Wednesday, 6 PM
Freya stepped out of the cab, her gaze fixed on the imposing mansion before her. A sigh escaped her lips. She should have felt a surge of relief, a sense of belonging, but instead, a strange emptiness settled in her chest.
As she drew closer to the door, the muffled sounds of intimate conversation drifted out. Their voices, clear and distinct, echoed in her mind. She recognized them instantly – Henry and her, Linda. A wave of unease washed over her, but she pushed it aside, opening the door and stepping inside.
Just as she was about to ascend the stairs, Henry's voice stopped her. "You are back."
Freya scoffed, but offered no reply, continuing her movement towards the stairs. His next words, however, halted her completely. She turned, her eyes narrowing. "What did you say?" she asked, a familiar anger bubbling within her. It wasn't surprise that consumed her, but a profound rage at her own foolishness for falling in love with a man like him.
"I've already prepared the divorce paper," Henry stated, his voice flat. "Just sign it, and we can go tomorrow to get our divorce certificate."
Freya stood frozen, unable to comprehend the words that had just left his lips. An arranged marriage, yes, but they had navigated its complexities, even deciding to embrace their union. For three years, they had been husband and wife. At first, he had resented her, believing she had usurped his lover's place. Freya, having discovered her own boyfriend's infidelity, had accepted the arrangement. Henry, on the other hand, had only agreed under duress, convinced she was the architect of his misfortune, the one who had cost him his first love.
Over time, they had found a fragile peace, a shared understanding. For a year and a half, they had lived as a true couple, sharing intimacies and building a life together. Until a week ago, when his first love returned.
"You dare ask me for a divorce?" Freya's voice was barely a whisper. Despite his coldness, she always found herself vulnerable to him. In that moment, she knew, irrevocably, that she was in love with him. Her foolish heart.
"The rightful owner is back, Freya. Don't make this difficult for any of us." With those words, Henry turned, heading towards their room.
"Henry!" Freya couldn't stop herself. His name tore from her throat, tears streaming down her face as she glared at his retreating back. But he didn't falter, disappearing into the room, leaving her alone with Linda. Linda stood there, watching her weep. It wasn't that Freya couldn't move on; it was that her heart had betrayed her, and her soul even more so.
She was pregnant. She had known it upon her arrival, intending to tell him once Linda was gone. But everything had shattered, intensifying her tears.
"After all your efforts, he still chose me over you," Linda finally spoke, each word grating on Freya's nerves.
This entire situation, Freya knew, stemmed from Linda. If Linda hadn't left because she heard about his engagement, perhaps things would have been different. Initially, Linda had been furious, demanding Henry choose between his engagement and her. But his grandfather's unwavering resolve had forced him to marry Freya. This was the root of their early animosity, compounded by Freya's lingering feelings for her ex-boyfriend.
Henry had clung to the belief that Freya had manipulated his grandfather, forcing him into the marriage—a complete falsehood. Freya had actually pleaded with his grandfather to break the engagement, only to annoy him into making it a marriage instead.
"What do you mean?" Freya frowned. Linda approached, gently taking Freya's hand, rubbing it briefly before dropping it.
"You were just a bargaining chip for him until he could change grandfather's mind," Linda smirked, "and now that he has, I can finally come back to him, and you can get out of the picture."
Linda's words pierced Freya's heart a thousand times over. She didn't need Linda to tell her what Henry was thinking; she wanted to judge him for herself. Just then, Henry emerged from the room, holding a paper—the divorce papers, she was sure. His face was devoid of all emotion.
"Henry. Please, wait," Freya pleaded, tears blurring her vision as her hands trembled, grasping his. The very terror she had tried to avoid was now unfolding before her. "If I've done something wrong, we can solve it without separating. We can come to terms, and I'm willing to apologize. Please."
He shook his hand free from her grasp, his brow furrowed. "This is Linda. I'm sure you've already found out about her, so you know who she truly was to me before you came into the picture. She's carrying my son now. I'm not going to disgrace you, so leave while I'm still nice." He turned and walked away without a backward glance.
Did he mean he had never felt a shred of love or emotion towards her during their three years together? Did he truly see her as nothing more than an obstacle to his past relationship?
Freya stumbled backward in shock, unable to believe what she had just heard. She could have accepted anything else, but he said Linda was pregnant with his son. Tears fell uncontrollably as she cried out in agony. She had known she loved him, but she had kept it a secret to preserve the fragile peace they had built. All she had wanted was him to be near. She had never asked for anything more than his love in return.
She moved, intending to go after him, but Linda blocked her path again. Freya glared at her, pure hatred burning in her eyes. "Just sign the papers and stop making everything hard for us," Linda said. "He'll never love you, and he told you that already." Freya wanted to slap her, but she restrained herself.
As Freya tried to walk past her, Linda stumbled gracefully, feigning a fall. Freya's frustration flared. "What do you think you're doing?" The sight of Linda's fake tears and feigned hurt deepened Freya's contempt.
Henry rushed out at that moment, hurrying to Linda's side and checking on her with sickening affection. Freya clenched her hands, fighting to control her reaction.
"Why did you push her?" Henry demanded, without even bothering to ask who was at fault. He simply assumed it was her.
"Why would I push her? I have no reason to do that. You know me too well, I've always been…"
"You have every reason to push me," Linda interrupted, her voice laced with feigned hurt. "I know I'm not as good as you because grandfather chose you first. But knowing I'm pregnant with his son, you feel jealous." She paused, then continued, "I didn't mean for him to divorce you. All I wanted was a chance to be with him also and…"
"ENOUGH!" Freya roared, her voice trembling with raw anger. She snatched the papers from the table and signed them, tears threatening to spill.
Once she finished, she stared at Henry one last time, her eyes blazing with hatred. "I hate you." Those were her final words to him before she turned and walked out of the mansion. He didn't deserve to be a father to her baby, and she vowed to give her child the best. He would regret this.