“Good morning, Richard. Did you do what I asked?” Asked Dihanna once at the lawyer's office.
“Yes, Dihanna. Are you sure about that?”
“Not sure, but, I know it is best for everybody that I do it. I don't want to be in anybody's way” she said and a few tears started fogging up her eyes.
Hallagan handed her a dossier, she took it without a second thought and left the lawyer's office.
Once in her car, she left the dossier on the passenger seat and bursted in tears. She let out all that pain from not being loved by the man she adored. She knew Dominik never would take that step. Not because he didn't love her, but, because that was his way of thanking her for all those years of dedication. And she didn't want that. She didn't want leftovers, she wouldn't take nobody's sloppy seconds. She couldn't condemn her happiness and sum it up to a loveless marriage. She took the dossier and peeked through in it. Tears started pouring.
There she stayed a couple minutes, draining out all her unrequited love.
When she got home, she went straight into the kitchen, she drank a cup of orange juice, all that crying made her feel a little weak.
“Mrs. Dihanna. Are you alright?” Her housekeeper startled her.
“Yes, I'm fine Berta. Just an allergy” answered Dihanna immediately.
“Would you like me to make you some tea?”
“Yes, please. Is Dominik home?”
“Yes, ma'am. He asked me to tell you he'd be expecting you in his office.”
“Thank you, Berta, I'll go see him.”
“I'll bring your tea in a minute.”
Dihanna headed upstairs with her heart on her sleeve. She came to the studio, and stopped at the doorway to take some air. As she headed in, she realized Dominik was on the phone with somebody...
“…of course, everything. I am leaving it all organized, I only need Ewald to speak to the federation to settle the date for the press conference and officially announce my retirement” silence. “Yes. I will take Aháva to see her mother” silence. “Imagine after almost two months, Samanta shows up. It is a miracle! I still cannot believe it” silence. “Yes. I am very happy, it is almost like a dream” silence. “We will be leaving for Egypt in a fortnight. Dihanna?” Dihanna felt a sting at the mention of her name. “She is not back yet, I will fill her in on the trip when she is, it will only be a few days” long silence. “Yes, Karol, you know it better than anybody. I still love her, but that is something I have to let go of. I have to move on, carry on.”
Hearing those last words broke the last piece of her heart.
She waited a few seconds after Dominik ended his call. She took a deep breath and knocked...
“Come on in” he said, with his eyes still on his computer screen.
Dihanna went in and she came over to where her husband was.
“Oh, love! You're home! Where have you been?” He looked around. “Where's Abraham?” He asked.
“Abraham asked me to take him to see his grandma and he stayed with her. Berta said you wanted to see me?”
“Yes, love. It's about Aháva.”
“What about her?” Asked Dihanna idly.
Dominik gave her a confused look.
“I promised to take her to Egypt as soon as I was done with my schedule.”
“When do you leave?” Dihanna's dry tone made Dominik uncomfortable.
“I was actually expecting we could all come. You, Abraham, Aháva and I. We will be leaving the day after tomorrow. Is that okay with you?” He stood up and came over to Dihanna. “What do you think? It will only be a couple days” Dihanna turned away from him, but he hugged him from behind. “Take it as a vacation. We deserve them” he kissed her cheek.
They both stayed in silence.
Dihanna had to do her best effort not to cry in those arms wrapping her. She just took the hands from her waist and took them off of her, freeing herself from her husband's grip. She turned around, and faced him.
“Love, what is it? What's wrong?” Dominik tried hugging her again. Dihanna took a few steps back. Dominik tried to get close to her again, but Dihanna walked away once more. “What is going on, Dihanna?”
“Dominik…” Dihanna's voice was trembling, “the moments we've spent together have been wonderful. I have loved every second next to you. But I can't take it anymore. I surrender” she started shedding a few tears. “I love you with my soul and I want you to be truly happy” she kept going in spite of her quivering voice. She put the dossier on the desk “Your happiness is not with me.”
“What are you saying? What is that?” Dominik looked at the dossier on his desk.
“Your freedom, your ticket to happiness. Read it calmly and think about it. I need your answer before you get on that plane” she said and rushed out of the office.
She ran downstairs and got in her car.
She didn't want to spend another second there. She didn't want to be vulnerable before the man who gave her the best years of her life, even if they were only an illusion. She started the car and headed for her mother-in-law's to pick up her son.
Dominik was petrified, staring at that folder on his desk.
He was lost.
Dihanna gave him no chance to react and stop her.
After almost thirty seconds, he reacted and tried to catch up to his wife, but to no avail. He went back into his office and went through the file. Seeing the contents of it, he could not believe his eyes. He sat down on his chair in a brisk, like he was short of breath, and he kept reading line by line, all those documents. He felt betrayed seeing Hallagan wrote these documents. The same lawyer who married them, was now nullifying their marriage. He took his phone and called the lawyer.
“Lawyer Hallagan. How can I help you?” Answered a woman.
“This is Dominik Weigand. With Mr. Hallagan, please. It is an emergency.”
“Right away, sir...”
A few seconds later.
“Dominik! What's wrong? How can I help you?” Hallagan greeted.
“Can you explain what kind of a joke is this?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why didn't you say anything?”
“Oh! You found out. Allow me to explain, Dominik. I...”
“Explain what, Hallagan?” Dominik interrupted. “That my wife wants a divorce and I was the last to know? There's a child involved, for God's sakes!” Dominik yelled.
“Listen, please. I thought the same thing when she asked. She came to me two weeks ago, asking for help. She needed some paperwork. I never thought she would ask such a thing…”
“That she would ask? What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Oh, come on, Dominik! Your marriage has been crumbling for months now. She was smart enough to realize…”
“Under what claims?” Dominik interrupted the lawyer.
“What?”
“Why does she want a divorce?”
“Irreconcilable Differences” specified the lawyer.
Dominik put his hand on his head, he felt as though it would explode anytime now.
»She told me everything, Dominik. She told me your attitude these past few days was getting worse. She said she didn't want to be in your way and she'd rather let you go, out of all the love she has for you. She knows you will never get over that woman, but you would also never end your marriage out of commitment to Dihanna, thanking her for all these years. Do yourself a favor and do it to her, make the right choice. Neither of you want something halfway done.
Each one of Hallagan's words stabbed his heart, making him feel like the worst kind of man. He had unconsciously used Dihanna to get over Samanta, but he failed. And unwillingly, he clung onto a woman out of custom, denying himself his true happiness. Dihanna realized that, and she was right. He would never leave her, but he would never be truly happy with her, his happiness was with another woman.