รวมเรื่องสั้นโรมานซ์ By ฝ้ายสีคราม (เล่ม 2)

"I want a divorce," he said.

"Yeah, right." I smiled. "I'll have some chicken ribs, please," I said to the waitress.

"Yes ma'am." She nodded and then walked out. I raised my head, smiling at my husband, but he was giving me a grumpy look.

"What is it?" I asked. We were supposed to be happy. It was our 21st anniversary. I couldn't believe we made it this far. Our marriage has not been so perfect, but we have always found a way to settle things.

"Didn't you hear what I said?" His fingers curled into a fist right on the table.

Wait a minute, was he being serious? I scoffed and said "are you being serious?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

My head spined, and it was as if the whole world was coming down on me. I didn't see this coming. Well, there was a part of me that had been expecting this, and the other part was praying this day would never come.

"Lorenzo, did I do something wrong?" I asked.

He opened his mouth to say something but I shut him up by saying, "If I did, I'm sorry, we can work things out..."

"Sarah..." he held up his hands.

"We always work things out." I cut him off.

"Sarah, listen to me..."

"It hasn't come to that..." I practically begged. Lorenzo wasn't the best husband, but I wasn't ready to be a divorcee, that was one thing I didn't want.

"Sarah, Enough!" He slammed his fist on the table, alerting everyone. It spooked me to see him this way. He only yelled at me indoors and he acted like a caring husband outdoors.

I put down my face, feeling ashamed of the eyes staring at me. What has gotten into him? He shouldn't have brought me to his fancy restaurant if he wanted a divorce.

"I'm sorry I yelled. I didn't..." As  he began to apologize I stood up and took my leave. I walked majestically than I usefully do, just to hide the shame I was feeling.

As I stepped outside, my driver opened the rear door of my GLE, and I got in.

"Where to?" My driver asked.

"Home." My voice was fragile.

Just as my driver took off, tears started falling from my eyes. I was unable to stop it. I saw my driver glancing at me from the rearview mirror. This has to be the worst night of my life. Why did he take me out for dinner just to embarrass me? This would be the talk of the town. I couldn't believe Lorenzo would do this to me. What has gotten into him?

Finally, we arrived home. I didn't wait for my driver to open the door for me. I got out of the car, stamping my feet into my mansion.

"Welcome back ma'am," my chief maid said. I neglected her and continued to my room.

While I was looking at myself in the mirror, I took off my jewelry. I was expecting tonight to be our breakthrough, but it became our downfall. I wasn't going to let this happen, I wasn't going to let my marriage get ruined.

I heard a knock on my door. I quickly wiped my tears before saying, "come in!"

My chief maid, Agatha stood before me. "Is everything okay?" Agatha asked.

Agatha had been my maid since I got married to Lorenzo. She was like a mother to me. She knew when I'm sad, she could tell when something is bothering me. Agatha and Lisa had made my marriage bearable for me.

I took a deep breath, and tears streaked my face again. Agatha reached for me, and embraced me.

"It's okay darling, shhhhh." She stroked my hair.  "What is it honey?" She asked, wiping my face.

"He wants a divorce."

"Sweet lord!" She exclaimed. "But...but why?" Her voice was a bit shaky. I couldn't tell if it was because she was old, or if it was because she was in shock. I mean, she was just 61 years old.

"I don't know. We didn't fight about anything."

"What in the world is wrong with sir Lorenzo?"

"Agatha, Agatha, what do I do?" I held her hands. At this moment I was confused. I didn't know where to start. 21 years of marriage have taught me that Lorenzo's decisions are not easily altered.

"Oh dear." Agatha was as confused as I was.

A knock on the door got our attention.

"Ma'am, there's someone here for you," Carlos, my driver, informed me from outside my room.

"Uhmm. Okay! I'll be there in a sec!"

"Are you expecting any visitors?"

"None I could think of."

"Let's go see who that is."

I arranged my face before stepping out of my room. As I sashayed down the stairs, I saw the backside of a man with a suitcase. I wondered who that might be.

"Can I help you?"

He turned around, then dropped his hot cup of coffee on my table.

"Hi. Merry Christmas." He smiled.

"Merry Christmas. And who are you?"

"I'm Sebastian Gadd." He offered a handshake.

"Who?" I grimaced at him, ignoring his hands.

"Uhmm..." he dropped his hand. "I'm Mr Lorenzo's lawyer."

I eyeballed him. "Actually, his lawyer is..."

"Richard Welsey, I know."

"So who are you?"

"I'm his matrimonial lawyer."

My eyes widened, and my head spined.

"Why..." I gulped my saliva. "Why are you here?"

"Mr Lorenzo would love for you to sign this document." He handed me a file.

I was too scared to take it from him. Wasn't it too early for him to get a lawyer? Has he been planning all this before now?

"And what makes you think you know what my husband would love?" I wanted to put my frustration on someone and he happened to be the one standing before me, spilling rubbish.

"Ohh. I'm sorry Mrs Lorenzo, He just made that clear."

I eyeballed him, and grabbed the file from him. "What's this?" I scowled at him. I knew what was inside, but I refused to accept it.

"It would be best if you find out yourself."

He must have thought that I was a horrible person. But I wasn't usually this way, I was just frustrated to see that my marriage is coming to an end.

I took a deep breath, then I opened it. There were just a few words that were written on it, but I only caught one. "Divorce!"

My young maid, Allison, dropped the tray of the cup of coffee Mr Sebastian had.

"Umm. I'm so sorry." She said, fidgeting as she lowered herself and started picking up the shattered pieces.

"What happens if I don't sign them?"

"Everything you need to know is written there. You have until January 5th to sign them. Thank you for your cooperation..." he took one step out, then he paused, "and the coffee. Sorry for the cup," he added.

And just like that, Lorenzo ruined Christmas.