AFTER ASKING FOR DIVORCE, MY COLD HUSBAND PANICKED

Daisy's POV

"I'm sorry Mrs Harlen, the baby can't make it." The doctor's words hit me like a slap in my face. I stared at her lips, moving slowly as she repeated herself, but the words didn't seem real.

I clutched my phone, staring blankly at the screen, willing the notification bar to light up, hoping Brian had responded to my texts yet nothing happened.

I hold back my tears, and took a breath in closing my eyes, I needed to be strong for my baby. I didn't want to be weak so they won't blame me for giving up on them so easily.

I felt the doctor's hand on mine which made me open my eyes, "Take your time to think about it and make your decision. It's either them or the both of you."

"I'll step out for a moment." I nodded, though I didn't know what I was agreeing to. The door clicked shut behind her, leaving me alone in the sterile room. My phone sat heavy in my hand, its blankness taunting me.

I typed a quick message:

"I'M AT THE HOSPITAL. CALL ME."

I stared at the screen, waiting for a message. Nothing, Five minutes passed. Ten. Still nothing.

Of course. Why would he bother?

I sank back into the bed, my body aching, not just from the miscarriage, but from three years of loneliness.

Three years of being invisible to the man I married. Brian was a shell of a husband physically present but emotionally tied to someone who wasn't me.

Selena.

I still remember the way he lit up whenever her name was mentioned. He didn't even bother hiding it. She was his first love, the one who "got away."

She went overseas to study, leaving him with nothing but promises to stay in touch. And me? I was the rebound. The second choice, the standin wife he had no choice but to get married to.

And now, she is back.

It had been all over the news just this morning. I glanced at the TV placed in the corner of the hospital room. The reporter's voice echoed in my head as if taunting me again.

"Selena Anderson has returned to the country after years abroad. Her former love, Brian Harlen was seen greeting her at the airport with a brand new luxury car.

Sources close to the pair confirm they are back together and expecting a baby. An engagement party is reportedly in the works."

The image that followed was burned into my mind: Brian standing at the airport, his face placed with a smile like he hadn't shown me in years, holding Selena's hand as they descended from the plane stairs. She looked radiant, glowing in a way I hadn't since or ever.

I was already void of emotions, this was who Brian had turned me into. I don't seem to recognize myself anymore. Everything was covered in being the shadow of Selena.

I was nothing compared to her.

A message pinged on my phone. My heart leapt. Finally, Brian!

I opened the text.

"Terminate it. I don't care. Selena and our baby are my only priority now."

The world around me went down as My chest burned, and tears blurred my vision. I dropped the phone onto the bed.

How could he say that? How could he? Even if we weren't emotionally tied, a little sympathy for his own blood wouldn't be so bad.

I wiped off the tears that dropped in my eyes quickly and called his number. The phone rang once, twice then cut off.

He'd busied me.

It wasn't enough that Selena had taken him from me, now, he was erasing any chance I had of keeping something someone of my own.

The door creaked open. The doctor peeked in, her expression gentle but firm. "Mrs Harlen, have you decided?"

I opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out, my lips were shaking and my voice cracked, "I'll terminate it. Let's do that." The words finally came out.

"Do you wish to call anyone before we begin the surgery?" She asked. I wished there was someone i could contact but I am just on my own on this .

"No" I said

She nodded and gestured for the nurse. As they prepared me for surgery, I caught snippets of their conversation.

"Did you hear about Brian Harlen ?" one nurse whispered to the other. "He's such a romantic guy. Waiting all these years for his first love. And that car he gave her wow, what a man."

I bit my lip to keep me from crying. Of course, everyone saw him as a hero. A devoted lover. No one knew the devastation he left behind. No one cared.

The hallway leading to the operating theater was cold and impersonal. The lights buzzed faintly above. My heart felt heavier with each step. By the time they laid me on the table, I was numb.

Three hours later, I woke up, tired and empty. The nurse wheeled me into the doctor's office, where I sat waiting for my discharge papers and prescription.

I felt empty. Like a shell of myself. I stared out of the window, watching the rain streak down the glass. My phone buzzed again, but I didn't bother checking it. What was the point?

The door burst open, slamming against the wall. My head snapped up, startled. It was Brian. He looked so surprised as he saw me there like he never gets my text or what .

He stood there, his face hard and cold, a storm brewing in his eyes. His eyebrow was raised in a questionable manner, his fist folded like he was holding himself.

"What the hell are you doing here, Daisy?" He shouts, I scoffed at the fake emotion on his face, who was he trying to fool?

I didn't give him a response and faced the doctor again but he touched me making me face him which made me flinch in surprise.

