Birthdays used to mean something.
Not big celebrations.
Not expensive gifts.
Just… being remembered.
That was enough.
Zaelina stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the soft fabric of her dress.
Nothing too bold.
Nothing too loud.
Simple.
Pretty.
The way she had always been.
Her fingers paused for a second as she looked at herself.
There was a time when she would have smiled.
Expected something.
Hoped for it.
But today
She just… breathed.
Still
She had sent him a message.
“Can you come to the restaurant tonight?”
No “please.”
No long explanation.
Just one simple request.
Because even after everything
A small part of her still wanted him to show up.
The Restaurant
The place was warm.
Soft lights.
Low music.
Laughter echoing gently around her.
Her friends sat across from her, smiling, talking, trying their best to make her feel special.
And she smiled back.
She laughed.
She nodded.
She responded.
Like everything was fine.
But her eyes
Kept drifting to the entrance.
Every time the door opened
Her heart reacted.
Then settled again.
Disappointed.
Minutes turned into an hour.
Then more.
Her phone stayed silent.
No call.
No message.
Nothing.
“He’s probably busy,” one of her friends said softly, noticing the way her gaze lingered too long at the door.
Zaelina smiled.
“Yeah… probably.”
The words came out easily.
Too easily.
Because she had said them so many times before.
The Cake
They brought out a small cake.
Candles lit.
Voices singing softly.
Zaelina looked at the flame for a moment.
“Make a wish,” someone said.
She closed her eyes.
And for the first time
She didn’t wish for him.
She just wished…
To stop feeling like this.
When she blew out the candle
Something inside her went with it.
Quietly.
Without a sound.
Home
The house was dark when she returned.
Empty.
Silent.
Of course.
She placed her bag down slowly, her heels clicking softly against the floor as she walked inside.
For a second
She just stood there.
Taking in the silence.
And then
The door opened again.
She turned.
Sylus walked in.
Arwan in his arms.
And he was… smiling.
Not the usual faint expression.
Not something controlled.
A real smile.
Zaelina froze.
Because in two years
She had never seen that before.
Not for her.
Their eyes met.
And just like that
The smile disappeared.
Lilith walked in behind him, taking Arwan from his arms.
Her lips curved slightly.
Not kind.
Not warm.
Just… knowing.
She walked past Zaelina without a word.
Like she had already won something.
And maybe she had.
The Conversation
Silence settled again once they were alone.
“I messaged you,” Zaelina said quietly.
Sylus removed his watch, placing it on the table.
“I forgot.”
Just like that.
Her lips parted slightly.
No hesitation.
No apology.
Just… normal.
“…You forgot,” she repeated softly.
He looked at her then.
“Yes.”
Simple.
Like it didn’t matter.
A small sound escaped her.
Not quite a laugh.
Not quite a breath.
“It sounds so normal now…” she whispered.
His brows furrowed slightly.
“Don’t overreact, Zaelina.”
There it was.
The dismissal.
The indifference.
The same thing she had been living with for years.
“I’ll make it up to you,” he added.
She looked at him.
Really looked this time.
“How?”
He stepped closer.
“You know how.”
His hand reached for her.
And suddenly
Everything became clear.
To him
This was enough.
This was always enough.
Her chest tightened painfully.
“So that’s it?” she asked, her voice shaking now.
He didn’t understand.
Of course he didn’t.
“That’s what I am to you?”
Silence.
Her eyes filled.
“You forget me… ignore me… hurt me… and then you think you can fix it like this?”
He didn’t answer.
And that
Was the answer.
Something inside her finally gave up.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just… completely.
“I’m tired, Sylus,” she whispered.
Her voice wasn’t angry.
It was empty.
“I’m really tired.”
She stepped back.
And for the first time
There was no hesitation in her words.
“Let’s get a divorce.”
Silence fell instantly.
Heavy.
Unbelievable.
But she didn’t take it back.
“You have your wife back,” she continued softly.
“And your son.”
Her throat tightened slightly.
“You never loved me.”
Truth.
Simple.
Final.
“So let’s just end this.”
She turned before he could respond.
Because if she stayed
She might break again.
And she was done breaking.
The End of Waiting
That night
She packed her things.
Not everything.
Just what she needed.
Because she wasn’t running away.
She was walking out.
By morning
She was gone.
And this time
She didn’t look back.
End of Chapter 5
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments