Seven Years of Love Gone Down the Drain

Married for seven years, I carried Caelan Draven for ten long months.

As the production neared, his first love posted a photo of them on social media. They hugged tightly, a baby pacifier between them, with the caption, [Looking forward to the arrival of new life!]

I was fuming and could hardly wait to give birth.

On the brink of collapse, his frown was unmistakable when I called to ask where he was.

"Thalia, must you not cause any trouble at the moment? Selene is in the hospital and needs my help!"

****

The call ended abruptly.

As soon as I lay in the hospital bed, I stared at the wedding ring on my finger, a symbol of love now feeling like a cruel joke.

Thankfully, the last trace of him had also vanished.

I opened Caelan's chat, typed “Let’s get a divorce,” sent it and then wiped all his contact details from my phone.

Right after, I walked down the street, watching the loving couples around me, feeling confused.

When I promised Caelan I would tie the knot with him, I believed he was mine forever.

Yet, we had gone from joy to disdain in seven short years.

I had changed far too much in these years just to adjust to him.

Caelan, as the CEO of his company, expected me, his wife, to handle all the household chores. I gave up my lucrative job at a prestigious firm and quit my career to focus on being a housewife.

Like Caelan always said, women shouldn’t place too much value on material things. That's why I avoided cosmetics and never asked for gifts on holidays.

He claimed he was too busy, so I spent birthdays and anniversaries alone. And I hadn't made it a big deal.

It wasn’t until his first love came into the picture that I realized his requests were driven by someone else living in his heart.

Selene Lockhart, his first love, wanted to be his secretary and he not only agreed immediately but also lauded her ambition.

He meticulously selected gifts for every Valentine’s Day and anniversary, personally presenting them to her.

He spent most of his time wrapped up in Selene's world.

Meanwhile, as a full-time housewife, I endured the years; my patience stretched thin.

To Caelan, Selene was nothing short of an angel. He could do everything for her without a second thought.

Married for seven years, I had lost count of how many arguments we’d had over Selene.

I would become hysterical while he watched with cold detachment before finally snapping in frustration.

"Selene and I have been childhood sweethearts," he said, exasperated. "I’ve cared for her since she was young and treated her like a younger sister. Thalia, are you jealous? Are you throwing a tantrum?"

I stared silently at the couple’s watches on their wrists, feeling the weight of his words.

With just a few words, he saw me as a confident wife and into a jealous woman.

He didn’t even realize that his actions seemed like cheating to others.

At home, I stared at the things I’d bought to celebrate my pregnancy. The sight made me feel sick, so I threw them all in the trash.

After experiencing a miscarriage, my body had grown frail. Even the slightest movement left my legs shaky, forcing me to sink slowly onto the sofa before I could gather the strength to stand.

A key turning in the lock echoed from outside in the next few minutes.

And in one blink, Caelan walked in with Selene by his side.

Surprise flickered in his eyes the moment he saw me and he quickly let go of her hand.

"Didn't you say you’d be hospitalized for a while? Why are you back so soon?"

Caelan still recalled when I’d gone to the hospital a few days ago for a check-up, but he had no idea it was because I had miscarried.

A wave of heartache hit me, tightening my chest and making my body ache. I took a sip of water, keeping my expression composed.

Caelan assumed I was about to start another argument and quickly shielded Selene behind him, speaking in a rush.

"Thalia, don’t misunderstand. Selene hasn’t been feeling well. The doctor suggested an observation, so I brought her back,” Caelan explained.

He added, "You know it’s been less than six months since her last heart bypass and she’s already had two. If no one is with her, she could leave this world!”

I set the cup on the table and pulled out the divorce agreement I had prepared earlier.

Sighing, I declared, "Caelan, your affairs no longer concern me. This is the divorce agreement; please sign it.”