Damian Pov
I sat at my desk staring at my computer. I could not focus on work. I had not focused on anything for days. All I could think about was Bella.
Someone knocked on my office door. I ignored it. The knocking got louder.
"Go away" I yelled.
"Sir it is Karen" a voice said through the door. "I need to talk to you about the Henderson account"
I stood up so fast my chair rolled backwards and hit the wall.
"Get out" I shouted. "Get out right now"
"But sir I just need five minutes"
"I said get out" I walked to the door and locked it. "You are fired Karen. I already told you that, stop coming here"
"You cannot fire me without proper notice" Karen said. "That is illegal"
"Sue me then" I said. "But get away from my door"
I heard her heels clicking down the hallway. Finally silence.
My assistant knocked softly. "Mr Roberts...a courier just delivered this for you"
"Leave it outside the door"
"Yes sir"
I waited until I heard footsteps walking away. Then I unlocked the door and grabbed the envelope from the floor. I locked the door again.
I looked at the return address. Jake and Associates Law Firm. My stomach dropped.
I sat down and opened the envelope with shaking hands. Papers fell out onto my desk, Divorce papers. Official court documents with stamps and signatures.
I picked up the first page. The words blurred together. Petition for Divorce. Irreconcilable differences. Division of assets.
My hands shook so bad the papers rattled. I saw Bella's signature at the bottom, her handwriting looked different, like she had been crying while she signed.
I set the papers down and put my head in my hands. This was real, this was actually happening. Bella was divorcing me.
I stood up and walked to the window. I looked out at the city below. All those people living their lives and going to work and going home to their families. Being happy.
I used to be happy, i used to have everything. A beautiful wife. A successful company and a future.
Now I had nothing.
I walked back to my desk and picked up the papers again. I read through them slowly. Bella was only asking for a fair split of our shared assets. She was not trying to take everything. She was not being vengeful.
That made it worse somehow. If she was angry and asking for millions I could fight it. I could argue but she was being reasonable. She just wanted out.
I thought about the first time I met her. At that gallery opening. She wore a red dress and smiled at me. I fell in love right there.
I thought about our first date. How nervous I was. How she laughed at my jokes. How she held my hand.
I thought about the day I proposed. On the beach at sunset. How she cried happy tears. How I felt like the luckiest man alive.
I thought about our wedding. How beautiful she looked. How she promised to love me forever.
I broke that promise. I destroyed everything.
I sat down on the floor. The papers were still in my hand. Tears started falling down my face.
I cried hard. Like a little boy. Like someone who just realized what they threw away.
"I am so sorry Bella" I said to the empty office. "I am so sorry"
I pulled out my phone and called my lawyer. Richard answered on the third ring.
"Damian" Richard said. "I was just about to call you. Did you get the papers"
"Yes" I said. My voice was rough from crying. "I need you to fight this Richard. I do not want a divorce"
Richard was quiet for a moment. "Damian...you cannot stop someone from divorcing you in New York. If she wants out then she gets out"
"There has to be something we can do"
"We can contest it" Richard said. "That will drag things out. Make it take longer. But eventually the court will grant the divorce anyway"
"I do not care" I said. "Contest it. Do whatever you can. I need time to fix this"
"Damian...I do not think this is fixable" Richard said gently. "She caught you cheating. In your own bed. That is pretty much unforgivable"
"I know what I did" I said. "But I love her. I cannot just let her go"
"Sometimes love is not enough" Richard said. "Sometimes the damage is too deep"
"Please Richard" I said. "Just try. That is all I am asking"
Richard sighed. "Okay. I will file a response contesting the divorce. But Damian...you need to prepare yourself. This probably will not end the way you want"
"Thank you" I said and hung up.
I set my phone down. I looked around my office. At the expensive furniture. The view of the city. The awards on my wall. None of it meant anything without Bella.
I thought about going home. But home was not home anymore. It was just an empty penthouse filled with memories that hurt my heart.
I thought about calling Bella. But she blocked my number. She did not want to hear from me at all.
I thought about showing up at her hotel. But I did not know which hotel. And even if I did she would probably call the cops on me.
I was stuck. Completely powerless. For the first time in my life I could not fix something by throwing money at it or working harder or making a deal. Money meant nothing now.
I had lost her. And deep down I knew it was my own fault. All my fault.
I picked up the divorce papers again. I looked at Bella's signature. I traced it with my finger gently.
"I lost her for nothing" I whispered.
I thought about Karen. About how I threw away two years of marriage for meaningless sex.
The sex with Karen was empty. Nothing compared to Bella.
But I kept going back anyway. Because I was weak. Because I was selfish.
Now I had neither.