Chapter 2-Broken Anniversary

        The date was carved in Savannah’s heart.  

Their wedding anniversary.  

She had spent the whole week preparing. She bought a white dress that she thought Nathaniel would like. She cooked his favorite meal, even lit candles in the dining room. She wanted that night to remind him they were still husband and wife, that love could grow if given a chance.  

But instead of a smile, instead of a gift, he gave her divorce papers.  

Savannah lay in bed that night, her body curled tight, her eyes swollen from crying. The white dress was still on the chair. The food in the dining room had gone cold. Her heart felt like broken glass, each piece cutting her deeper every time she remembered his words.  

“You were never my choice.”  

“You mean nothing to me.”  

She pressed her hand on her belly. He didn’t believe her. He thought she was lying about the baby. But she knew the truth. She could feel it. There was life inside her, tiny but real.  

Tears ran down her face again. It was meant to be a night of love, but it ended in darkness.  

Morning came, and Savannah forced herself up. Her eyes were red, her body weak, but she had to face the day. She looked at the papers still lying on the table, the bold words staring back at her. Divorce. Agreement.  

Her chest tightened. She could not sign. She would not sign. Not because she still dreamed of his love—she knew he had none for her—but because of the life growing inside her.  

She dressed slowly and stepped out of the room. The mansion was silent as always. Nathaniel had already left for work. He always left early, always buried himself in business, never looking back at her.  

Savannah walked into the kitchen. The maids stopped talking when she entered, their eyes sliding over her. She could feel it. The whispers. They looked at her like she didn’t belong, like she was just a shadow of a wife.  

Her hands clenched, but she said nothing. She poured a glass of water and went back upstairs.  

When she sat down, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Nathaniel’s lawyer.  

*Mrs. Knight, please return the signed divorce papers to the office by Friday.*  

Her hand shook as she held the phone. They were pushing her, cornering her. She pressed her hand to her belly again, whispering, “I will protect you. I swear.”  

That evening, Nathaniel came home late again. Savannah waited, her heart pounding. She needed to try once more, to tell him again about the baby, to make him listen.  

When the door opened, she stepped forward. “Nathaniel, please. Can we talk?”  

He loosened his tie, his face cold, his eyes sharp. “There is nothing to talk about. Did you sign the papers?”  

Savannah shook her head, tears already burning her eyes. “Not yet. Please, listen to me. I’m not lying. I’m really carrying your child.”  

His face hardened. He laughed bitterly. “Savannah, stop. Do you know how pathetic you look? Do you think I’m a fool? You think saying that will change my mind?”  

Her heart cracked again. She reached out, her voice trembling. “Please, Nathaniel. I only want you to believe me. I—”  

He pulled back, his voice sharp as a blade. “Enough. Don’t use a child to hold me. Even if you are pregnant, it doesn’t matter. I don’t want you. I will never want you.”  

Her knees shook, but she forced herself to stand tall. “You are cruel.”  

His eyes narrowed. “I am honest. This marriage is over, Savannah. Accept it.”  

Tears streamed down her face. “This was supposed to be our anniversary,” she whispered.  

Nathaniel’s expression didn’t change. “And now it will be the day we finally end this mistake.”  

Her breath caught. Her chest ached so bad she thought she would fall apart. She clutched her belly, holding it as if it was her only anchor.  

Nathaniel looked at her hand resting on her stomach, his eyes cold. He turned away, his voice low. “Don’t think this child—if it even exists—will change anything. I will not be tied down. Not by you.”  

Her heart screamed inside her chest. She wanted to shout, to beg, to make him see. But the words stuck in her throat.  

Nathaniel walked upstairs without another glance, leaving her in the silent living room, broken.  

Savannah fell onto the couch, her hands covering her face. Her tears poured like the rain that still beat against the windows. Her body shook as she whispered to herself again and again, “I will protect you… my baby… I will protect you.”  

She cried until her voice was gone, until her eyes burned dry.  

The next morning, she woke to find an envelope slipped under her door. Inside was a plane ticket with her name on it. One-way. The destination was far, far from him.  

Her chest tightened. Was he sending her away? Did he want her gone so badly that he was willing to throw her out like nothing?  

Her fingers shook as she held the ticket. Her tears fell on the paper.  

She whispered, broken, “You really want me gone…”  

Her eyes lifted to the window, to the gray sky outside. She pressed her hand on her belly once more, her lips trembling.  

And in that moment, Savannah knew she had to make a choice.  

Stay and fight for a man who never wanted her.  

Or walk away… and raise her child alone.  

Her tears blurred everything, but her heart beat louder than ever.  

The sound of Nathaniel’s footsteps came down the hall. She hid the ticket behind her back, her chest pounding.  

The door opened. He stood there, his face unreadable.  

“Have you signed the papers?” he asked again, his voice cold.  

Savannah’s lips parted, her body shaking.  

She had no answer. Only the sound of her breaking heart.  

The silence grew heavy. His eyes narrowed.  

And she knew—this was only the beginning.