Chapter 4 The divorce agreement

"George, please. Give us another chance. I regret what I've done, and I'm willing to make it right. I love you." Megan tightens her grip on my hands, urging me to answer.

I keep looking into her eyes, speechless. Maybe I am searching for answers in the depths of her gaze.

"Say something," she urges.

"Megan, you are thinking too much." I finally find my voice. I can’t believe that I am avoiding answering her. "It’s late. We will talk later. I will first go check the lights you asked me to check."

I walk away, feeling her gaze on me.

Megan grabs my wrist, pulls me over, and makes me turn around and face her. Her disappointment radiates from her eyes, penetrating my heart. I want to console her and alleviate the pain I have unintentionally caused.

As she wraps her arms around me in a tight embrace, her words spill forth.

"I know I made mistakes in the past," she says, "and caused you distress. I shouldn’t have left you. I agree that I was selfish… a moron who failed to cherish the love. What a heartless person I have become to hurt you, and I hate myself for that. Sorry, George. Please forgive me."

The resentment in her tone is palpable.

I cannot understand if she is angry with herself or with me… Maybe with Vivian. I don’t know. It’s confusing.

"Megan, please... don't blame yourself," I murmur. "We both made mistakes. I should have waited for you instead of surrendering to Grandma’s pressure."

"But you made the decision to marry Vivian back then because I left you," she sobs. "It’s my mistake. So, it is only me to blame."

Her arms remain wrapped around me, a silent plea for forgiveness and understanding.

"I am back now, and I want to rectify the mistakes I made. I will do my best to win your heart and make you fall in love with me all over again. Please don’t give up on me."

Listening to her heartfelt words, I can't deny the depth of her love for me. I am moved. Yet, I can't help but notice the absence of that familiar spark that used to ignite within me in her presence, even though she holds me so closely, her half-naked form pressing against me. It perplexes me, leaving me questioning my own emotions and desires.

I desperately want to understand why my heart doesn't respond to her the way it once did. Is it the passage of time, the experiences I have shared with Vivian, or something else that has shifted entirely within me?

I stand there with Megan clinging to me, my mind yearning for clarity.

"Megan, I appreciate your sincerity and your unwavering love," I confess, my voice tinged with a mix of gratitude and uncertainty. "Stop apologizing now. We are good. Now show me the light that is not working."

I avoid answering her once again.

She loosens her grip slightly, her eyes searching mine for answers.

I muster a smile.

"Do you want me to fix the light or not?" I ask again, pretending not to know what she is yearning for.

"Come with me." She sighs and leads me to her bedroom. When we enter the bedroom, she points at the bedside lamp. "It was not working."

"Okay. Let me check first." I check it and find that the bulb is not working. "The bulb needs to be changed. Do you have an extra bulb?"

"Can you check in the cabinet in the hall?" she asks as she walks into the closet.

I walk out to the hall and find a new bulb in the cabinet. When I come back into the bedroom, I see her wearing a baggy white T-shirt.

She is not wearing any bottoms other than her panties. Her erect nipples are visible since she was without her bra. Even though she looks like a seductress, I find my desire missing, which is surprising.

I don’t know. Maybe I am too tired. I just want to finish the work here and leave.

I fix the bulb, and the lamp returns to its illuminating glory.

"It’s done."

I turn to her and meet her eyes, which are burning with unspoken desire.

"It’s late now. I should leave."

"What is the hurry? The night is still young. Sit and talk to me for a while." She holds my hands, looking at me nostalgically. "We are meeting after a year. Let me cherish these moments."

Her longing to open her heart to me and reveal the depths of her feelings is too obvious to ignore. But the hour is late, and my excuses spilled forth, attempting to shield myself from the emotional complexities.

"Megan, you should rest. We can talk later."

"Have some drinks with me," she urges, "and we will relish the memories we shared in the past."

"I’d love to. But it’s late now. I have an early morning meeting to attend." I lie to escape.

"Then rest here," she says adamantly.

I chuckle. "Another time. You need rest. Sleep."

I can see the disappointment in her eyes as she nods and allows me to leave.

"Good night."

I can't ignore the pang of regret that tugs at my heartstrings as I walk out of her house. Megan deserves to be happy.

I could have stayed with her in her warm embrace, relishing our past, but I chose to leave. I don’t want to face Vivian either. So, I drive to the office.

The next day…

My mind is a whirlwind of frustration and confusion as I sit at my desk amid mountains of paperwork. I can't focus on anything. Each task feels like an insurmountable challenge, and my irritation grows with every minor issue.

I employed a bunch of fools. They don’t even know how to resolve a simple issue.

"Humph…" I still forced myself to check some files.

Just as the workday is nearing its end, there is an unexpected knock on my office door. The interruption makes me frown.

"Come in…"

A middle-aged man enters.

My frown deepens as I continue to look at him. Who is he?

"Mr. Stanley, I am Vivian Simons’ lawyer."

He hands me a stack of papers.

The divorce agreement.

My annoyance turns to fury when I read those words.

I clench my fists tightly. How dare she send me a divorce agreement?

It is my decision, my prerogative to end this marriage whenever I deem fit. I want to tear the documents to shreds and throw them into the trash can.

Since I cannot do this, I look up to say something, but he is gone.

"What? Ugh…"

I shove the documents into the drawer and leave the office.

When I reach home, I see Vivian's suitcase tucked away in the corner of the hall. It intensifies my already mounting annoyance.

I don’t know why I feel that my entire world is crumbling around me. I can’t think of Vivian going away from me. But why?

I don’t love her. It's Megan, whom I always love.

My thoughts are a tangled mess of anger, confusion, and a deep-rooted sense of loss. I wanted to end this marriage. Shouldn’t I be happy? I can't comprehend why I feel this restlessness.

"I have to figure it out," I mutter, taking out a bottle of wine from the fridge.

I sit at the table and pour myself a drink. The once cheerful house is silent now, and this silence is only adding to my inner turmoil.

She used to welcome me whenever I returned home from the office. But tonight, she didn’t come out.

Does she even know that I am home?

My frustration grows, and I cannot sit quietly any longer. I storm into the bedroom, determined to question her.

"She dares to send me the divorce papers," I mutter. "I will show her who is the boss here."

I come to a halt as I see Vivian sleeping blissfully in her pink satin nightgown, her beautiful features glowing beneath the warm light of the nightstand.

I can't deny the allure she exudes; the curve of her body is tempting me. I cannot stop watching her.

She looks attractive.

When my eyes land on the marks I left on her neck last night, I can no longer control my desires. I lean in and press my lips against her skin, relishing the taste and the warmth it ignites within me.

Hormones surge into my veins.

I lie beside her and take her into my arms, kissing her lips fervently.

Vivian stirs, her eyes fluttering open, confusion and resistance evident in her expression. But I can't restrain my own growing intensity.

"George… mm…"

I kiss her even harder, hugging her tightly.

"Stop, George. We can't do this." She tries to push me away.

"Why?" I growl, irritated.

"We are getting a divorce, remember?" she reminds me, still struggling to break free.

Her words irritate me even more.

I don’t know what to say. I don’t even know why I want her so much. My brain is not in a state to think straight. All I want at this moment is Vivian.

I want to see her surrender to me.

I smirk and say, "Well, I haven’t signed it yet. You are still my wife, and you have obligations to satisfy your husband."

I smack my lips against hers, this time more fiercely.