When Love Fades Away Like Fireworks

I sat in the living room, staring blankly at my phone, scrolling through Eve’s Instagram post for what felt like an eternity.

The screen seemed to blur as my eyes ached and my nose tingled with the onset of tears.

Perhaps, from the beginning, only Juan had ever truly met all of Eve’s preferences in a man. They were childhood sweethearts, after all. She had once poured her love for Juan into three thick notebooks, recording every emotion, every shared moment with him.

But things changed when her father’s company collapsed due to poor management. The bankruptcy hit hard, and in the aftermath, her father tragically took his own life by jumping from the company building.

So, the Harrison family opposed their relationship.

At the age of twenty, Eve made the tough decision to drop out of school. Desperate to earn money, she took on all kinds of jobs, such as modeling, washing dishes at restaurants and even working as a hostess at a bar.

These places were a mix of good and bad, filled with people of all kinds and with her striking looks, Eve quickly caught the wrong kind of attention.

It was one of those days, while I was at the design institute revising some architectural drawings, that I happened to see her. Stumbling, clearly unwell, she had been drugged and behind her, a group of unsavory men lurked, waiting for her to collapse so they could take advantage of her.

Without thinking twice, I rushed over to her, holding her up before she could fall.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "Do you need me to take you to the hospital?"

One of the men behind her spat a curse in my direction, jabbing a finger at me and warning me not to interfere. I ignored him and looked at Eve, who was watching me with cautious, fearful eyes. At that moment, she reminded me of a wounded hedgehog. Fragile, defenseless, yet surrounded by prickly thorns to keep everyone at a distance.

"Don’t worry," I said gently. "I’m not here to hurt you. Let me take you to the hospital first."

She hesitated but eventually allowed me to help her. After we arrived at the hospital, she leaned against my shoulder as she received IV fluids and then she broke down. She cried for a long time, tears flowing as she opened up about the heartbreak and struggles that had defined her life since her father’s death. She spoke of her shattered dreams, the career and future she had envisioned for herself and all the regrets that weighed her down.

The next day, after Eve had sobered up, she looked at me and asked a question I never expected. She asked if I was willing to marry her.

It was not until many years later that I learned the truth that on the very same day, Juan had gotten engaged to someone else.

What I had always believed to be a divine blessing, a marriage destined by God, was simply a reaction born of her anger and heartbreak.

That night, I could not sleep at all. I stayed up wide awake, with thoughts of Eve swirling endlessly through my mind.

By the time dawn broke, I had woken up and prepared myself to go to the company with reddened and swollen eyes.

I thought about her all night, yet none of the questions in my head were answered.

Despite this, I decided to head to the company that morning with one goal. I went to confront Eve face-to-face and ask her what I really meant to her.

As I approached her office, her male assistant, Henry Wallace, stopped me at the door.

He had a smirk on his face that made my blood boil. "Mr. Donovan," he said mockingly, "I apologize, but Mrs. Pearson and Mr. Harrison are in an important meeting. You can't go in."

There was a clear contempt in his expression that only made my fists tighten at my sides.

I fought to control my emotions, taking a deep breath before asking, "When will Mrs. Pearson be available today?"

Henry leaned lazily against the door, arms crossed and replied with a fake sense of pity, "Ah, that's a tough one. It seems Mrs. Pearson is busy all day. But, Mr. Donovan, if I were you, I’d start paying attention. Mrs. Pearson is the vice president now. Play your role as the cuckold properly and you might even see some benefits from it."

A wave of laughter erupted around me, fueled by his cruel words.

No man would stand calmly after hearing something like that. The anger that had been building up inside me finally snapped and before I could stop myself, I threw a punch at Henry.

"You fucking dare say what you just said again?"

Henry was quite a showman. After I threw a punch, he immediately knocked himself off balance. He hit the desk beside him with a loud crash.

Moments later, the door to the office swung open, but it was not Eve who appeared. It was the president, Juan Harrison.

