Man Files for Divorce Immediately After Seeing His Newborn Son – Story of the Day
Ben has known his wife's best friend, Charles, for years. Everything is fine until Diana gives birth to a baby boy. That same day, after meeting a stranger from her past, Ben decides to divorce her. He's convinced it's the only way to make her happy.
Diana sat comfortably on the living room couch with a book in her lap as she gently rubbed her rounded belly.
It was a lazy Saturday morning, and Ben, her husband, could be heard running around the kitchen cooking when the unexpected sound of a knock echoed through the house, prompting Diana to look up from the book she was reading.
She instantly glanced at Ben, her husband, who was engrossed in his world, speaking to him with a playful smile on her face.
"Honey, could you check who's at the door? I think it might be Charles."
"Charles?" Ben mumbled, turning to face Diana while adjusting the apron around his neck. Ben's eyebrows scrunched a little, a subtle shadow flashing across his face.
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"Why is he here?" He asked, trying hard to hide that he wasn't a fan of unexpected visits, especially from Charles.
I know he's your friend, but he was here three days ago and stayed the whole day, Ben thought as he washed his hands at the sink.
"Oh, you know Charles. He loves surprising us. Maybe he heard about a new birthing class he thinks we should attend." Diana responded with a giddy look that showed how happy she would be to see him.
Ben sighed, not quite sharing Diana's enthusiasm for the unexpected visit. "We've been through enough birthing classes, Diana. All that's left is for you to give birth to our baby."
"Before then, I need all the company I can get. It's been ages since we caught up, and I could use some of his goofy jokes to lighten the mood."
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Another knock echoed through the house, a little louder this time. Diana's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she gave Ben a pleading look.
"Come on, Ben. It's not easy for me to shuffle to the door these days. Besides, Charles and I have been friends forever. You can't deny him entry, can you?" She told her husband, almost entirely convinced about the person at the door.
She had a lot of friends, but no one but Charles could show up at her house on a Saturday morning without prior warning.
Hearing Diana beg, he couldn't hesitate as he quickly untied the apron around his neck and reluctantly made his way to the door.
"Fine, fine. But if it's not Charles, I'm shutting the door in the person's face," he teased, a playful glint in his eyes.
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"Hurry!" Diana urged him, her attention fixed on the door as she waited to see who was behind it.
Ben opened the door to reveal a young, muscled man dressed in a tailored black suit that complemented his red hair and handsome features.
In front of the door was Charles, with a wide grin, holding a thick bouquet.
"Surprise!" Charles exclaimed, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he walked past Ben and in through the wide-open door. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything."
"You would know if you called before coming," Ben grumbled in response, and Charles pretended not to hear as he moved straight toward Diana.
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Diana's face instantly lit up with joy at the mere sight of his way before she took in the clothes he had on.
"Charles! You look like you're dressed for an occasion," Diana exclaimed, attempting to stand up from the couch with the grace of someone about nine months pregnant.
Charles quickly rushed forward, offering his arm for her to lean on. Ben did the same, but to his disappointment, Charles got to her a little faster.
"Easy there, Mom-to-be. I thought I'd drop by and see how my favorite pregnant friend is doing."
Diana chuckled a little, swatting playfully at him as her eyes wandered over the expensive suit and flowers he brought.
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"You came to visit? We both know you're only here because you want to be there when the baby arrives."
"Is it that obvious? I even tried dressing up a little. Ben, don't you think I look good too?" Charles responded, doing his best to drag Ben into the conversation when he noticed his quietness.
On the other hand, Ben was more grumpy than when he saw Charles at the door.
"Of course you do," Ben replied, continuing to the kitchen with a slight frown.
The fact that Charles was around meant that he would stay until the evening before he finally left.
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Ben knew how close he and Diana were even before they married but soon realized how troublesome his visits became when Diana became pregnant.
It doesn't help that he's always hugging and acting so intimate with her.
Instead of heading to the living room, Ben wordlessly returned to the kitchen, making it clear that he didn't want to be part of their conversation.
"Did I do something wrong?" Charles wondered aloud, to which Diana shook her head.
"Ben is just a little grumpy today," she responded, and although Charles nodded to show that he understood, he didn't seem to believe it.
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He's usually not happy to see me but looks even less happy that I'm here, Charles thought before putting it behind him.
"Since I'll be here for a while, I was thinking we'll do a little—"
But Charles had barely begun speaking when he stopped the second he noticed a deeply uncomfortable look flash across Diana's face.
"Are you okay?" Charles hurriedly asked Diana as he watched her lower herself to the Sofa she had been sitting on.
"I-I'm fine. I just felt a slightly uncomfortable feeling in my belly."
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Charles didn't look satisfied with such an answer as he stared intensely at Diana's rounded belly, trying to see if he could figure out the problem.
Should I call Ben? He wondered, seeing Diana squint her eyes tightly in a way that showed she was trying to hide the pain she felt.
"Don't even think about it!" Diana harshly whispered to him, glancing at Ben, who was still busy in the kitchen.
"This pregnancy has been quite hard on the both of us. If this is another false alarm, I don't want to bother him," Diana sighed, rubbing her belly with a stiff expression.
