The next morning, Sophia Gonzaga woke up earlier than usual but it wasn't because she had slept well. It was the exact opposite. She had barely slept all night. The words she had said to Adrian kept replaying in her mind.

"Loving you is exhausting."

It was probably the most honest thing she had said in the past year and the painful part was that even though it was true, she still loved her husband. It wasn't easy to forget him. It wasn't easy to erase what she felt. She still loved him deeply despite everything he had done to her. That was why it hurt so much because this wasn't how everything had started.

In the beginning, Adrian had been the kind of man every woman dreamed of. He was sweet, caring, loving, and always put his wife first but as his company grew, he slowly changed.

Until one day, Sophia woke up and realized she no longer recognized the man sleeping beside her. She let out a sigh as she prepared a cup of coffee. The house felt unusually quiet.

Adrian was gone again. That wasn't surprising anymore. He often left without even telling her. She closed her eyes for a moment. Before, she would follow him. She would ask where he was going and when he would be home. But now? She no longer had the strength to ask.

Suddenly, her phone rang. The caller ID showed the name of her best friend.

Mia.

She answered immediately.

"Hello?"

"Soph..."

She instantly noticed something strange in Mia's voice. It sounded like she wanted to say something but was hesitant.

"What is it?" Sophia asked.

There was a brief silence.

"Where are you?"

"At home."

"Alone?"

Sophia frowned. "Yes. Why?"

Mia fell silent again and that was when Sophia started to feel nervous.

"Mia."

"Promise me you'll stay calm, okay?"

Her heart immediately began to race. She didn't know why but something felt wrong. Terribly wrong. And whatever it was, she had no idea.

"Mia, just tell me."

She heard her friend take a deep breath.

"Soph... I saw Adrian last night."

Sophia froze. It felt like someone had poured ice-cold water over her entire body. That alone wasn't unusual. Many people had seen Adrian in different places before but there was something in Mia's voice. And Sophia knew that wasn't all she wanted to say.

"Where?" she asked softly.

"At the Grand Meridian Hotel."

She swallowed hard. It was one of the most famous luxury hotels in the city. And not once had Adrian ever taken her there.

"What was he doing there?"

Mia fell silent again and Sophia's stomach sank because deep down, she already knew the answer. She just didn't want to hear it.

"He was with someone."

Something tightened painfully around her chest. So tight that it became hard to breathe. She couldn't speak, she could hear her own breathing, she could hear her heart pounding and she could hear the broken part of herself desperately hoping she was wrong.

"Who?" she whispered.

"I don't know her."

Sophia closed her eyes but that wasn't enough to lessen the pain. She needed to know. She needed to see. She needed to be sure. Maybe it was a misunderstanding. Maybe it was a business meeting. Maybe it was just an employee.

Maybe—

"They were holding hands, Soph."

And in an instant, every excuse she had been trying to build inside her head shattered.A tear slipped down her cheek before she could stop it.

Then another and another. Until she lost count. Her face was soaked with tears before she even realized it.

"Soph..."

She didn't answer. She couldn't bear to hear anything else. Every word felt like a knife pressing deeper into her heart. It felt like her entire world was slowly collapsing. Because no matter how many times she had suspected Adrian, it was different when someone else confirmed it.

It was different when it became real.

"I'm sorry."

But those words meant nothing now. Not today and maybe not ever. After the call ended, Sophia remained seated in the kitchen for a long time. She simply stared into space. No emotion showed on her face. Sometimes, when the pain becomes too much, you stop crying.

You just shake and that was exactly how she felt. Then suddenly, she remembered something. Slowly, she stood and walked toward Adrian's home office.

She had avoided entering that room for a long time. Somehow, it felt like she no longer belonged there. As if there were parts of her husband's life that were no longer meant for her but today, she didn't care.

She slowly opened the door. The office was quiet, clean, and perfectly organized. Just like the man who owned it. She walked toward the desk and that was when she noticed a phone lying on top of it.

It wasn't Adrian's usual phone. It was an older model. As if he had accidentally left it behind. Sophia frowned and picked it up. When the screen lit up, her eyes widened.

The phone wasn't locked and right there on the screen was a notification. A message from a woman saved as:

Ava ❤️

The world seemed to stop. She couldn't breathe and she couldn't move. Her trembling fingers tapped the screen and then she saw the messages she wished she had never read.

"I miss you already."

"Last night was perfect."

"When are you telling your wife?"

Sophia felt as if someone had grabbed her heart and squeezed it mercilessly. Again and again. Until nothing was left. A tear fell onto the screen before she noticed it.

She couldn't stop crying because the truth she had feared for so long was finally right in front of her. It wasn't a suspicion anymore nor was it a gut feeling. It wasn't gossip and it was the truth.

Her husband had another woman and what hurt even more was that it seemed to have been going on for a long time. She covered her mouth to stop herself from sobbing but she failed.

Slowly, she sank to the floor. Wrapping her arms around herself, she cried. And somewhere else in the city, Adrian had no idea that his wife had discovered the secret he had hidden for so long.

Nor did he know that on that day, a heart had finally shattered because of him.

