"I want a divorce, Phoenix." I gazed disbelievingly at Ace, the love of my life, my husband of five long years. 

'Please Lord, let this be a nightmare.' I mumbled under my breath with my eyes firmly closed, ignoring the splitting pain in my chest. Praying in silence that when I open my eyes, the nightmare will be over. 

But it seems the heavens have failed to grant my pleas. I opened my eyes and found myself still seated across my heartless husband. A stone-cold expression was plastered on his face. Unimaginable pain clutched my heart, and my breathing stopped as our eyes met.

My fingers trembled, and I slowly had to let go of the glass of champagne I was holding in my hand. It suddenly felt so heavy. I decided to let some time pass in silence, hoping that it was a joke or that he would change his mind. But my husband's expression remained cold and distant, making me feel worse inside. 

We shared five years of marriage and yet he looked at me like a total stranger—not the same woman he vowed to love for the rest of his life in front of the altar.

I longed to hear him say that the words he'd just spoken were false, just an April Fool's joke he wanted to play on me. But his face showed no sign of humor, his lips were not stretched into his customary wide boyish grin that I loved. That's how I knew that this time, my greatest fear had finally come to life.

My throat went dry as we continued to stare at each other. Trying to quench my thirst, I picked up my glass of champagne, but my fingers fumbled when they touched the glass. To my horror, I accidentally knocked it over.

The champagne spilled all over the cream-colored tablecloth before I was able to pick it up. The glass was now empty—just like how hollow I feel deep inside.

My eyes landed on the mess I made on the table cloth. If I could only see how the blood flowed from my wounded heart, it would have made a huge red stain on the tablecloth, similar to the spilled champagne.

"Why Ace…. Am I not enough?" I said the words aloud and without a trace of fear or panic showing on my face. I was extraordinarily calm when a normal wife would be furiously sobbing at the mere mention of divorce from her beloved husband.

"You're not the problem, it's me. I'm sorry I fell out of love." He replied rather calmly. I couldn't help but wonder if he even shared my pain, when he couldn't even show a speck of sympathy.

Faint embers of regret crossed his sad, tired eyes. Silently, I died inside. He regretted our marriage and it hurt so bad that he did.

The tightening in my chest worsened. This time I had difficulty breathing. The knife stabbing my heart intensified.

After sacrificing my dreams to make him happy, he broke my heart into thousands of shards in return. The damage had been done, my irreparable heart was beyond salvation.

Seeing how lightly he was taking this break up further twisted my fragile heart. He showed no pain as he bid me goodbye, making me wonder if he ever truly loved me.

"Why Ace?" I asked for the second time, demanding the truth from him.

"I want a child, Phoenix. As my wife, you failed to bear me a son. You can't fulfill the responsibility of providing me an heir so I have no further reason to stay in this marriage."

His sharp words pierced straight to my heart. For a moment, I was speechless.

If only Vien, our daughter, didn't die from that accident then this would never have happened. But that tragedy already claimed my daughter's life. Even if I wished I was the one who died that night, it will never change that truth that she's gone forever.

And though I tried to have another child, I failed. But Ace shouldn't put all the blame on my shoulders, it wasn't entirely my fault.

"Can't you see I'm doing my best, Ace?" The words came out of my lips in a barely audible whisper. "Don't you see how difficult it was for me too? I go to regular check-ups, undergo strict diets, and obediently follow all my doctor's advice. Even if sometimes it was difficult to follow those strict demands, and even if I was afraid of the pain from the injection needles, I kept my mouth shut and never did I complain. I did all that because I love you."

The lengthy reproach I shot him sent me on the verge of tears, but he just looked at me with his cold, vacant eyes, without even bothering to fake sympathy for the sake of our long marriage.

I shook my head and closed my eyes, refusing to cry or break down in public. Even if it was getting harder to do so after every passing second, I had to maintain my composure. Everyone inside the restaurant was looking at our table and I didn't want to create a scene in front of a huge crowd.

One huge mistake and I'll end up as tomorrow's sizzling headline. My life was already complicated enough, I didn't want to add more burden to my miserable life by announcing to the world I was Mr. CEO's secret wife.

Only a few people—including my co-workers at Greyson's business hotel—knew about my marriage to him. If the public knew a billionaire like him married a lowly hotel staff, it would have caused a huge scandal.

Ace Carter Grayson, the man sitting like a demigod on the opposite chair in front of me, was a notorious playboy, gracing the front cover of illustrious magazines all over the country. Well-known in the business world, he came from an influential family and every soul in the country knew about his existence.

