Chapter 1
Josie kept pacing around, her mind engulfed in worry and panic. She had been trying to calm herself but the tears would not stop rolling down.
Her eyes were red and puffy from crying so much. "He still isn't back yet sister Lucy. I'm so worried, and he's not answering any of my calls!" She relayed her worries to her sister in law but the response she got was less than satisfactory.
"Well what do you want me to do about it? It's not like I have a tracking device to be able to pin point his location."
"But it's really late, and there's no way he would still be at work by this time. I'm just concerned that something might have happened." This time she didn't get any reply, so she added. "Did you hear me at all?"
"I don't have time for this Josie!." Lucy snapped. "Call me in the morning. And for the love of God, you have got to stop worrying about Mark. It's not like he's a kid or anything." She said with little interest." He'll show up when he wants to."
Josie didn't know if she was with someone else or if it was directed to her but her sister in law added. "Maybe it's high time my brother realize that he has grown tired of his boring old wife. Ha!"
Josie's worries immediately turned into anger and she hung up the phone. She still worried for the whereabouts of her husband but her sobs had grown soft and silent.
The Petersons have always despised her for marrying their son and Lucy's brother, Mark Peterson. It was a painful fact that she had to get used to, but it wouldn't have hurt her as much as it did if her husband actually loved her.
She didn't know why but he hated her guts! It was almost like the presence of her disgusted him and he never wasted a second to show it to her.
It wasn't that way at first though, her marriage with Mark had been born purely out of love. And for the first few months, it stayed that way. Even though it was obvious that his mother and sister never liked her, Josie was happy to be with the man of her dreams, and she thought he felt the same way… until he changed.
"Where on earth are you Mark?" Josie plopped down on the couch, a sigh escaping her. Crying wasn't going to solve anything and she was well aware of that fact but she just couldn't help it.
It was just like any other day where Mark would leave her at home and go to work, only it had been two whole days and he still hadn't returned home. At first, she thought that maybe he was being holed up at work, because he returned home late sometimes. But after the first day went, she was already at the verge of losing her mind.
She had tried everything she knew, called on all the members of his family she knew, tried to reach out to a few co workers, she even called the cops to report him missing. Then, as a last resort, she placed a call to his ex girlfriend, hoping for someone to at least have a useful piece of information… of course it was all a dead end.
She had resumed her pacing, thinking about what else she could do, when she heard the front door open. Without wasting a second, Josie immediately rushed to see who it was.
He looked like he had been up all night, his bright blue eyes were given a different look with the dark circles underneath them. Taking a longer look at him, she realized that he had changed outfits. When he left the house, he had been putting on a suit, but now he had a pair of jeans and black t shirt on.
She stood quietly, watching him intensely to see if he was hurt or not. He didn't seem to notice her until after a while and he acknowledged her presence with a quick brief of her profile.
Relived that he was okay, Josie slowly made her way to him and wrapped her arms around him. "Oh I'm so glad you're okay."
He stiffened at her touch but he didn't move. Letting her hold on for the next five seconds, he moved out of her embrace. "I'm exhausted and I need sleep." He declared blandly and started towards the stairs.
Immediately she heard those words, Josie's face contorted into a deep frown. "I'm sorry what? You leave this house for two whole days, no calls, no texts and you just swoop in now and feel I don't deserve any explanation?" She yelled out. She could feel her vison getting blurred by a fresh set of unleashed tears but she was determined not to cry again. "Do you have any idea what I went through?! I– I was so worried that--"
"That what?! Maybe I had been kidnapped? Or what, you thought I was dead? Look Josie, I am in no mood for drama this night." Mark said coldly and continued his walk upstairs.
Anger was now coursing through her bloodstream. She couldn't believe she had been shedding tears and getting worried all for him to just act so rudely. She couldn't even eat while he was gone.
Raising her voice louder than she had ever done, Josie called out to him. "Mark, get back here this instant! You will not walk away from me while I'm still talking."
Of course he ignored her but she ran towards him and blocked his path. "Why the hell didn't you return any of my calls or texts? And where on earth did you go for two whole days? I am your wife, you have to talk to me!"
Again he remained quiet, but when she called herself his wife, Josie was sure that he rolled his eyes at her.
"Can't you hear me? Answer me Mark Peterson! For as long as I am still your wife, you will give me the respect I deserve."
