Chapter 3: I WANT A DIVORCE

Laura's Point of View

I clutch my belly with one hand while gripping the paper bag containing Kairo's lunch with the other.

Stepping into the elevator, I press the button for his floor. As the metallic walls close around me, the air seems to thicken. My breaths become shallower, and a faint sheen of sweat forms on my forehead.

To be honest, I’m not so thrilled to see Kairo after what happened last night.

(Start of Flashback)

"Are you with Faith?"

"Yeah," he replies, sounding utterly indifferent.

"But... why? I thought — "

"Stop overthinking, Laura," he cuts me off, his tone flat. "Faith got drunk and couldn’t drive, so I took her to the hotel. Once she sobers up, I’ll head to my meeting."

"Can't you come home tonight? I'll wait for you — "

"Enough! You don't understand how important this meeting is!" he snaps before hanging up.

(End of Flashback)

And that's how our conversation ended.

I stare at my reflection in the elevator doors, noticing the dark circles under my eyes. I just couldn't sleep, knowing my husband was in a hotel room with another woman.

Today, I decided to make lunch for him, hoping to talk about my pregnancy.

Maybe he'll care more about our marriage once he knows I'm having his baby.

Before entering Kairo's office, I take a deep breath to compose myself. I practice a smile to hide the pain I'm feeling.

"Kairo, I made some curry. Your favorite," I say cheerfully as I open the door. "Let's have lunch together. I need to tell —”

I freeze mid-sentence, the sight before me leaving me speechless. Faith is draped over Kairo, her hand around his neck, one leg resting on his. She jumps up, surprised by my presence, while Kairo looks at me with a bored expression.

"Kairo...? Faith?" I mumble in disbelief.

“What are you doing here?” Kairo’s eyebrows knit together in annoyance.

“I brought you—”

"I told you not to come here without informing me!" he cuts me off sharply.

"I'm sorry…” My throat tightens.

"Seems like your wife has a lot of time on her hands, Kairo. She thinks she's being helpful by visiting you here," Faith chuckles, looking at me with disdain. “You don't belong here, Laura.”

I glare at her, my voice trembling with anger. "And what about you? Why are you here? Last I checked, you weren't part of the Jackson Group, Faith."

“And don't tell me it's work-related when I saw you draped all over my husband.”

Faith opens her mouth to respond, but Kairo speaks for her. "Faith is just trying to help me fix my suit. Don’t be so dramatic.”

His eyes meet mine, cold and uncaring."That's right! Kairo and I were just talking about business,” Faith adds quickly. “Something you wouldn't know about.”

I ignore what Faith just said. But I really want to slap her right now.

I turn my attention to Kairo. "I brought you lunch —"

"Just leave it and go," he interrupts me again, not even giving me a chance to finish.

"Kairo... but I came here because I want to talk to you,” I say. “Please. This is important.”

He looks at me darkly and points to the papers on his desk. "Laura, don’t you see how busy I am? I don’t have as much free time as you!"

"Laura!" Kairo yells.

"Laura, let's not bother Kairo anymore. Whatever you need to say can wait, right?" Faith smiles at me. "Let's go so he can get back to work.”

I stand there for a moment, hoping Kairo would let me stay. Instead, he sits back down and starts working on his laptop.

My heart sinks, feeling like the heavens and earth have collapsed on me. I have no choice but to leave.

Faith accompanies me to the elevator, and we stand in suffocating silence. After a few moments, she finally speaks.

"I made Kairo happy last night," she says proudly, giving a wink. "If you know what I mean.”

My stomach drops and my hands start to shake. I knew Kairo didn't tell me everything about last night with Faith, but I didn't expect him to cheat on me.

"You're so pathetic... No wonder Kairo went looking for someone new," she mumbles, laughing lightly.

I furrow my brow as I watch her shake her head. She rummages through her purse, pulls out her phone, and holds it up to my face. My legs go weak when I see the screen: a photo of Kairo, naked in bed.

My worst fears are confirmed.

"Now you see why Kairo treats me better than you?" she smirks, eyes glinting with malice. "He needs someone who isn't boring and vanilla like you in bed.”

I could kill her right now. But I'm too weak to move. My fists clench, but my legs feel like jelly. I can't even muster a comeback.

"Everything you're going through is your own fault, Laura! Kairo used to love me, but since you came into the picture, everything's fallen apart!" Her teeth clench, her eyes blazing.

"You stole him from me! I should be his wife, not you!"

"That's not true..." My voice is barely a whisper.

"Oh, you of all people know it's true. If you hadn't come along, none of this would be happening. So, do yourself a favor and just divorce him." She glares at me, her voice dripping with venom. "Kairo is mine.”

Ding.

The elevator chimes, and Faith steps out without looking back. I struggle to follow, each step heavy with betrayal.

When I finally exit, I close my eyes tightly, feeling a sharp pain in my stomach. It's probably from all the stress and emotions I'm dealing with right now. If this keeps up, I might lose my child too.

When I get home, I quickly hide the pregnancy test so Kairo won’t find it. I’d rather raise my baby alone than let them see their father being irresponsible.

After hiding the test, I call my lawyer. "Hello, Mrs. Jackson. It’s rare for you to call. Is there a problem?" Attorney Gomez asks.

My fist clenches as my heart breaks at the thought of leaving Kairo. I love him. I’ve loved him my whole life. Even after everything he's done, I still want him around.

But if I stay, he'll just ruin both my life and our child's. I can't let that happen.

I take a deep breath, clear my throat, and try to steady myself.

With a mix of determination and hesitation, I finally say, “Yes, I want a divorce.”