimed in softly, placing a hand on his arm. “Stop, don't make her feel worthless, see, she wore red lingerie for you and even…make-up, even though she looks more like a clown…her effort still counts…” Her voice sounded gentle, but her lips twitched, her eyes sparkled, she wasn’t calming him, she was enjoying this.

“I do not want to ruin such a special night,” she added, glancing at me with a faint smile that didn’t reach her eyes. She slowly walked toward me, her gaze dropping to the cake in my hands.

“This is a beautiful cake,” she said loudly. Then leaned closer. Close enough for only me to hear.

“I can imagine Kael kicking this off from my vagina.”

My grip tightened instantly. My entire body went rigid. Heat rushed through my veins. But I stayed still. I had to. I would not break. I would not give her that satisfaction.She reached for the cake, and in that moment, everything blurred.Her hand, my hand, and the cake all twisted in a sudden movement. The next thing I knew, the cake was smeared across her dress.

Victoria screamed. “Ah!” She staggered back, staring at herself in shock. Kael rushed to her immediately. “Victoria!” His voice was filled with panic and concern..for her. “I’m sorry, Nova,” Victoria said quickly, her voice trembling as she clutched his arm. “I just came to wish you a happy anniversary… you really don’t need to be violent.”

I blinked, not sure I heard right. “Apologize,” Kael snapped, removing his suit to cover Victoria.

I looked at him slowly. “I didn’t do anything.” His eyes darkened. “Apologize now!”

“No.” The word came out firmer this time. Something in his expression snapped. Before I could react, his hand gripped my neck, forcing me down. My knees hit the floor hard as pain shot through me. “Apologize,” he repeated coldly.

Tears burned behind my eyes. But I refused to let them fall.“You can force me to kneel,” I said, my voice shaking but unbroken, “but you can’t force me to apologize to this hypocrite, Kael.” The slap came fast, and sharp. My head snapped to the side, my ears vibrating as if a loud bell was ringing inside them. Victoria gasped. “Oh no, Kael,” she said, grabbing his hand. “You shouldn't hit women…”

“She’s not a woman,” Kael spat. “She’s an empty barrel who can’t even produce a single child. Not even a miscarriage.” Each word dug deep. My chest tightened, my vision blurred. But I blinked rapidly. “I'm sorry Nova…” Her lips curved, in a satisfied smile as she stretched her hands to me.

“Get your hands off me!” She froze at the coldness of my voice, then scoffed. I slowly lifted my head, watching them play Romeo and Juliet right before my eyes. “Take it easy my love, I hate to see you angry,” Victoria said, her fingers slightly touching his lips.

The sound that came out of me next shocked everyone, including myself. It was a raw, bitter laughter."My love,” I whispered, my eyes locked on Kael's. “She called you my love and you smiled like a foolish goat about to be slaughtered.”

“Watch your mouth Nova!” he yelled, but I barely heard anything. “Five years,” I continued, my voice trembling, as everything I had held in began to push forward. “I gave you five years of my life. I gave up my education, my friends, my life. I worked through sleepless nights to help build your company. I…”

“If you don't like the heat, then leave,”Victoria whispered. “Exactly!” Kael added, turning to face her. They chuckled, and their lips met, making moaning sounds like I did not exist. My chest tightened painfully, my feet began to move before I even realized it. Step by step, I walked past them, I did not speak, I did not scream, I simply walked.

Their laughter followed behind me. “I am sorry you had to witness that embarrassment, my love,” Kael said. “It’s not your fault darling,” Victoria replied smoothly. “You just happened to marry a failure.”

Their words struck deep within me. By the time I reached my room, my body no longer felt like mine. The door had barely closed behind me before my legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed onto the floor, the impact barely registering through the overwhelming pressure in my chest.

A raw and broken sound tore out of me. “I did everything…” I cried, my voice shaking uncontrollably as I clutched my chest. “Everything I was supposed to do…” My vision blurred completely as tears poured freely. “I stayed… I endured… I never complained…”

My body trembled as though it could no longer contain the weight of it all. “So why… Why am I still not enough?” My heart pounded so violently it hurt, each beat pressed painfully against my ribs.

Seconds passed, then minutes, then I heard the front door close. The distant sound of a car engine came next. And lastly, Victoria's laughter drifted in the air.

Real silence followed, as something inside me broke completely. I pushed myself up slowly, my body heavy, my head throbbing. He wanted me gone. Then I would go. But not empty. Not after everything I had built.

My steps carried me back to his study, where I began searching through his desk, my hands moved quickly, pulling out documents, scanning and discarding. I found nothing of importance, then, my eyes landed on the drawer at the side. The same one he had forbidden me to touch. I rushed toward it, pulling at the handle.

‘Goddamit! Where is the damn key?”I searched every corner, until I found a bunch I wasn't even sure would work. My fingers trembled as I tried each one. One after the other. By the fifth, my strength faltered, and I broke down again briefly, my hand pressing against my head as everything threatened to overwhelm me.

Then Victoria's words echoed again. My fingers tightened, and I pushed myself to continue.

And then, I heard a click. “It worked, it actually worked.” My voice was a mixture of relief and tears. I searched quickly, flipping through documents until something made me pause.

I almost dismissed it. Until I saw his name. My eyes moved across the page slowly. Line by line, word by word. And then my entire body reacted at once, my grip tightened around the paper, my breath turned shallow as my lips trembled. The words refused to leave my mouth. But I saw it clearly, unmistakably. “Name: Kael Donavon. Diagnosis: Azoospermia; the absence of sperm!”