"Jessica, Jessica?" Hearing Sandy calling me, I came out of my daze and said, "Huh, what did you say?"
Sandy replies, "I didn't say anything. I'm calling, and you're not replying. What's the matter?"
"Oh, nothing. I just remembered Aunt Debra."
Aunt Debra raised me from the day I was born. She was my father, mother, and confidante. Sadly, she passed away a year before my marriage. I got married in August 2021, and she passed away in March 2020.
"I know. This is one of those times; you need a mother." Then Sandy cheers up and says, "But you have me!."
On hearing her, I hugged her as tears rolled down my eyes. Regaining my composure, "You know, she raised me since I was a baby. In the beginning she wanted to tell me about her, but I never wanted to know who she was. And, why should I, after all if she can leave me, I don't need her. You know she never called me, even once." As I began to cry a bit. "It seemed like it was only yesterday that I got a call at work telling me my aunt had an accident and was hit on the head. I rushed to the hospital. Though she woke up and was fine, after a few days she was diagnosed with DAI." Continuing, I said, "In the beginning, they told her she might recover, but soon she relapsed and fell into a coma. That's when they recommended keeping at the hospital would be expensive, so I shifted to a nursing home. Then she passed away last year, a few months before I met Kyle. For me, she was my real mother, and she was the only relative I knew. The day I got married, I felt now she would be happy in heaven as her only wish was to see me settle down. Sadly, today that dream broke."
Just then we heard a knock, so I got up to see who could come so early in the morning. As I opened the door, a delivery man was standing with a document bag, so I took the bag and came back inside. Seeing me with the document bag, Sandy said, "Oh, were you expecting something?"
As I was turning the bag around and actually shaking it to see what's inside, I replied, "No, let me see what it is."
As I opened the seal, my eyes widened in shock. They were divorce summons from the court with a notice, telling me to come and sign within the next business days.
I was so angry, I didn't reply to Sandy, who kept asking, 'What's the matter? What's the document saying?'
I quickly took my phone out and dialed his number. For some odd reason, his voice sounded like he just got a call from Santa: "Jessy, how'd you call me? Are you OK? Do you need anything?"
But I bombarded him, saying, "Kyle, I've already signed the papers. If you're in such a hurry, come tomorrow so we can get the certificate. Why is your lawyer sending me divorce papers?"
On hearing the documents are divorce papers, Sandy took my phone from my hand and said in an angry tone, "Kyle, have you lost your mind? It's wrong as it is how you divorced her, now this. Are you a man or not?"
Kyle fumbles, saying, "Sandy, I… I didn't send any papers. Can you please tell the lawyer's name?"
Sandy takes the papers from my hand and then says on the phone, "Yeah, it's Evan Shider."
Kyle says, "OK, you can throw them, and please take care of Jessy for me. I'll clear the matter soon. And, please tell her to wait for me."
As the call gets disconnected, Sandy says in a stunned tone, "What was that? Take care of Jessy. I'll clear up the matter soon. And, oh, he actually said to tell you to wait for him."
I snorted and said, "He's the last person who's care I need now. I should have known he's a dumbo."
Sandy makes me sit down and says, "OK, forget him. I'll get us two cups of coffee."
As she comes back with the coffee, "He told me to throw the papers. He'll talk with the lawyer."
Though I always relied on myself, for the first time I felt I should take advice, so I signaled Sandy to wait as I called Derak and told him about the papers and Kyle's call.
As expected, Derak told me I should keep the papers for safety and wait for him to come back.
As I was sipping my coffee, Sandy said, "Jessica, did you really not notice anything wrong about him? I mean."
I sighed as Sandy said this, but it's true, I really didn't notice anything. Even when he came at the anniversary, I was happy he finally came. So, I replied, "Sandy, I myself can't figure out what happened. The entire party, the menu, the gifts, our late night private party, everything was discussed with him. I never felt a difference in his tone."
"Jessica, I don't think it's as simple. If he actually came with signed papers and he's telling you to wait for him. I think he's up to something."
I got into a serious mode and replied, "I know. That's what made me realize it didn't happen overnight. He had it planned before. But why did he end it like this? He could have done it before the anniversary. He actually arranged a party and came to give the divorce papers."
Just then the bell rang. Sandy gets up and says, "Wait, let me see."
As Sandy comes back, she's holding a parcel, or a box. As she places it on the table, she says, "It's for you. Maybe a client couldn't come to the party, so he sent you the gift home."
I suddenly remembered, his secretary Kyle got me a gift and she would send it to me, "No, it's him. His secretary said he bought me a special gift."
Sandy snorted, saying, "What special gift? A frame for the papers."
I took the box and opened it. As I took the wrapper off, I saw it was a jewelry box. As I opened the box, I saw it was a diamond necklace with a small heart pendant with K&J embedded in it.
As I held the necklace, Sandy said in an angry tone, "What the hell is wrong with this man? Has he gone mad? He's already taken signed papers and is giving a necklace with both of both initials embedded in heart? Where's the arrow he shot at the anniversary party?."