"I said, what the fuck are you doing here, Daisy?" His voice was sharp, demanding, each word spilling through the air like glass.

I looked at him, my expression calm, my hands folded neatly in my lap. It wasn't calm, though not really. It was empty. A total indifference. , I didn't let him see how his words twisted something deep inside me.

Instead, I glanced at the window, pretending not to hear him. Pretending he wasn't even there.

"Daisy," he said again, his voice now starting to become soft, "Don't act like you are not listening to me..."

Before he could press further, the door opened, and the doctor walked in. She barely glanced at him as she came to stand by my side.

"Mr Harlen, please," she said firmly, her professional tone leaving no room for argument.

"Be calm. She's just come out of the theater. She needs rest."

She handed me a clipboard with discharge papers and a prescription slip. "Here are the documents, Mrs Harlen," She said gently. "Sign here, and I'll get everything finalized for you."

Before I could pick up the pen, Brian voice came again, he was looking rather surprised this time.

"Wait, Daisy..." He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as if he were only now piecing something together. "Don't tell me... Don't tell me you terminated the pregnancy."

I froze, the pen hovering over the paper. His words were like a slap, but I wasn't about to let him see the impact. Slowly, I set the pen down and turned to him.

"You've got some nerve, Brian." My voice was soft, steady, but every word carried weight. "You've been ignoring my texts for hours. Hours. You made it perfectly clear how you felt about this baby."

"What the hell are you talking about?" He snapped, his confusion genuine, or at least it seemed that way.

I leaned back in the chair, my arms crossed. "I've been texting you since I got here. I even called you. And you told me, in no uncertain terms, that Selena and her baby were the only ones you cared about. That I should go ahead and terminate the pregnancy because it didn't matter to you."

"That's a lie," he said immediately, his tone sharp. "I never said that. I never texted you, and you never called me. Don't put words in my mouth."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and shoved it in front of me, scrolling through his messages. "See? Nothing. No texts, no calls. Whatever you're talking about, it didn't come from me."

But I didn't even look at the screen. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of trying to defend himself. Instead, I turned to the doctor.

"Is there anything else I need to sign?" I asked her, my voice flat, ignoring the angry Brian just inches away from me.

She hesitated, her eyes flicking between Brian and me before sliding the clipboard back toward me.

"Just these, Mrs Harlen. You're almost done."

I signed the papers quickly, barely noticing my shaky handwriting.

"Do I need a family member to countersign, or is this enough?" I asked the doctor, trying to keep my voice even.

She shook her head. "No, you're fine on your own."

I handed the clipboard back, then turned to Brian. "Go back to Selena, Brian. That's where you belong. That's where you've always belonged."

The words stung even as I said them, but I kept my face blank. I'm tired of having to beg him for treating me right, to love me right.

It was then that I noticed her. Selena. She was standing just outside the door, her hands resting lightly on her stomach. She winced, clutching her side, her face twisting in pain.

"Brian..." she murmured softly, her voice weak.

His head snapped around immediately, his attention shifting like a common habit. "Selena?" he said, rushing to her side.

I watched as he caught her before she could stumble, his hands steadying her as if she were made of glass. His touch was so gentle, so caring.

The way he looked at her, It was like she was the only thing that mattered in the world.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice soft now, full of concern.

"I think it's just cramps," She said, leaning into him. "I'll be fine."

"Let's get you checked out," he said, his arm around her protectively. He suddenly stopped and looked at me.

Realizing what he had just done, there was silence between us until I decided to break it, "Let's get a divorce Brian."

Daisy's POV

"A divorce?" He repeated like I had just gone crazy.

I tried walking past them but he stopped me, "What do you mean by divorce?" He said.

For some reason, I could tell he was very angry, which I had no idea why he would be. He should be happy that I asked for a divorce.

"You heard me right, a divorce..." Selena interrupted me by wincing which made him focus his attention in her again.

Tears swelled up my eyes, goshhh, this scumbag and his mistress makes me want to puke.

"You guys sucks!" I brushed pass them without looking back, going back home. When I got home, the emptiness of the house hit me.

The room was silent, too silent, and my thoughts kept circling back to him Brian. Every moment, every effort, every sacrifice I had made over the years felt like it meant nothing now.

I had twisted myself into knots, trying to be what he wanted. A good wife. A loving partner. But nothing I ever did could compete with Selena, the ghost that had haunted our marriage from the start.

How many nights had I stayed up, waiting for him to come home, only to hear his excuses? How many times had I swallowed my pride, hoping that one day he'd look at me the way he used to look and talk about her?

I sighed, rubbing my temples as the reality of it all settled deeper into my chest.

