Nicole sat looking around the house, she was seated in her wheelchair in the living room, the house was empty, it’s been over a week since she was discharged, she still had to use a wheelchair but she was slowly getting back herself, even though she still felt lost, what made it even worst was Rafael wasn’t still talking to her, after he left the hospital that day and he never returned, he had gotten even more distant, the day she had been discharged, she had waited up for him but he hadn’t come home, even two days after she was discharged he didn’t come home, when he finally did show up on the thirds day, he didn’t even acknowledge her, he walked right by her into their room got whatever he came for and left and he hasn’t been home since, she hadn’t been able to reach him, the only other person aside from her parents who reached out to her was Grace, she couldn’t come around because she had semester exams, but she made sure to call her and she was grateful for that, Nicole didn’t know if life would ever be good to her again, the doctor had told her that she might not get pregnant again, that was another bitter pill for her to swallow, she had held onto the hope that it might not be true, she really wanted another chance and wanted to do better.
She heard Rafael’s car enter their home, she knew he was the one because she had been waiting for her that car sound for days now, she couldn’t walk to him so she stayed out and waited for him, a few minutes later she looked up to see him walking into the house, it been almost a week since she last saw him like he did the last time, he just passed her and went upstairs, she couldn’t let him leave this time without talking to her, she couldn’t keep on living like this, if he was still mad because she asked him to release his sister and because she didn’t press charges then that would be very bad of him, what did he want her to do? Accuse Natalie of killing their baby when she knows it was a mistake? She couldn’t see herself sending her sister to prison, Natalie never did it intentionally, it was all a big mistake.
Speaking of Natalie, she hasn’t seen her sister since she was discharged, her parents have been here once and they call her daily but Natalie, she just went into hiding, Nicole, wheeled her chair, activated the stair climb mode, and open the door to their bedroom, she found Rafael there with some documents, he was flipping through them and taking some.
“Rafael, are you ever going to talk to me? Until when will I get this silent treatment?”
She asked wheeling her chair close to him, he looked up at her and went right back to what he was doing.
“Rafael, why are you doing this to me? Why? Don’t you know you are hurting me?”
She asked biting back tears, she wouldn’t cry, she has cried enough to last her a lifetime, this wasn’t the time to be weak, she waited for his answer but none came, he just continue looking through documents and when he was done, he picked up the ones he gathered and stuffed them in a bag and kept the others back, she knew he was going to leave and she won’t see him in a while again.
“Rafael!!”
She yelled, he looked at her with a frown.
“Why are you doing this to me? Why are you making me suffer? You didn’t come to see me the whole time I was in the hospital, didn’t show up after I was discharged, this is the second time I am seeing you in over a week and the first time you didn’t say anything to me, I’d this how it’s going to be?”
He still didn’t say anything to her and was about to leave, she threw her phone at him, he turned back in shock.
“Have you lost your mind woman?”
He yelled at her, rubbing the back of his head, she didn’t know the impact of the hit will be that much.
“Yes, can’t you see that I am slowly losing my mind with you ignoring me and acting like I don’t exist? Aren’t you seeing that I am going crazy and do not appreciate being left on my own?”
“You are not on your own, I made sure you are taken care of, There are people here to take care of you until you can do your thing yourself, isn’t that enough?”
He asked harshly.
“You provided, but you ain’t here, you are not talking to me and you expect me to feel be better? How is that going to happen?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care, I don’t care about you Nicole, and I don’t care whether you are doing fine or not, I did my part by providing for you, it’s up to you if you want to keep being unwell it be fine, it’s none of my business,”
His words hurt more than anything else, it hurt her how much he changed within the space of the two weeks she had been out of it and now, she almost didn’t recognize him as the man she loves and who loves her.
“What has come over you Rafael? Why are you doing this to me? Just why? Can’t you see this is not the right time for this? That this is the time I need you the most? Why are you being like this towards me now when I need you the most?”
“You don’t need me, and even if you did, I don’t have the time to care, just wait a little more and the papers will be ready, if not for my lawyers delaying I would have brought them with me today,”
He said he was still nursing where her phone had hit him.
“What papers are you talking about?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Our divorce papers, I don’t want to have anything to do with you ever again,”
He let out, she stared at him willing for what he said not to be true, a divorce? That was the last thing she had thought would happen, in fact, she hasn’t thought about it since after they got back together after he found out about what she and Natalie did, this wasn’t even her fault, it wasn’t anyone’s fault, it was just misfortune and he wants to leave her for that, she thought he loved her, maybe it wasn’t her he loved but his unborn child…
“What? Rafael? What do you mean by divorce?”
“It’s exactly what you think I mean, I want out completely, I don’t want to see you anymore, I want a divorce!!!”