Chapter 1- Broken Souls

Inside a dark room, a young man was sleeping peacefully on his bed hugging a pillow. He was naked under a blanket and a cigarette was still in his hand.

Clothes and used condoms were scattered across the whole room. The scent of cigarettes and alcohol lingered heavily in the air, filling every corner. In a word, the whole room was a complete mess.

His peaceful slumber was broken by continuous knocking on the door. Letting out some frustrated groan, he dragged himself up and went to open the door. He opened the door while rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. A young girl stood outside, burning with rage.

" Irtifa, why are you disturbing me early in the morning?" He asked, his voice thick with irritation.

Irtifa inquired angrily," You stole my money again, Ardian. How could you?"

" Shut up, bitch!" He snapped. " Don't spoil my mind now. I want to sleep," he pushed her away.

Pushing him back she screamed at the top of her lungs," I saved that money for Mom's chemotherapy not for your whores."

She hissed in pain while touching her throbbing cheek. Tears clouded her vision while she felt her lips bleeding.

" Listen bitch. Another word coming out of your mouth, I will throw you outside of this house," Ardian threatened.

Irtifa’s face turned pale upon hearing him. Clenching her fists, she endured the abuse without uttering a word. She didn’t want to be homeless while her mother was struggling for her life. Sometimes, she really got angry with her father because of his foolish decision to put the house in Ardian’s name.

" Get lost," Ardian shouted throwing her outside of the room.

He shut the door right in her face while she continued standing there in silence. It wasn’t the first time Ardian had raised his hand on his sister and stolen her money. Since he is unemployed, he depends on her income. Once, Irtifa decided to go to the police to file a complaint against Ardian, but her mother, Melody, stopped her from doing so. Melodi’s motherly love couldn’t allow Ardian to go to jail.

Wiping away the remaining tears, Irtifa returned to her room hurriedly. She heard her mother coughing from the next room. She didn’t know how she was going to bear the expenses of her mother’s chemotherapy.

“Dad, why did you leave me alone? How am I supposed to take care of Mom alone?” Irtifa questioned, looking outside aimlessly.

Irtifa’s life was going well until her father died in an accident at work. Her father had moved to the USA from Albania when she was 12 years old. He got a good job, bought a house, and everything was going well. But slowly, he became addicted to alcohol and gambling. He started taking loans from banks and borrowing money from friends and relatives. Gradually, he accumulated a mountain of debt.

He died, but his death brought many problems for Irtifa and her family. Her brother was already addicted to drugs, and now her mother was struggling to fight cancer. Adding to her pain, people started asking her to repay her father’s debts. At just 17, she took full responsibility for her family.

“Jesus Christ, please show me a way. I don’t know what I should do,” Irtifa prayed silently while looking at the sky.

At somewhere else

“ Just read some news about Rihanna,” James said, breaking into Ezekiel's focus.

Ezekiel didn’t look up from his laptop, “And what is it?”

“ Rihanna Knight kissed her co-actor, Liam Jones, at last night’s award function. Netizens are saying that her friendship is a little deeper than any regular friendship,” James announced the headline loudly.

He expected an angry reaction from Ezekiel, but he didn’t get one. Instead of getting angry, Ezekiel remained calm. It wasn’t the first time he had heard something like that about his wife. He never believed what other people said. He loved his wife and trusted her fully.

“Oh, really! I wonder when these people will stop gossiping,” Ezekiel replied, diverting his gaze to James.

James leaned forward, voice sharp, “Come on, dude. Open your eyes. Don’t be a fool. She is cheating on you!"

“ She is an actress, a highest-paid actress. Of course, the media will spread such rubbish about her. I believe in my wife, so please don’t try to manipulate me,” Ezekiel said, masking his discomfort.

Ezekiel didn’t believe in gossip, but for the last few days, Rihanna’s changed behavior had been making him worried. He could feel the lack of affection and communication between them. Rihanna had changed a lot since she got a new project with Liam Jones. She used to prioritize her family and her husband, but not anymore. She had changed, and this frightened Ezekiel.

He was a billionaire, and if he wanted, he could have affairs with other women, but he was different. He was loyal to his wife. For him, marriage was a serious responsibility, and for the past ten years, he had honored that commitment.

“One day you will regret it,” James said, and it was the last remark he made.

Ezekiel mocked James, “ Says the person who has multiple mistresses.”

Ezekiel knew why James was after Rihanna like that. He knew why James wanted to manipulate him against her. James had once liked Rihanna, but she chose Ezekiel. Though James claimed he had no feelings for her anymore, Ezekiel knew he had not overcome the rejection. So whenever James tried to manipulate him, Ezekiel ignored him.

“Whatever!” James rolled his eyes.

It was 11 p.m. when Ezekiel reached home. Entering the bedroom, he noticed Rihanna was already there. A smile formed on his lips after seeing her beautiful, charming face, but it vanished upon noticing the luggage beside her.

“Are you going somewhere, Riha?” he asked in confusion.

Stepping closer to him, she answered in one breath, “I want a divorce, Ezi.”

The words didn’t echo. They sank. Silence filled every corner of the room, heavy enough to bend the air. Ezekiel didn’t speak at first. He just looked at her—searching for a joke that wasn’t there.

“Why? Did I do something wrong, Riha?” he sounded desperate. He held her face gently.

She removed his hands from her cheeks and took a breath. She looked down with guilty eyes while Ezekiel waited for her to say she was joking. A few seconds later, she raised her head to look at him.

“No, Ezi. You are a good person—maybe the kind of gentleman every woman desires. But I’m sorry, I can’t be with you anymore,” she answered softly.

Letting out a sigh, he asked briefly, “Why?”

“Because I have lost my feelings for you. The spark I used to feel for you, the affection I had for you—it’s gone now. Honestly, I don’t love you anymore. A gap has grown between us. I don’t know why or how, but I just can’t live with you anymore,” she said. Her voice didn’t shake even a bit.

She only thought about herself. She didn’t notice the sadness and pain in his eyes. He wondered how she could end their ten years of marriage, how she could stop loving him so suddenly. He loved her truly. He never interfered in her professional life. He loved her the way she was. Then what had changed now?

“ So the rumours were true?” Ezekiel asked.

In response, Rihanna remained silent. Her silence gave him his answer. He understood why she had lost the spark between them.

“ Riha, we have a child together. At least think about Errol,” he reminded her.

Errol was Ezekiel’s sister’s son, and after her death, he had adopted him. Rihanna had accepted him as her own without hesitation.

She replied curtly, “You can keep Errol with you. But I’m sorry.”

Ezekiel didn’t say anything. He realized he couldn’t force her to stay. She didn’t even care about their son—how would she care about his feelings? He believed love should be mutual, not forced. If she wanted to leave and her happiness lay in the divorce, he was ready to let her go.

“Okay, as you say. I will sign the divorce papers,” he replied, and as expected, she ignored the sadness on his face.

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