The Hidden Realm

ELEAND flipped through a series of paper-clipped pages from a mailing envelope resting on his table, and he furiously clenched his fist.

It was the divorce papers. His wife was not joking when she threatened to file a divorce. They had been married for over five years, and he thought everything went smoothly.

“Damn!” he cussed even more. He drew breath through his flared nostrils and clutched his loose man bun hair.

These past few days, they were arguing about one thing—having kids. Brandy was not interested in giving birth because she loved her almost perfect figure. He could not blame her; it was her ultimate investment in her work.

Although he understood her predicaments, they had planned to build their own family right after they got married. Why a sudden change of heart?

Brandy Sheldon was a Filipino-American supermodel, and they got married in their early twenties. And this time, he tried his best to convince her to have a child because they were not getting any younger.

They live in California at present. He spent most of his time managing their branch of Altierra Insurance Company together with his elder sister Elida. While his parents resided in the Philippines along with their other siblings, Erone and Ezekiel. Their family came from a wealthy Filipino-Spanish descent.

“Bro, what’s wrong?” his sister curiously asked. Elida entered his office with important documents at hand.

“Brandy wants a divorce.” He hardly shook his head. His sister knew the current situation of his married life, and she never failed to give him a piece of friendly advice.

“Well, you deserve someone better. There are lots of ladies in line to replace her. If Brandy wants out, then let her be.” Elida lightly shrugged.

“I don’t understand. I gave everything—money, love, and time! I’m certain that she loves me. All I want is a happy family. Am I that selfish?” He harshly sighed.

Eleand had to look in a better perspective, that maybe he should respect Brandy’s decision to be childless.

But he always wanted an heir. He loved and pampered his wife a lot. Until now, he could not believe that they had wasted all their efforts nurturing their marriage for the past five years, leading to a divorce.

“Life is not fair. You have to accept that your marriage fails. Brandy doesn’t love you anymore. You see, there are other ways to have a child, like surrogacy or adoption. I bet she doesn’t like the idea, does she?”

“Yeah, I even suggested those. She became more aggressive with that recommendation.”

“Then so be it. Move on. Brandy is just making excuses.” Elida cheered him up.

Eleand remained silent. His sister hit the bullseye. Because he constantly made efforts to win his wife back, Brandy stayed adamant about her decision.

“I’ll talk with my lawyer and let him handle everything. Brandy wanted this. Then I’ll set her free.” His forehead creased in frustration.

Eleand immediately called his lawyer over the phone. It was hard for him to let go. Well, at least he did his part to make their marriage work. Trying to win her back would be useless because she wanted him out of her life.

Elida walked near him after he ended the call. “Come on, get a life! You are trying to kill yourself, drowning in unnecessary work. Why don’t you have some fun like you used to? Just because Brandy left means it’s the end of the world.” She gently tapped his shoulder, “How about playing archery after work?” she suggested.

“Sure,” he exhaled deeply. They loved archery. They played it since they were still kids. They could hit the target even with their eyes closed.

“Cheer up! Would you like to go somewhere to chill?”

“Not now.” He sighed and continued, “I don’t deserve this. But you’re right. Life is not fair. I’m considering going on a vacation in the Bahamas or Maldives.” He tilted his head high. He needed to unwind and contemplate his life. Because if he could not properly focus, it would affect his decision-making relating to work or even personal choices.

“That is a good idea. Go on a vacation for a month or more. I’ll handle everything while you’re away,” Elida assuredly said.

“Thank you, sis.” He plastered a smile on his lips. Luckily, he had a supportive sister. His friends were very few that he could count on his fingers. But he was blessed with the best family. All his siblings loved each other and were very close until now.

Eleand should fix his life back to normal. Accepting the divorce made it harder for him because he was so sure that they loved each other so much. However, there were no permanent things in this world. The girl who used to adore and cherish him left for good.

Fuck those beauty standards! He muttered in silence. Eleand did not even care much about her physical appearance. What mattered most was her personality and character. Her beauty was just a bonus.