3. ~Aurora~

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~The present~

"I want a divorce."

"What?" 

"Is there any connection problem, Rowan? Did you not hear me clearly? Should I text you instead?" I sass, rolling my eyes. 

"I think there is, Aurora. Because you clearly could not have just said what I think you did." Obviously, what I said must have gotten rid of all of his sleep because his voice is clear and alert now.

"Try listening more carefully now Rowan. I said I want a divorce." 

"Excuse me?" The indignancy in his voice makes me almost want to snort. He is reacting as if he did not see that coming despite his actions.

"You heard what I said, Rowan." I roll my eyes again as I take the turn to our penthouse. "I am going into the apartment and packing my bags right now."

"We signed a contract!" There is shuffling on the other side and panic in his voice. 

He cannot get a divorce now, because if he did, then Simon will pull out all the investments he has made for the new project.

It is one of the reasons why I dealt with the humiliation and bullshit that came with being Rowan's wife. But I am done now. I am so done.

"The contract was void the moment you decided to disrespect our marriage in public, mister. I had told you, whatever you do, do it privately." I laugh as I enter the apartment compound. "I am leaving. And you should deal with the repercussions yourself because frankly, I am done cleaning up after you." With that, I hang up. Haaa... That felt good. 

I park my car in my spot but don't get out. I just sit there, staring at the concrete wall in front of me without a purpose.

I should say that I actually feel proud of myself. I am finally freeing myself from this torture of a marriage.

It took me two years but here I am, finally ready to break free and move on.

"Get it together, Rory." I say to myself as soon as I feel the prickling in the corners of my eyes. 

There is nothing to cry over. There was no real relationship to end, to begin with. It's not worth it.   

A sob escapes my pursed lips, and suddenly the floodgates all blast open in full force. 

"Stop crying!" I yell at myself in desperation, banging on the steering wheel, exasperated at myself. At how weak I am. 

It's over. 

It's all over. 

And for the best. 

It takes me another ten minutes to finally take control of my emotions. And I feel like a pathetic fool inside my mask of apathy. 

"Fake it till you make it." I say to myself before opening the door and walking towards the elevator.

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My phone rings as soon as I plop down on the couch.

I take it out of my pocket to see that it is Ashton Ames, Rowan's best friend and one of our board members.

"Hey, Ashton..." I sigh.

"Ouch, your tone tells me I won't be able to talk you out of it this time."

I chuckle.

"I am sorry Ashton," I said. 

The divorce is going to be as disadvantageous to Ashton as it will be to Rowan but this time, I am not backing down.

For two years, I cared about other people's feelings and played the perfect wife and daughter-in-law but now, I have to think about myself. It is time to start a new chapter in my life and for that, I have to put an end to this one which has been dragging on for too long.

"No, I understand," Ashton said. "You gave it your best and you have been nothing but nice and patient. It's selfish of me to convince you to stay in this relationship for my business' sake. I respect your decision Rory, and I apologize to you on that idiot's behalf."

Ashton is such an amazing person. How the hell is he friends with my asshole of a husband? Well, soon-to-be ex-husband.

"Thank you, Ashton," I say and I hang up. I don't have anything else to say to him and I have hell a lot of packing to do. So I busy myself with it. I need to get myself out of this place as soon as I can.

My phone rings again while I am trying to close my suitcase; I am sitting on top of it to shut it.

Bianca's face lights up on the screen and I swipe my finger over the accept button and am met with her angry glare.

"Do you want me to go to France and castrate him? Just say the word and I will do it." She is fuming, not because she doesn't know that our relationship is just on paper but because I have to deal with all the humiliation and gossip that came with his 'infidelity'.

Ophelia is his seventh girlfriend in the last two years. Honestly, I don't even know how a woman can be with someone whom she knows is already married. But then again, why is she to be blamed when the married man himself doesn't give a damn about the relationship?

"I am divorcing him." I tell her. "I already let him know of it."

A wide smile appears on her face instantly. "Finally!"

"Babe, get the champagne. A celebration is in order!" She calls out to Roselyn who hurries into the frame with her huge belly. The two of them are now happily married and have turned to artificial insemination for their own bundle of joy.

Bundles of joy because they are having twins, which put Zoe, Kevin, Eric, and me at ease because well, we didn't have to fight over who gets to be the godparents. Eric and I are going to be the godparents of little Fiona and Zoe and Kevin are going to be the godparents of baby Jamie.

"What?" Roselyn sits down beside Bianca, confused.

"Did Rowan finally come to his senses after the latest scandal?" She asks.

Bianca rolls her eyes while I shake my head.

That, my friend, is never going to happen. And even if it does now, it is not going to make any difference. It's all too late now.

"More like, our dear friend here came to her senses and is finally freeing herself from the clutches of that deranged monstrous asshole and the marriage of futile vows and utter humiliation that she has been entrapped in for so long!" Bianca is in her full-on melodramatic mode again, putting her fist up in the air and looking at the ceiling as she speaks.

"Alright Shakespeare, come back down to earth." Roselyn grabs Bianca's face and makes her look down at her. She then turns to me with a sympathetic smile on her face. "You know we are here for you, right?"

I smile. I know that. But I just do not want this sympathy right now.

"Oh please, she is not some helpless tortured puppy for you to be so sympathetic towards her." Bianca says, making me smile honestly. That's my best friend, people. "She is Aurora Lewis and she is more than capable of getting through this. And knowing her, she will be up and rocking in no time."

I feel my heart swell with happiness when I hear what my best friend has to say about me, and all the more because I am cent percent sure that she isn't saying it to console me because Bianca Stanley never did that.

"Okay, I gotta go now. I didn't realize I had so much stuff until I decided to pack it all up." I sigh. "Seriously, I really need to cut back on the number of socks I own." 

Bianca laughs out loud. "It was the same when we were moving out of our dorms, remember? You had way too much stuff that wouldn't fit your moving boxes which you had brought when you moved in. And you say I have a shopping disorder." 

"Yeah, yeah." I pout as I turn to all my stuff scattered around the room. I need to learn to be a bit more organized.

"Oh, we will come over to help." Roselyn pipes in.

Bianca nods even though she says, "Rose will supervise us while we do the work."

Roselyn gives her a look while I grin, nodding. I think I have said this a hundred times but someone, please, please find me someone, after this wretched marriage is over, who will look at me and be with me the way Bianca is with Roselyn and Roselyn with Bianca. I ask for nothing more.

I hang up the phone and get back to the task at hand, anticipating their arrival.

I could use some help right now. And some company.

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