I was so excited to share the news of my pregnancy with my husband, Ravi. After all, building a family with him had always been my dream.
But Ravi was always busy with work. So I waited patiently for him to come home.
When he finally arrived, I approached him. The exhaustion was clearly visible on his face.
"Ravi, I have something to tell you," I said with a smile.
"Me too," he replied calmly.
Then he looked at me and said, "Ferry is pregnant."
"Really?" I asked, still smiling.
"Yes. I'm the father of the baby she's carrying."
His words froze me in place.
"Ravi... I'm pregnant too," I whispered.
He looked at me without any emotion.
"Why don't you understand? Ferry is pregnant with my child. I have to take responsibility for her and the baby."
"But I'm your wife," I replied, my voice trembling.
He sighed.
"Then choose. Divorce or the baby. I won't abandon Ferry."
My heart shattered.
I knew something he didn't. Ferry was lying. Ravi wasn't the father of her baby. But he believed her completely.
Ravi's gaze remained fixed on me, cold and unblinking. He didn't react to my pregnancy news or offer me a single word of sympathy.
Instead, he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a sleek fountain pen. He placed it on the marble kitchen island with a deliberate click.
"I'm not asking for your permission, Anu," he said, his voice smooth and terrifyingly calm. "I'm telling you how things are going to be. Ferry needs me. She's carrying my child, and I won't let her go through this alone. Our marriage has become irrelevant."
He adjusted his cufflinks, the platinum Rolex on his wrist catching the light. His expression was casual, almost bored, as though he were discussing a business deal rather than destroying his wife's happiness.
He glanced at his watch.
"I have a dinner engagement at eight tonight. I'd prefer you to make your decision before then."
He leaned against the counter, crossing his arms.
"The divorce papers are in my study. My lawyer has already prepared everything. It's clean, fair, and final. You'll receive a generous settlement. You'll never have to worry about money again. Consider it a parting gift for the time we spent together."
He picked up his glass of red wine and took a slow sip.
After thinking for a moment, I decided to sign the papers and let him go.
What was the point of holding on to a man who no longer wanted to share his life with me? Arguing with him would only waste my time.
So I went to the study, signed the papers, and handed them to him.
Ravi's eyes widened slightly when he saw my signature.
He didn't thank me. He didn't offer me a comforting touch or a word of regret. He simply took the papers from my hand.
His fingers brushed mine for a fraction of a second, but there was no emotion in that touch.
He quickly checked the pages and confirmed that I had signed in the correct places. A faint nod of satisfaction crossed his face.
"Good. I appreciate you being so pragmatic about this. It makes things much simpler for everyone involved. I thought you'd create a scene or throw a tantrum, but I'm pleased you're making the right decision."
His words hurt more than I expected.
How had I fallen in love with this man? Had I forgotten my own dignity? How could I have loved someone who couldn't even see the truth about his girlfriend?
Did he really believe that Ferry was carrying his child?
How foolish I had been.
He adjusted his tie in the mirror near the doorway. His ice-blue eyes remained cold.
"My assistant will transfer the money to your account by tomorrow morning," he said before moving towards the door.
Tomorrow morning. That was fine.
I would pack my belongings and leave after receiving the money. Why should I refuse it? He had already ruined my life.
I would use that money to give my child a wonderful life. I would raise him to become a good man, someone who would never make the same mistakes his father had made.
I would make sure my son grew up surrounded by love.
After Ravi walked towards the door, I went upstairs to my bedroom. I had been so excited to tell him about my pregnancy. Now, all that excitement had turned into stress.
I just needed to sleep.
Ravi walked away without looking back. He didn't call me or follow me upstairs. To him, everything was settled. The transaction was complete.
He returned to the kitchen and poured himself another glass of wine as though nothing had changed.
Upstairs, the hallway felt longer than usual. My legs were heavy, and every step seemed to increase the pressure in my chest.
Dizziness swirled behind my eyes. The walls seemed to tilt as I reached my bedroom.
I barely made it to the bed before collapsing, my body trembling with exhaustion.