He was perfect on all fronts, the exact description of every girl's dream husband, but to me—Ace was now my worst nightmare.

I wanted to save my marriage, but how could I, when my husband didn't care about it?

You will never be happy unless you let go of the things that make you sad.

***

"Please give me some time, Ace. I promise to bear a son in time." I begged, swallowing my pride, hoping that we could resolve the break in our relationship without turning to divorce. I did not want to leave my husband. I love 9him.

"Your plea will not work, Phoenix." He replied as he stood from his seat. My eyes widened in surprise at his actions. "I can't go on like this." He added, his voice was low but it was enough for me to hear his words still

I stared straight into his beautiful blue eyes, hoping that they would reflect the same pain I was currently feeling. However, I was wholly disappointed. His eyes were beautiful but blank, with no emotion in them. They reminded me of a cold hard statue.

His entire face was like a blank and empty canvas. Seeing his lack of expression was a huge wake-up slap. I then realized how pathetic I'd been for begging someone like him to not leave me.

I took deep breaths to reign in my emotions, which were slowly becoming out of control. When the chaos inside me finally subsided, I opened my mouth to speak but he immediately cut me off.

"Whether you like it or not, I will file for divorce." He clenched his fist. "You will not be able to stop me. I already wasted five years of my life with you and I cannot afford to waste more!"

It was the last straw. My saintly self-control finally reached an abrupt end. Disgust flooded my body and my hands shook with rage. Filled with hatred I couldn't describe, my gaze pierced through him like a knife. He flinched as I rose from my chair with the grace of a queen.

I was a queen ready to declare war.

"If it's what you want, I will give you the freedom you ask for." If words could kill he should have died by the dagger-sharp words I shot him.

Without waiting for his response, I ripped off my wedding ring from my ring finger and tossed it on top of the table where it rolled in circles before dropping to where the stain was.

I looked at him and for once, felt nothing except hate. How could he tear apart so easily what I've been trying to fix for years? He was so cruel to end everything on our fifth wedding anniversary.

After one final glance at the look of surprise on his face, I marched out of the restaurant, hailed a cab and climbed inside.

I did not cry when I was alone inside the dimly lit cab, and I did not cry even after I spotted the familiar figure of my soon-to-be ex-husband emerging from the upscale restaurant.

I did not cry as he ran after me as if he'd lost his sanity. He continued to pursue the cab in vain and was left behind chasing his breath as the driver maneuvered the car into the dimly lit highway.

"To Saint Paul's Hospital please," I mumbled to the driver, leaning tiredly on the backseat and shut my eyes tightly until I saw stars behind my eyelids.

Exhaustion draped on my shoulders like a heavy cape. I was so mentally, physically, and emotionally drained that there's nothing I could feel except numbness.

I forced my eyes open and shifted my attention outside the window of the moving cab, blindly staring at the pit-black darkness of the deserted highway, becoming more aware of how dark and empty my life had been.

Only when the cab screeched against the cemented pavement and pulled into a stop did I become aware that I had reached my destination. I immediately clambered out of the cab and gently closed the door.

The window of the car rolled down and the driver's head peeked from inside. "You forgot to pay." He said politely, a little bit embarrassed that he had to remind me of it.

My eyes went wide and my cheeks were set aflame. I immediately grabbed paper bills from inside my wallet and handed it to him. "I'm really sorry," I mumbled apologetically with a little awkward smile, "Please keep the change." I added, watching the cab speed away before turning to the building.

The white exterior of the gigantic hospital greeted my vision when I looked up. My stomach lurched forward at the sight. I really hated this place, but I was very familiar with it. I spent most of my nights here, watching over my mom.

Cold air hit me immediately as I walked along the cold, narrow hallways, causing me to shiver. My hands immediately curled underneath my breasts, providing myself with a little bit of warmth.

I stopped at a familiar door, my face paling immediately as my trembling fingers reached for the knob. The familiar surge of fear kicked me hard in the chest, and my resolve crumbled. My hand dropped limply to my side.

A dozen possibilities invaded my thoughts, each worse than the next.

What if I see an empty bed? What if she wasn't breathing anymore? What if I came too late?

My fears grew, and tears raced down my cheeks before I knew it. I didn't cry when Ace left me, but when confronted with the possible loss of my mom, I can't promise not to cry.

I hurriedly wiped my tears with the sleeve of my blouse. "Mom?" I called out after I opened the door, but there was no response.

