Serena

My husband Bill and his beautiful assistant Doris are laughing and eating like they're on a first date. But the joke is on me...

I'm here, Bill's wife, watching them from across the room, tending to my flat belly where a little life is now living.

Of course, Bill doesn’t know about the baby yet. The news is still fresh in my mind, barely a few hours old.

It is supposed to be a family dinner gathering, but I'm never the welcome one but an outsider.

Watching Bill take the steak cut and handed over by Doris, his young age best friend who knows him the best, I guess I'm spoiling their fun by telling them now that I'm having a baby.

“Doris, Bill mentioned you’re getting an MBA. Why don’t you tell us about it?” Elena, Bill’s mom, says. I know this dinner isn't just for catching up. Elena wants to show off Doris, the daughter-in-law she'd rather have.

Doris, with her wavy auburn hair, smiles and leans forward in her chair. “It’s going really well," she says, her emerald-green eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "I'm learning a lot about global markets. Bill even told me I could be a great asset to his company. Right Bill?”

She beams at Bill, seeking confirmation, but he's busy admiring the way she effortlessly charms everyone at the table.

"Absolutely. Doris has a sharp mind for business," Bill responds confidently. He's tall, with impeccably groomed blonde hair, not a strand out of place. He exudes a commanding presence, just like the CEO he is.

I clench my fork a little tighter, feeling a mix of anger and helplessness. Bill never talks about my accomplishments like that. He always had an excuse - too technical, too mundane, not worth mentioning at a family dinner. But here he is, praising Doris as if she's already part of the family.

I see Bill's blue eyes, which are usually sharp and piercing, looking at Doris with a warm and gentle expression. It's quite different from how he usually looks at me. It hurts to watch them. I knew I shouldn't have come here.

The waiter interrupts my thoughts, holding up an expensive bottle of wine. "Wine, ma'am?"

"Uhm… Can you please get me an iced tea instead?' I ask. He nods and moves away.

I gently touch my belly under the table, thinking about my secret. Will anyone guess why I'm not drinking wine? Probably not. Everyone's too busy talking to Doris. I'm just here because Bill brought me along. I’m still his wife, after all.

“Excuse me. I need to use the bathroom,” I say, standing up. For a second, everyone looks at me, but their faces aren't kind. I guess no one really cares what I do at this point.

As I limp toward the bathroom, my sore knee reminds me of what happened earlier. I was so lost in thought and didn't see a bumpy part on the sidewalk. I tripped, and now my left knee throbs with pain. Great, I think I broke it.

"Congratulations, Serena," Dr. Sanchez told me. "You're four weeks pregnant."

“Oh, that’s… wonderful,” I say. I try to sound upbeat, but I’m not really feeling it. I wanted to keep the baby. But how can Bill and I raise a child together if he no longer loves me?

“What’s wrong?” Dr. Sanchez asked, sensing my hesitation.

"Well, I don’t know how my husband will take it," I replied, meeting her gaze.

Dr. Sanchez gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “It’s your decision,” she said. “But I’d recommend discussing it with him.”

Now, in the bathroom, I splash my face with water, trying to think straight. Should I tell everyone about the baby at dinner? Maybe it would make them see me differently, not just as someone who used to work for Bill.

But then I remember how cold everyone was when I walked into the ballroom. Bill and his family saw me hobbling, but nobody helped or even said hello. It felt like they were ignoring me on purpose, and Bill just stared at me.

Looking in the mirror, I see someone who looks like me but doesn't feel like me. We share the same features: soft brown eyes, chestnut hair in loose waves, and tiny freckles on both cheeks. But this isn't the old Serena I know. She wouldn't let anyone treat her like a doormat.

When I head back to my seat, Doris suddenly steps in front of me. She trips, and a waiter who was bringing me the iced tea I asked for can't stop in time. The tea spills all over my white dress.

"Hey! Watch it, Doris," I say, surprised and a bit angry. I clean the stain with my handkerchief, but it won’t come off.

Bill, like a knight in shining armor, quickly goes to Doris and helps her up. “Are you okay?” he asks her.

Doris starts crying and plays the victim, “I'm fine. I just don't know why Serena would trip me.”

My face gets hot. This lying bitch is testing me. "What?! I didn't even touch you."