Everything felt off, and I started feeling unwell almost immediately. A sharp pain twisted in my stomach, and I stumbled toward the bathroom.

"Not again," I whispered, clutching the sink for support.

I threw up violently, blood spilling from my mouth as the room spun around me. My knees gave out, and the last thing I remembered was the cold tile floor pressing against my cheek as everything went black.

When I woke up, I was in my room, still in the same clothes I had worn to the hospital. The dried blood on my shirt made my stomach churn, and I felt weak and shaky. How did I get here?

I pushed myself off the bed, wincing at the ache in my body. The faint smell of food scent through the air. I walked to the door, holding onto the wall for support, and made my way downstairs.

In the kitchen, the sight stopped me abruptly.

Brian was there, chopping vegetables, and Selena was standing beside him, stirring something in a pot. They looked so at ease, like they belonged there, like I was the stranger in my own home.

Selena was the first to notice me. Her smile was bright, almost smug. "Well, look who's awake," she said, nudging Brian lightly.

He turned, his expression unreadable. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked, his voice soft but distant.

I ignored them both, walking to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. I wasn't in the mood for his fake concern or her smug little smirks.

"Daisy," He said, stepping toward me. "You don't look good. Are you sure"

"I'm fine," I cut him off, brushing past him.

"Daisy, stop," he said, his tone sharpening as he followed me out of the kitchen.

I didn't stop. I headed straight back to my room, slamming the door shut behind me. Of course, he wasn't far behind.

"Daisy, what the hell is going on?" he demanded. "You can't keep ignoring me. You owe me an explanation..."

"Do you know what my explanation is to you? A divorce." I shout at him, I was exhausted and seeing him wasn't helping me at all.

"This sucks! Everything about us was wrong, this, this marriage was wrong. Why are you not happy I asked for a divorce? Isn't that what you always wanted?" I stared deep into his eyes as my tears fell down.

The pain hit me again in my stomach but I wasn't bother, I just stood and stared at him, "Brian, can you come for some minutes." Selena's tiny voice sounded.

I scoffed at how he panicked and was already going towards the door, he stopped halfway. "I won't divorce you and even if the divorce will come then it's coming from me." He said firmly before going out.

I fell on the floor, my tears pouring out as I cried, I just wanted a happy family, was that really too hard to ask for? Does he really think I'm not more than this or he just hated me?

After some minutes, I stood up and cleaned my eyes. I went into the bathroom and used water to rinse my face taking a mouth to stare at myself in the mirror inside.

I was looking rather miserable myself so who am I to call someone else miserable. I used towel to wipe off my face before proceeding to the door.

As I stepped toward the door, Selena appeared, blocking my path.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice tired.

She didn't answer. Instead, she stepped closer, her eyes narrowing as her hand shot out, grabbing me by the neck and pinning me against the wall.

"When are you going to give up, Daisy?" she hissed, her face inches from mine. "When will you admit that you're a loser? Brian doesn't want you. He has never wanted you."

I struggled against her grip, my breath coming in short gasps. "Let me go, Selena."

She laughed, low and cruel. "You're pathetic. Clinging to a man who doesn't even look at you the way he looks at me. You think you can win? You're nothing compared to me."

Her words stung, each one like a dagger to my chest. But I refused to let her see me break.

"Let Me Go," I said again, my voice shaking.

She smirked, her grip tightening for a moment before she finally released me. I stumbled back, gasping for air, my heart racing.

"Stay out of my way, Daisy," she said coldly. "Or next time, I won't be so nice." Her words sounded in my ears.

Her smirk deepened as she saw the defeat on my face. I stood there, staring at her, and for a moment, the weight of it all was unbearable.

The humiliation, the betrayal, the years of trying to hold onto a man who was never really mine.

And then I laughed.

It wasn't a soft laugh or a nervous one, it burst out of me like a dam breaking, sharp and bitter. She blinked, momentarily caught off guard, but then her expression twisted into something even more mischievous.

"If you want Brian so desperately, Selena," I said through the laughter, "why don't you just go for it?"

"Why don't you make him agree to the divorce without hesitating? Do you think I want this? Him?"

She tilted her head, her lips curling into a wicked smile. "Oh, Daisy, you're finally starting to understand. That's good. But you're still so clueless."

She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Brian is already mine. He always has been. And soon, you'll be out of the picture completely." She paused.

"Don't worry, though. I'm grateful your baby didn't make it. That would've just been inconvenient." She clicked her tongue and palmed her lips together like a habit.

Her words hit me like a slap, and my laughter died in my throat. My chest ached, could it be she was the one who sent the messsage? No, not possible without Brian's permission.

