A Divorce He Regrets

Chapter 285:

His words tightened my throat like shackles with every syllable.

“You’ve got to let him have some time to sort himself out,” he went on, his tone softer but no less resolute. “Plus, he’s got a family as well.”

His words sliced deeper than I could ever have conceived. Time. Just to give him time. I knew that he was correct. I could feel the anger burning, engulfing me, but beneath that, a numbing pain of comprehension. I could understand why Alex was angry. I should not have just disappeared without speaking to him, without telling him…

What I was doing, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of needing him—he ought to be with me right now, talking to me, assuring me everything would be fine.

I wanted to reach out, to make him understand, but there it was—my confusion and my hurt, all knotted up in silence.

Two weeks passed, then a month. It was intolerable. Time dragged on, twisted and distorted, so that everything I knew was gone. Every day that passed was a century of words left unsaid, questions left unwritten, and unspoken feelings. The sense of abandonment, of being cut off, killed me more than I ever believed possible.noveldrama

I couldn’t eat and was devastated in mood. Every evening, I ended up sobbing pitifully, my tears a helpless witness to the anguish and loneliness that became constant companions. Not a response came back to all the messages I sent him. His silence was a pall of darkness, and it deepened the void inside me.

One night, I did get up, but only to get a glass of water. I stumbled into the living room and overheard Dom and Faith laughing together. The comfortable familiarity between them was a cruel contrast to the turmoil that dominated my heart. I reflected on myself—at least their relationship was okay now. At least they had found some level of happiness.

I began to step away, my mind racing with terror and grief, when the world started spinning around me. Dizziness hit, and I had no chance to respond before being overwhelmed by darkness.

When I woke, I saw them all there—Alex as well, his hands still clutching mine. His infuriating smile and maddeningly warm face hit me like a wave. How was he able to smile so warmly after keeping me at bay for an entire month?

I yanked my hands free from his, wounded and betrayed. “Dom, what’s wrong with me?” My voice trembled with anguish and fury.

𝖀𝖕𝖑𝖔𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖉 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖌⍺𝖑𝖓Ⲟ𝗏𝖊𝗅𝘀．𝖈𝗈𝗺

Alex’s eyes softened for a moment, and he spoke in flat tones, “You had a fever, Raina. And it’s because you’re pregnant.”

His words hung there, a combination of alarm and an explanation I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear. My heart raced with mixed feelings as I tried to process his revelation. The warmth of his smile now felt inappropriate in the lingering shadow of abandonment.

ALEXANDER

A groan echoed from my chest, shattering the dragging silence in the study. How had things piled up so much in such a short time?!

The pain in my head blossomed, threatening to split my skull in half at any second, but I couldn’t put things off any longer. Not working meant thinking about Raina and how much she grated on my nerves lately. Yeah, working was a better alternative.

Being apart from her was torture. The ever-present ache in my chest was the constant reminder that despite everything, I still wanted to be with her. But hanging around and ‘choking her’ with attention seemed to do the exact opposite. I had to give her space. She needed it if she was ever to miss me, to realize she had feelings for me too—maybe not as much as she had in the past, but at least a little. That was better than nothing. I could work with a little, heck, I could work with anything she was willing to give.

I sighed, the heavy weight on my chest never lifting, as I added the folder I held to the dwarfed pile of finished paperwork. The past few weeks had been hell for the company. In my absence, we’d lost shareholders, deals were withdrawn from the agreement table, staff had gone haywire, and some even had the audacity to doctor the books. Everyone responsible had received a termination letter, and of course, I filed lawsuits against each and every one of them. But still, I had to clear up their mess before I could schedule another meeting with the shareholders. Dealing with them too came with a lot of additional conditions. Thankfully, I was able to sway a few from drastic changes, but others were unwilling. Sad, yes, but at least it was starting to look like the company I left behind.

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