Regretting Divorce

41 

RavenMoore. 

The evening turned in with the sky covering the horizon with a yellow orangish hue. Claire was awestruck so bad that rather than resting in bed beside snoring Penelope, she came down to enjoy the sunset 

Murphy mansion was actually perched on the edge of a cliff. It overlooked a breathtaking mountain landscape covered with greenery. It was built by Shawn’s great great grandfather, who was a fan of nature and privacy. Hence he built the magnanimous mansion on the cliff and surrounded it with a fence to keep the wandering perilous creatures at bay. 

The Murphys called the area within the fence their sanctuary. 

Claire sat down on a bench that was set under a tree, admiring the scenic view. Her hair floated in the air while a small smile played on her lips. 

“I used to sit here and admire the mountains every evening after my marriage. Claire watched over her shoulder at grandma Avery. 

She 

got up to help the woman sit on the bench as she replied. “You must feel like a Disney princess. This place is so exotic. I could stay here forever.” 

“Disney princess?” Avery chuckled. To some extent I did. A trapped princess who wanted to run away from this fantastic setting. 

“Grandma, Uneasiness squeezed Claire’s chest. 

Avery offered a lopsided grin and heaved. She leaned back on the bench and looked straight at the peaks of the mountains. 

“My life wasn’t as fairytale as this place suggests it would have been, dear. I have my own painful memories.” 

“Just like mine, Claire whispered softly. 

The old woman caught on to her words, “Uh–uh, I can bet yours is still better than mine” 

“You really don’t know what I went through, Grandma Claire’s lips lifted in an agonized smile. 

“That’s where you young people falter with your opinions about suffering. It’s way worse than your thoughts can suggest.” Grandma said, making Claire’s heart thrum in surprise. 

“Bleeding to miscarriage is not enough suffering, grandma? Or having a husband that sacrificed everything for leaving me for another woman?” Claire’s eyes blazed with wrath. “A woman who is a more evil version of Bellatrix Lestrange!” 

“Having to watch your husband have sex with his mistress as your punishment is the real suffering, Claire. Despite being angry at him, not being able to leave is the real suffering. When you are sick in bed and he is enjoying taking head on a Friday night at the bar is the real suffering.” 

Blistering goosebumps rose on Claire’s hands. The back of her neck was numb and her heart beats increasing wildly as she imagined all those things. 

“Y–you endured that, grandma?” 

Avery dipped her head in confirmation. The woman he liked was married to someone else. I replaced her as his bride due to my parents‘ greed of becoming relatives with Murphys. I could have said no but I was in love with Nathaniel for years. No woman could resist his striking features. So 1 agreed, but on the night of our marriage, he told me the truth” 

Claire watched Avery’s wrinkled face quiver. She was holding back her tears. Not that it would have mattered if she let them loose. The woman’s eyes denoted she’d cried enough that now no tears were left that she could shed. 

“I asked him to divorce me if he was not going to respect our marriage. He said our marriage was a business deal. It can’t be broken. He advised me to have a lover if that would keep me happy in the relationship.” 

A sad smile danced on the old woman’s lips as she gazed at Claire. 

by life with it. Just a few years more. Then I will 

“Let’s not talk about my past. It doesn’t even matter now. I’ve spent all my happily rest in my grave.” 

“But you must know, Claire, that your tragedy, is nothing compared to mine. Hunter is far better than my husband. At least he didn’t ask you to play a happy dutiful wife while Ife himself fucked a number of girls at work and kept mistresses in your home. I don’t support him but I feel that he respected your marriage by not letting his lover live with you in your house” 

Avery let out a sardonic laugh, “on the other hand, my husband made me watch him fuck his two mistresses once when I tried to run away. Nathan was twisted. He didn’t let me live in peace or let me leave him either.” 

“You know, Claire, at a point his first love returned to our lives. I was in labour at that time. Would you believe me if I told you that he left me in the hospital so he could receive her? And he actually brought her to this mansion. When I returned home with John, I saw my husband on the floor of our son’s nursery shagging her.” 

Darkness had settled overhead. Stars began to twinkle and the moon was a crescent to 

today. 

Avery looked back at Claire, “As far r as I know your husband persisted in the hospital while you were admitted, didn’t he? He stayed there day and night until you met him. Did you meet him, Claire? 

