Maya sat on the edge of the couch, staring at the crisp white papers that lay on the coffee table. The words blurred together as tears welled up in her eyes.Â
"Divorce?" she whispered, her voice trembling. Across the room, Vinay leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his expression unyielding.
"It's better this way," he said, his toneÂ
detached as if discussing the weather. "We've been unhappy for a long time."
Maya's chest tightened. "Unhappy?" she echoed. "I've been trying, Vinay. I thought we were building something together."
Vinay avoided her gaze. "Maybe you were, but I wasn't. I... I met someone else." The admission felt like a slap to her face.
The room spun as Maya processed his words. "You've been cheating on me," she said, more a statement than a question.Â
Vinay's silence was confirmation enough.
She stood abruptly, anger bubbling beneath her shock. "After everything I've sacrificed, this is how you repay me?" Her voice cracked, but she refused to cry.Â
Vinay's expression remained impassive. "I'm sorry, Maya. I'll make sure you're taken care of financially. You deserve that much."
Maya scoffed. "Money won't fix what you've broken." With trembling hands, she picked up the papers. "If this is what you want, fine. But don't expect me to make this easy for you."