Preface

Los Angeles City, 2021

"All done!" Hannah said excitedly setting the table done.

With a proud smile, Hannah placed the last dish on the table and looked at the clock.

It was almost 8, but her husband would be home by 7. This made her worried, but she thought may be he would be a little late because of his work. She waited for him patiently as her gaze wondered to the beautiful portraits of them.

She decided to wait for another 10 minutes and went to their shared bedroom. She put on a simple dress, brushed her hair, and put on lip balm. As she moved towards the bed, she saw a brown envelope placed on it.

She remembered that it wasn't there when she cleaned the room in the afternoon. Her brows furrowed. "It means Aaron has come." She walked towards it and held it before looking at the other side, where her name, Hannah Mathew, was written on it.

"It is for me?" She questioned herself and thought to open it right away.

She tore it open and saw a white sheet of paper. Her eyes scanned the words written. The message inside made her heart skip a beat, and she couldn't believe what she was reading.

She tried to read the context that was written on it, and the next moment, the paper fell to the ground with her tumbling hands.

She sat down on the bed, feeling a mix of emotions: shock, confusion, and anger. This letter was about to change everything.

A deep frown was placed on her forehead as she tried to imagine what kind of prank it was. She clearly remembered that it wasn't April fool day. Then, what did it mean?

She looked down at the fallen paper. On the paper were written two large words in bold font: "Divorce Agreement." It was from the court, and her husband was the one who filled out the case. Not just that, but there was already the signature of her husband.

She couldn't believe that her husband would ever do this. Without any explanation or announcement, he filed for divorce. What was so hard for him that he couldn't stay with her for another year?

"That's not possible." She breathed.

"What's the reason? Is.. is.." Tears fell from her eyes as she dropped herself on her knees. "There's a girl? You.... Cheated!" She cried out aloud , feeling betrayed and hurt.

Hannah lowered her eyes to hide the sadness in them from herself. Then she smiled faintly and gently took the divorce agreement. No matter how well she pretended, her trembling hands still betrayed her.

She heard some noises from doors on the rooftop shutting and opening. It means that he was here. He had been present in the house but didn't have the confidence to face her. Couldn't even stand in front of her and give her divorce.

"Huh, pathetic!" She snorted. Hannah wiped the tears away and walked out of the room. Her legs were trembling with each step she took towards the stairs. She had never noticed how huge their house was. The path seemed too long for her, as it didn't come to an end.

Finally, she stopped in front of the rooftop gate and saw Aaron, her husband, sitting on the floor. His back tall and slick looking depressed. Before, she could take a step out, the rain started purring down on him. She noticed how he didn't even flinch at the droplet of rain.

She took deep breaths and went towards him with a heavy heart.

The loud thunderstorm, while the floor was completely washed off by the strong rain as well. The clouds were slowly moving, making the sky even darker. Looking forward into his eyes as if he still held a special place in her heart, she softly called him.

"Aa...ron.."

Silence what she heard: the heartbeat in her heart and the sounds of droplets.

The tension between them was palpable, and she wondered if he still felt the same way she did. The rain continued to pour down, but it was as if they were in their own little bubble, oblivious to everything else around them.

She held her breath, waiting for him to say something, anything. But he remained silent, and she felt her heart sink. Had she made a mistake in coming here? Was it too late to fix things between them? She couldn't help but wonder what.

Her angelic eyes, which could write entire books of hurt, held his attention without letting it go. Knowing that the person you love will let you go won't deter you from leaving their life for good.

She was experiencing pain at the time, but she knew she had to face it. She had to confront him and let him know how she felt. She had to release the pain and move on. As she stood there in the midst of the storm, she felt a sense of strength and courage. She knew that she could overcome this and come out stronger. And with that thought, she took another deep breath and spoke her truth.

He knew her so well that he decided to make decisions about their lives on his own.

"Why?" She muttered. He frowned as if he hadn't just signed the papers. As if he hadn't decided to let her go, as if she were just a piece of tissue paper he used and threw away.

"Didn't you love me?" Hannah asked, while trying hard not to break her voice and keeping it stable.

There's something in her eyes that he saw for the first time: regret. It was painful regret that he saw in her eyes for a moment, and then it was gone, and all he saw were tears and water on her face. Her face in the rain looked alluring. Wasn't she his? Then why was he letting her go?