His face was hard as he frowned at Henry. "What’s going on here? There’s no fighting allowed during work hours," he said sharply.

When Henry heard this question, he immediately put on a pitiful expression as though he was on the verge of tears. “Mr. Harrison,” he whimpered, “I was just asking Mr. Donovan to wait before going in. I had no idea he’d hit me like that. Look! One of my teeth got knocked out!”

At that moment, Eve finally stepped out of the office and her eyes met mine with a look of reproach.

Seeing her, my heart sank. She was always so put together and composed no matter the situation. But today, her shirt was worn inside out.

Henry had been right all along. The truth was staring me in the face. Eve and Juan had not just been meeting. They had been doing something far more intimate in the office!

"Didn't I make it clear that no one was to enter the meeting room during our discussion?"

Eve’s voice was firm as she directed her question towards Henry, who looked as though he had just seen his savior. This grown man, who had always strutted around with an air of superiority, was now reduced to tears in public.

“Ms. Pearson, I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop Mr. Donovan. He’s in charge of the project team and I’m just a lowly assistant.”

Before Eve could reply, Juan cut in, his tone sharp with disdain. "For a mere team leader to exert so much authority—it's enough to make people take notice!"

Ignoring him, I turned my attention to Eve, interrupting their exchange.

"Like I said yesterday, we need to talk."

My voice was steady, but I could see the impatience on her face and it struck me how undignified I must have looked at that moment, standing there, begging for a conversation.

"After five years of marriage, even if it’s coming to an end, I still hope we can part on good terms."

Juan was clearly irritated upon hearing my words. He pointed his finger at my face, ready to launch into another tirade, but Eve stopped him with a gentle gesture.

"Don’t waste your energy, Juan," she said, her voice calm. "I’ll speak with him so we don’t have to deal with this again in the future."

After that, both of us went down to a nearby coffee shop to have a proper talk. As soon as we sat down, Eve wasted no time.

She looked directly at me and said, "The baby will be born in less than five months. I don’t want my child to be born as an illegitimate child."

She paused for a moment, letting the weight of her next words settle in.

"Let's get a divorce."

My hand that was stirring the coffee suddenly stopped. I had expected this, of course. After everything that had happened, I knew it was coming.

Yet, hearing her say it out loud, my heart still clenched and I could not help but feel the sting of it.

She must have noticed my hesitation because she reached into her bag and pulled out a card, sliding it across the table toward me. "There’s three hundred thousand dollars on this card. Take it. Consider it compensation from me."

I stared at the card, silent for a moment.

And then, a sudden laugh escaped my lips.

Three hundred thousand dollars… as compensation for five years of marriage?

Was that the value of our relationship in her eyes?

I shook my head slowly, pushing the card back across the table. "I don’t want it," I said firmly.

Eve raised her eyebrows, clearly surprised by my refusal. "Damian, you barely make eight hundred and fifty a month. You wouldn’t make three hundred thousand even in twenty years of working hard. Are you sure you don’t want it?"

When I gave her my definitive answer, a look of disdain flashed across her face.

She sneered, "Hmph, just as Juan said, you don’t want the money. You’re after something more!"

She leaned back in her chair, resting a hand on her pregnant belly. "So tell me, what is it that you really want?"

I did not respond right away. Instead, I looked at her, feeling the weight of everything we had been through pressing down on me. Finally, I asked, "After I divorce you, will Juan marry you?"

Her expression hardened and a flicker of anger crossed her face. "Of course he will!"

"Juan isn’t really in love with his wife and he’s promised me that he’ll get a divorce. Besides, I’m already pregnant with the Harrison family’s child. His whole family is eager for a grandchild."

She looked almost blissful as she spoke, her mind clearly filled with thoughts of the happy future she imagined for herself.

Closing my eyes for a moment, I took a deep breath. When I opened them again, my voice trembled as I spoke the words that felt like the final blow. "Alright, as you wish. Let’s get a divorce."