The decision to talk to andrew wasn't easy to make for calista. She thought about their past, their home, their life together for the last three years, her love towards him, bad and good memories together, but then she also thought about his coldness, his alofness towards her, their love life which was devoid of any affection, only obligation as he had the mission to satisfy his family to continue his family line. She also tought about the revelation of Andrew's betrayal which had torn through Calista's heart like a hurricane, leaving behind a trail of shattered trust and broken dreams. At last she decided to gather her courage and confront him. As she stood before him in their lavish study, the image of him with another woman at the hospital seared into her mind, her pain threatening to consume her whole.
"Who was she, Andrew?" Her voice trembled with raw emotion, her eyes blazing with a mixture of hurt and anger. "Who was the woman you were with at the hospital?"
Andrew's expression remained stoic, his arrogance evident in every line of his features. He regarded her with a cool detachment, as if her pain meant nothing to him.
"She's nobody, Calista," he replied dismissively, his tone dripping with condescension. "Just a colleague I was discussing business with. You're blowing this out of proportion."
But Calista refused to be swayed by his lies, the depth of her hurt fueling her resolve. "Don't lie to me, Andrew," she shot back, her voice rising with each word. "I saw the way you looked at her, the way you touched her. Don't insult my intelligence by pretending it was nothing."
Andrew's mask slipped for a moment, a flash of irritation crossing his features before he regained his composure. "You're being hysterical, Calista," he said, his voice icy with disdain. "This is why I can't take you seriously. You're always so emotional, so irrational."
His words cut deep, reopening wounds that had barely begun to heal. Calista felt a surge of anger, mingled with a profound sense of betrayal. How could he dismiss her pain so callously, as if it meant nothing to him?
"Irrational?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. "You have no idea what I've been through these past three years, Andrew. The sacrifices I've made, the pain I've endured, all for the sake of a marriage that was never real to begin with."
Andrew's arrogance only seemed to grow, his contempt for her palpable in every word. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Calista. You knew what you were getting into when you married me. You're lucky to be a part of the Anderson family."
"Lucky? Is that what you call it, Andrew? To be constantly belittled and disrespected by your family? To be treated like a broodmare, expected to produce heirs for a legacy I have no stake in? I deserve more than this, Andrew. I deserve to be happy. I never wanted to be part of the anderson family, i just wanted to be your wife, wife that you would come to love, wife you would treasure because i loved you. When i realised your heart was cold like an ice i tought you would at least respect me as your wife, but i was wrong." She hung her head as she spoke and her eyes lost last luster it once held.
Calista could no longer stomach his arrogance, his indifference to her suffering. With a heavy heart and tears streaming down her cheeks, she made her decision. She rised her head and spoke with determination.
"You can't, no you don't want to love me, to even respect me, i am tired, i am tired to even love you, i am leaving you, Andrew," she said, her voice trembling with resolve. "I refuse to spend another moment in a marriage devoid of love and respect. I deserve better than this, and I won't settle for anything less."
"What are you saying, calista? Are you asking for a divorce?" Asked andrew with a smirk on his face. His voice filled with arrogance " And what do you plan to do, Calista? Leave me and live a life of mediocrity? You'll never find someone as successful as me."
But Calista had made up her mind. She had spent too long sacrificing her happiness for the sake of others, too long living in the shadow of Andrew's arrogance. It was time to reclaim her life, to rediscover the woman she had buried beneath layers of obligation and conformity.
With that, Calista turned and left the room, leaving Andrew to grapple with the reality of their shattered marriage.