"What about all the time we spend? What about the promises you made? What about those confessions you were never tired of telling me? Were they meant for nothing?" She was asking for facts right now.

He stood there, stunned by her outburst. He had never intended to hurt her, but now he saw the pain he had caused. He reached out to her, but she pulled away, shaking her head.

"I trusted you," she whispered, "and now everything feels like a lie." He knew there was nothing he could say to make it better, but he had to try.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I never meant to hurt you." She looked up at him, tears still falling down her face.

"I don't know if I can forgive you," she said, her voice trembling.

Aaron felt a knot form in his stomach, realizing the gravity of his mistake. He knew he would have to work hard to regain her trust, but he was willing to do whatever it took. He took a step closer to her, hoping she would let him in. They stood there in silence, both unsure of what the future held, but knowing they would have to face it together.

The sudden loss of eye contact made him realise what he was doing. He clutched his hand at his side. She felt frustrated as he wasn't speaking or saying anything.

"What was that? If you were already intending to do this with me." She asked slowly, her breath heavy.

"Why did you make me fall in love with you?" She shouted at him. Hannah was now crying badly, her cheeks red with the tears streaming down her face.

"Everything is a mess! You. Me. This relationship. Your promises. Everything!" Hannah expressed her frustration and disappointment with the state of their relationship and the broken promises made by her partner, her husband, and her friend.

"You know what? Hannah always belongs to Aaron, but Aaron never belongs to Hannah!" Aaron felt his heart break into pieces while watching her die like that. 

The wedding events started to play in her mind, making her feel like crying even harder. The dreams looked shuttered in front of her, and she couldn't do anything.

"Why... Aaron?" She called him by his name; likewise, she used to call him babe all the time. He threw the cigarette away that she hadn't noticed when she came here. "You were smoking? Why? You never smoked before." 

She stood there in shock, staring at him in disbelief. The only noise in her ears was the sound of her heart breaking as tears streamed down her face. 

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice trembling with emotion. 

Her husband let out a heavy sigh and threw his cigarette away. Hannah noticed the burning smell of tobacco and wondered when he had started smoking again. 

"You don't know me," her husband said, his voice cold and emotionless. "You don't know anything about me. You. Are. Just. My wife, and now I let you go." 

Hannah felt an unbearable pain in her chest. She wanted to beg him to stay, tell him that she loved him and that she was sorry for whatever it was that she had done wrong. But she knew it was useless. He had already made up his mind. 

She held back her tears and said, "How could you leave me like this? You promised you would never leave me." 

"Promises are meant to be broken." His voice held no ounce of emotion. He sighed as he thought he had to make her realise how far he had come and said, "Hannah, it's not that simple. And it's not because I want to; it's because it's the right thing to do." 

"But how can you say that after all we've been through? When were we in love the way we were?" 

"I know it's hard for you to understand, but I can't stay. It's not about love anymore; it's about finding what's best for us both. Aren't we were getting married to get the nationality. We're still young and have so much ahead of us. I'm doing this because I care about you and want to make sure that you have a bright future. I care about you, but I can't continue this marriage. It's not working out." 

"What are you talking about? You're lying! You didn't play all this love affair with me." Hannah looked at him, "Is there someone else? Tell me the truth!" She punched him in the chest as she blurted out the question. 

Aaron held her wrists and tried to free himself. Her touch was his weakness, and he wanted to stay away from her. The situation between them seemed to be tense and filled with mistrust. The woman was accusing her man of lying and being unfaithful while he was trying to distance himself from her. The physical interaction between them suggests a level of intensity and emotion in their exchange, but still, does he want to divorce her? 

The fair-skinned and handsome Aaron became horrified, but soon he turned arrogant, as if she had said something wrong. 

"I understand that this may be difficult for you to hear, but it is the truth. I am not lying, and there is no one else. I still care about you and want to ensure that you have a bright future, but we need to move forward separately." 

Hannah couldn't believe that he had been leading her on all this time, only to break her heart in the end.

"I am sorry, I will give you alimony." He declared that and looked away. 

Hannah bitterly laughed and responded, "I don't want money, Mr. Ex."

Hannah realised that there was nothing left to say or do and turned around to leave. She knew that it was time to move on and start healing from this painful experience. 

She didn't stay there for another minute, as she left the rooftop. She bolted away from there at a speed that had maids wondering who had zoomed out so quickly, with only the evidence of water drops on the floor. 

