Chapter 6
388words
I hadn't rested long before loud banging shook the door.
I opened it. Caleb.
Dark circles shadowed his eyes. He looked utterly exhausted.
"Sophie. We need to talk."
I looked at him, a faint smile on my lips.
"There's nothing to talk about except divorce."
My words made his eyes well up again.
He pushed past me into the room, his voice thick with tears.
"Sophie... I failed you... before."
"Can you forgive me? Can we go back to how we were?"
I sighed, weary.
"What about Jessica?"
Caleb stared blankly.
I continued.
"I overheard when I left. She's pregnant. With your child."
Caleb flinched violently. After a long pause, he ventured,
"I'll... I'll make her terminate it. It was a mistake."
"Sophie, I've wronged you. I know words are useless. Just... give me one more chance."
I shook my head again.
Who gave me or my child a chance when we were forgotten in the fire?
When he smashed our baby's skull?
I used to be trapped by love, believing if I tried harder, Caleb would see my worth.
What was the point?
The happy past was gone.
He wasn't the Caleb who made me laugh anymore.
I wasn't the helpless girl anymore.
We couldn't go back.
I walked to the desk, picked up the freshly printed divorce papers, and handed them to Caleb.
"Sign them."
He snatched them, tears falling in large drops.
"Sophie... must it come to this?"
"We loved each other so much..."
He choked on his words.
I felt only disgust.
The old Caleb was decisive, strong.
Nothing seemed impossible.
Now?
He couldn't even sign his own name.
Caleb searched my face. Seconds later, he seemed to deflate.
"I truly didn't know... I didn't know you were innocent."
"Sophie... Jessica lied to me... I didn't know..."
He cried like a child.
My heart remained still.
"Caleb, you believe anything she says, don't you?"
"If it weren't for Zach, your mother and I would be ashes."
"Would you have investigated our deaths?"
"No. Jessica would have begged, and you'd have called it an accident. Right?"
Caleb covered his face, silent for minutes.
Finally, he signed the divorce papers and fled like the room was on fire.
We agreed to finalize the divorce in a week.
