“Please Lily, I want divorce.” Grey told me with a paper blank expression on his face.

His words were like a knife, plunging deep through my heart. I felt as my world collapsed on my feet and scattered into a thousand pieces.

Frozen like a statue, I slowly raised my eyes to him amd fought the tears from falling down my cheeks.

I have known all along that Grey, my husband, would open up about divorce. Especially now that his first love had returned to the country after five years of staying in Paris. However, I was not expecting him to discuss it tonight.

We were okay. Why would he ruin this wonderful night?

“Why Grey? What have I done to tou to deserve this?”

Deep down inside me, I already know the reason. And yet, I still want to hear the answer from his lips.

Even if it kills me, I still want to hear the truth from his own lips.

I would rather hear the truth and cry than smile because of a lie.

“I want a son, Lily.... I waited but tou still haven't given me another one.” He replied, his tone remorseless. His face maintained a paper-blank expression as he looked at me.

A shadow of pain crossed my eyes at the mention of the word 'son' and unpleasant memories came rushing back to me. Our two-year-old son died two years ago because of a car accident. I was there on the scene when it happened. Until now, I still blame myself for losing him.

I tried to conceive another child, but despite years of trying, I failed to get pregnant.

“I've been waiting for years and I couldn’t wait any further. Maybe it's time for us to part ways and move on.” He added, my eyes widening more in considerable disbelief. He does not sound the Grey I knew for years.

I knew it! He was lying. That was not the only reason he wanted a divorce. My fingers turned into a ball on my lap as the memory of Natalia and Grey sharing a date in a fine dining restaurant flashed through my memory. I saw them accidentally. Since then, I kept quiet about what I saw and waited for him to open up about it. But unfortunately, he did not.

If he has nothing to hide, he should have told me. And since he did not share what transpired between him and Natalia in the restaurant, only means he has secrets to hide.

But who am I to judge him? Natalia, the stunning Italian model, was his first love, but she left him to prioritize her modeling career in Paris. Though it had been four years since she left him, Grey has not forgotten her yet. Deep within me, I knew he was still in love with her.

It has always been a one-sided love between us. Grey married me to spite his father for marrying his mistress after his mother left. The same year his father got married, Natalia left him. Grey married a lowly restaurant server to get revenge. Until now, his father hasn't forgiven him for marrying me.

Suddenly aware that I was still holding the glass of.

My gaze shifted back to his face. Painfully, I lowered my pride. “I'm doing my best to conceive a child, Grey. Please give me another chance. Let's wait for another year and after that if I’m still unable to bear a son, I will agree to a divorce.” I pleaded. It was the only way I know to save our marriage.

“I couldn't wait anymore, Lily. I want a child, and as my wife, you have failed. That reason alone was enough for me to leave this marriage.”

His sharp words pierced straight to my heart. For a moment, I was speechless.

The Grey Bradford I knew wasn't as ruthless as the man seated opposite me on the round table. But now, he was far from the man I knew, as if he was just a stranger.

Though he wasn't in love with me when we married, Grey was a good and generous man. Never did he once lift a hand to hurt me, nor did he say a single word that had hurt me during the length of our marriage. But now, the goodness I saw in him faded entirely.

My chest tightened, and I suddenly had difficulty breathing. A thousand knives repeatedly stab my heart.

I sacrificed everything for him, even my only chance to go abroad for my dream job because I love him, but all he had to give me now was pure heartache.

Seeing how he was taking this divorce lightly shattered my heart to a million pieces. If only Dylan, our son, didn't die from an accident, then this would never happen.

I closed my eyes to gather some courage to hold my tears. Then my fist turned into a ball under the table to contain the bubbling anger that had been wanting to erupt from inside me.

Grey was the dream guy of every woman, but to me, he was my worst nightmare.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked up at him while suppressing the tears.

A pair of beautiful gray eyes stared back at me. They used to be filled with warmth and laughter whenever they looked at me, but now they showed nothing except chilling civility.

“I can't go on like this, Lily.” He whispered in a barely audible whisper. “The best thing we could do is part ways.”

“Please Grey, I'm willing to give everything you want but not divorce. Please give this marriage a chance.” I pleaded, reaching for his hand. But when my hand finally touched his own, he quickly pulled away.

“My mind's made up. There's nothing you could do to change it.” Finality rang in his tone as he spoke.

“But—”

“No. My decision is final.” Grey Immediately cut my words off. With eyebrows furrowed, he rose from his seat. “I had wasted four years of my life with you. It's time for me to move on and let go. Like it or not, I'm getting a divorce.”

The words painfully reverberated in my ears. For a moment, I closed my eyes to gather myself together before I succumbed to tears in front of him. When my eyes finally opened, my emotions were under control.

I summoned all the courage I could muster and met his gaze. The self-pity I have towards myself disappeared. The feeling of hate took over.

I abandoned my chair with the grace of a Queen. “I've done my best to be a perfect wife to you and I made countless sacrifices to keep us together, but eventually, I failed. Perhaps you're right, we need space. If divorce is what you want, I'm giving it to you.”

Grey stared at me, mouth parted open.

If he thinks I will continue to beg for his love, he’s mistaken!

Wordlessly, I pulled my wedding ring from my finger and laid it on top of the table. It is a gesture that I’m done fulfilling the vows I made in front of the altar, and I’m setting him free. Without a moment's delay, I made my way to the door, not bothering to take one last look at him.

The love I have for him disappeared. Hate took over.

I marched to the parking area where my car was waiting, opened the door, and climbed into the driver’s seat.

My heart still hammered inside my rib cage, even after I sat on the leather chair. Our conversation painfully reverberated in my thoughts. I had to close my eyes to calm myself before I broke into a sob. When my eyes lifted open, the turmoil inside me had subsided.

