Divorce

Mary paced back and forth in the living room, her mind heavy with worry. Her son Richard sat on the couch, his face etched with a mixture of exhaustion and sadness. The atmosphere in the room was tense, the weight of an impending decision hanging in the air.

"Richard, I've been thinking about this for a while now," Mary finally spoke up, her voice laced with concern.

"I think it might be best if you consider divorcing Elaine."

Richard's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Divorce? Mom, how can you say that? Elaine is my wife.”

Mary sighed, taking a seat beside him. "I know, Richard. I understand that she is your wife but she has cancer. it's a serious matter. It's going to be a long and challenging road for both of you. Divorce might be the best option for her, for her sake." she said trying to twist her words into his mind.

Richard's face twisted with a mix of anger and disbelief.

"Are you seriously suggesting that I leave her when she needs me the most? I thought you, of all people should know that I would never do that."

Mary reached out and placed a hand on his arm, her eyes brimming with anguish. "Richard, it's not about abandoning her. It's about doing what's best for her. Cancer is a battle that requires immense strength and emotional support. Divorcing her would allow her to qualify for more assistance, financial support, and medical care. It could give her a better chance at fighting this disease."

"Are you actually hearing yourself, Elaine has just a year to live her life and you are telling me to divorce her." he asked torn by the words his mother was saying.

“Listen son, I know you might think it is selfish of me but I am doing this for your own good. If you want me to find another wife for you then I can do that but I am not about to allow you spend a year clinging to a woman who would soon be gone.

You know what?, let's say I am doing this for her own good besides this is a failed marriage. Who knows she might as well want a divorce too” she stated.

Just then, the door creaked open, and Elaine entered the room. Her face was pale, and her eyes glistened with tears. She had heard their conversation. Richard stood up abruptly.

“Elaine” he unconsciously said her name.

"I heard everything," Elaine whispered, her voice trembling. "You want to leave me? Just because I have cancer?"

Richard rushed to her side,

“Did you hear anything of such come out of my mouth” he asked back.

“All the years of our marriage, I have never asked anything of you. You ignore me, you act like I don't exist, you break my heart with your harsh words every single time but I still stayed. Now that I am faced with the most difficult path of my life, you want to divorce me” she screamed pushing him away from her.

“Don't flatter yourself by creating a scene, if I had wanted to divorce you then I would have done it a long time ago. Mother just gave her thought, I did not agree to it” he answered reminding her that it was his decision that mattered and Mary could not decide for him.

“I shouldn't flatter myself, can you hear what you are saying. My whole life has been about trying to please you” she uttered.

Her body shook with sobs, her heart aching from the pain of the situation.

“You may have cancer but that changes nothing, there is no divorce” he said and stormed into the room dismissing the discussion.

Elaine stared at Mary with contempt and anger,

“Mother”

“Don't call me that, do you realize what you have caused my son”

Elaine’s voice trembling with restrained emotion. "I can't believe that you would advise Richard to divorce me. How could you do that to me?"

Mary leaned back against the grand staircase, her gaze fixated on Elaine, her expression inscrutable. "I was only offering Richard some advice. He is lost and I thought I could help." her voice dripping with condescension.

Elaine's hands balled into fists, her knuckles turning white. "Help? Is that what you call it? Tearing apart a family? Destroying a marriage? Is that your idea of help?"

A flicker of annoyance crossed Mary's face, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. She maintained her composure, as if she were an actor playing a part. "Elaine, darling, you're being melodramatic. Sometimes tough decisions need to be made for the sake of everyone involved. Tell me child, are you not tired of this marriage. You said it yourself, you said you were tired of being in a marriage where you don't exist. I am trying to help you here, you set you free from such marriage"

She moved closer to Elaine and held her hand,

“I don't want you to go through pain and misery anymore, I want you to be happy with your life. The Doctor said you had a year to live, don't you want to make the most out of it my dear” she spoke soft and tender.

The audacity of Mary's response struck Elaine like a slap in the face. She had hoped for remorse, for guilt, for any sign that Mary understood the pain she had inflicted. But instead, she was faced with an unapologetic, shameless woman who seemed to revel in her own self-righteousness.