"You're evil," I whispered, my voice shaking, for someone, a lady to use my own pain against me because of a man.

She laughed, loud and mocking. "No, Daisy, I'm just better at playing this game than you are. You've already lost, and deep down, you know it."

I pushed her out of the way and went straight to the kitchen towards Brian. I paused when I saw him setting the dining table deligently.

Something he wouldn't have done if Selena wasn't here, "Brian." My voice came out softer than I could imagine.

He looked back and when he saw me, his emotions was changing a bit. "Let me help." I finally decided to say something to ease the silence between us.

"You need to rest, you don't have to worry about this." I was about to respond when Selena came downstairs, she was holding something like a document in her hand.

She had a smug look on her face with a plastered smile that made me doubt her coming, could it be she came for another trouble?

The document was looking familiar and I couldn't tell where I had seen it, "Brian, you dropped this earlier." She said and pretended she wanted to hand the document over to him but tripped, the document falling on my feet while Brian caught her preventing her from falling.

I slowly bend down slowly and took the document, the name on it getting clearer and clearer, "DIVORCE AGREEMENT."

Daisy's POV

"I can't believe you've prepared it for me before." To say I was shocked was the wrong statement, I have long expected this sooner but not this way.

"Daisy, hold on, it is not what you think." He said quickly, releasing Selena not minding if she'll fall or not. He tried taking it from me but I stepped back.

"I think we've passed this point where we need to fake our emotions just to get by?" I scoffed trying to take the pen on the middle table but he did that before I could.

"Daisy, listen to me. This is a misunderstanding..."

"What misunderstanding? That you didn't want her to hand it over to me or that you want to be the one to do that yourself?

You could have done that but you went cowardly to give it to your mistress to do that." I interrupted him and glared at Selena.

It was enough! I was miserable enough and I wouldn't let anyone to make me more miserable, this was hell not a life. I can't even feel my own emotions anymore.

"No Daisy, I am not his mistress, I just saw the document on the floor without having idea what it was." Selena said, hee voice was soft and sweet. It was like she was blaming herself but shown she was mocking me.

"It wasn't your turn yet to speak here Selena." I shunned her. "What? You had no idea? With the document name opened this way? Do you think everyone will always fall for your tricks everytime?" I said almost shouting.

I snatched the pen from Brian and signed the divorce agreement, he hadn't signed his own part so I dropped it on the table.

"You should sign your own part. I'll pack my things tonight and leave the house, best of luck to your and her."

I just walked over to the stairs but something surprising happened, Brian grabbed my arm, spinning me around as he crashed his lips on mine.

I couldn't move due to the shock, him taking the chance to make a move on me and not when he was drunk, the kiss was desperate and rough.

I break the kiss in anger landing a slap to his right cheek. My eyes was red from anger and I balled my fist trying to control myself.

"It's too late for all this Brian, I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore and if you try stopping me from moving right now, I'll hurt myself, I'm sure you don't want seeing me drop to death in front of you." I spat walking upstairs to get my belongings as I dragged my traveling box along with me.

Packing up, I realized I didn't have much clothes of my own choice. Everything was in the shadow of Selena. Everything I had, my own skincare products, scents, choice of clothes and food.

I was trying to make him notice me and impress him that I had forgotten I had my own choices also.

I picked up some dresses that were suitable for me and left. Even though Brian tried stopping me but my threat was enough to keep him away.

Since I've rented out an apartment few days ago while preparing for my divorce with him, I didn't expect I'll be packing into it so soon since I knew he wouldn't agree to the divorce so easily.

When I got out, my car was already there so I dropped the luggage inside and drove off to my new apartment. My plan was to run away, far away from him, from everyone, from this life but I knew doing that won't be easy.

******

It's been three weeks since my divorce with Brian. At first it was peaceful but then I got a job at my friend's company whom turned out to be his rival.

I met Merlin a week ago at the interview of the job of a designer, at first I didn't recognize him to be my classmate in college but after he explained for a while, I remembered who he was.

I found out later on he was a rivalry company with Brian's company but I found out it was founded for his wife, Selena probably.

"Daisy." Lily, one of the company's employee called me, she has this crazy obsession with Brian which made it weird as I'm his ex wife.

She knew everything about him except his real relationship life. She told me about how Selena was just a stand in to protect his real wife who was hidden.

I still couldn't figure out what he meant but if I was to be asked, I knew better how much of a lie that was.

"What's wrong?" I asked her shifting my attention to her.

"You've zoomed out for a while now, what are you thinking about?" She asked, I shrugged off her question and put on a smile.