Bill stares coldly at me, “What’s wrong with you? Apologize to her now.”

I can't believe he's taking her side. “Are you fucking serious? I didn't do anything! If anyone should apologize, it's her for ruining my dress.”

“Seriously? Is your dress all you care about? You're so selfish!"

“Oh, I’m selfish? You haven't even looked at me once. I didn't make a big deal out of it. You've been too busy with Doris to remember you have a wife!”

Now, everyone is looking at us. I don't usually share personal stuff in public, but I'm really tired of how everyone's been treating me tonight. People can stare at us for all I care.

“Enough!” Elena yells. “Stop this nonsense. If you don't apologize to Doris, then leave."

I look at Bill, waiting for him to say something in my defense. He just stares at the table, letting his mom embarrass me without saying a word.

I feel tears starting to form in my eyes. I’ve never felt so low in my life.

I take a deep breath and say, “Okay, I don’t want to cause a scene here. I'll go, Elena, if that's what you want.”

The waiters give me odd looks as I leave the ballroom. That's it, I've had enough. If Bill won't stand up for me, our marriage should be over. I won't even tell him about the baby, and I want a fucking divorce!

Serena’s POV

It’s funny how adrenaline can make you forget pain for a bit.

As I leave the hotel, my left knee starts to sting again. “Well, at least, I’m out of there,” I mumble.

I still hear the commotion inside. Bill's family is checking on Doris. Wow, they're overreacting. She only fell — it's not like she lost a leg. Meanwhile, I feel like I might lose mine soon.

I focus on breathing to ease my pain. Distracted, I bump into a man going in the opposite direction. The slight impact causes me to stagger and wobble. “Oops, sorry.”

He notices I'm unsteady and holds my arm to help me balance. “Careful there. Hmm... I think I've seen you before. Oh! You're Serena, Bill's wife, right?”

Great, another family member who might hate me. And I thought tonight couldn't get any better. "Uh... Yes, that's me."

I'm curious about who he is, so I look at his face. Time didn't leave overly impressive marks on this man's face, but he was noticeably elder and a bit more mature than Bill.

He's a bit muscular and rocks a mullet with some stubble on his face. He's good-looking but has a more rugged style compared to Bill.

He extends his hand. “I’m Calvin, by the way.”

“Calvin? You’re Bill’s uncle, right?”

"Oh please, I'm just a few years older than him. He's more like a younger brother to me than a nephew."

Calvin has a big stake in Bill's company, being the second-largest shareholder, but he isn't really involved in the day-to-day stuff. No wonder he’s barely in the family photos because he spends most of his time on his own business abroad.

Bill didn't mention his busy uncle from abroad would be at dinner. But then again, Bill hardly tells me anything.

“Uhm… Hello. You there?” Calvin waves his hand in front of me to break out of my daze.

I quickly regain my composure and turn away. I don't want Bill's uncle to see me looking so pitiful.

“Serena, are you okay?” he asks, his voice filled with concern.

“Yes, I'm fine. You should go see your family now.”

I turn back to him, trying to smile even though I just cried, which might look a bit weird. I don't want to involve Calvin in this drama, so I decide to walk away from him.

I stop at the side of the road to call for a taxi. It's getting colder, and I shiver as I wait for a cab to arrive.

“Serena, wait!”

Did Bill just chase after me? Maybe he does care about me, even if it's just a little bit.

I turn in the direction of the voice. But it's not Bill, it's Calvin running after me.

He notices me shivering and removes his suit jacket, placing it over my shoulders. "You don't need to run from me. I’m not gonna bite you.”

I offer a weak smile and remain silent for a moment, wondering why he doesn't seem to hate me like the others.

"I can drive you back home if you want," he offers.

With a pleading look, I respond, "Please."

Calvin drives me home, and I appreciate that he understands I'm not really in the mood for conversation. If it were Bill in this situation, he would likely pick a fight for my silence.

"You know what? Why don't we play some music?" Calvin suggests, sensing my mood.

“Sure,” I say weakly. Calvin plays some soothing classical music, and we ride in silence for the rest of the journey. I simply gaze out the window with his jacket draped over my shoulders, feeling touched by his consideration.

********************

"Sir Calvin, good to see you," one of our maids says as he drops me off at our home.

