Scorned and Reborn

Mary blinked, her vision clearing slowly as she took in the sterile whiteness of the hospital room. The steady beeping of a heart monitor echoed around her, and a dull ache throbbed at the back of her head. For a moment, she was disoriented, unsure of where she was or how she'd gotten there.

Then, it all came rushing back: the letter, the betrayal, and the searing pain of finding out that the man she loved the man she had devoted her life to had turned his back on her.

As her gaze drifted to the figure sitting beside her bed, a wave of confusion and disbelief washed over her. There, in the uncomfortable hospital chair, sat Benjamin. His presence caught her off guard, and her heart leapt in a bittersweet hope that maybe, just maybe, he was here out of genuine care.

But the look in his eyes, the cold detachment and indifference struck her like a knife. This wasn't the Benjamin she had known. There was no warmth, no regret, only an icy resolve.

"So, you're awake," he said flatly, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice. He crossed his arms, his expression unreadable as he studied her with an almost clinical detachment. "I was beginning to wonder how long you'd keep this act up."

Mary frowned, a surge of confusion bubbling within her. "What…what are you talking about?" she asked, her voice faint and shaky.

Benjamin scoffed, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Don't play innocent, Mary. You've always had a flair for the dramatic, haven't you? Collapsing at the office, ending up in the hospital, what, am I supposed to feel guilty? Feel sorry for you?"

She stared at him, the weight of his words sinking in. Each syllable cut deeper than the last, unraveling the thin thread of hope she'd been clinging to. "I don't understand," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Why…why are you being like this?"

"Why?" he repeated, a mocking edge to his tone. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a crisp, white envelope, tossing it onto her lap. "Because I'm done, Mary. I'm done pretending to care. I never loved you."

Her heart froze at his words, the cold reality piercing through her like an arrow. She looked down at the envelope, recognizing the divorce papers immediately. It was real. The finality of it made her stomach churn, and she felt the walls of her world begin to crumble.

"Benjamin…" she whispered, her hands trembling as she clutched the envelope. "Why would you say that? After everything we've been through?"

He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest as he regarded her with disdain. "Everything we've been through? Please. You were nothing more than a convenience, Mary. A stepping stone. I married you because it was beneficial, nothing more."

His words echoed in her mind, each one erasing the memories she'd cherished, the moments she thought had meant something to him as well. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The man sitting before her was a stranger, wearing the face of the husband she had once loved.

"I…I thought you cared," she stammered, the pain evident in her voice. "I thought we were building a life together, that we were a team."

Benjamin let out a harsh laugh, devoid of any warmth. "A team? You were the naïve little housewife who believed every lie I fed you. I never wanted a team, Mary. I wanted a future on my terms, and that's exactly what I'm going to have."

He pointed to the envelope in her hands, his voice growing colder. "Sign those papers, Mary. Let's make this as painless as possible."

A mix of anger and heartbreak surged within her, her hands clenching around the envelope. "So, what was it?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Why now? What changed?"

Benjamin's face softened slightly, but not with sympathy more like a smirk of satisfaction. "Sara," he said simply. "She's everything you're not. She understands me in ways you never did. And," he added, his voice dripping with disdain, "she's carrying my child."

The words hit her like a physical blow, and she felt her world tilt, her grip on reality slipping as the weight of his betrayal settled over her like a dark cloud. Sara, her best friend. The person she'd trusted most after him. The betrayal was more profound than anything she could have imagined.

Mary shook her head, trying to make sense of the madness. "And you think I'm just going to let you walk away from everything we've built together? From me?"

Benjamin rolled his eyes, exasperation clear on his face. "Stop being so dramatic, Mary. Sign the papers, and you can move on with your life. Trust me, you'll be happier without me."

"Happier?" She let out a bitter laugh, the sound hollow and broken. "After everything we've shared, after all these years, you're telling me to just let it go? Like I'm some temporary inconvenience?"

"Exactly," he said, his tone devoid of any remorse. "I don't owe you anything, Mary. This marriage, this life…it's over. It's been over for a long time. You're just too blind to see it."

Mary'sheart pounded in her chest, the pain searing through her like fire. She clutched the divorce papers, her fingers curling around them as if holding on for dear life. Every fiber of her being screamed for her to give in, to sign the papers and end this nightmare. But something deep within her refused to let go, a spark of defiance igniting amidst the wreckage of her heart.

"I'm not signing them," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. Her words hung in the air, and she could see the flash of surprise in Benjamin's eyes before he quickly masked it with irritation.

"What?" he scoffed, leaning forward in disbelief. "Mary, don't make this harder than it has to be. You're only going to make a fool of yourself."

"I don't care," she replied, meeting his gaze with unwavering determination. "You may not love me, Benjamin, but I still love you. And I'm not going to throw away this marriage just because you've decided to give up. We made vows. We promised each other a life together."

Benjamin's jaw clenched, his patience wearing thin. "This isn't some fairy tale, Mary. This is real life, and in real life, people fall out of love. People move on."

She swallowed hard, her voice shaking as she spoke. "Then why are you here, Benjamin? If you don't care, if you don't feel anything for me, why did you even bother to come to the hospital?"

His face twisted in anger, and he slammed his fist onto the side of the bed, the force making her flinch. "Because I wanted to see this end cleanly! I wanted you to get it through your thick skull that we are done. But of course, you have to make it difficult."

Mary'sheart pounded, but she refused to let him intimidate her. "I won't sign it," she repeated, her voice low and resolute. "I won't let you walk away from me like this."

Benjamin's eyes flashed with a mixture of frustration and anger, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "You don't get it, do you?" he sneered. "This isn't up to you, Mary. You're just delaying the inevitable."

"I don't care!" she cried, her voice breaking as tears filled her eyes. "I don't care if it's hopeless. I love you, Benjamin. I always have, and I can't just turn that off like it's nothing. Maybe you can, but I can't."

A tense silence filled the room, her declaration hanging between them like a fragile thread. She could see the flicker of something in his eyes, perhaps guilt, perhaps regret but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by the cold, indifferent mask he wore so well.

"You're pathetic," he spat, his words dripping with contempt. "Clinging to something that's already dead. You think this is noble? That you're somehow proving your love by refusing to let go? All you're doing is making yourself look desperate."

Mary felt a fresh wave of tears sting her eyes, but she held her ground, her voice unwavering. "Maybe I am desperate. Maybe I am pathetic. But I believe in the vows we made. I believe in the promises we shared."

Benjamin shook his head, a look of pure disdain on his face. "You're unbelievable. Stubborn to the end."

She took a deep breath, the determination in her gaze unwavering. "I won't sign it," she repeated, each word laced with a defiance that left no room for argument.

Benjamin glared at her, his jaw clenched, his anger simmering beneath the surface. The tension between them crackled like electricity, each of them refusing to back down, locked in a silent battle of wills.

And in that moment, Mary knew this fight was far from over.