As she ran towards her room, her heart pounded in her chest, and tears streamed down her face. She couldn't believe what had just happened to her. How could someone be so cruel? She felt violated and ashamed. But as she continued to run, she started to feel a sense of empowerment. She was taking control of the situation by removing herself from it. She was no longer going to be a victim. 

She made a vow to herself that she would never let anyone treat her that way again. If it were possible, she would make him consume the medication that he was unable to consume because he was only inflicting pain on her. 

With a dazed look, she was staring at the papers in her wet hands. Taking a deep breath, she signed them to make him free from her. She was never going to forgive him. 

She promised herself that she would get revenge on him, no matter what it took. She will make him pay for what he has done to her and make sure he never hurts anyone else ever again. She will bide her time and plan carefully, but make no mistake—he will pay for what he has done to her.

She had everything she needed for her travels back to New York, including her passport, money, and important documents. She felt a sense of relief, knowing that she had everything she needed and could leave the city as soon as possible. 

Hannah walked briskly through the rain, her clothes soaking through and sticking to her skin. She felt a sense of urgency to get back to the safety of her hotel room. 

She kept her head down, avoiding eye contact with anyone she passed on the street. Her mind was still reeling from the encounter with her attacker, but she was determined to stay strong. 

The rain was coming down harder now, and Hannah pulled her hood up over her head. She quickened her pace, her heart pounding in her chest. Finally, she reached the entrance to her hotel and rushed inside.

Once inside her room, her phone started ringing continuously. She was hesitant for a moment, but she picked up and brought her phone close to her ear. She heard the soft voice of someone she loved a lot. Her first cousin and sister. 

"Hello, Han?" Hannah started crying after hearing her. "Hannah, what happened? Why are you crying? Is everything alright there? You are making me worried now." Worry could be heard in Marriane's voice as she spoke.

"Maa..ri.. he left.. me. What should I do now? How can I stay away from.. him?" Hannah's voice was shaky as she didn't try to hold back her tears and let them out. It was clear that she was heartbroken and struggling to cope with the situation. 

Marianne felt her own heart ache for her sisters and wished she could do something to ease her pain. "I'm so sorry, Hannah, but I don't understand. What do you mean Aaron left you? Where does he go?"

There was complete silence from both sides. Marriane was waiting for her to speck while Hannah's mind wondered at the rooftop incident, and she broke down again. "We.. divorced."

"What?" She shouted in disbelief. They have been in love for two years and got married. Both were rushing to start a new life early, but what happened now? Of course, she couldn't ask all these questions on her mobile and didn't want Hannah to go through the pain. 

"I am going to book a ticket for you. You are going to come back, and then we will talk about it. In that time, if you cry thinking about him, I swear to God, I will come there and beat the shit out of him, and you will not stop me!"

Marriane stopped, took a breath, and added, "You don't have to go through this alone. I'm here for you, and we'll get through this together," she said in a comforting tone. 

"Okay." She heard Hannah's low voice and got confused. She was expecting her to say no and that she was going to live there on her own again, like how stubborn she was before. But now she understood how heartbroken her sister was. 

Meanwhile, on the rooftop, Aaron was sitting on the floor now. He took off his coat and threw it on the floor. His suit was ruined in the rain.

Taking the alcohol bottles from the ground, he dropped them on the floor one by one. The noise of the bottle echoed somewhere as his senses worked better than before. 

Holding a piece of broken glass, he stared at it, contemplating his actions and the consequences of his behaviour. He brought it near his arm and slowly but painfully cut his arm without folding his sleeves up.

As the panic attack took hold of him, Aaron felt a surge of pain and helplessness. He couldn't control his actions anymore, and before he knew it, he had hurt himself. The blood trickling down his arm was a reminder of the chaos inside his mind. 

He couldn't believe what had just happened. He had lost control of his temper, and now he had lost the woman he loved. Aaron knew he needed to make things right, but he didn't know how. 

As he sat there, feeling defeated, he realised that he needed to work on himself before he could ever hope to have a healthy relationship with anyone. Aaron made a vow to himself that he would seek help and learn to control his anger. 

He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he was determined to make a change and become a better person. He hoped that one day he would be able to earn back the trust and love of the woman he had lost, but for now, he needed to focus on his own healing and growth.