Claire nodded. She spared the details and the feelings. But Avery was experienced enough to catch on her thoughts. 

“It must have felt somewhat relieving, right? That he was there even after the divorce. That he respected your trauma and decided to wait. He could’ve ignored it since it was over. But he waited” 

“A woman wants nothing from her man more than his presence next to her while she’s putting up with life’s atrocities. That is even if they have parted ways after a divorce. Did he call the baby his at any point?” Claire didn’t answer. 

“Your silence tells me that he did. Avery studied Claire’s conflicting emotions. 

She noticed the talks of her husband were overpowering the facade of happiness she had expertly worn. 

“So he is not as bad. May be he regrets it too. May be you should 

*He will be everything but regretful.” Claire snapped in a hoarse voice. 

If Avery thought that she could manipulate her mind into believing she still had a chance with Hunter- since it was obvious that she was affected by the aftereffect of the divorce- then Avery was mistaking her quietness as her need for him. 

Hunter may not be as brute as Nathaniel. He had his own flaws which led to the death of their baby. 

Claire gritted her teeth. It was a Murder. She corrected it in her mind. 

images of Hunter from their 

A dull ache throbbed at her temples. Claire closed her eyes to shake off the last meeting. 

She hated him now. His presence in the hospital was nothing to her. He didn’t stay five days, day and night, because he cared for her or something. He stayed because he wanted to ask why he wasn’t made aware of the baby that he would have otherwise forced her to abort. 

He intended to rub it in her face that he was clever to have replaced her with Zara. That she was not even strong enough to keep the baby in her womb ufe. 

“I don’t know why you stayed in your loveless marriage with Nathaniel if he wasn’t worth it. I am not going back to that asshole if that’s what you want to explain to me, grandma. You may think I am helpless and incomplete without him because of my appearance. But you should know what I need is a life without him.” 

Nausea gripped Claire’s throat. She was on the verge of crying. The last thing she wanted was for Avery to see how the talks of Hunter triggered her emotions. 

She excused herself and went back inside. Avery watched her leave with a sad grin. 

“The girl doesn’t know she can never stop loving him, let alone leave him. He’s breathing within her.” 

The reason why Avery had this conversation was because she believed she could change Claire’s mind, and make her go back to Hunter. 

It’s true that Claire saw hell in the last few weeks. It was better than the experiences of women in her own generation though. In Avery’s time, men treated their wives like pet kittens and dogs and still demanded that they stay with them obediently. Neither was Hunter anything like those husbands nor Claire who suffered like those wives from her time. 

Perhaps, love in their lives was supposed to come latel After passing the test of time. After paying a great deal of bribe to get their happily ever after. 

Because diamonds do not form overnight. A coal has to face many challenges along the way including immense pressure and heat before it transforms into a priceless diamond.. 

Similarly, their story wasn’t a bed of roses. It was filled with a pati of thorns. They will have to cross this path to arrive the beautiful garden filled with vibrant and stunning roses. 

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Not to mention, men have always been dumb. They only realized the importance of something after it slipped out of their hands. Maybe it was the same with Hunter. 

“Hunter, you messed up badly. The old lady thought with the rise of her eyebrows. 

Mrs. Murphy was a secret admirer of Claire and Hunter being a couple. Their divorce blew her off and as someone who felt connected with them, she wanted to see them together again. 

“I won’t consider it over unless I see Hunter myself. Let’s see if he’s really anything but regretful, Claire.” 

Avery mumbled and came back inside. Her husband was in their bedroom, taking note of people who were invited for their anniversaries and who were still not. She rolled her eyes since he appeared so invested as if their anniversary celebration meant life to him. 

“Darling,” She called him lovingly as that’s how Nathan liked her to be in front of others. “Are the invitations sent to everyone?” 

“Some are still left. By tonight they’ll be gone as well.” 

“Cool. Can I see the list please?” 

Nathan handed it to her. Avery went through the names thoroughly. Her lips stretched into a smirk as she realized that the Macintyres were amongst those who received the invitation at the earliest, them being one of the VIP guests. 

“Here, thanks, darling, Can’t wait to have everyone here for our biggest day” Avery flashed a fake smile to her husband before she turned around. 

on her way to her room, she mused, “Your love story requires a cupil, Claire, I will gladly play one i 

you and Hunter” 

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