I took a sigh and kept the necklace back in the box. As I closed the box, I told Sandy to calm down. I don't know why, but I was still siding with him and said, "Maybe he bought it before, when we were still a couple, when he still loved me."
Sandy retorts, saying, "Jessica, I know you're a fashion designer, but I love jewelry. This is the latest Majestic Bond edition. It came out a few days ago, and the booking was also a week ago. Oh, and only ten sets are made. Now, one is in your hand, and the other nine are somewhere in the world."
I opened the box again, and as I was looking at the necklace, Kyle was becoming a mystery to me. Though I was married for three years, now it seems like I really didn't know him. He never talked about his parents or his past life. But then I also never questioned him as I thought he barely managed to overcome his depression. Now he was living a normal life and the doctor also said, 'If the memories he's forgotten are bad, it's best he doesn't remember them.
But now that he left me like this and is still telling me to wait. What is he up to? Did he go back to his family? Is he making them accept me? But even if so, I am a reputed girl with a world renowned fashion brand. Why would they not accept me?
Then Sandy says, "So, Jessica, you were making the draft for the upcoming fashion. What about it?"
Recalling the draft is incomplete, "OH, I totally forgot."
As she gets up, "OK, I have some books left for checking. Why don't you complete your draft, and I'll come back with Patricia in the evening?"
I nodded with a smile as Sandy left. As I looked around, the emptiness got to me, so I went straight to the kitchen. And as always, I brewed a cup of cappuccino, heated a pizza, and headed towards my studio.
Though I have my own building with an office and my own designing, tailoring, and boutique, I have a studio at home as well. As I sat on my chair and opened my laptop, his face was right in front of me. Yes, my laptop's wallpaper is of Kyle. At first, I slammed the screen shut. Then realizing it's not the laptop's fault his picture is on my wallpaper, I again opened and changed it to a random rainbow wallpaper.
Then I began to set my layout for drawing and began to sketch the dresses. Though the designs were ready, a little alterations were required. As I was scribbling on my pad, I got a call, seeing it's from Derak, I took the call.
"Hi, Jessica, before I tell or ask anything, are you over with Kyle?" Derak asked in a concerned tone.
"Derak, do you think I should continue? I mean he didn't even say anything; he just told me to sign and he'd compensate me for my loss."
Derak sighs and says, "Jessica, I told you before, and I'm telling you now again. From now on, you're my sister, and I have no concern with Kyle. Jessica, the reason I asked was because, today I think I found out why he left."
Though I didn't really care, for some odd reason, I did want to know why all of a sudden he broke off our three-year relationship with one sign. "Derak, though, I don't care, but it's best to know then make up your own assumptions."
I could hear Derak sigh on the phone as if it was hard for him to tell. I was going to tell him to forget it, but before I could he said, "Jessica, I found out he met his first-love a few weeks back and has been meeting her on and off. I'm not certain, but she might be the reason."
OK, though most marriages break because of betrayal, but for some reason I was thinking maybe it was because of our busy schedule. And I could have reconciled, had he not come with duly signed papers. But, first-love, heck, I didn't even know he had a first-love. And, today was the first time I regretted not asking about his past.
Now that he has a first-love, he might also be having parents. As silly as it sounded, I actually asked Derak, "Derak, does Kyle have parents?"
I think Derak also wasn't expecting to hear this, "Ah, what? His parents? Jessica, they died in a car accident when he was in college. But, did you hear what I said?"
Realizing I caused him a confusion, I said, "Oh, sorry Derak, it's that I never asked about his past life, and he also told me because of his depression, he doesn't remember the past things. The doctor also said it's best he forgets. So, first love was least expected. And, now that he has and you say he might have gone back, I presumed he might have parents as well." Suddenly remembering. "Hey, Derak, have you met her?"
Before I could ask anything else, Derak says, "No, I was out of the country when he was dating and by the time I came back, he was in the hospital for depression."
So it was the same for him as well. After all, when I met him, he was still getting his treatment, and no one was there for him. And he got better and would often say, 'It was casue of me he improved or else he might have not survived. Realizing this fact, I said, "Yes, Derak, I knew about his depression. Actually, I took care of him in the last months he was at the hospital. After completing four months without treatment, he proposed to me and we got married. He used to tell me about you. He told you to come to meet him, but you had to leave all of a sudden."
Derak again sighs and says, "Yes, dad had acquired a new company in Spain, so I had to go and take over. OK, Jessica, for now I'm not certain he didn't send the papers. I think she must have sent them, so be a little careful."
Honestly that came as a shock to me. So, the first-love felt threatened and sent me the divorce summons, but shouldn't I be the one to be angry? After all, I have been a wife for the past three years. I still replied, "OK, I'll be careful. Derak, you also take care."
As the call got disconnected, I tried to focus on my work when a notification pooped on my screen. The notification was to remind me to design a suit for Kyle's birthday.
As the notification disappeared from the screen, I realized he also disappeared from my life just like that. As I engulfed myself in my work, I got a call. The voice on the other side said, "Hi, how's my wifey, still enjoying your anniversary, huh."