8.

“Who is she?”

The woman trembled in anger.

The man merely glanced her way as he took off his jacket. He had come home late (yet again.)

“What is it now?”

He clearly wasn’t looking forward to the fight his wife was instigating.

The said woman held a white shirt in her hand (his shirt) and pointed at the traces of lipstick that decorated its collar. The man sighed.

“You weren’t out working were you?”

Tears threatened to fall from her hazel orbs, although she knew the answer, she dreaded hearing it from him.

“No,” his tone was harsh, his face devoid of any emotion whatsoever.

Did he even care? No. No he didn’t.

She knew it had been happening for a while. She knew yet she chose to keep quiet, why? Because she loved him (because she loves him.) And for that she’s willing to get hurt, to go through hell just so that she could keep their relationship going, just so that she could keep him by her side, just so that she wouldn’t lose him.

Losing him was the last thing she wanted. The very last thing.

She didn’t know what she did wrong or when he stopped loving her. She didn’t.

He had promised her forever but she should have known that such promise was only valid in fairytales. And this was no fairytale. This was real life. And in real life love does not last and happy endings are a mere luxury most people cannot afford.

Her husband’s new-found coldness, his lack of care and affection, his detachment and his constant disappearances were suffocating. They were suffocating beyond words, beyond reason.

She loved him, oh how she loved him, but a person can only take so much. She had stayed with him because she loved him (because she loves him.) She put up with the heartache for her (their) daughter. She stayed, hoping that he’ll come back to her (to them), hoping that this was nothing more than a faze he was going through. One, that would soon pass and when it did, things would magically go back to the way they used to be (Oh, how wrong was she) but they never did, things only got worse, so much worse.

Their relationship was ending or maybe it had ended a long time ago.

She tried her best to prevent it from going in flames. She tried her best to keep them together. She tried, oh how she tried. But her efforts weren’t enough, they weren’t, they never were.

After all, it takes two people to make or break a relationship. One party cannot prevent it from ending, not by themselves at least, the other party should be as involved, they should also want to save it as much as the first one does. If not, then don’t even bother saving it. Don’t. Its ending is inevitable. It’s inevitable.

“Since when?”

She was afraid of the answer, why? Because that’s when her suspicions would become a reality. That’s when their relationship (if it can be even called as such) would officially end, leaving her all heart-broken and alone.

“A few months now,”

His wife weakly nodded her head.

“Why?”

She needed to know. She wanted to know his reason.

His gaze was devoid of the care he usually has for her.

“It’s because I don’t love you anymore,”

She gulped. Was her heart bleeding? (It felt like it was)

“I’m sorry,”

He didn’t mean it.

“I want a divorce,”

She couldn’t take it anymore. She needed a way out and that was it. There was no backing-down right now. This was it –the end.

The man nodded his head in agreement. His lack of objection stung her. Their daughter came to mind, how will she be able to deal with all of this, she was still so young, so innocent. As if he was reading her mind he said, “You can have full custody,”

Her eyes widen at his nonchalance, “she’s your daughter too. Don’t you at least want to fight for her?”

He simply chuckled, “I don’t want anything to do with her or with you,”

Rage bubbled her insides, “Get out! Get the out and don’t you dare show your face in front of me ever again!”

The man took his jacket and walked out of the room.

He was a few meters away from the door when a tiny hand grabbed onto his pants, preventing him from taking another step. The nine year old had overheard her parents’ conversation, tears were cascading down her rosy cheeks, “Dad don’t leave,”