"Sir Merlin requested of you. Now I'm starting to suspect you guys relationship." She winked at me, gross!

I have no hidden feelings for Merlin and to me, he is a good friend I trust a lot. Just as I stood up to walk to his office, my phone started ringing.

Could it be Brian again ? He has been calling me non stop since the divorce, he wouldn't agree to signing his own part of the divorce and he kept sending apologies and trying to locate me.

Being at Merlin company here made it hard for him to locate me easily which was why I stayed even though I didn't have plans to do that before.

I checked the caller and it turned out to be my mom, I froze staring at her number ringing on my phone, for years, she didn't check up on me.

Not even when I was married to Brian. She wouldn't come to check up on me or even call me once to know how I'm fairing and now sheuu called.

I slowly turned going to the restroom after telling Lily to inform Merlin of an urgent care so I took a leave off.

I swiped the green button on the call picking it up. "Hello." Her voice came in immediately, my eyes swelled up in tears as I heard her voice.

I needed her so badly, for years, I craved her hug, hee soothing words and her warm embrace but I didn't get any of them.

"What do you want?" I answered her. If she called me because of Brian then that was a mistake because I don't plan on going back to him.

"Daisy, your father, he is in danger." Hee crying shaky voice became clear. My eyes went wide as I dropped the cal after hearing where they were.

Going outside, I entered my car and drove to the hospital running into the emergency department. He was still in surgery and mom and my younger brother were both there.

When she saw me, she looked away, "Now you can't face me anymore." I scoffed, I looked at my brother whom just stare at me for a while before walking away.

"What's wrong with him?" I mumbled under my breath.

"Where's Brian?" She asked me, I frown immediately she asked that.

"That was the first thing you could ask after seeing your daughter after three years? Not even a; How are you doing from you?" My eyes glared into hers, I saw guilt filled up her face as I said that.

She looked away then looked at me back, "Listen, call Brian to come here and tell him it has started." I raised my brow at her words.

It was confusing and what does she mean by I should call Brian? Does she not know that we had divorced? What has started?

"We have divorced." I mumbled and sighed, she faced me and was about talking when the emergency room light went off, the doctor came out.

"Doctor, how's he?" She asked anxiously. I could see beads of sweat forming on her face, what's really going on?

"He's stable now. We can only wait to see what's more after he wakes up." He said and walked away, the operation room opened again and he was wheeled out.

Seeing his situation, I gasped, he looked like someone who had just been attacked and injured in many places, I thought it was because of an accident that he was in the hospital but now it seemed there was more.

******

It's been two hours since dad went out of operating room but he wasn't awake yet. Mom refused to talk to me until I call Brian over which I won't be doing.

I went to buy some juice for us to drink down the company and I'm on my way back to the hospital room. Just then I saw my junior brother walking away, he was already by his car.

"Liam." I called out making him stop dead on his tracks, he turned to me and sighed as he walked over.

"Why are you here alone with no protection? Why?" He asked me, I raised a questioning brow at him confused at his words.

"It's already hard for dad and mom. Don't make it more harder for Brian to protect you, can you just stay where he asks you to and don't just walk or go anywhere without him knowing." He said and walked away.

I called him few times but he didn't answer me as he got into his car and drove off. I was shocked. I haven't seen this people for years yet all they want to see was Brian and they don't even care about me.

"Who cares whatever you guys think." I scoffed and walked in going to the room dad was. He was already awake by the time I got there and mom was with him but not alone, they were with Brian.

It seemed as though they were all having a heated argument but when they saw me, they all kept quiet. Brian ran his fingers into his hairs frustratingly.

"You are back." Dad forced a smile on his face as he signaled to the rest of them to do so. The situation was ackward I know.

I rolled my eyes at their face, "You guys don't have to pretend and just tell me what's on your mind."

"Pack into Brian's house back. And forget about the divorce, you both are not divorcing each other." I frowned at mom statement.

"Do you even care that I'm your daughter at all? You guys make me feel like the outsider whole Brian is your son." I stated. I was frustrated, that the people I called my own don't even care.

"Do you want to tell me you are oblivious of everything Brian is doing out there? Or how I lost my child?" I shouts, it was already unfair that I get to be the one at loss right now.

"I told you I didn't receive the text message Daisy, I didn't even send you back any message." He groaned, he sounded genuine, but what was the proof that he didn't.

"And so what? At least, you get to be with Selena now." I was already confused about everything else but him still wanting to be with me, to torture me?

"Daisy..." Dad called my name, I snatched my eyes to them in anger. My eyes red from anger.

"Selena was contracted by us." I raised my eyebrow in confusion.

"What did you just say?"