"Anne, you still look great!" Calvin replies. Of course, he knows Anne. She's been with Bill's family for a long time.

"Could you do me a favor and get an ice pack, bandage, and some Ibuprofen? I think Madame Serena here might have sprained her knee," he requests.

"A sprain? I thought for sure my knee was broken," I say, surprised. Okay, how does Calvin know this?

He gently touches my shoulder, and I feel a strange sensation. It’s as if a slight electric charge passes through me. "Relax, I'm not a doctor or anything, but if your knee was really broken, you couldn't have walked away so quickly. Actually, you'd probably have trouble even standing right now," he reassures.

I can't explain why I feel this way, especially since he's my husband's uncle, but there's something about his touch that’s calming. Despite Calvin and I being practically strangers, it feels both strange and comforting that he's paying more attention to my well-being than Bill does.

Hey, what am I thinking about?

“Oh, that makes sense,” I quickly say. Then, I saw the tea stain on my dress. "Excuse me, I need to go change."

After taking a bath and changing into comfortable clothes, Anne helps me bandage my left knee. I leave my bedroom, feeling refreshed.

As I head towards the kitchen, I catch the aroma of something delicious. Calvin is in an apron, busy cooking. “Hey, what are you doing?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m hungry, so I’m cooking,” he replies.

Crap. I feel a bit guilty that he missed the dinner with his family because of me. “What’s on the menu then?”

“Nothing too fancy. Just some instant ramen and grilled cheese. Anyway, you can join me if you want," he says with a smile.

“Yeah, thanks for offering. But I’m good.” My stomach growls as soon as I say that. Calvin must have heard it because he says, “Please, I insist.”

I nod, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Calvin acts like he doesn't notice I'm feeling shy. "You should sit down first and raise your knee. I'm almost done cooking."

I take a seat in the dining room, propping my feet on another chair as I wait for Calvin. He soon comes out of the kitchen with a tray holding two bowls of ramen and a plate of grilled cheese sandwiches.

"Looks good," I say as Calvin places the food on the table.

"Thanks. It's all I can make," he replies.

We eat quietly, enjoying the meal. "You know, this reminds me of college," I comment, trying to start a conversation.

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Calvin asks.

"It’s a good thing," I reply, smiling at him. "Grilled cheese and ramen are some of my go-to comfort foods when I've had a tough week."

"I see… So, I must be a mind reader then," Calvin says with a grin. I guess he sensed that I was having a tough day. “How’s your knee?”

“It feels a lot better now. Do I need to see a doctor?”

"Well, it's just a sprain. It should be good after a couple of days. But if it doesn't improve, yeah, you should definitely see a doctor," Calvin advises. “After eating, take an Ibuprofen.”

“Okay,” I say, feeling a bit lighter. This is the first time one of Bill's family members has been kind to me. I can't help but feel warm inside.

Following Calvin's advice, I take an Ibuprofen as soon as I finish eating. As Calvin clears the table, Bill enters the dining room.

"Uncle Calvin... When did you come back?" Bill asks, looking a bit surprised to see him here. “I thought you‘d join us for dinner tonight.”

I respond on Calvin's behalf saying, "Oh, I met him at the hotel. He offered to drive me home because I was having trouble walking."

Bill looks at me quietly, trying to find out whether I’m lying or not. He frowns, looking a little upset. He turns his attention to Calvin again, “Anyway, Mom wants to see you.”

Calvin looks at Bill, looking like he wants to speak. Instead, he just nods and leaves quietly.

“Serena,” Bill says. “What the hell happened to your knee?”

Wow, is he worried about me? That's so rare. He usually cares more about his job, family, supercars, and Doris than me.

Maybe if he knows I'm having his baby, I'll win him back.

Serena’s POV

I thought Bill actually cared about my leg for a second there, but nope, he's back to being a total dickhead.

"I tripped outside the hotel and —," I begin.

“You know what, it doesn't matter. Just go say you’re sorry to Mom and Doris,” he says, not even letting me finish.

And he's doing it again, cutting me off like I'm just background noise. This is so ridiculous. Why do I even put up with him treating me like crap?

