Chapter 1: Shattered Vows

**Chapter 1**

11:30 P.M.

As the clock ticked towards midnight, Jenna anxiously awaited her husband, Vincent, to return home for their anniversary dinner. She had meticulously prepared a candlelit dinner to celebrate their five years of marriage. Yet, as the minutes passed, there was no sign of him, despite promising to be back by 9.

Frustration crept in as Jenna put their son to bed, making sure to shield him from the disappointment of his father's absence. She dialed Vincent's number, and after a few rings, he picked up with an agitated tone.

"Vincent, when are you coming home?" she questioned, her voice masking the hurt.

"Huh? Uh..."

The pause lingered, a disconcerting echo of uncertainty. Jenna's heart sank; she sensed something wasn't right.

"You're breaking our son's heart, Vincent. He was looking forward to celebrating with his dad," she pleaded, holding back tears.

"Look, Jenna, I'm caught up. Just buy him something nice. I'll make it up to him later," Vincent retorted, his words cutting through Jenna's hopes like a sharp blade.

"You can't keep doing this, Vincent. Our family deserves better," she whispered, the weight of realization settling in.

The call ended abruptly, leaving Jenna staring at her phone, grappling with a decision she never thought she'd have to make. As she fought back tears, she glanced at the divorce papers lying on the table, a haunting reminder of the growing chasm in their marriage.

She couldn't endure the pain any longer. Jenna took a deep breath, wiped away a tear, and with a trembling hand, she signed the divorce papers with her maiden name – Jenna Anderson.

Vincent returned home late, his head pounding as he stumbled out of the car. The night before had been a blur, a reckless escapade with Maya—his longtime secret friend and confidante. Thoughts of his wife, Jenna, and their five years together crossed his mind, but he dismissed them with a shake of his head, blaming it on the alcohol.

"Just leave her, Vince. You're not happy. Look at you; you can't even remember the last time you laughed with her," Maya insisted, a touch of frustration in her voice.

"She's a good woman, Maya.She just changed after having our son," Vincent mumbled, an odd sense of loyalty still lingering.

"If it's about domestic chores, hire help. You can't live a life of constant dissatisfaction," Maya scoffed, her patience wearing thin. "I've known you for years; I've seen the joy in your eyes fade away."

Vincent remained silent, seemingly unaffected, much to Maya's annoyance.

"Fine, I'm out! I won't be your secret forever. I want commitment, Vince. And get me a diamond ring!" Maya declared, storming out, leaving Vincent standing on the balcony, contemplating the mess he'd made.

Parking his car haphazardly in the garage, Vincent felt a pang of guilt for missing their anniversary. He was so caught up in the moment with Maya that everything else became irrelevant.

Opening the door to the living room, Vincent's eyes met Jenna's gaze, a mix of disappointment and frustration evident.

"Welcome home," Jenna greeted with a cold tone. "Surprised you found your way back. It's well past midnight, by the way."

Vincent held his head, still dizzy from the night's indulgence, "Where's our son? I'll take him out tomorrow."

"He's with my parents," Jenna replied, her tone unforgiving. "You missed his birthday celebration. I didn't want him to be disappointed."

Vincent frowned, "Why'd you do that? I missed one day!"

"One day?" Jenna glared at him. "Vincent, do you realize you've been absent for months? I can count on my fingers how many times you've been home in the past three months! If you're so infatuated with your secret friend, just go!"

"Enough, Jenna. I don't have time for this. I came home to be with our son, not listen to your constant nagging," Vincent snapped, irritated. This wasn't how he intended to spend his day after the night's revelry.

"Exhausted?" Jenna bit her lip, her fists clenched. Ready for a confrontation, she handed Vincent the divorce papers.

"What's this?" he asked, still trying to shake off the dizziness.

"I'm making you exhausted? Fine, let this be your remedy," Jenna declared. "It's a divorce paper. I've filled in my part and signed it. Do your part, or should I call your secret friend to assist you? Seems like you're drunk as a skunk."

Vincent stood in stunned silence, the weight of Jenna's words sinking in. The dimly lit living room felt like a battleground, and the divorce papers in his hand became a symbol of the crumbling foundation of his marriage.

"You can't be serious," he finally managed to utter, his voice laced with a mix of disbelief and desperation.

Jenna's gaze remained unwavering. "I'm dead serious, Vincent. I can't keep pretending everything is okay when you're not even present in our lives."

His mind raced, torn between the years of history with Jenna and the allure of a newfound freedom he thought he craved. The anniversary he had dismissed now loomed over him as a stark reminder of what was slipping away.

"You think signing a piece of paper is going to fix everything?" Vincent's frustration bubbled to the surface. "We have a son, Jenna. We can work through this."

Jenna sighed, a weariness settling in. "Vincent, I've waited too long for you to change, but it's always the same cycle. I can't do this anymore."

With those words, she turned away, leaving Vincent to grapple with the reality that his actions had pushed his marriage to the brink.

Days turned into weeks as Vincent found himself in a emotional turmoil. The realization that he might lose not only his wife but also his son shook him to the core.

In a desperate attempt to salvage what remained, Vincent reached out to Jenna, proposing counseling and promising change. But Jenna, bruised by years of unfulfilled promises, hesitated.

As the tension between them heightened, Vincent faced the daunting choice: confront the flaws in himself and his marriage or risk losing everything he held dear.

Maya's departure and Jenna's ultimatum lingered, intertwining in a complex dance that would determine the fate of Vincent's family.

*To be continued...*