With the perfect escape plan, she gave the car to her sister and told her,
"I know I can't keep you in my house right now, because I would like to talk with my husband when he comes back, kindly drive yourself home, and stay safe,"
"Ell, are you sure you are going to be okay, I can help you waiting for him to come back you know, let me keep you company.." he sister said.
"No kindly, I want to handle this situation with him, and also reflect on myself on where did I go wrong to make him do this or cheat on me," she said.
"Okay, call me when things don't align, my dear I am just a phone call away,"
The two sisters hugged each other goodbye and separated.
Immediately Elena stepped inside the house, she received a notification, it was from a strange number.
"I know you don't know this number but you know me sweery, I am Sandra, my man Tom's project manager, kindly Elena or whatever name you call yourself, leave my man alone, plus here is a little secret of ours..." and the voice note was sent.
It was a voice not of Sandra and Tom talking about Maya, and how they used too much alcohol in her and sold her to a rich man, for money and that's how she conceived Maya, so Maya was never Tom's child and he knew it.
"Hahaaaa, Elena, Elena, so this is the man you fell in love with? This is the man you cherished? This is the man you made sacrifices for? Hahaaa" she laughed herself off, and made a decision.
She called one of her online pen pal and told the person to print out everything and change the voice not to text and then deliver everything first thing tomorrow morning.
"Hahaaa, you only look for me when you want to use me," the other person said.
"What else...." Elena replied.
She texted person number two and requested them to delete every details of her and her daughter off the database system, she never wanted to exist in this world.
He chose to betray get, she will leave not even a trace.
She took down the massive wedding photos, and the photo albums, her clothes and everything of hers and Maya and burned them behind the backyard.
Called another penpal friend and requested to check her marriage certificate,
"I am sorry you were never registered marriage with this man," came in the text.
"What do you mean?" For a second she thought that among her online friends this one was a fraud.
"Do you think, I can wake up in the middle of the night to lie to you? You were never married to this man, bit another man," the other person said and logged off.
"Hahaaaa, even a marriage certificate he couldn't give me,Tom thank you," she said.
Tom walked through the front door, his shoulder aching from the day. He threw his keys on the counter, not looking up yet but something felt horribly off.
"Elena, I know why you are waiting for me," he started, his voice loud in the empty hallway.
"But I am tired and too busy to listen to those nonsense you said over the phone. I am busy working my entire being off for this family... that's why I hung up."
He waited for her to snap back at him but hell no. He waited for her to come out of the kitchen with tears in her eyes so he could tell her she was being "dramatic" again, but no one came out and there was no sound as well, he looked upstairs no footsteps. Just the sound from the refrigerator.
Elena?" he called out but no answer. The house felt wrong too empty, too still. The irritation that had been bubbling in his chest suddenly curdled into a cold, sinking weight in his guts.
"Why are the lights off, Elena? Don't tell me the electricity is off or the tokens are low!" he shouted into the darkness.
When no answer came, he sneered, tossing his jacket onto the sofa.
"This dumb woman," he cursed in a low voice, already imagining the lecture he was going to give her about being "useful."
Hahaaaa, did this man sleep the other night out?
But then, something registered. Usually, the kitchen smelled of garlic or onions by this time. Usually, the TV was playing some annoying cartoons for that so called daughter of his. Tonight, the house was strangely quiet. It didn't just feel empty, it felt an abandoned bunker.
Tom walked towards the dining table and saw dinner sets and a bowl, inside the bowl was a white envelope, he thought it was an apology letter from Elena.
"I knew it, she couldn't even become strong and go against me for once" he said to himself.
He opened it and inside the envelope the first thing he saw were the photo of him at the lounge with Sandra taken from all sorts of angles, the voice not translated into text message and the positive pregnancy test.
No note. No explanation.
When he runs to their bedroom, and the bedroom was obviously clean and the bed was spread with a gray bed sheet.
He threw open the closet doors but there only hangers hanging there quietly, not even a trace of her socks or inner pants were left.
He went into Maya's room and it was empty as well, not even her favorite teddy bears were left.
He walked out of Maya's room and stood quality along the hallway, and those words he said to her came back hitting him so hard that he could turn blind.
"Hahaaa, what kind of scheme was she now playing with him, after all where can that woman go to, she depends entirely on me to survive, she will come back crawling to me," he said but then remembered something.
He called her "Stress" and tald her to "figure it out," well she has figured it out entirely and removed the stress with her, and in the process taken his heart with her.