I wouldn’t be coming back for dinner.
Never again.
That afternoon, I sent the divorce agreement and the ultrasound report to Saul’s company.
I knew, as long as I wanted it, the title of Saul’s wife would always belong to me.
But I didn’t want it anymore. The thought of it repulsed me.
From now on, I was just Beatrix.
I never imagined Saul wouldn’t even see what I had prepared.
He called me, his voice laced with guilt. "Sorry, wife, I can’t leave right now. It’s my fault. I’ll be home tomorrow, I promise. Don’t be upset."
I answered him calmly, "It’s fine; work comes first. Go ahead."
Deep down, I had already known it would be like this. People change, slowly but surely.
Year after year, the Saul I once knew had become nothing more than a stranger.
"As long as you’re not angry, wait for me at home, okay?"
He checked one last time before hanging up.
When I stepped out of the operating room, I started my journey to leave him.
By the time Saul returned home, he immediately felt that something was amiss.
The house was eerily quiet.
***
As he stepped into the house, a strange silence greeted him. Normally, Beatrix would be lounging in the living room, watching TV, waiting for his return.
But today, the room was eerily empty.
Not just the living room but the bedroom, too, was lifeless.
Yet, all her things remained untouched. Her clothes, suitcase, and purse were all still there as if she had never left.
But a gnawing unease settled in his gut.
He called Beatrix, but the line rang and rang unanswered.
Again and again, the same silence.
His heart began to race. Panic slowly crept in.
Frantically, he called the maid, only to learn that Beatrix hadn’t been home that morning.
His hands shook as he sent her a message, praying for a response, but the silence was deafening.
His words seemed to vanish into thin air.
Desperation clawed at him.
In a last-ditch effort, he called his assistant, urgently asking him to track down Beatrix's whereabouts.
His assistant’s voice crackled through the phone, confirming his worst fears.
"Beatrix didn’t buy any train tickets or flight tickets, sir. She was picked up by someone."
Picked up by someone?
Saul’s heart thudded painfully in his chest. Why had she gone? Where was she headed?
But the next words from his assistant sent a chill down his spine.
"The last place she went to... was the hospital."
The hospital?
Why would she go there? Was she sick? Panic surged through him as he tried to make sense of it all.
Then came his assistant’s voice again, tinged with surprise.
"Sir, the company received a package from Beatrix. Should we open it?"
A sharp knot formed in his stomach as he agreed.
When the package was opened, his breath caught in his throat.
