Chapter 5

Fiona sat in the cold, sterile office, her mind swirling in confusion. The ticking of the clock on the wall felt like a countdown to an inevitable fate, yet she still wasn't sure what that fate would be. Her hands trembled slightly, and her heart raced, but her face remained expressionless. She had spent countless nights tossing and turning, wondering how her life had reached this point. Now, here she was, sitting in front of a lawyer, inches away from making one of the biggest decisions of her life.

The lawyer cleared his throat, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Mrs. Fiona," he said gently but firmly, "are you truly prepared to go through with the divorce, or would you like more time to think about it?"

Fiona didn't answer. She stared blankly ahead, her mind a battlefield of emotions. She had thought she'd have more clarity by now, but she didn't. The words felt too heavy to speak, as though saying them would make the reality of her situation too concrete to escape. Everything around her was a blur—the people in the room, the paperwork on the table, even the weight of her own decision. How did it all come to this?

Her friend Maya, who had been sitting next to her for support, leaned forward and gently placed a hand on Fiona's arm.

"Fiona, he's right," Maya said softly. "Do you want to take more time to think about this? You don't have to rush into anything. If you're not ready to give the divorce, then it's okay to say no."

Fiona turned to look at Maya, her eyes filled with unshed tears. The words of comfort were not enough to ease the turmoil inside her, and still, she couldn't bring herself to speak. She had always thought divorce was something that happened to other people—something distant, like a bad dream. Yet, here she was, standing on the precipice of losing everything she thought she knew about love, marriage, and her own future.

On the other side of the room, Daniel, her husband, sat with his head in his hands. His mind was racing as he tried to make sense of the situation. He kept replaying moments from their life together, trying to find the point where things had gone wrong, but nothing made sense. In his mind, they had built a life together, shared dreams and hopes. How could it all be crumbling now?

He wanted to reach out to her, to tell her everything that had been left unsaid. "Fiona, don't do this," he thought. "Don't say yes. Please. I've fought so hard to be with you. You don't know how much you mean to me. If you leave me, I won't survive."

Fiona could feel the weight of Daniel's unspoken pleas, even though he didn't utter a single word. His silence, though heavy, was filled with the kind of desperation she had always feared. But no matter how much she tried, she couldn't make sense of her own feelings. Her mind was blank, and the more she tried to think clearly, the more she felt like she was spiraling out of control. It was like standing at the edge of a cliff, unsure of whether to jump or to turn back.

Deep down, Fiona knew the reasons for her decision. But they were complicated, layered with hurt, betrayal, and the disillusionment of love. And yet, she couldn't explain it to Daniel in a way that he would understand. There were things she had seen, moments she couldn't forget, that had pushed her to this point. And still, part of her wanted to believe in the love they once shared, to cling to the idea that maybe, just maybe, things could be different. But her pride—her deep-seated stubbornness—held her back.

Finally, breaking the silence, Fiona spoke. Her voice was small, almost fragile, but it carried the weight of her decision.

"Yes," she said, her voice wavering slightly, "I will give the divorce."

The room fell silent, the words hanging in the air like a final verdict. Daniel's eyes widened in shock, his heart sinking as he realized what was happening. He had hoped, even prayed, that she would change her mind. He had been so sure that she couldn't go through with it, that their love was too strong to be broken. But now, those hopes shattered in front of him.

Daniel opened his mouth to say something, but Fiona cut him off before he could speak. She couldn't bear to hear him right now, not when her heart was already breaking into a million pieces.

The lawyer, sensing the tension in the room, nodded solemnly and slid the divorce papers in front of Fiona. "Mrs. Fiona, please sign here."

Fiona picked up the pen, her hand trembling slightly as she stared at the papers in front of her. The finality of it all hit her in that moment. Once she signed, there would be no turning back. She paused, her mind racing once more, wondering if she was making the biggest mistake of her life. But then, with a deep breath, she pushed aside her doubts and signed her name.

As soon as the ink touched the paper, a flood of emotions washed over her. Tears welled up in her eyes, and before she knew it, she was crying. Quiet sobs escaped her as she tried to hold herself together. It felt like a part of her was dying—a part she would never get back.

The lawyer turned to Daniel, who sat frozen in disbelief. He had watched the entire scene unfold in slow motion, unable to comprehend that the woman he loved had just signed their marriage away.

"Mr. Daniel, it's your turn. Please sign here."

Daniel's hand hovered over the paper, his gaze fixed on Fiona. He couldn't believe it—couldn't understand how they had reached this point. "Fiona," he thought bitterly, "am I really that terrible in your eyes? Have I become so bad that you had to give me a divorce? You didn't even stop to think about me. What happened to us? What did you see that was so awful that you're willing to throw everything away?"

But no words came out. Daniel's pain was too deep, too raw to express. Slowly, with shaking hands, he took the pen and signed his name. He felt as if he had no choice—there was nothing left for him to do. The moment the pen lifted from the paper, he felt the weight of their shared history fall away. Their life together, their dreams, everything was now officially over.

The lawyer gathered the papers and announced the inevitable. "You both have signed, and there are witnesses. From this moment on, your marriage is legally dissolved. You are no longer husband and wife."

The words felt like a hammer to Daniel's chest. His vision blurred with unshed tears, but he stayed silent. There was nothing more to say, nothing that could change what had just happened.

Fiona's parents stood nearby, waiting to leave. Her father looked solemn, and her mother's face was lined with concern. Fiona turned to Mrs. Isabella, Daniel's mother, her voice soft and broken.

"I don't think I'll be able to call you 'mother' anymore."

Mrs. Isabella's eyes softened. "You were my daughter, Fiona. I always treated you like my own, not just a daughter-in-law. You can still call me 'mother' if you want."

Fiona smiled faintly through her tears. "Take care of yourself. Eat on time, and make sure you take your medicines."

Mrs. Isabella nodded. "You take care of yourself too, dear."

Fiona turned to her father. "Father, you too. Take care of yourself. This might be goodbye. I may never see any of you again."

With that, Fiona glanced at Daniel one last time before walking out of the office. She didn't say goodbye to him, and she didn't give him a chance to say anything to her. It was easier this way, even though it tore her apart inside.

As the door closed behind her, Daniel's heart ached with a pain so intense it left him breathless. "Fiona, how could you leave me like this?" he thought bitterly. "How could you lose faith in me so easily ?"

Fiona climbed into the car with her parents, the weight of her decision pressing down on her. The silence between them was deafening, but no one had the strength to speak. They drove away, leaving behind the broken pieces of a once-beautiful love.

Back inside, Daniel and his parents quietly made their way home, the emptiness of the day sinking in.

Nothing would ever be the same again.