"You deserve nothing!" He barked, startling Josie. "So shut the hell up and get out of my way." He shoved her aside and continued up the stairs.
Josie had been enduring so much at the hands of her in laws, but this was the height of it all. She couldn't just let it go. "I'm not done talking Mark!" She grabbed hold of his wrist. "I, am you wife." She repeated, almost like she was trying to convince herself. "You can't keep treating me this way. If you keep doing this, then I might actually leave you–"
"Then go!" He yelled. "Just go already, why on earth would that bother me?"
"Of course it wouldn't bother you. Why would it? When you're a selfish bastard who only cares about himself."
"What did you say?"
Maybe she should have stopped then, but the anger in her heart would not allow it. She took a step closer to him and stared at him right in his eyes. "I said you're a selfish bastard, an arrogant son of a–"
She didn't have the chance to finish that statement. Within the twinkle of an eye, he freed his hand from her grip and it landed hard on her cheek.
When her brain finally calculated what had happened, Josie couldn't believe it.
Mark raised his hand at her.
Hot tears streamed down her eyes as the pain jabbed her in the heart like she had just been stabbed. What kind of man had she married?
He didn't offer any kind of apology for his actions, rather he stared at her for a few more seconds before going up to his bedroom.
Josie slowly crouched down on the stairs, hugging her knees close to her chest. Her heart was heavy with sadness and she didn't know what to do.
★★★
The next day, Mark didn't even say a word to her, rather he dropped a divorce paper on the dining table and left the house.
When Josie saw it, she couldn't believe her eyes. He was filing for a divorce, after all he had put her through. Reading further, she was shocked to find out that he was only offering her a million dollars as alimony. She almost scoffed, was this really where their marriage would end?
She took out her phone and dialed his number, but as expected, there was no answer.
She returned the papers back on the table and went on with her daily routine, like she had never saw it.
Mark returned home late that night and from the moment he stepped into the living room, Josie could perceive the hard stench of alcohol on him. "What is the meaning of this?" She demamded, holding the divorce paper up in his face.
"Are you blind? Can't you see what's written on it?"
"After three years of marriage, this is what you're offering?"
"What? One million is too small for you? Come now, don't be greedy. You and I both know that's more money than you can ever see in your entire lifetime."
"How dare you, Mark?" She tried to put on her brave face but her quivering voice betrayed her.
"I'm going to my room, and I don't want to be disturbed. Just sign the divorce papers and leave."
Josie didn't know how she didn't see it coming, for more than a year now, Mark had moved his things to the guest room, leaving her to sleep alone in their matrimonial bedroom.
"I can't believe you Mark. All the time I spent with you, trying to make you happy… this is what I get in return?"
"What the hell? The time you spent? I don't remember asking you to make me happy. And I'm pretty sure I was never sad before." The mockery in his tone was impossible to not notice. "Let me tell you in case you didn't know, I regret the day I married you, Josie Harris." And with that cold remark, he marched up the stairs.
Josie watched with teary eyes as he walked away from her. "Yes, you're right Mark." She said, even though she knew he couldn't hear her. "I also regret the day I married you… "
★★★
Mark woke up the next morning with a splitting headache and an unsettled stomach. He knew he was hungover from all the drinks he had taken the day before, but he also knew he didn't have anything to worry about. Surely Josie would have cooked up the porridge for his hangovers like she normally did.
If there was one thing he was grateful for in his marriage, it was the fact that she was an excellent cook and every day was a new day for him to be impressed and satisfied with varieties of dishes.
"Man I'm so hungry." After a brief shower, he strolled down the stairs. Normally, he would have seen Josie setting the table for his breakfast but she was nowhere in sight. Instead, a maid was the one at the dinning table. "Where's my wife?" He questioned.
"Sir, I don't know where she went but she apparently left earlier this morning."
"Left?"
"Yes sir. Gloria said she saw her around six AM, she took all her luggages and she left the house. She said she wanted to inform you but Miss Josie said she already did."
"She… took all her things?" A displeased frown was on his face.
"She said to give you this when you wake up." The maid held out an envelope which Mark collected and tore it open immediately.
It was the divorce paper he gave her, she had signed it and attached to it was a small note of her saying goodbye.
Mark couldn't believe that she would leave just like that. He quickly took out his phone and dialed her number, but she didn't answer. He tried a couple more times but gave up after the six attempt or so.
"Josie, where on earth are you?"