The Divorce

Kayla’s POV

“Sign these papers!” Eric, my husband yelled, throwing a stack of papers in my face. Instantly, I bent down a bit and picked them, curious about what they were.

My eyes widened in surprise as I realized what the papers were all about.

“Are these truly documents for divorce?” I asked in a composed tone, trying my best to conceal the pain I was feeling.

“She’s not just a leech and a poor miserable orphan but also a very daft ugly-looking overweight woman who finds it very hard to comprehend things!” Agatha, my mother-in-law mocked, causing his son to burst into laughter.

My eyes grew misty and before I knew it, I had already started shedding tears.

“Your crocodile tears will not save you, Kayla. Sign these papers and leave our lives,” he barked.

“Why?”

“Why do you want to divorce me? Why do you want to end our three years of marriage just like that? Where did I go wrong?” I managed to ask amidst tears.

“You had just one job to do, Kayla. Just one job but you blew it. Take the blame for Jason’s crime but you declined with the excuse of your license being at stake. We all know that you’re not going to be in jail for more than three years but you refused regardless. Even with your overweight and ugly self, My mother and I have done nothing but love you. We accepted you the way you’re knowing fully well that it wasn’t this way from the onset but what did you do? You paid us back with evil. Kayla, you are such an ingrate and I hate you for this. Just sign the papers and go away!” He sneered.

Cleaning my tears with my pinky finger, I knelt before my husband and mother-in-law. “Please, don’t send me away, I have nowhere else to go. I can do any other thing apart from going to jail in place of your brother,” I implored

“If you can’t do that for us then you are of no use to us! Just sign the goddamn papers, you ugly fat fck!” Mrs. Agatha yelled.

I got up from the floor, settling on the sofa. With my fingers trembling, I reached out for the pen on the table before me, turning the pages of the papers and trying to read through them.

“You’re wasting time, Kayla,” Eric warned, pacing around the room.

“Eric, please don’t have me do this. I love you with everything I have,” I pleaded.

My mother-in-law burst into laughter, throwing her legs up in the air. “You amaze me, silly woman,”

Ignoring her, I dumped the papers and pen and rose from the sofa, enclosing the distance between Eric and me.

I reached out for his round face, staring into his brown eyes but he brushed my hand off his face.

“Eric,” I said softly.

I continued, “I love you so much and you know that I do. From the moment I set my eyes on you back in college, I loved you. We had come a long way and had achieved a lot together as a couple. You said you loved me. No, you actually did love me, I felt it. It just hurt me so much that all that you felt for me had been thrown away just like that only because I unintentionally neglected myself and ended up being a bit overweight.

I had quit my career as an attorney to become a housewife just for you and your family. I had accepted every undeserving treatment from you and your family. And ultimately, instead of being mad at you for cheating on me with your ex, I stooped so low to make friends with her just to figure out what way I had gone wrong. Even when I wasn’t the problem, Eric, I made myself the problem and worked towards being better for you but this is how you decide to pay me back?”

“Could you…” I stammered, sobbing profusely. “Could you please have a rethink, my hus…” Before I could finish up my statement, a wave of a stinging slap crashed against my face, leaving me shocked in silence for a moment.

I sobbed, tightly gripping my chest for comfort.

“Who’s your husband?!” He yelled

Eric reached out for my long brown hair, yanking me toward the table where the divorce papers were. He forcefully dropped me on the floor, “Sign this right now!”

“Serves you right,” I heard his mother chip in.

Without a choice, I signed the papers, sealing them with my thumbprint.

“Finally,” Mrs Agatha sang.

I heard Eric give off a sign of relief followed by an evil smirk. He walked towards the exit of the room, stopping in his tracks, then said, “You have just thirty minutes to leave the Watsons’ residence,”

“Eric! Eric, please!” I begged continuously but he turned deaf ears, walking out of the room. I turned my attention to Eric’s mother, grabbing her left leg, “Mother, please help me,” I cried. She pushed my hands off her leg, stood up while adjusting her clothes, and walked out on me without saying a word.

I curled up on the floor, my heart aching nonstop. I was heartbroken and devastated but above all, I was confused. I didn’t know where to go or whom to run to. I literally had no one apart from my ex-husband’s family. I had saved a little from my pay when I was still working class but I was very much sure that it wouldn’t in any way be enough for the journey I was about to embark on.

I jolted up from the floor, making my way to the room I shared with Eric. I reached out for my small traveling box, folding little clothes inside it. After I was done, I grabbed my clutch and hung it on my shoulder while tightly holding my box in my hand. Without delay, I headed for the door, stopping by the kitchen to grab a snack. I felt a tiny bit of guilt while feeding on the snack but then If I was going to cry, I would need strength for it. In a few minutes, I found myself downstairs, staring at the place that had forever been my home. I bid it farewell, refusing to say my goodbyes to Eric and his mother.

“Next bus stop please,” I said to the bus driver who didn’t bother to say a word to me. I made my way to the empty seat on the bus, suddenly I felt my vision blur and my head spin. The bus started to spin around me, and everything went dark. I felt myself falling, and then suddenly, strong arms caught me.

“Are you okay?” A deeply manly voice asked.