Panic leapt inside me as I stared at the empty hospital bed.

"Mom?" I repeated in fearful panic as I gazed blankly at the empty hospital bed.

I was too late.

A heart-wrenching sob broke from my lips as I ran a finger against the crumpled sheets. "No!" I choked out in a hoarse whisper.

"Honey… Is that you?" A soft whisper broke through my thoughts. I jumped in response and ran to where the voice came from.

I found mom seated on the single sofa at the far corner of the room, her frail form leaning on the pillow behind her back.

"Mom!" I sobbed and wrapped her thin frame into my arms, feeling the comforting warmth of her body against my cold palms.

I nearly passed out from fear, thinking that she finally lost her fight with stage three cancer.

Dad passed away years ago due to chronic illness, and I still had not recovered from that loss. The thought of losing my mom next scared me beyond belief.

"I-I thought! I-I thought you—" My tears gushed forth as I knelt in front of her. I could barely breathe while I held her in my arms.

My arms tightened around her, fearing that she would disappear if I let her go. "I'm not going away, honey." She said softly as though she was able to read my thoughts. She gently brushed my hair with her thin fingers. "I will never leave you, even if I die I will always be your guardian angel." She added which made me sob harder.

I could bear losing my husband, but losing Mom would mean taking away the air I breathe. Mom continued to wipe my tears with her trembling fingers, holding me tight as I wept. When my gaze shifted to her face, I caught the tears sparkling in her eyes but she didn't cry, perhaps she wanted me to see how strong she was in spite of her condition.

Her strength made me feel stronger too.

When my emotions finally subsided, I removed my arms around her. I could breathe a lot more freely now that I had cried out my hurt and anger with Mom's support.

"I don't really want to see you crying, Phoenix. It pains me to see such beautiful eyes of yours wet with tears. I have allowed you to cry today but I won't permit it next time." Mom told me as she lifted her thin hands, and framed my cheeks in her palms. Her eyes glowed with love as they surveyed my face, as if she's trying to memorize each detail. After a long moment of silence she finally spoke, her tone soft and comforting as she asked me the question I knew would emerge from her lips.

"Did you and Ace have a fight?"

I swallowed deeply and pursed my lips into a thin line. Unwilling to answer the question, I held her wrinkled hands and wrapped them with my own. "We did not, Mom." I lied so as to not burden her with bad news.

"You did." She said, so sure of herself. "You can't lie to me, Phoenix. Your eyes speak the truth." She added with a faint glow of understanding in her eyes.

There's no use hiding the truth against the woman who knew me better than anyone else, I finally told her that Ace asked for a divorce.

I waited for her to tell me I was crazy for begging my husband to stay but instead of criticizing me, my Mom looked at me with kindness and understanding.

"You will never be happy unless you let go of the things that make you sad. While it will be difficult to move on, there's no use holding on to the love which wasn't yours anymore." Mom lifted her fingers and touched my face, that's when I realized tears were once again, drifting down my cheeks.

"I did exactly that mom, I set him free."

"You did the right thing honey, You're a strong woman and I'm so proud of you." Mom's lips curved into a blissful smile that melted my heart. She tenderly caressed my messy hair while gently untangling the knots.

"So stop crying, you didn't lose anything tonight. Instead you regained your freedom and self-respect." She added, staring at my different coloured eyes with love. My left eye was seagreen, while my right eye had the colour of honey, a rare eye condition called Heterochromia Iridis.

The softness of her tone stopped my tears. I got up from the floor, and gently lifted my Mom up from the sofa.

"It's already late Mom, it's time for you to sleep. I'll be here to celebrate your birthday tomorrow."

She made no protests. Mom was so light that I had no difficulty transferring her from the sofa to the bed. It didn't take long for Mom to drift off to sleep. I listened to her soft snores as I watched the steady rise and fall of her chest.

"I love you." I whispered and kissed her on the cheek. My lips stretched into a smile as I heard her respond 'I love you too' in her sleep.

I then sat on the single sofa and reached for the guitar leaning against the wall. The guitar was my baby, it was a gift from Mom when I was eighteen. I cherished it dearly.

I strummed the strings, and a comforting warmth spread throughout me as I heard the magical sounds.

I began to sing a soft, sad song of goodbye to the only man I ever loved, even if he wasn't here to listen. Eventually, I fell asleep, exhausted from the day's events.

I dreamt of Ace, and in my dreams he loved me. But then my hazy, happy dreams were awakened by a loud frantic yell.