The sky was clear and sun stood proudly in the sky, emitting it's ray on the busy people of the city. To everyone, the weather was too hot and can't wait for the day to end, but to Xander, it reflected his emotions as he had waited three months for this day.
Today was his third year wedding anniversary. He had saved up for three month to get his beautiful wife a gift that would fit her taste.
He straighten his shirt and ran his fingers through his hair to reduce the mess on his hair. His short brown hair was wavy and it would need a comb to make it neat. Since he didn't have one with him, he gave up and worked into an expensive jewelry store.
He was stunned beyond imagination. Don't judge him, he has never been in a place like this. He thought his home looked unnecessarily expensive, but this was another level.
He forgot about his surroundings and bumped into a man dressed in a tidied suit, causing to stumble backwards until he gain his balance.
"Watch where you are going, kid" the man huffed and dusted his shoulder as if it have been stain by the man he bumped into.
"He doesn't look like a belong here" said a slim lady wearing a skimpy dress with her hand wrapped around the man's arm.
"I'm sorry " Xander apologized and quickly walked away before they would say another word to insult him.
He didn't want to face the same thing he faced at home with his in laws, outside with strangers.
He reached to section for necklace and feasted his eyes on the beautiful collection. A diamond necklace caught his eyes, it seemed like Hermia's taste, he thought to himself.
"How much is this" he asked the attendant standing at the other side of the collection.
She has been carefully monitoring him incase she needed to call the security. When he spoke up to ask the price of an expensive diamond necklace, she wonder if he could buy it.
"fifty thousand dollars" she answered.
Luckily, it exactly the amount he had in his pocket.
"I would take it, please pack it up for me" excitement rang in his voice as he spoke.
He noticed the attendant hasn't move from her spot and was staring at him.
"What?" he asked
"Your card?" she questioned
"Oh, I am paying with cash" Xander said, bringing bulk of dollar notes from his two pockets.
He hard a credit card his pocket that his wife sends monthly allowance to him. He wanted to use his hard earned money get his wife a gift.
The attendant was surprised but still took the cash and put it in the money counting machine. It has been a long time since someone payed with cash.
'The man is weird' she thought to herself when the machine beeped signaling that it was complete.
She package the necklace and gave it to him. He looked into the customized bag and smiled at the packaged gift.
"Do you think she would like it?" he asked
"Yes, she would" she answered, returning a smile to man as he walked away cheerful.
"He is so innocent for this world" she said to herself before going back to work.
Xander had to walk home since he had no money on him. On reaching home, he heard voices, more like arguments.
"They are here again" he muttered referring to his in laws.
He cleaned his sweaty hands on his pants and cautions step into the house preparing his mind for any attack thrown at him.
All discussion stopped when they noticed the man they were talking about had returned from wherever he went to.
"Hello" Xander greeted nervously. Nobody paid heed to his greeting especially his mother in law who gave him a disgusted look.
"Give it to him or I would give him myself" Hermia's Uncle, Felix said. The man barely acknowledged him as human rather he sees him as a parasite.
"I would give it to him privately" Hermia countered
"Give it to him where I can see it, I don't want him to lay his hand on you in anger" her mother persuaded.
"Give to him, you already signed it what remains is for him to sign it" Helena, Hermia's younger sister, urged, getting tired of persuading her sister to do something right for once.
"Okay" Hermia said and blinked a few times to stop any tears from leaving her eyes.
No one of the family members cared that Xander was few feets away from them. They knew he was confused but as soon as Hermia agrees with them he won't be again.
Hermia took slow steps towards Xander, the poor man, the man who slept in a one room apartment, the man who struggled the feed himself, the man who had only suffered hardship in his life, the man that his life got a bit better after he signed the marriage contract to marry Hermia.
"I'm sorry but it had to be done" she said when she got in front of him. She gave him a brown envelope, which he collected nervously. He knew something was up but he wasn't sure what it was.
"Come open it or have you become a stone" Felix nagged
Xander looked at Hermia again, silently asking if he should open it.
She nodded in understanding so he open the envelope.
He took out the paper in the envelope and began to read. The first line didn't seem be understood by his brain or he understood it but he wasn't ready to accept it.
"What is this?" he asked, fear showing on his face.
"Have you forgotten how to read? it is a divorce letter!" Felix shouted
"Why a divorce letter? I followed the contract, I showed no interest in the company affairs and I gave a heiress, why should we get divorced? "
"It was about time" Helena responded
"Quickly, sign the document" Hermia's mother said, tapping her heels on the floor, the way she did when she is angry.
"Hermia" he turned to the last person who can stop this
"Stop it, Xander, I am divorcing you" it was knife that has been pierced into his heart by this family deepened.
The band aid he put on his heart has been painful reap off without anyone in the world to care.