Just as I'm on the verge of telling Bill that he's going to be a dad, I stop myself. I can't let our child see us fighting like this all the time. It's just not how healthy relationships are supposed to be. Honestly, I'm starting to think it might be better for me to raise our baby on my own.

I lower my head and whisper, “I want a divorce.”

It’s out in the open now — there's no turning back. But, weirdly, I feel lighter, like I've been holding my breath for so long and then finally been able to let it out.

Then, it's just dead silent. Bill doesn't say anything for a bit like he's trying to process what I just said. Finally, he blurts out, 'What? You can’t be serious,' with this tone of total disbelief.

I look straight at Bill. He's got this look – eyebrows all scrunched up. “Yep, you heard me,” I say, extra clear this time. “I want a divorce,” I make sure to hit every word hard, so there's no mistaking what I'm saying.

I've given it my all in this relationship. Heck, I even lowered my pride to put up with Bill’s family. But let's face it, it's beyond repair now. Plus, Bill's got his sights set on someone else. He made that pretty clear at the dinner tonight.

Bill lets out a heavy sigh. He looks like he's gonna blow up, but he's holding it back. “Stop saying stupid shit right now.”

“There's no debate here, Bill. I'm done,” I respond, and now we're locked in a staring contest. I refuse to be intimidated.

“You’re acting like a child, Serena,” Bill says, losing his patience. Classic Bill, always thinking I'm the immature one in our fights. You see, he always plays the “Mr. CEO” card, like he's the one who's always right. Trying to reason with him is like talking to a brick wall. It's just beyond frustrating.

But unlike before, I can't just let him win this time. “I think three years are enough, Bill..."

Alright, here it goes — all the crap I've had to put up with from Bill and his family. It's about time I tell him how belittled I feel when his family acts like I'm just his assistant who’s after his money. And Bill, not giving me the time of day, even flirting with Doris right in front of me…

As I prepare my speech in my head, Bill’s phone rings. Oh God, what is it this time?

Bill picks up, but he's still looking at me. “Mom?” he answers.

Of course, he's putting other people ahead of me again. While Bill's on the call, I've already forgotten the rant I was planning just a few minutes ago.

"Alright, Mom. Bye," Bill says, and he hangs up. I glare at him, seething with anger. I know his tactic all too well. He's not going to let me finish what I was about to say.

"I need to take care of the proposal for Johnson and Haines Inc. tomorrow," Bill explains. "Mom had a look at it and said it wasn't good enough."

As much as I want to speak my mind, I overheard at dinner that this deal with Johnson and Haines Inc. is worth millions. I can't afford to mess with Bill's head right now. I’m still mad at him but I don’t want him to look bad in front of his investors. “Well then, fix the damn proposal,” I say. “I’ll wait here.”

Bill crosses his arms, looking like he's mulling over my next move. It's like every conversation with him is a chess match, and he's always the one who needs to win.

"I don't think we need to have this conversation again," he says, holding a stern gaze. "Look, just apologize, and we can all move on. And let’s forget about you mentioning... divorce."

The way he says the word ‘divorce’, it's like he's scoffing at the idea. He’s not taking me seriously at all.

“You’re a jerk, you know that?” I mutter, my voice trembling with rage. Tears well up in my eyes.

"Yeah, I've heard that one before," Bill says, brushing me off. "Let's just call it a night. We're both just tired."

Bill studies my face as I stay quiet. I'm avoiding letting my tears fall in front of him; that would only feed his ego. He finally leaves and makes his way to our room.

I asked Anne for the key to one of our guest rooms. I'm not sharing a bed with him tonight. Sex isn't going to fix this marriage.

I lay my head on the pillow and think of how much I sacrificed to make things work with Bill. I’d be lying if I said I don’t love him anymore. But there’s just so much I can take.

We'd always encourage each other to do our best. I loved how passionate he was about his job, and he was all about mine too. But things changed after we got married. I let him take control of my life. Maybe that was partly my fault.

He says, "You don’t need to work anymore. I’ll take care of you." And he did — he made sure I had all the fancy stuff his money could buy. But when it came to showing love and giving attention, he was pretty stingy.

Bill’s right… I’m tired. I can't keep letting him off the hook for just doing the bare minimum. Actually, I've thought about divorcing him for a while now. But to him, it all seems like one big joke.