Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Rogerio casually placed a hand on my leg. “As expected of my wife.”
I swatted his hand away. “Tocus on driving, I want to have creamy pasta tonight.”
“Understood,my lady.”
In the rearview mirror,Charles seemed to have run after the car for a while,but in the end,he couldn’t catch up with
- us.
I watched his figure grow smaller and smaller,and when I tried to recall it later,I couldn’t even remember what he
looked like.
Turning my head to look at the man beside me,it dawned on me that unknowingly,Rogerio ‘s face had replaced Charles’s,deeply etched in my memory.
I took out my phone and snapped a picture of the sunset.
I posted it to my Instagram,with the caption. “Onward.”
******
My marriage with Rogerio had been smooth, as if we were driving down a highway at full speed.
We were well–matched,and this new chapter of our life together felt nothing like the sadness of the past.
I regained my confidence,and we both worked hard to make our days better.
But as Rogerio ‘s career became more demanding,we slowly lost the sweetness of those early days.
He always had a myriad of things to take care of,and during our meals together,he would suddenly get up to answer a call and walk away.
Little by little,I found myself waiting for him at home – first late into the night, then until the early hours.
Eventually, he stopped coming home at all.
We went from passion to indifference,from romantic love to the barest reality, and it only took three years of
marriage.
I looked down,pulling out a bitter smile that seemed almost mocking.
Gradually,his return home became rarer,so infrequent that I could count it on one hand.
****
“4 am,” I muttered in confusion as cold liquid trickled down my left cheek.
21:19
Dancing into the Heart of Mr. Col
16.6%
Chapter 26
The door opened instantly,and Rogerio stormed into the room with his suitcase in his hand,
“Why do you look like that?” he asked as his eyes flashed with anger at the scene before him.
I looked around in confusion and realized that I had fallen asleep at the table.
I lowered my gaze and stared at the table.
My hair dripped with food particles from the plate which was positioned in front of me.
“I…” I stammered,raising my head to meet his gaze.
“I was waiting for you.”
I opened my mouth to say something,and he glared at me,then tossed a brown envelope on the table.
“You’ll see,” he s tore it open,and then flung the envelope at me.
I looked at the papers that had landed at my feet and then back at him.
He stood rooted in one spot,watching me with an unreadable expression.
Slowly,I bent down and picked up the papers.
My hands started to shake as my mind translated the words written boldly on them.
“What is this,Rogerio? Why am I holding divorce papers? Who are these for?”
“Charlotte. They are for you. Us. We’re getting a divorce,” he grinned.
Time seemed to stop as the realization of his words hit me.
I staggered backward a little as he continued speaking,but I couldn’t hear what he was saying.
“Would you want to be in a relationship with yourself?”
he demanded and he walked out of the door.
I stood in that position for a few minutes,paralyzed with shock,and slowly turned to catch my reflection in the
mirror.
I saw my physical state and broke into tears as the shredded papers fell to the ground.
21:19