It turned out that there was nothing more painful than seeing your greatest fear finally become reality. That was what Sophia learned as she sat on the floor of Adrian's home office. She had no idea how long she had been crying.

Maybe a few minutes or maybe an hour. Maybe even longer. She no longer cared.

It felt as though time had stopped and the world had stopped. Everything had stopped. Everything except the pain that continued to consume her.

Adrian's phone was still beside her and the screen was still on. And the messages were still there, stabbing her heart over and over again.

"I miss you already."

"Last night was perfect."

"When are you telling your wife?"

Wife.

Not Sophia and not her name. Just a wife.

As if she was nothing more than an obstacle in their lives. A problem that needed to be removed. She closed her eyes and wiped away her tears. She didn't know which hurt more. The fact that Adrian had cheated on her or the fact that it had been going on for so long because what she had read was not a one-night mistake.

Not a careless decision and not a moment of weakness. It was a relationship and it was clearly serious. Slowly, she placed the phone back on the desk. She didn't want to read anymore. She didn't want to discover more details.

What she had already seen was enough to destroy everything.

She stood up. As she looked around her husband's office, memories suddenly came rushing back. Memories that once made her smile. Now, they only made her cry.

Seven years ago, they were newly married. Back then, they lived in a small condominium unit. There was no mansion, no luxury cars, no multi-million-dollar contracts but they were happy.

She remembered how Adrian would wrap his arms around her while she cooked. How he would pretend not to know how to do simple things just to make her laugh. How he would tell her that his day never felt complete unless he saw her.

Back then, Sophia had been the center of Adrian's world. And Adrian had been her entire world but everything changed when his company started growing.

At first, she understood. More meetings, more business trips and more responsibilities, that was normal.

She supported him and she was even proud of him but as Adrian became more successful, he slowly drifted away from her. There were fewer date nights.

Fewer phone calls and fewer hugs. Until one day, it felt like there was nothing left. She couldn't even remember exactly when it happened because it disappeared little by little.

Like a candle slowly burning out. Until one day she woke up and realized she was alone in her own marriage.

Sophia blinked and returned to the present. Somehow, remembering the happy moments hurt even more because it made her realize just how much she had lost.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. The sound was familiar and only meant one thing, Adrian was home.

She froze and for the first time since learning the truth, she didn't know how to face him. She didn't know if she could pretend. She didn't know if she could look at him without thinking about the other woman.

A moment later, she heard the front door open and then footsteps approaching.

Quickly, she wiped the tears from her cheeks. She didn't want him to see her crying. She didn't want to give him that satisfaction. A few seconds later, Adrian appeared at the office doorway. He stopped the moment he saw her.

"Soph?"

His eyes moved to her and then to the phone on the desk. The color immediately drained from his face. He looked frozen and silent. And in that silence, Sophia got the confirmation she needed.

Adrian knew. He knew he had been caught.

"Don't you have anything to say?" she asked quietly.

Her voice was soft, but every word carried pain and Adrian didn't answer right away.

"Sophia..."

She let out a bitter laugh.

"'Sophia' is all you have to say?"

His jaw tightened and he couldn't even look at her properly and somehow, that hurt even more. An innocent person would argue. An innocent person would explain. An innocent person would defend themselves but Adrian remained silent. And the guilt was written all over his face.

"How long?" she asked.

He said nothing.

"How long, Adrian?"

He let out a long sigh and at that moment, her heart shattered even more because she knew he could no longer deny it. Not anymore.

"A few months."

It felt like she had been slapped. A few months? For how many months had he made a fool of her? For how many months had he pretended nothing was wrong? For how many months had she gone home alone while another woman waited for her husband?

"You're lying."

Her voice was quiet, but every word cut like a blade. Adrian's eyes widened slightly.

"I know you, Adrian." Silence filled the room once again. "That wasn't a few months."

Still, he said nothing and that was all the answer she needed. She had thought it would take time to find proof. Apparently, it hadn't. Maybe that was for the best. Tears streamed down her face again. This time, she didn't bother wiping them away. Let him see her pain. He deserved to see it.

"Why?"

That was the only question she asked. She didn't scream. She wasn't hysterical. She wasn't angry. Just one simple question.

Why?

Why wasn't she enough? Why did he have to find someone else? Why destroy seven years of marriage? But Adrian's answer destroyed whatever remained of her heart.

He sighed. Then he finally looked at her. His eyes were cold as if he was tired. As if he felt nothing at all.

"I don't know if I love you anymore."

Sophia's world stopped and she couldn't hear anything. It felt as though even the air had abandoned her.

As though all the light around her had disappeared. The only thing she could hear was the sound of her own heart breaking because sometimes the truth hurts more than any lie.

And at that moment, Sophia realized something. It wasn't the affair that broke her. It wasn't the other woman. It wasn't even a betrayal. It was the fact that Adrian Gonzaga had stopped loving her a long time ago.

And she had been the last person to know. For the first time in seven years of marriage, Sophia felt like she no longer had a husband.

And perhaps… she hadn't had one for a very long time.

