She was a stranger now, her secrets darker than any affair could have been. Natalie looked at him with pleading eyes. “John, please, I—” “No,” he said firmly, his voice steady but final. “It’s over.” The words hung heavy in the air, and for a moment, everything seemed to still.
Natalie’s tears flowed freely now, her guilt and shame written plainly on her face. She dropped the divorce papers on the table, her heart breaking with each passing second. As John turned to leave the kitchen, Natalie reached out, desperation in her voice.