Starting Over After My Husband's Lies

RACHEL:

The papers in my hand felt like a load as I walked into Austin's office. The neatly printed divorce agreement made my heart heavy as I reminisced on a beautiful fairytale turned sour.

Years ago, I had met a charming businessman who swept me off my feet. I had surrended easily to his passion and even married him based on the grand gestures he had showered on me as well as the sweet whispers of promises.

Things have changed since when I got married to him. Now, he couldn't even spare me a glance as I walked into his office while he sat behind his massive oak desk. Oh how the change in my tides.

"I need you to sign this," I said immediately after dropping the documents on Austin's desk which his eyes seemed to follow. My voice was as steady as I could let it be and it happened to be void of emotion.

He finally gazed up at me but it was as brief as possible. It was more like he couldn't tolerate my presence.

"What's this?" He asked, catching a glimpse of the content of the documents. "A divorce?" He sounded more bored than surprised, making it seem like this was yet another business contract hoping to receive his signature.

I felt anger brew in me. How could he casually look at that? He didn't even show any remorse to the fact that I was planning to leave him for good.

"Yes," I said, my tone sharper than before. "You've moved on me from me, Austin. It's about time I do the same."

His gaze lingered on me for about a second or two before he exhaled. He ran his hand through his almost perfectly styled hair — one of his physical qualities that had got me mesmerized when I first knew him.

Without reading through the contents of the papers, he grabbed a pen from his desk and flipped the documents to the last page where he penner his signature at the bottom of the page. The pain I felt immediately I noticed the ink on the paper was beyond me.

"You didn't even read through," I muttered, expressing my displeasure.

"Why should I?" he asked, his expression unreadable as he looked up at me.

Just then his phone rang, interrupting the silence that ensued after he spoke. The excitement at which he used to pick up the call gave me an idea of who it was. And I wasn't disappointed.

"Hey, babe," his masculine voice rang through the room, exuding an air of sultriness.

Chloe. That was the woman he was speaking to... The woman he had replaced me with in his heart so easily.

I still he remember how he has once kissed me in the rain. How he had whispered secrets to me in the dark. How he had sworn that I was the only woman he could ever hold dear in his heart. I'm sure that was the same thing he was doing with his new lover.

I let out a short, bitter laugh as I picked up the signed papers and turned to leave. "Right," I said, trying to mask the hurt I was feeling.

Even as I stepped out, not once did Austin try to stop me from leaving. I had a little hope that he would still fight for what we once shared but that didn't seem to be the case.

I guess I have spent too long drowning in a love that had long soured. And maybe this was my liberation.

Daniel was waiting for me outside. We had reached some sort of agreement to be together in order to help our businesses and he would assist me with the divorce.

"Is it done?" he asked softly, his eyes revealing a hint of compassion.

I nodded, tucking the papers into my bag. "Yes," I said. "And rather too easily, I must say."

"Let's get you home, Rachel. You've had enough for today."

That was what I needed. I needed to get home and have a time to myself. Probably restrategize and find a way to build my life again.

This time, I would be no one's fool.