Sophia didn't leave after hearing those words. She didn't scream. She didn't throw anything. She didn't slap him. She didn't make a scene like the ones she often saw in movies.

Instead, she simply stood there in silence as the truth slowly consumed what little hope she had left.

"I don't know if I love you anymore."

The words echoed in her mind over and over again like a broken record. Like a curse that refused to let her go.

She stared at Adrian. The man who had once promised to love her forever. The man who had once sworn he would never hurt her. The man who had once treated her like she was his entire world.

It was almost funny because now, she looked like nothing more than a stranger in his eyes. A quiet laugh escaped her lips. She shook her head slightly. That was when Adrian frowned.

"Sophia—"

"Don't."

He immediately fell silent. It was probably the first time in their entire marriage that she had stopped him from speaking and perhaps he hadn't expected it. She gripped the edge of the desk, not because she was weak but because she felt like her knees might give out at any moment. It felt as though all her strength had disappeared.

Her chest hurt and it felt tight and heavy. As if she might collapse at any second.

"How long have you been trying to leave me?" she asked directly.

The question clearly caught Adrian off guard. His expression froze, and he didn't answer right away and that was enough.

She already knew that it had been a long time. He had wanted out of their marriage for a long time. He had wanted to be free of her for a long time.

She was the only one holding on. The only one fighting. The only one still in love. While Adrian had already given up.

She let out a slow breath and nodded to herself. As if she was finally accepting something she had been avoiding for years.

She bit her lip.

"Okay."

Adrian's eyes widened slightly.

"Okay?" he repeated.

She nodded. What else could she do?

"Okay."

And for the first time in a very long time, she felt a strange sense of peace. It hurt terribly but at least she finally knew the truth. It felt like she had been drowning for years and had only now managed to take a breath.

"You know," she said softly, "I used to think there was something wrong with me."

Adrian remained silent. He simply looked at her.

No words nor emotion and not even pity.

"I actually believed that." A sad smile appeared on her face. "I thought I wasn't pretty enough anymore. I thought I wasn't enough. I thought something was missing in me."

Tears continued to fall down her cheeks. Every word felt like a weight being lifted from her chest.

Adrian lowered his gaze and he couldn't even look at her properly but she no longer cared.

She wouldn't care anymore and it wasn't easy.

She still loved him but if that love was no longer enough, there was nothing else she could do.

"That's why I kept crying. That's why I kept blaming myself. That's why no matter what I did, you never came back to me."

She took a deep breath.

"Because the problem was never me."

Silence filled the room once again and for the first time since discovering the affair, she felt a piece of herself returning.

The part of Sophia she had lost while trying to save a marriage that had been dead for a long time.

"You're right."

Adrian looked at her and a small frown appeared on his face.

"About what?"

She met his eyes. She looked at him for several long moments before giving him a smile. It was probably the saddest smile Adrian had ever seen from her.

"Maybe you really don't love me anymore."

For a moment, it looked like he wanted to say something but she didn't let him.

"Don't worry."

Her voice was soft, though she tried her best to sound stronger.

"I won't force you anymore."

And finally, she said the words she should have said a long time ago.

That night, Sophia slept without tears for the first time. Not because she was happy and not because she was okay. But because she was simply too exhausted to cry anymore.

She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at a photograph of her and Adrian. It was their wedding photo. It had been taken seven years ago.

They were smiling in the picture and anyone could see how happy they had been. How full of dreams they were.

She gently touched the frame. As if she was afraid of breaking it. Just as Adrian had broken them. A single tear rolled down her cheek and perhaps it would be the last tear she ever shed for him.

"Goodbye."

The word came out as a whisper. Barely audible. Yet loud enough for her own heart to hear. Then she placed the photograph back inside the drawer and closed it.

Like closing a chapter of her life.

The next morning, Sophia woke up with a decision. She would not beg. She would not chase after him anymore. She would not ask why. And she would never beg someone to love her again. She was done giving Adrian more chances.

After taking a shower and getting dressed, she picked up her phone. There was one number she had kept for a long time.

A number she had hoped she would never need but that day had finally come. She pressed the call button. After a few rings, someone answered.

"Hello?"

Sophia took a deep breath. Maybe this was the moment she had been waiting for. The moment she finally chose herself. There was nothing wrong with that.

"Attorney Reyes?"

"Yes?"

She closed her eyes briefly. She knew what she was about to do would be difficult but she also knew it was necessary.

"I'd like to start divorce proceedings."

There was a brief silence. Then she heard the lawyer's professional voice.

"Of course, Mrs. Gonzaga. We can schedule a meeting today."

Sophia nodded even though the lawyer couldn't see her.

"Thank you."

After ending the call, she remained standing by the window. She didn't cry and she didn't shake. And she didn't change her mind.

There was only one thing she knew. For the first time in years, she was doing something for herself. And despite the pain, she felt something she had not felt in a very long time.

Freedom.

On the other side of the city, Adrian had no idea that his wife had just visited a lawyer. He had no idea that Sophia had already started the process of ending their marriage. He didn't know that she had stopped choosing him because at last, she had learned to choose herself.

And by the time Adrian realized it...

it might already be too late.