Prologue
Robert Thomas -28 years old|
The dim glow of the bedrooms's chandelier flickered against the high ceiling as Rob rummaged through the nightstand drawer, his movements were frantic. The top drawer was filled with Destiny's silk scarves, an old watch he'd meant to get repaired, and a stack of unopened mail she always reminded him to go through. He pushed past it all, his heartbeat hammering in his ears.
Where the hell is it?
He swallowed hard, pulling out the bottom drawer with a little too much force. A few papers and Destiny's journal slid out onto the floor. He barely registered them, his mind focused on one thing—the damn necklace. He knew he should've never had it here, never let it slip from his pocket. He had meant to leave it at the condo, where things like this wouldn't come back to bite him. But here he was, desperate to find it before Destiny did.
Rob ran a hand over his face, exhaling sharply. He checked between the couch cushions by the window, then knelt beside their king-sized bed, feeling underneath the frame. He was running out of places to look, and anxiety clawed at his chest.
Then, he heard her.
The sound of heels clicking against the marble floor of the hallway sent a chill up his spine. The bedroom door creaked open, and before he could even think of an excuse, Destiny's voice cut through the room like a blade.
"Did you find it?"
Rob froze. His hands clenched against the bedsheets, his mind began racing. Fuck!
Slowly, he turned to face her. Destiny stood in the doorway, her arms crossed, her eyes dark with something between amusement and fury. She was still in her outfit from dinner—form-fitting black dress, her curves on display like they always were when she wanted to remind him what he had. Normally, he'd take a second to admire her, but right now, all he could focus on was the weight of her stare.
He forced a smirk. "Find what?"
Destiny stepped further into the room, shaking her head. "Don't play dumb, Rob." She walked over to the vanity, where a single red jewelry box sat untouched. Her perfectly manicured nails tapped against the surface as she lifted the lid, revealing nothing inside. She turned back to him.
"The necklace. Did you find it?"
His jaw tightened. So she had seen it.
"I don't know what you talkin' 'bout," he said standing up and wiping his palms on his jeans. "Ain't no necklace in here and I'm not lookin for one."
Destiny let out a short, humorless laugh. "Oh, so now you blind? Because I know you wouldn't be tearing through our bedroom at damn near midnight for nothin'."
Rob didn't answer. He just stared at her, his mind racing for a way out of this.
Destiny nodded, stepping closer. "Who does it belong to, Rob?"
"Mane, you trippin'." He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to keep his tone calm. "You really think I'd be dumb enough to bring another bitch shit into our house?"
"I know you would be dumb enough." Her voice was sharp now, her patience slipping away. "Because you don't think, Rob. You act first, and now look at you. Scrambling."
His lips pressed into a thin line. "You gon' believe whatever the hell you want anyway."
Destiny's nostrils flared. "You know what? You're right. Because this ain't even about the necklace. It's about you. The lies, the sneaking around, the disrespect. I been ignoring shit, giving you chance after chance, and for what? To be humiliated again?"
"I ain't out here humiliatin' you, Destiny," he shot back, his voice rising. "I take care of this house. I take care of you. I take care of our kids. Ain't nobody out there doin' for you what I do."
"Oh, so that gives you the right to cheat?" She scoffed. "You think because you pay some bills and throw some gifts my way that I should just shut up and take it?"
Rob stepped closer, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "I never said that."
"But that's what you mean, right?"Destiny's voice wavered, but her anger only grew. "That's why you keep doing it. Because you think I won't leave."
He didn't answer. And that silence told Destiny everything she needed to know. She let out a breath, her expression hardening. "I want a divorce."
Rob's stomach dropped, his body went still and his mind blank. For years, they had fought, argued, and gone through hell and back. But she had never said those words. Not once.
He chuckled while taking a step closer, his voice lowering. "Na Dess, you don't even mean that shit ma."
Destiny lifted her chin, unwavering. "I do."
"No, the hell you don't." He shook his head, running a hand down his face. "Cmon, Destiny. We got too much history. Too much love for you to throw this away over a—" He stopped himself before he could say it.
Destiny caught it anyway.
"Over a what?" Her voice cracked, but her stare was deadly. "A mistake? An accident?" She let out a bitter laugh. "Nah, see, this ain't no accident. This is who you are."
"That's bullshit."
"No," she said, voice cutting. "What's bullshit is me sittin here fighting for a man who don't give a damn about me."
Rob grabbed her wrist, his grip firm but not forceful. "Stop saying that shit, Destiny. You know I love you."
Destiny pulled away. "You don't love me. You love the fact that I stayed."
His chest tightened. "That ain't true."
She looked at him, and for the first time in their marriage, he saw something in her eyes that scared him. She wasn't just angry. She was done.
"I want a divorce, Rob," she repeated, stepping back toward the door. "And I'm not changing my mind."
Rob felt something deep in his gut twist into a painful knot. Hearing the word divorce coming from his longtime lovers mouth, was not on the agenda of today's list.
"Nah, fuck that" he muttered, shaking his head. "We ain't ending like this, we got fucking kids mane."
Destiny let out a shaky breath. "Then give me a reason to stay."
Silence.
And that was the problem, because he couldn't or at-least not a real one. Not one that would make up for all the shit he had done.
Destiny nodded slowly, as if that silence confirmed everything she already knew. Without another word, she turned and walked out, the sound of her heels fading down the hallway. Rob just stood there, hands on his hips, staring at the empty doorway. His heart was pounding, but his mind was blank.
She meant it this time.
And for the first time in his life, Rob wasn't sure if he could fix it.
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