I heard Ravi's footsteps downstairs. He collected his coat from the hallway closet, and then I heard the heavy click of the front door closing.
He had left.
He hadn't even cared enough to ask how I felt. He hadn't listened when I tried to tell him that I was carrying his child.
How pathetic I was, still hoping for a little love from him.
I laughed bitterly at myself and placed my hand on my stomach.
Why did I feel so empty?
I wanted to cry, but not a single tear came out.
I was tired.
I had believed that he would never betray me. I knew Ferry was lying about the baby's father, but Ravi believed her.
"What about you, baby?" I whispered, gently touching my stomach. "What about you? You're inside me. You're my little boy, and your father doesn't even care."
"He told me to choose between you and our marriage. How could I ever give you up? You're my world. One day, you'll become my whole world."
"I just want to keep you safe. I'm sorry I couldn't give you a father who would love you. But I promise I'll do my best to give you all the love you deserve."
As I continued speaking to my unborn child, my vision suddenly blurred.
My body grew weak, and I fainted.
A few hours later, I slowly regained consciousness.
I was still lying on the floor. Somehow, I managed to move onto the bed.
My eyes fixed on the ceiling as dim moonlight slipped through the heavy curtains.
Every breath felt heavy. The dizziness hadn't disappeared. Instead, it had settled into a dull, pulsing ache behind my temples.
My hand instinctively moved towards my stomach, my fingers pressing gently against the fabric of my shirt.
The realization of what I had signed and what I had surrendered struck me again, each thought colder than the last.
Her phone buzzed on the night stand. Notification from her bank. The statement Ravi had promised had already arrived a still. A staggering sum that felt like blood money.
She sat upslowly, her head still swimming with a lingering lightheadedness.
After receiving the message confirming the amount, I thought it was time to call my mother and inform her that I had gotten divorced.
I picked up my phone and checked it. My screen was filled with missed calls from my mother.
Of course, she had been calling me dozens of times. Just that morning, I had told her that I was pregnant. She must have been desperately waiting to hear from me.
I finally answered her call.
"Ma... Mom..."
My voice trembled as I continued.
"I got divorced, Mom. And tomorrow morning, I'll be there."
My mother was completely shocked. She couldn't even utter a single word. After a few seconds of silence, she simply hung up.
A moment later, I received a message from her.
Just come back.
That was all she said.
My mother knew how Ravi treated me. She had advised me countless times to leave him, telling me not to ruin my happiness by staying in a relationship that only brought me pain.
But I had always believed that he loved me. I kept making excuses for him and ignored my mother's advice.
And now, I had finally reached the point where I couldn't hold myself together anymore.
I sat there, thinking about my responsibilities.
I had four younger sisters and one little brother who were still in college. Two of my sisters were already working, but I still had responsibilities toward my family. I couldn't afford to break down completely. If I was going to leave Ravi, I had to prepare myself to stand on my own feet.
Without wasting any more time, I started packing my belongings.
I decided that I would leave at six the following morning.
I carefully packed only the things I had brought with me. I didn't touch anything Ravi had ever given me. I didn't want to take a single thing that belonged to him.
Once I finished packing, I placed my luggage to one side and lay down on the bed.
For the first time in a long while, I felt too exhausted to think about anything.
And soon, I drifted into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, at Anu's mother's house...
Her mother sat quietly, struggling to hold back her tears.
Somewhere deep inside, she had always known that this day would eventually come.
She remembered the way her son-in-law looked at his secretary. The affection in his eyes, the softness in his gaze, and the way he seemed to admire her.
Yet, he had never once looked at her own daughter with that same kind of love.
A painful sigh escaped her lips.
"Never mind. What's done is done. I can't change what has happened now."
She wiped away the tears gathering in her eyes and picked up her phone.
"I should call Monica and inform her. Her sister is getting divorced... I think she has already gotten divorced."
She was still unable to process everything Anu had told her. She hadn't even heard the entire conversation properly because of the shock.
"Let me inform her sisters and brother first. They need to know what's happened."
With a heavy heart, she began searching for their contact numbers.