DEAR EX HUSBAND, YOU LOVED ME TOO LATE

ANIKA'S POV

One week.

That was how long I stayed in the hospital. There were no visits, no calls, not even a message to check up on me.

I had devoted 4 years into this marriage, poured all my love, my time, and my affection, and in the end, I had come to terms with the fact that the person that I loved the most would never even see my value.

He was occupied with my own sister.

Honestly, I thought I would have felt terrible, more miserable, or even cry some more, but instead, I felt this peaceful emptiness. It was like I had finally just accepted the truth that had been inside of me for years, and now I was finally free.

When I was finally discharged, there was no one there to pick me up, not like I had any expectations. I booked an Uber to take me back home.

The house was empty, untouched, like Simon had not stepped in here for the entire week that I was away, probably spent the entire time with Bree.

I waited for the hurt, waited for the pang of betrayal to pierce my heart, but that feeling of emptiness was still there.

Simon now felt like a stranger to me.

"Madam, you're back."

Martha rushed up to me and engulfed me in a hug. She was the head maid and probably the closest thing to a friend that I had in here.

"How is the baby?" she asked worriedly, and tears welled up in my eyes again.

"I'm so sorry," she said and hugged me tighter.

I allowed her to hold me for a few more minutes, just basking in the warmth before I finally pulled away, wiping my tears.

"Has Simon been home recently?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer to all of that. She shook her head. "No, Madam." I simply nodded my head.

When I got to my room, I began feeling disgust... In the earlier stages of our marriage, I had insisted that our wedding portrait be left in my room. A large picture of him and me on the day we got married, hanging over my bed.

We looked so happy, although now, as I took a closer look at it, I realized that it was only me that was happy.

I treasured it so much, and for years, I had made sure that there was not a single speck of dust on it.... Now, I could not even bear to look at it.

"Martha!" I called out, and she hurried over. "Yes, Madam?"

I pointed to the portrait. "Get rid of it," I said.

Her eyes widened. "But, Madam, you love this portrait," she said.

I gave her a pointed look. "I said throw it away."

She nodded. "Yes, Madam."

And with that, she called the men, and they quickly brought it down. I stared at the empty space where the picture used to be, and I felt nothing.

Later that evening, I was in the living room sipping some chamomile tea while watching some cheesy telenovelas that I could not even tell you the name of when the front door opened, and Simon walked in.

Before, I would be waiting for him at the front door to take his bags and make sure he got changed into comfortable slippers that I had pre-warmed, but now, I did not even look in his direction, just continued watching the movie.

I heard his footsteps walking over to me. "Anika."

"What?"

When I looked up at him, his brows were scrunched up in a mixture of anger and confusion. "I heard you were back, so why were you not waiting for me with warm slippers?"

I stared blankly up at him.

In all the time I had been doing that, he never appreciated it, sometimes he even called me annoying, and now he dared ask me that?

I shrugged. "I won't be doing that for you anymore, Simon," I said simply.

He ran a hand through his hair. "I know you are mad that I did not visit you in the hospital, but I was busy... no need to throw a tantrum," he said.

"Believe what you want," I said.

He looked even more puzzled. Before, I would have apologized, begged, looked for a way to appease him, but now I just did not care.

"What has gotten into you, Anika?" he asked.

I stood up. "If you have nothing more to say, then I am going to my room now."

"Wait." He held my arm before I walked away, and I snatched my hands from him. Then he heaved a sigh and brought out a bracelet from his pocket. "Here, so stop being angry."

The bracelet was cheap, the paint was already chipping off.

A dry laugh came out of my throat. "Is this what you think of me?" I threw the bracelet to the ground. "You're pathetic."

His eyes turned angry. "You ungrateful bitch—"

His phone rang immediately, cutting him off.

It was Bree.

I could see the way his gaze softened once he took her call, a smile settled its way on his face like she could just lighten up his mood with one phone call.

That used to be me.

"Hi, how are you?" he asked immediately.

Her voice was annoyingly loud at the other end. "Thank you so much for the jade bracelet, Simon. It's beautiful."

"I already told you, I will get you anything you want, no need to thank me," he said.

"Umm... I hope Anika takes the freebie and forgives me," her voice was sickeningly sweet.

I scoffed and folded my hands.

He seriously wanted to give me Bree's remains as a gift. He could not even so much as put some thought into his so-called apology gift, just passed me scraps like I was a dog.

I wasn't hurt, not in the slightest. I was fucking livid.

How could he humiliate me like this?

"I will call you soon, okay, Bree. Just take care of yourself before you get sick," he said softly and hung up. He turned to me with a guilty expression. "Anika, it's not.... It was—"

I folded my arms, my face hard and my mind already made up.

"Let's get a divorce."