“Who are you to choose a life for me, is it because you are the mother to my husband” she asked.

“Don't you dare talk to me that way, I am much older than you and deserve some respect”

“Respect, I will give you respect when you stop meddling in my life, when you decide to leave me the hell alone and not try to add to my pain” She barked at her. Elaine had not expected that Mary could say such a thing to Richard, how could she think of separating them just like that.

“I hope you don't forget that I am the one who brought you into this household, you have never thanked me for that and now I am willing to help you again but you are acting immature” Mary said and she was shocked.

“I guess I can blame you for everything that has happened to me in the marriage, you are the reason behind my pain and with that I want to thank you.

Thank you so much mother” she hinted with much sarcasm.

“How dare you, you little mutt” she raised her hand to hit her then stopped.

“Why do I even waste my time, if he doesn't divorce you then all I have to do is actually wait a year and then you would kick the bucket and be out of our lives. Either ways, you would be gone anyways” She replied.

Elaine's heart shattered into a thousand pieces. The realization hit her like a sledgehammer. Mary wasn't remorseful, and she had no intention of rectifying the damage she had caused.

As Elaine turned to leave, she knew deep within her soul that this confrontation had changed everything. She barged into the room to meet the one man who can actually end everything.

Her heart raced with a mixture of anger, frustration, and sadness as she stood in the bedroom packing her belongings.

Richard sat on the sofa with his eyes keen on her wondering what she was doing.

“You want a divorce, I will give you a divorce” she muttered.

The room seemed to reflect Elaine's emotions, with her clothes strewn haphazardly across the bed. She methodically folded her clothes, one by one, her hands trembling slightly. Each fold represented a silent declaration of her decision to leave the life she had currently.

As Elaine packed, memories of her painful past began to cloud her mind. She could recall so many times how he had ignored her and it hurt her. To think that she had thought of a bright future with him was devastating, not once did she have a sweet moment with him that she could remember.

Richard slowly stood up from his seat and blocked her part. She raised her gaze to him, her eyes brimming with tears that she refused to let fall. The pain in her heart was noticeable, and she wondered if Richard could sense it too.

"Elaine," he said, his voice laced with desperation.

"What do you think you are doing." his voice sounded like melody to her ears that she wanted to sulk in his arms. This was the first time in a while that they had been so close to each other, she could feel his breath on her face.

“What does it look like I am doing?” she asked back. Now was not the time to act weak, she had to stand her ground against him.

“You are not leaving me” he said to her surprise, she looked up at Richard, searching his eyes for sincerity. Part of her wanted to believe him, to think thath didn't want her to leave him because he needed her but who was she kidding.

“Who are you to decide that” she asked.

“I am your husband and when I say you are not leaving me then you are not leaving me” he ordered. His voice strong and firm as he spoke.

A scoff escaped her lips,

“You must be dumb to think I would listen to you. Not once have you acknowledged yourself as my husband but now that I want to leave you are claiming it” she said with disapproval.

“I am not claiming it Elaine, I am your husband and you are my wife. You are not leaving me, you can never leave me” he stated.

One more mention of her name and Elaine was bound to succumb to him.

Elaine said, her voice tinged with bitterness. "Yet you stood there quiet when your mother was pressuring you to choose between us? I can't bear to do this any longer."

Richard ran his fingers through his hair, a gesture Elaine had always found endearing.

“Didnt you hear me say no to her, when has my mother ever made a decision for me” he asked.

Richard may be many negatives things to Elaine but he was never a mama’s boy, he made his decisions on his own and when he did, no one could change that decision.

“You except me to believe that” she shrugged.

“No but my decision stands, you are not leaving” he said and dragged the few clothes out of her hand. He opened her bag and unpacked every single thing she had packed while she stood there like a pale being distraught by why he wouldn't let her go.

“You make me sick” she cursed at him.

“I know” he nodded.

With her purse slung over her shoulder, Elaine left the house, anger and determination coursing through her veins. She was so mad that he wouldn't let her live when that was what his mother wanted, Elaine could swear in her heart that Richard was considering what Mary had said but just because she caught them, he was trying to safe face and act like a good guy all of a sudden.

“You don't tell me what to do” she murmured.