Regret After Wife Wants Divorced

"What is the meaning of this, Vania? You've been married for three years, and you're still not pregnant?"

The sharp question flew from Aunt Rika's lips, her eyes brimming with accusation. The once-quiet dining room was now thick with tension. All eyes were on Vania, as if she were a criminal on trial.

Vania swallowed hard. Her fingers clutched the hem of her long skirt as she lowered her head, trying to contain the storm of shame and anger rising in her chest.

"I'm sorry, Aunt... maybe I've just been exhausted lately."

"Exhausted?" The cold, biting voice now came from her stepmother, Larissa. The woman crossed her arms with a raised brow. "Is the Montgomery family working you so hard your womb has gone on strike?"

Mocking laughter erupted from several relatives at the table. Vania clenched her hands tighter. Her eyes burned, but she refused to let the tears fall in front of them.

"Mother, I'm fine. Please don't make this worse."

"You're the one making it worse, Vania. You're Devandra's wife, the Montgomery heir's wife. A good daughter-in-law knows her main duty is to produce an heir. Do you think we've let you sit around doing nothing for the past three years for fun?"

"Enough."

Devandra, who had been sitting silently at the end of the table, finally spoke. His voice was calm-too calm-but held no trace of defense for anyone.

Vania turned to him, hope flickering in her chest. But he simply sipped his coffee and said nothing more.

After the suffocating dinner ended, Vania followed Devandra to his study. She knocked softly on the door and entered when there was no response.

Devandra sat on the sofa, laptop open in front of him. He didn't even glance her way as she walked in.

"Devandra," Vania said gently. "Can we talk?"

"I'm busy," he replied flatly, eyes still on his screen.

"Please... we need to talk about what happened just now."

He finally closed the laptop and looked up, his face emotionless.

"What exactly do you want to talk about? Your family's nagging at dinner?"

Vania bit her lip, struggling to keep her emotions in check. "I... I know it's embarrassing, but... they're right. We've been married for three years, and we still don't have a child."

Devandra scoffed. "So what? You came here to ask me to sleep with you?"

Vania nodded, though the shame crushed her. "Yes... if that's what it takes to save this marriage, I'm willing."

His cold laugh lashed at her like a whip. "You're willing? Do you think I'm some toy you can pull into bed whenever you feel like it?"

"Please, Dev... we're husband and wife..."

"Husband and wife?" Devandra stood and walked toward her, eyes mocking. "We're married because of a business deal, Vania. You knew that from the beginning. I never promised you love-let alone a child."

"But... I'm still your wife..."

"A wife on paper. And from now on, don't come crying into my room like some desperate woman."

"But-"

"If you want a child," he said, voice low and cutting, "why don't you just sleep with another man?"

Vania froze. Her eyes widened, her breath caught in her throat.

"You... what are you saying?!"

Devandra smirked coldly. "You heard what the family said earlier. They want an heir. If you're feeling pressured, go find some man, get pregnant, and make everyone happy."

Vania's hand flew to his face, slapping him hard. But what hurt even more... was that he laughed.

"Go ahead, Vania. Maybe that's the only way you'll ever be useful in this family."

"I can't take this anymore, Devan! I want a divorce!"

The words shot out of Vania's mouth the moment Devandra stepped into their apartment and placed his work folder on the table. He hadn't even taken off his shoes when her voice struck like a bullet straight to his chest.

Devandra frowned, staring at his wife in disbelief.

"What did you just say?"

"I said... let's get a divorce. I'm done holding onto this marriage alone."

Silence. Only the ticking of the wall clock echoed between them, loud and haunting.

Devandra's jaw clenched. He stepped closer, slowly, trying to read the expression of the woman who had always been quiet, submissive, and patient. But tonight... she was different. Her eyes met his-firm, fearless, and dry. No tears, no hesitation.

"Why are you suddenly talking about divorce? You used to beg to stay by my side, always hoping I'd love you."

His voice was calm, but the tension underneath was unmistakable.

Vania lifted her chin, her chest rising with the weight of all the pain she had bottled up.

"Because I finally realized... I'm nothing but a shadow wife to you, Devan. We've been married for three years, but you've never touched me. Not once have you treated me like your real wife."

Devandra scoffed and looked away, as if he couldn't stand hearing the same complaint again.

"You knew from the beginning this marriage wasn't about love, Vania."

"But I loved you, Dev!" Vania cried, her voice soft yet steady.

"And I hoped that one day, you might learn to love me too... But all I ever received was pain and humiliation!"

His face darkened. He turned sharply to face her, eyes sharp and unreadable.

"So... you want a divorce because you want a baby?"

Vania's breath caught. That question felt more like a sneer than genuine curiosity.

"I just want to be happy, Dev," she said, her voice trembling.

"And you're the one who said... if I wanted a child, I should sleep with another man, remember?"

