James did not wait for Zelda to answer him as he went towards the cabinet and came back with a pregnancy test. He showed it to her, placing it in front of her face.
"Here, take it," he said.
Zelda looked at him as she took the pregnancy test in her hand.
"I'm not pregnant," she told him as she placed the test on the counter.
James took it back and shoved it toward her again. "Take the test."
"I'm not pregnant. You just came back yesterday, and you forced me to take the pills after we slept together. How could I be pregnant?" Zelda replied with frustration. "I don't want to argue with you, James."
"Just take the test," he insisted, his tone unmoving.
Zelda sighed. "Okay, fine," she said, grabbing the test from him. She raised her eyebrow at him before asking, "Can I have some privacy?"
"No, I want to see you do it."
She sighed again but complied. Fighting James was a losing battle, she was already tired with the whole day. Zelda peed on the stick, all while watching him stand over her like a hawk.
When she was done, she placed the test back on the counter, not bothering to check it. She knew what the result would be. She wasn't pregnant.
Two minutes passed, and James walked over to the counter, inspecting the test. His face hardened as he read the result.
"It's negative," he announced.
"I told you I wasn't pregnant, but you didn't want to listen," Zelda said, her voice flat. "I didn't want you to know this, James, but..." She trailed off, knowing there was no point in continuing. It was as though every word she said was ignored.
Zelda knew the result would be negative. Every time they were intimate, James made sure to take more than enough precautions to ensure she wouldn't get pregnant. It was almost as if he feared the idea of her ever carrying his child.
Without saying anything else, James left the room and walked outside. Zelda stayed inside, her weariness weighing her down, as she heard him make a phone call.
"I've sent you the number of the car," James said into the phone, his voice low. "It's a taxi that Zelda used today. I want you to look for her necklace. She was wearing it at the hospital, so if you don't find it there, check the security footage. From the hospital to the taxi...she must have lost it somewhere between."
The person on the other end of the line must have agreed, as James ended the call and stood there in the garden, his phone slipping back into his pocket.
Zelda watched him through the window, feeling numb as the gap between them grew wider by the minute.
The next morning, the shrill ringing of her phone woke her. Still sleepy, she reached for it on the nightstand, seeing her best friend Jian's name flashing on the screen.
"Zelda, have you seen the news?" Jian's voice was breathless with urgency.
"What news?" Zelda rubbed her eyes, still half-asleep.
"About Susan and James! They were seen coming back together from the airport yesterday. It's all over social media. James has been away for three months with her, and now they're back together like nothing happened. It's all anyone can talk about."
Zelda sat up, her heart pounding. Jian's words hit her like a punch. The truth, which had been lurking in the back of her mind, now screamed at her. James had been with Susan this whole time when she thought he was away for work. He hadn't even bothered to hide it.
He had left their home, spent months with another woman, then casually returned to play his role as her husband for a night before going back to Susan. The betrayal was too much. Zelda's fingers tightened around the phone.
"I see," she whispered, her voice hollow.
"Zelda, what are you going to do?" Jian asked concern in her tone.
0ppppp Zelda didn't respond right away. Instead, she stared at the sunlight filtering through the curtains.
"I'm leaving him," she finally said, her voice steady with resolve. "I'm done, Jian. I'm filing for divorce today."
There was a pause on the other end of the line before Jian spoke again.
"Are you sure? I know how much you love him z.."
"I have thought about it and I am sure. I can't do this anymore."
"I support you, Zel. You deserve so much more than this."
Zelda nodded to herself. "I know."
They spoke for a bit before they ended their conversation and Zelda stood up to get herself ready for the morning. That is when she noticed it. The necklace is back in place on her neck.
She felt a tear fall down her cheek as she watched herself in the mirror. The gesture hurt more than she had thought it would.
****
Later that morning, Zelda arrived at Ferguson Enterprises, clutching her resignation letter and divorce papers in her bag. She had dressed simply, her hair pulled back, her face calm, though inside she was anything but. Today was the day she was going to take back control of her life.
No one at the company knew that she and James were married. To everyone else, she was just his assistant, quietly managing his affairs behind the scenes. It had been easier that way, easier to keep the disaster of their marriage hidden.
But now, it was time to walk away from both the job and the man she had once thought she could love.
As she made her way to her desk, some of her co-workers noticed the resignation letter in her hand.
"Zelda, are you leaving us?" one of them asked, concerned.
"Yeah," she said, forcing a smile. "I'm resigning."
"Why? What happened?" another asked.
"It's personal," Zelda replied, shaking her head. "I just need to focus on my life right now. I'm getting a divorce."
That comment set off a wave of speculation among her colleagues.
"Is your husband cheating on you?" one of them asked bluntly. "Or does he not want kids?"
" Does he shoot blanks?" Another added
"Maybe he doesn't satisfy her in bed. Men nowadays have become very.." Another chimed in
Zelda shut them off, as she stayed quiet, not bothering to correct their assumptions. It didn't matter what they thought. Her mind was already made up.
As they gossiped, Zelda suddenly noticed a familiar figure standing nearby. James had been listening to everything they said, his expression dark.
He approached her with slow, deliberate steps.
"Zelda," he said, his voice low, "can I see you in my office?"
The others fell silent as Zelda followed James into his office. He shut the door behind them, the tension thick.
"Why are you spreading rumours about me?" James demanded, his eyes narrowing. "You told them I wasn't satisfying you, that I was cheating on you? To make it worse, you told them I shoot blanks?"
"I never said that," Zelda replied evenly. "They were speculating. I never said anything."
James stared at her, taken aback. "This is ridiculous. You can't just.."
"I'm resigning," she cut him off, placing the resignation letter on his desk. "And I'm divorcing you."
She pulled out the divorce papers and set them down beside the letter.
James stared at the documents, disbelief and anger warring on his face.
"Zelda, what the hell are you doing?"
"I'm serious, James," Zelda said, her voice steady. "I don't want anything from you. You've given me everything you can, and it's not enough. I want a divorce."
She stepped back, crossing her arms, her heart racing.
James's eyes darted from the papers to her face. He couldn't believe it. Zelda had always been the quiet one, the one who would endure anything for the sake of their marriage. She was desperate to have his name attached to her, to have everything that came with being with him. But this..this was something he hadn't expected.
"Sign the papers, James," she repeated, her voice firmer now. "I'm out of here."
