UNDER THE ASHES

The Divorce Announcement

“You know, Lucas has really turned things around for the company,” Sophia’s voice echoed across the grand dining hall. Her tone was casual, but the undercurrent of excitement was impossible to miss.

Lucas smiled, a charming, practiced grin that fit perfectly with his expensive suit. “Well, it wasn’t easy, but we’ve made some impressive changes,” he replied, lifting his glass in a modest toast.

Ethan watched from the corner, his heart pounding. He clenched his hands under the table, forcing himself to keep calm. The dinner party, like every other, had felt like a performance, but tonight something was different. The air was thick with anticipation, and Ethan could feel eyes darting toward him, waiting for something.

Sophia raised her glass, a sharp glint in her eyes as she spoke, “To new beginnings.”

“To new beginnings,” the guests echoed, their voices blending with the soft music playing in the background. 

Ethan’s throat tightened. His eyes moved to Sophia, whose gaze lingered on him a moment longer than necessary. She smiled, but it was cold—more of a smirk than anything else. 

Then, in the middle of the room, she cleared her throat.

“Actually, I have an announcement to make,” she said, her voice slicing through the chatter like a knife. The room fell silent. All eyes were on her now, but her attention was focused solely on Ethan.

“Lucas and I…” She paused for dramatic effect, glancing at Lucas who gave a small, approving nod. “Lucas and I are officially together.”

The silence in the room deepened, a suffocating quiet that seemed to freeze everything in place. Ethan’s chest tightened, his heart hammering so loudly he was sure everyone could hear it. He felt his world start to tilt, a dizzying sensation that left him struggling to keep his balance.

Sophia reached into her purse and, with an elegant flick of her wrist, pulled out a stack of papers. “And Ethan,” she said, her voice smooth and unhurried, “it’s time for us to move on. Here.” She walked toward him and dropped the papers in his lap.

Divorce papers.

Ethan stared at them, his mind numb, the words blurring together. He could feel the weight of everyone’s eyes on him—waiting, watching for his reaction. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to look up at Sophia.

Her face was calm, her expression unreadable. But as she leaned in close, her breath warm against his ear, she whispered, “You’re nothing without me.”

The words hit him like a punch to the gut. He blinked, his throat tightening, and for a moment, he couldn’t breathe. She had never cared. Everything—the marriage, the dinners, the smiles in front of others—it had all been an act. He was just a pawn, disposable and weak in her eyes.

Ethan’s hands trembled as he held the papers. He could feel his pulse in his temples, his vision swimming slightly from the shock. The laughter, the clinking of glasses from earlier, all of it faded into nothingness. He was alone in the middle of the crowded room, surrounded by people who didn’t care, people who were just as likely to laugh at him now.

Lucas cleared his throat, stepping up beside Sophia. “I think it’s best for everyone, Ethan,” he said with a practiced smile. “This… arrangement has run its course.”

The guests exchanged uncomfortable glances, some pretending to check their phones, others quietly sipping their drinks. No one said anything. No one came to his defense.

Ethan’s mouth felt dry, his tongue heavy as he tried to form words. “You—” His voice cracked. He cleared his throat and tried again, locking eyes with Sophia. “This… this is how you want to end it? Publicly?”

Sophia’s expression didn’t falter. “Yes,” she replied simply. “It’s time.”

Ethan’s head spun. He looked at the papers again, his mind racing, but nothing made sense. His entire life was slipping away right in front of him, and he couldn’t stop it. The humiliation burned in his chest, but there was something darker there too—betrayal, cold and sharp like the edge of a knife.

Sophia turned back to the room, her smile returning. “Let’s continue the evening, shall we?” she said lightly, as if nothing had happened, as if she hadn’t just shattered his life into a thousand pieces.

Lucas wrapped an arm around her waist, his grip firm. “To love and new adventures,” he toasted, his voice smooth and confident.

The room slowly came back to life, murmurs spreading through the crowd as people returned to their conversations, trying to pretend that the scene they had just witnessed wasn’t awkward, wasn’t cruel. But the tension lingered, thick and heavy in the air.

Ethan remained seated, the divorce papers still clutched in his hand, but his mind was far away. He could barely hear the conversations around him. All he could hear was the echo of Sophia’s words: You’re nothing without me.

His eyes drifted to Lucas. There was a flash of something in Lucas’s eyes—was it satisfaction? Triumph? He couldn’t be sure, but the sight of it made Ethan’s blood boil.

“Ethan, are you okay?” someone asked softly from across the table.

He looked up and realized it was one of the guests, a woman he barely knew, staring at him with a mixture of pity and discomfort. 

“I’m fine,” Ethan lied, forcing a weak smile. “Just… fine.”

But he wasn’t fine. His marriage had just been destroyed, his dignity stripped away in front of people he barely knew. He had been made a fool, tossed aside like he was nothing.

Sophia, now laughing at something Lucas whispered in her ear, looked over at him briefly, her gaze sharp. Ethan wondered how long she had been planning this. How long had she been waiting for the perfect moment to break him?

As he watched the party carry on, he felt something shift inside him. The sadness, the humiliation—it all began to twist, darken, turning into something else. Anger. A burning, seething anger that threatened to explode at any moment.

He stood abruptly, nearly knocking over his chair. Several heads turned toward him, but he didn’t care anymore. The stares, the whispers—they didn’t matter. Not now.

Sophia raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the spectacle. “Leaving already?” she asked, her voice dripping with mock concern. “I thought you’d want to stay and enjoy the rest of the evening.”

Ethan’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing. He couldn’t trust himself to speak without his voice betraying him, showing just how close he was to breaking. Instead, he simply walked toward the door, his footsteps heavy, each step a reminder of the weight crushing him from all sides.

As he reached for the handle, he paused. The room had gone quiet again, the tension thick. He could feel their eyes on him, waiting for one final word, one final action. He turned slowly to face Sophia.

“Why now?” he asked, his voice steady but cold. “Why do this here, in front of everyone?”

Sophia tilted her head slightly, as if considering his question. Then she shrugged, her smile returning. “Because it’s what you deserve,” she said, her words deliberate, cutting.

Lucas watched, his expression unreadable. The room felt suffocating, the air thick with something unspoken. 

Ethan's mind whirled, the weight of everything sinking in deeper. The papers, Sophia’s words, the cold stares—they all pressed down on him, harder and harder. 

But there was one question that wouldn’t stop echoing in his mind, one that made the anger burn hotter, made the need for answers all the more desperate.

“What are you planning next, Sophia?”