I took a deep, calming breath and turned the engine on before maneuvering the car out of the parking area.

Soon, the car peacefully traversed the highway under a starless sky.

I already left the restaurant, but my thoughts were still there. I couldn't believe Grey quickly ended what I'd been trying to save for years. He could choose any other day to ask for a divorce, but he purposely did it on our fourth wedding anniversary. He's so cruel!

I expelled a sigh. My emotions were running riot inside me again. I took a deep breath and calmed myself once more. I should not allow my emotions to get the best of me while I’m in the middle of driving.

Minutes later, my car skidded into a stop right in front of a simple two-story building where my mother lives. After getting out of the car, I hurried my way to the door and unlocked it using my duplicate key.

Celine, the nurse who was watching over my mom, was already waiting in the living room. The moment Celine saw me enter through the door, she got up from the Victorian sofa.

“How’s Mom?” I asked her, dread pilling up inside me as I waited for her reply.

“Her condition was not good.” Celine replied. Try as she might, she couldn’t contain the tears. They glittered at the corner of her eyes.

Celine has been my mother’s private nurse for years now. They’re so close that she treats mom like her mother. She cared about Mom so much. We are like sisters to each other.

I swallowed hard. “Will she be okay?” I asked, my voice shaking.

“I couldn’t tell you that. Only time will tell, Lily.” She whispered, then looked away to wipe the tears from her eyes.

The words were nails digging deep into my heart. “I’ll go upstairs to check on her, Celine. Thank you for watching her, even if today’s supposed to be your day off.”

“I told you, Lily, I will still look for her even if you don’t pay me.”

“Thank you so much, Celine. You’re really an angel sent to me. Have a safe trip on your way home. Don’t forget to put your seatbelts on before you drive.”

“See you tomorrow,” Celine walked to the door and gently closed it behind her.

When she’s gone, I climbed the stairs and went to my mom's bedroom.

I stood right in front of Mom’s bedroom, but made no move to open it up. I’m scared to see her frail body curled on the bed, then discover that she’s no longer breathing. She's the only one I have now, and thinking she will leave me too, breaks my heart into a million pieces.

A tear slid down my cheeks. When Grey asked for a divorce, I did not cry, but when Mom was involved, I just lost it. Losing her would mean losing my world as well.

I took all the courage I could muster to turn the knob and pushed the door open.

What came to my view was the empty bed. Shock hit through like a sharp bolt of lightning, and instantly I ran inside the room to check on her. The thud in my chest was so loud that I could hear it all the way to my ears.

What if she fell on the bed and broke her frail body? At the thought, my fear deepened. Tears raced down my cheeks. There was nobody under the bed, but still my worry continued to pile up.

“Mom?” I called her, but it was the silence that answered back.

What if she went into the bathroom and slipped? I swallowed hard and ran to the bathroom, but even the bathroom was empty when I got there.

My hands turned to ice and my knees trembled as I looked for her.

“Where are you, Mom?”

Panic coiled inside me. Before I even realized it, I discovered I was sobbing. Noticing that the door on the balcony was slightly ajar, I ran straight to it. Mom was there, seated on the single sofa. A photo album spread open on her lap. She must have crawled on the floor to reach there. She loves the starry view outside the window and enjoys the fresh evening air. I forbid her to come to the balcony at night. But she habitually does it.

As if she sensed I was there, she raised her head up to me and smiled. “Lily, seat here, sweetie.”

Relief washed over me. I ran to her side, then wrapped her tightly in my arms to show her how much I love her. I was so scared that I wasn't aware I was still holding my breath.

“I thought you left me!” My tears gushed forth as I kneel in front of her. The pain was so great that I could barely breathe. I thought she finally stopped fighting her stage three cancer. She's the only one I've got now after Dad passed away a year ago. I can't afford to lose another loved one again.

“Don't cry, sweetie… I'm here…” She gently took me into her arms and caressed my hair with her thin and rough hands.

“Don't scare me again, Mom.” I told her.

“I promise, sweetie, so please stop crying.” Mom lifted her frail hands and wiped the tears on my cheek until it was completely dry, then she looked deep into my eyes with love gleaming in her eyes.

Mom loved the unique color of my eyes. And she always gazes into my eyes whenever she has the chance. I was suffering with a rare eye condition called Heterochromia Iridum, which makes the color of my iris different from each other, the left eye being emerald green and the other was the color of a blue ocean.

“Your eyes were the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen, Lily. You're unique and beautiful too and wherever you go, you seem to stand out from everyone else. At your age, you’re supposed to be enjoying your life, but look at you, you have me as a burden. I'm sorry that you didn't finish college, so you could take good care of me.”

“You're the best thing that happened to me, Mom. I will never be tired of loving you and will never consider you to be a burden on my shoulders.” I pulled her into my arms and hugged her tight. It was my simple way of showing how much I love her.

“It's already late mom, you need to sleep now. I'll help you to your bed.” When the hug ended, I told her. I took the photo album from her lap and helped her get up from the sofa. Mom was so light that I could carry her into my arms without difficulty.

“I need to tell you something important, Lily.” She said the moment I laid her on the bed. Mom sounded urgent.

My gaze drifted to the wall clock and saw the time, so I shook my head. The doctor forbade her to sleep late. It was bad for her health.

“Some other time, Mom. Okay? You should sleep now.” I kissed her on the cheeks. “Goodnight mom.” I whispered. She lay down on the bed and closed her eyes. Moments later, she was fast asleep.

I listened to her soft snore as I watched the rise and fall of her chest.

“I love you.” I whispered with a tear falling on my cheeks and I quickly wiped them with the back of my palms before making my way to my room.