Chapter 5 Shattered Reflections

Anastasia's POV

I stayed home during the weekend all alone, and I was all by myself in my study area with only a table lamp that illuminated my desk. The light's gleam offered little solace as the heaviness of the situation had a toll on me.

The weight of betrayal weighed down on me and broke the longing for the happy marriage that I once had so badly.

It was raining outside and drops were beating against the window panes as if the external storm reflected the storm in my soul, my husband's betrayal and my marriage. The rhythmic sound of the rain was almost hypnotic, but it did nothing to calm the storm within me.

A tap on the door interrupted my line of thought at last. I slightly turned my head to the side and cleaned the tears on my cheeks instantly, then I could clear my throat loudly and said, "Come in."

The door creaked open, revealing Sophy standing there with a sympathetic expression. She held a steaming cup of tea, a small gesture of comfort in my stormy world.

The girls came over after hearing what had happened two nights ago. Yes, Blake hadn't returned home.

"I thought you might need this," Sophy said softly, placing the cup on my desk, the steam of the tea contrasting the cold and bad emotions that settled in my heart, like it was meant to be there.

"Thank you, Sophy," I murmured, my voice thick with emotion. I took a sip with caution, letting the warmth soothe me, giving a brief relief from the cold feeling of my emotions.

"You don't have to face this alone, Ana," Sofi said gently, taking a seat across from her. "Blake doesn't deserve you. You're stronger than that. And this difficult time will definitely pass very soon. Mark my words"

I nodded, grateful for Sophy's unwavering support. "I can't believe he kept this from me, and worse still, he hasn't returned home since then," I admitted, my voice shaking, threatening to spill out more tears.

Sophy reached across the desk, squeezing my hand. "You deserve someone who values you, Ana. Who sees your worth"

I managed a faint smile, touched by Sophy's words. But beneath my fragile composure, doubts and questions became a burden on me. What else had Blake hidden from him? How deep did his deception go? Why isn't he really back home?

Sensing my turmoil, Sophy asked gently, would you like to go out for the night?

I hesitated, uncertainty clouding my thoughts. "No darling, tomorrow is Monday," I confessed quietly while offering a small and tired smile. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Maybe next time. Thank you so much for all you do and your support. I really appreciate you and the girls,"

Sophy nodded, her expression serious. "No, remember the popular saying 'There is no thank you or sorry in friendship'," She paused for a while. "So please don't say thank you,"

"Just promise me you'll stop worrying, Ana. Sometimes, worrying does more damage." She continued, "But you need to leave this study and spend time with us in the living room,"

A week had passed, and work had been stressful. We had external auditors come in for an audit, and we found some discrepancies in our records that had my signature of approval, which I had no idea about. Blake had returned home but we barely spoke. He would come in late and leave as early as possible.

I deliberately waited one night for him to come back home. "Hey," he said casually, as if nothing had happened. "How was Sofi's party?"

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice. "We need to talk, Blake."

He looked at me, a hint of irritation in his eyes. "About what?"

I stood up, facing him. "About us. About that night. I saw you with Selene."

His expression shifted from irritation to surprise, then to anger. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Blake. I saw you two together. And I know this isn't the first time."

Blake's face hardened. "So what if you did? You're not exactly innocent either. I saw you leaving with that guy."

"Huh?!" The accusation stung. I couldn't believe he pulled that card on me.

"First you cheated, you didn't come home for like three nights, avoided me like I didn't matter, and now you are accusing me of cheating?!"

I slowly steadied my breathing and calmed my tone "You pushed me away, Blake. You've been distant for months. And that night was the breaking point."

"You're always blaming me, plus you got your revenge" he snapped. "Maybe if you weren't so cold, I wouldn't have had to look elsewhere."

The words cut deep, but I held my ground. "You made your choices, Blake. I paused for a while, taking a deep breath "I think I need a break ."

You know the point when your brain just lets random words flow out your mouth due to a particular emotion or hormone, words that you didn't mean to say and end up regretting? This was the moment.

His eyes widened in shock. "You're serious?" He continued speaking. "Yes. I think that's what's best for both of us. I'm done trying to fix something that's beyond repair. Thanks for stating what I have always wanted to hear"

For a moment, I felt like my world was crashing. What had he always wanted to hear? What in the world had Blake been going through? Did he ever consider us a mistake? I know we didn't get married to each other for love, but, we had trust, friendship, and companionship. We grew to be fond of each other, or so I thought.

For a long moment, he just stared at me, his expression unreadable, before turning and walking out of the room without another word. The sound of the door closing behind him echoed through the apartment, a comma on our failing marriage.