Chapter 06: IT’s Too Much!

I looked at them one after the other, completely stunned. I could have never suspected it not even for a second imagined that the two of them were lovers.

My soul sister, Natalie the one I considered my greatest support had simply taken advantage of everything and stabbed me in the back.

They stood there in front of me. She was holding his hand… no, they were holding each other’s hands.

The sadness, the tear-filled eyes from the day before gone. She stood facing me, confident and determined.

Jason stepped toward me, his gaze as cold as ever.

I couldn’t even look him in the eye. I didn’t want him to see the sadness in mine.

He pulled a pen from his pocket and leaned over the table.

I felt his eyes fall on me again.

“We’re not going to spend forever on this. I’m setting you free. You should do the same,” he said in that distant tone of his.

I flinched.

Deep down, I knew it was a kind of freedom. But I hadn’t expected such humiliation let alone this betrayal.

The scratching sound of his signature across the paper suddenly stopped, and in that moment, I felt our marriage become a thing of the past… something that perhaps should never have existed.

He straightened up and, before I could react, stepped closer to me.

God knows how hard I tried not to cry not to show him how much it hurt, not to let her see that she had completely shaken me.

I wanted to hold on to what little dignity I had left.

Then he placed his hand on my shoulder as if nothing had happened… it felt like my heart was about to burst out of my chest.

How dare he come near me?

Was I that insignificant to him?

I stepped back, my brows furrowed in disbelief.

He looked calm… as if this were nothing more than a simple formality. As if there was nothing much to say or feel about it.

“Alright, Claire. Stop making that face. Anyone would think you’ve been betrayed. You know very well this marriage was never really one,” he shot at me bluntly, with the same indifference he had always shown toward me.

It felt like a blow straight to my chest.

“I’m freeing you. This marriage doesn’t exist anymore. Just sign the papers and that’s it. I can even spare you the official hearing for the separation. Go ahead, sign so we can end this once and for all,” he added.

He placed the pen on the document.

“Go on. Sign, and let’s be done with this for good.”

I took a moment to look them straight in the eyes… him, then her.

“How could you be so manipulative?!” I burst out, deeply shaken.

“Claire, stop the nonsense and sign. Natalie—my Natalie—did absolutely nothing wrong. You and I both knew this marriage was nothing but a prison. Nothing more.”

I couldn’t hold back the pain rising inside me anymore.

“SO WHAT?!” I screamed.

“Does that give you the right to humiliate me like this?

And you?? Natalie! Oh wait I forgot. His Natalie! Did you enjoy deceiving me? Did you laugh behind my back? I confided in you! I told you how much this marriage was destroying me! I even told you I thought things were getting better because despite the way he treated me… I was starting to develop feelings for him! How?! How could you do this?! How could you take advantage of the situation like that?!”

Suddenly, Jason said something that froze me in place.

“Claire! That’s enough! You? Developing feelings for me? You’ve got to be kidding! Because for me, that was never the case. On the contrary you were a burden I needed to get rid of as quickly as possible.”

My fists clenched as he spoke, but I forced myself to stay standing.

I lifted my eyes to the only person in that room I once believed I had a real connection with. She was looking at me. There was no emotion in her gaze. It was like staring at a complete stranger.

And to think I had told her everything.

That I believed she was my FRIEND.

A friend who hadn’t hesitated to exploit my weaknesses.

My despair.

“You disappoint me, Natalie. You’re the worst person I’ve ever met in my life,” I managed to say.

And finally, she found the courage to speak.

But what she said chilled me just as much.

“Claire, sign the papers so we can finally be done—with you.”

Just like that.

With unsettling calmness.

My mouth fell open without me even realizing it—I was that shocked.

Then her lover moved closer to her, smiling.

“Natalie…” he murmured against her neck right in front of me, as if I didn’t exist.

She turned toward him and—

They kissed.

Everything became crystal clear.

No more words. They had crossed the line openly.

And that smile on my so-called best friend’s lips…

This hadn’t started yesterday. And now I had the proof right in front of my eyes.

“Are you going to tell her or not?” she whispered between kisses.

I was still standing there…

What could he possibly say that wasn’t already worse than this?

“I think I should,” he replied.

They both turned toward me.

I knew it wouldn’t be anything good.

Another betrayal? I had already endured the worst.

Another humiliation?

What else could there possibly be?

My heart pounded wildly.

What could be worse than this?

And then… I heard it.

“Jason, sweetheart. Tell her the news.”

“What news?!” I asked in panic.

I looked at him, then at her. They exchanged glances, and Jason gave a slight nod before facing me.

“Well, Claire… there’s something I haven’t told you,” he said.

“Jason…” I could barely whisper.

“Well… this house,” he said, looking around,

“it doesn’t belong to you. And since we’re getting divorced, you need to leave. Immediately.”

I felt a crushing blow to my chest.

He was throwing me out.