Devandra froze. His heart sank like a stone.

He hadn't expected her to throw his cruel words back at him-not like this.

Vania's gaze was no longer soft. The kindness, the tears-they were gone. In their place was a new strength carved from pain.

"So you're really going to find another man just to get pregnant?" he asked, his voice low-barely more than a broken whisper.

"If that's the only way I can become a mother and live a normal life, then why not?" Vania said coldly.

"I've waited long enough for you to love me, but the truth is... you can't even bring yourself to touch me."

Devandra's chest burned. He didn't know what he was feeling-but he hated hearing those words from her lips.

The thought of her leaving... of her giving her body and heart to another man-it stirred something unfamiliar, something frightening.

"So you're ready to belong to another man, huh?" he hissed, eyes burning into hers.

"I'm ready to belong to someone who truly values me," Vania replied, standing tall.

"Someone who doesn't shame me in silence... who doesn't make me feel invisible in my own marriage."

Devandra stared at her, his breath quick and uneven.

But no words came. For the first time... he felt the fear of losing her.

"In that case," Vania said, turning toward the door and glancing back one last time,

"Get the divorce papers ready, Dev. I'll sign them without a second thought."

"Good morning, Devan," Vania greeted calmly as she saw her husband step out of the bedroom.

She stood in the kitchen, a steaming cup of coffee in her hands. A faint smile rested on her lips-one so unfamiliar that Devandra stopped in his tracks. Gone was the tear-streaked, exhausted woman he was used to. This morning, Vania looked... relieved.

Devan frowned, sensing something was off.

"Why are you smiling like that? Something wrong with your days lately, Vania?"

Vania sat down at the dining table, gently setting her cup down before looking at him with eyes no longer filled with hope.

"Today is an important day, Dev. We're handling the divorce paperwork, right? I hope you won't go back on your word from last night."

Her words hit like a slap, jolting Devandra from the very nightmare he had created himself.

His heart pounded. He hadn't thought Vania would actually go through with it-certainly not this seriously.

He stood still, staring at the woman who had spent three years fighting to save their marriage. The same woman who had swallowed her pain in silence, over and over. And now she stood tall, fearless, and ready to let go.

"Why the sudden change?" he asked quietly, almost in disbelief.

"Six months into our marriage, I was the one who asked for a divorce... and you refused, desperately. But now? Why are you pushing me to end it?"

Vania gave a bitter smile.

"Because back then, I still loved you, Dev. But that love has been eroded over the years. What's left now is only the desire to be free."

Devandra held his breath. His emotions tangled inside him.

He should feel relieved-wasn't this what he wanted from the start?

So why did his chest suddenly feel... empty?

Was this what fear of loss felt like?

"Or maybe you're in such a rush to divorce because you can't wait to be touched by another man?" Devandra sneered, masking his panic behind cruel words.

Vania let out a small laugh, then stood up.

"That's no longer your concern, Devan. All I know is, I want this to end. I want to live my life in peace-without holding on to a man who never once saw my worth."

Devandra stared at her blankly. The stronger Vania looked, the more he was eaten alive by a fear he never expected-the fear of losing the only woman who ever truly loved him without condition.

"Why are you so quiet?" Vania's eyes narrowed.

"You're not going to lie again, are you?"

Devan inhaled sharply, then finally spoke.

"Fine. I'll handle the divorce paperwork. But... what about the Montgomerys? And the Luis family? Do you really think they'll accept this?"

Vania tilted her head calmly.

"Just tell them I'm barren. That I can't give the Montgomerys a child. Like it or not, they'll have to accept it."

Devandra closed his eyes, a wave of guilt crashing over him.

All this time, he had blamed Vania. But the truth was-he had never given her the chance to become a mother. He never even touched her.

"Vania..." he murmured, then looked her in the eyes.

"If what you want is a baby... then this morning, I'll give you one."

Before she could respond, Devandra grabbed her wrist and started dragging her toward the bedroom.

"Devan, let me go! What are you doing?!"

"I'm going to give you a baby, Vania! Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Not like this!" Vania struggled, trying to break free from his grip.

"I don't want a child born out of force, Devan! Please, stop acting insane!"

Devandra halted, frustration flooding his eyes.

"Why are you like this now, Vania?! Wasn't getting pregnant the one thing you cried about over and over?!"

Smack!

Vania's slap echoed through the room, cutting through the tension like a knife.

She stared at him, eyes brimming-not with longing, but with the weight of disappointment long left unspoken.

"Yes, I want to be a mother, Devan. But not like this. I'm not some doll to satisfy your ego."

She stepped back, her voice shaking with hurt.

"Wasn't it you who said it yesterday?" Vania's gaze was sharp and unflinching.

"That I should just find another man... instead of waiting around for a husband who doesn't even know his own worth."