ā„Sobiaā„
My eyes were locked on his, pleading silently, begging him to defy everyone's decision and refuse to be a part of this disaster-a disaster that was about to destroy three lives.
I WON'T LET YOU GO (BOOK 2)
I glanced at the packed suitcases resting beside our bed, a hint of worry tugging at the edge of my thoughts. Pulling off my watch, I placed it on the bedside table, then turned to Sobia. āAre you taking the kids on another vacation?ā I asked, trying to keep my tone light. Silence met my question, thick and heavy. I studied her face, but something was different. The Sobia standing before me seemed like a stranger, an unfamiliar glint in her deep black eyes that I couldnāt quite place. Her usual warmth had been replaced with a look I couldn't readāa look that unnerved me. āSobia?ā I pressed, a strange unease settling in. She took a small breath, her gaze unwavering. āShahzain,ā she whispered, her voice laced with something I couldn't define. She reached out, handing me a file. Her hand trembled slightly as she extended it toward me, the thin folder looking impossibly heavy in her grasp. I frowned, reluctantly accepting it. There was something ominous about this, something that didnāt sit right. My eyes flickered between her and the file, heart hammering as I flipped it open. Inside, the neatly typed words struck me like a punch to the gut. Divorce Papers. I looked up, meeting her steady gaze, hoping Iād misread, that there was some kind of mistake. āSobia...what is this?ā My voice came out rough, almost a whisper. She took a step back, folding her arms defensively across her chest, her jaw set in a way that told me sheād made her decision long before Iād walked into the room. āIām leaving, Shahzain,ā she said, her tone calm but resolute. āThis...whatever we have...I canāt do it anymore. Iām taking the kids and leaving this house.ā Shock morphed into anger, and I clenched my fists, the sting of betrayal sharp and immediate. āAfter everything, youāre just... leaving?ā I spat, struggling to keep my voice steady. Sobiaās gaze softened, but only slightly. āItās not about giving up,ā she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. āItās about finding peaceāfor me, for the kids. I canāt keep pretending.ā āPretending?ā I echoed, feeling something unravel within me. I had thought we were happy, or at least close enough to it. āI thought we were working through this. I thoughtāā āWe were surviving, Shahzain. But thatās not the same as living. Not for me, and certainly not for our children.ā I shook my head, the words feeling like knives. āAnd you think leaving is the answer?ā āSometimes, letting go is the only way forward,ā she replied, though her voice cracked, betraying a hint of the pain she was carrying. āWhat about us?ā I asked, desperation seeping into my voice. Her silence was louder than any words she could have spoken. It pressed against my chest, heavy and suffocating, making the air in the room feel stifling. I stood there, watching her turn away from me, her gaze fixed on a distant point I couldnāt see. I wanted her to look at me. To yell, to cry, to do anything other than stand there with that cold, broken expression that tore me apart. After what felt like an eternity, she finally spoke. Her voice was so quiet I almost missed it, but the word's rang clear, slicing through me like a blade. āThere hasnāt been an āusā for a long time, Shahzain.ā The finality in her tone struck me harder than I expected. I took a step forward, desperation clawing at my throat. āLove comes with an expiry date, Sobia? Is that what youāre saying?ā She didnāt answer immediately, her shoulders stiffening as if bracing herself against my words. When she finally turned to me, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. For a fleeting second, I thought I saw somethingāpain, hesitationābut it vanished, replaced by a calm that felt unnatural. āSoā¦ you donāt love me anymore?ā I hated how vulnerable my voice sounded, like a man begging for scraps of something he had already lost. Her eyes closed for a moment, and when she opened them, a single tear escaped down her cheek. She wiped it away almost angrily, her hands trembling. āItās not me, Shahzain,ā she whispered, and her voice shook like she was holding back a storm. āItās you. Your love for me had expired long before mine ever could.ā
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