"I want to have a baby," Ava said softly, her voice trembling but full of hope.
Ethan stared at her for a long moment, silent. His eyes cold. His body stiff.
Ava forced a small smile, even though tears already gathered in her eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat and continued, trying to reach him. "I know things haven't been good between us. I know I made mistakes too. But... maybe if we have a child, we can fix everything. We can start fresh, Ethan. Please."
The silence between them grew heavier. Her heart pounded painfully inside her chest. The longer he said nothing, the more fear began to crawl inside her.
Finally, Ethan spoke, his voice bitter and sharp.
"Do you really think there's anything left to save in this relationship?"
Ava's chest tightened.
She shook her head, tears escaping her eyes. "We've been together for almost six years, Ethan. Six years! I won't give up on us. I can't. I love you, Ethan, I can't leave without you."
Ethan closed his eyes, clearly annoyed, his hands balling into fists at his sides.
Then he looked at her, and the next words he spoke shattered her world.
"Do you know where I was last night?" he asked, his voice cold.
Ava's face lost all color. Her heart stopped for a second. She opened her mouth but no words came out. She could only stare at him, fear paralyzing her.
"Do you know," Ethan continued, stepping closer, "for how long I've been fucking my secretary, Natalia?"
Ava squeezed her eyes shut, covering her ears with her hands, shaking her head, trying to block the words out. But he kept going.
"I slept with her yesterday too," he said, cruelly, as if daring her to react. "I left the office and went straight to her place. I didn't even think about you once. I enjoyed every second I am with her."
Ava whimpered softly, still covering her ears, tears streaming down her face.
But Ethan grabbed her wrists roughly, pulling her hands away from her ears, forcing her to look at him.
"You saw it, didn't you?" he said. "You saw her giving me a blowjob that night at the party. I know you did."
Ava cried harder, shaking her head weakly, refusing to meet his eyes.
But Ethan wasn't done as he said, almost laughing. "You still hoped we can be?"
Then he dropped the final blow.
"I love Natalia, Ava," he said, his voice loud and full of hatred. "I love her. Not you. No matter how long you wait, no matter how much you cry, you will get nothing from me. Nothing!"
Ava sobbed openly now, broken, her body trembling as she tried to pull away.
But Ethan stepped even closer.
"You are selfish," he growled. "You don't want to free me because you're scared to be alone since you know there is no one who love you and who will a selfish woman like you You're stubborn, Ava. You want me to stay in this hell with you, but I can't. I won't."
He pushed her away roughly, his words echoing around the room.
"I want out. I want out of this prison you call marriage. I want my life back."
Ava stumbled back onto the bed, but she didn't stay down.
With tears flooding her eyes, she stood up shakily and rushed toward him. She grabbed onto his shirt tightly, her hands trembling.
"You said…" her voice cracked with pain. "You said I was the only one you'd love for the rest of your life. You said it at the altar. You promised me!"
Her words were desperate, full of hurt.
"Was it all a lie, Ethan? Was none of it real? Because love—real love—can't just disappear like this."
Ethan didn't answer. His face stayed cold, his eyes refusing to meet hers.
Ava broke down further, her chest heaving with sobs.
"I love you, Ethan. Please don't do this to me," she begged, her voice barely above a whisper.
She reached up and cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. Tears slipped down her cheeks nonstop, falling onto his skin, but he didn't even flinch.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her hands trembling. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you that night. I'm sorry for everything. I'll change, Ethan. I swear I'll change. I'll listen to you. I'll do whatever you say. Just please… please don't leave me."
Her sobs grew harder, the sound raw and painful.
She pressed herself against him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist as if her life depended on it. Her fingers clutched his shirt, holding onto him like he was the only thing keeping her breathing.
"I love you," she sobbed against his chest, voice broken, desperate. "I love you more than anything. I'll die if you leave me. Please, Ethan... please..."
Ava had lost herself. She had thrown away her pride, her dignity, everything—just to save her marriage. Nothing else mattered anymore. Not her pain. Not her humiliation. Only him.
She never thought she would be the kind of woman to beg, to sacrifice all her self-respect. But here she was, clinging to a man who didn't even want her anymore.
Even after all the harsh words, all the betrayal, she still wanted to stay.
As if her own identity had been erased.
Ethan grabbed her wrists and pulled her roughly away from him, glaring down at her.
"What have you become?" he shouted. His voice thundered through the room. "Can't you see I don't want you anymore? How pathetic can you be?"
Ava shook her head weakly, still crying, her body trembling.
"I'm not attracted to you anymore!" Ethan roared. "Your body... your smell... your face... everything about you disgusts me. You fucking disgust me!"
He shoved her backward, making her stumble.
For a few seconds, Ava stood frozen.
And then… slowly, mechanically, she grabbed the hem of her top and pulled it over her head, dropping it onto the floor.
Ethan's eyes widened, shock flashing across his face.
She didn't stop.
She unhooked her bra and let it fall.
Then her pants, her underwear—all of it.
Until she stood there completely naked in front of him, exposed, vulnerable, shivering.
Her body bore the signs of everything she had suffered—bruises, weight loss, scars of sleepless nights. She didn't hide any of it.
She just stood there, silently begging him to see her. To want her again.
Ethan's throat tightened. His Adam's apple bobbed nervously. His fists clenched at his sides.
He had seen her naked countless times before—but this felt different.
Raw.
Painful.
Desperate.
And still—still—his body reacted. His blood rushed, his heart raced, even as his mind screamed at him to stay angry, to stay cold.
"Fuck," he cursed under his breath as he grabbed her by her arms and threw her on bed, "If you are that desperate to get fucked by me then fine." With that he discarded all of his clothes and entered into her raw.