Divorce

A bucket of water, poured on Adam, jerked him away from his unconscious state. He opened his eyes blurry to see Emily and Aria glaring at him.

“Mom, I can't believe this idiot slept for this long. How dare he sleep to the extent that he couldn't prepare breakfast for me! This is seven, for goodness' sake, and I'm already late for work. How would I leave home without my favorite coffee? Fuck!” She yelled at Adam, ranting at the same time.

“Hey! Get up!” Emily uttered.

Adam's eyes became clear, though he was feeling a headache and his body was paining him, he groaned in pain.

Still in pain, he tried to stand on his feet.

He noticed that Emily and Aria were dressed to go out, that was also when he recalled the misery incident that happened, which made him lose consciousness.

“Clara!” He mumbled with a broken voice.

“Fuck! I hate you! Idiot!” Aria spat on him, vacating the house in annoyance.

“Gosh! You keep giving me a headache every day, I'm fucking tired of you. You are so dumb to even sleep on the floor last night? Jeez! You are indeed useless and miserable” Emily also insulted him before leaving the house.

“Clara!” He mumbled again and dragged his feet to his bedroom.

He met Clara fully dressed for work.

“Darling” he called, moving closer to her, but she pushed him.

“Aren't you wet and dripping with water? Do you want to stain my expensive dress? You can afford to buy me one and still want to ruin it?” She lamented bitterly.

Adam can't believe she just pushed him so hard. He managed to stand up, holding his elbow in pain, he faced her, and she was sneering at him.

“Can you let us talk about what happened last night? I know there is a misunderstanding about the hickeys. Yesterday was our wedding anniversary and I got you a gift.” He uttered with pitifulness apparent from his tone.

Adam took the mystery gift he had bought for her, walked back to her, and gave it to her, Clara snatched it away from his hand.

“What's this?” Clara asked with the same look of disgust she had earlier.

“I got this, a gift for you, check it” Adam urged, he wanted her to understand how much he loved her and that he didn't believe she cheated on him.

Clara stared at the wrapped gift and burst into mocking laughter.

“What's inside? Is it a crumb of bread? Or a tiny cheap earring?” Clara mocked and continued in her absurd laughter.

She threw the gift on the floor and to Adam's surprise, she began stepping on it, destroying it with her red high heels.

“Clara stop!” Adam warned, but she continued smashing with her heels until she was destroyed.

“Trash, it's all rubbish, I'm sure you bought it from a cheap store, maybe you got this useless gift for a dollar since you can't afford anything” She yelled, glaring hatefully at him.

She hates seeing him, she wonders how she could have stayed for two years with such a poor thwart.

“Can you see this?” Clara asked Adam about the beautiful diamond bracelet on her wrist.

Adam couldn't guess who gave that to her because he couldn't have been able to afford that and neither could she.

“And also this” Clara added, showing him the expensive necklace on her neck and also the pretty little earrings on her ears.

It matched the white knee-length gown she wore.

“Last night, I went out with a rich man, and he got all these for me. He's damn rich, he is so wealthy that he purchased all this jewelry for five hundred thousand dollars!!" Clara boasted, hurting Adam's feelings, so much.

“You are cheating on me?” He asked and sniffed, his voice sounded like he was going to break down any minute.

“Why have you always been stupid, can't you read the handwriting on the wall? I have a rich boyfriend who has been showering me with good things, good and expensive, not cheap and worthless things that you give me, like plucking a rose flower from one of the mansions where you once worked as a mere gardener” Clara insulted, she's just spewing words without considering his feelings.

And truly she isn't concerned about his feelings, she's irritated by his appearance.

Adam's mouth parted, but words could come out, her words were like daggers stabbing his heart continually, not giving him one second to breathe.

Clara chuckled and hiccuped, she held onto her bag and walked away.

“What about the food that I bought, did you like them?” He asked, hoping that will make her realize that he might not be rich, but he loved her dearly.

Clara walked to where the food was placed, she hadn't opened it since she arrived at the room the previous night. She truly felt surprised by everything but not impressed, she strode to the table and dropped her bag on it.

She opened the dishes to see the food and the bottle of champagne on the table. Furthermore, she laughed harder.

“Did you steal this?” Clara inquired.

Adam was shocked by her question, he then retorted, "You of all people know that I would never steal”

“Do you think you can impress me with this cheap candle night dinner?"

“When have you ever taken me to a fancy restaurant, when have you ever taken me on a trip, you've never even taken me on a trip outside this street, you would say we are saving money” She ranted and mimicked his voice when she said the last sentence.

Adam lowered his gaze to the floor, he knows he hasn't been there, and he hasn't taken her on exotic trips, but he has been trying his best.

“Not one day have you taken me anyway, far away from the four corners of the walls that feel like a prison, you are a bastard, a poor church rat who couldn't make his wife feel appreciated in any way, I never felt good being with you, I only felt used, you are a good for nothing husband. How I wish I had listened to my family to divorce you after inheriting father's wealth. You are nothing but a disgrace to my family” She yelled furiously.

***

Adam was working as a gardener when Clara's Father saw him. His master wouldn't stop talking about his good deeds and how he was a help to his family, which got James, Clara's father, amazed that a young man of his age and status was rare. He made an approach to Adam to meet his daughter, telling him that he would like him to become his son-in-law.

Clara rejected his offer at first until her father threatened her with the inheritance. She was left with no other choice than to accept the marriage proposal.

Sadly, James died six months after their wedding and Adam's life made a U-turn there. He practically turned into a slave of the family.

***

Adam was boiling inside, he was trying his best to support the family in his little way, but they weren't content and had never appreciated his efforts.

“ You are such a useless fool, a simpleton” She uttered angrily and grasped the champagne bottle and smashed it on the floor.

“Clara." Adam cautioned and winced.

“You can't impress me, Adam '' Clara shouted and threw down everything on the table.

She shattered the dishes on the floor and the bottles of champagne.

Adam walked to her and tried pulling her away from there, not because he was preventing her from wasting all his efforts but because he didn't want her to get injured, he still loved her despite the mocking and hateful words, he would rather not see her getting hurt.

Clara pushed him away roughly, just as she did before, Adam only staggered but held his ground.

“I don't want to be with you anymore, I despise you, everything about you makes me feel disgusted, I imagine how my life would have turned out if I met my rich boyfriend instead of meeting you, my life would be a definition of wealth and living a life of bed of roses not a bed of thorns and poverty “Clara yelled, staring scornfully at him.

“ Clara, I can't afford all those things you mentioned, but I'm trying my best, I even got you this special ring, “Adam said and bright a black little box from his pocket.

He wasn't able to give her a decent ring, so he bought this for her.

Clara collected it from him, it's a Taylor Burton ring that is worth more than a million dollars.

Where would a poor fool like him get such?

“I'm sure this is fake, I can't believe you are, so desperate to keep me in your captivity!” Clara yelled and threw the ring away, and it accidentally entered the dustbin.

She smiled at her achievement and stepped over the broken pieces, then reached for her bag, she unzipped it and brought out a pile of documents.

Adam squinted, wondering what those documents were for.

She staggered back to him and placed the documents in his hands.

“I want a divorce” She mouthed and Adam was shocked to his bones.

He stared at the document and it was boldly written divorce papers.

“Clara” Adam muttered with teary eyes, he was completely devastated.

“Sign the damn papers, I want to get divorced today, Adam, I've had enough of your madness” Clara said seriously while Adam was still in shock.