"The pain will pass. It happens sometimes," Diana informed Charles, who sat beside her, staring intensely at her face and holding her hands.
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Ben was just about done with his meal when he glanced back to see how Diana was doing, only to catch them both in such an intimate position.
Ben instantly looked away with an unbothered expression, even if he felt slightly uncomfortable.
Above all, he trusted Diana and believed that regardless of how close she was to Charles, Diana loved him the most.
When he was done, he began serving the meal on the dining table and quickly called Diana and Charles to eat when everything was ready.
"Thank you," Diana told Ben, getting off the sofa to walk to the dining when she felt a supportive arm around her waist.
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"Charles—" she laughed, calling his name when she suddenly realized why he was so clingy.
"Trust me. I'm okay," she whispered to him, reassuring him even as he stubbornly refused to let go.
Ben noticed all this, but not a single look of dissatisfaction appeared as he turned to look at Diana.
"Are you okay?" Ben gently asked with his eyebrows scrunched up with concern the second he noticed the drops of sweat dripping down Diana's" forehead.
"I'm fine. I'm just a little tired," Diana instantly responded, completely ignoring the heavy gaze Charles sent in her direction as she carefully lowered herself to her seat.
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"Smells yummy," she said, commenting on the smell of Ben's food as she watched him move closer to serve her.
"I hope it tastes just as good."
He was just about to return to his seat and serve himself when he heard Charles speak to him.
"What about me? As a visitor, can't I get the princess treatment too?" Charles jokingly asked, watching Ben sit down even before he was done speaking.
"Sure. Come back pregnant, and I'll see what I can do."
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Diana's low laugh instantly rang out to the delight of the both of them.
"That's too steep a price for a little princess treatment."
Charles also smiled at Ben's obvious joke, even if he sensed a heavy note of seriousness in his tone.
Over the years, Charles had tried to be closer to Ben but couldn't help but get the feeling that Ben considered his presence more of a nuisance than anything else.
Even at the dining table, although Diana didn't seem to notice, he could tell that underneath the jokes was a cold attitude directed at him.
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I should stay away for a while after the baby is born, Charles decided, knowing that one of the reasons he came so often was because of how busy Ben was and how lonely Diana was.
"The food is delicious," Diana commented again a few minutes after everyone began eating, noting how quiet the table was.
"I–" Diana said, trying to speak again only to grit her teeth together in pain and hunch over on the table.
"Diana, what's wrong?" Ben and Charles asked almost simultaneously, each with worried expressions.
Charles even got off his chair, completely running to Diana's side, knowing beforehand that something was wrong.
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This slightly pissed Ben off as he also got on his feet and moved towards Diana to help her.
"Diana, I'm your husband; you can tell me if something's wrong."
"I'm fine, I'm fine. It's probably just indigestion or something. Ben, you don't have—"
But like before, she was unable to finish her sentence, biting down on her lips from the intense cramping that shot through her entire body.
"That's it, we're going to the hospital," Charles announced, and as much as Ben would have liked to kick against any suggestions from him, he knew better than to do so.
Ben nodded and instantly dashed up the stairs to get the already prepared baby delivery bags, heaving them downstairs like they weighed nothing.
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"Maybe it's something small. Let's wait a couple of—Aargh!!!—" Diana groaned out loud.
"I'll help you with the bags, and you can support her from the side," Charles told Ben, grabbing one of the bags.
With the heavy look of concern on Charles's face as they made their way to the car, Ben, for the first time, felt grateful for Charles's presence, knowing how frightened he'd be if he were the only one.
With lightning speed, Charles drove quickly to the hospital while Ben sat in the backseat, doing his best to comfort Diana. He could see the pain she was in and felt a little helpless, wishing he could do more.
"Don't worry; you'll feel better once we get to the hospital," Ben told her, patting her back and wiping the sweat on her forehead.
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"If the baby is coming, then I don't think that's how it works," Diana responded in a low voice, her face scrunched up a little from the constant pain she felt.
At first, she assumed that it was expected when the cramps began, but the closer they got to the hospital, the more she realized that there was something weird about the way she was feeling.
"You'll be fine. I'm sure the doctors will—"
"Ben, when we get to the hospital, I'm going to need you not to panic," Diana told him, interrupting him before he could say one of his comforting words.
Hearing Diana say such a thing only made him panic even more, wanting to know why she would do so.
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He was just about to ask when he heard her groan in pain and clench her fists together. Her jaw tightened as she ground her teeth tightly against each other.
Ben could only watch and pat her back. He would have shouted and urged Charles to drive a little faster if he wasn't sure that, and they might never get there.
"You'll be fine. Trust me, absolutely nothing will go wrong," Ben whispered to her, doing his best not to panic.
Thankfully, they soon got there, with Charles being the first person to breathe a sigh of relief as he parked and ran to the backseat to help Ben rush Diana in.
"I-I think something's" wrong," Ben stammered the second Charles swung open the door.
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"She looks quieter than usual, and she's not responding like she was before," Ben told him, doing his best not to panic as Charles gently helped him pull Diana out of the car.
But whatever plans he had towards that instantly disappeared the second he saw Diana's dress soaked from behind.
He didn't even have to point it out since even Charles instantly saw it when they carried Diana out of the car.
Ben could feel his heart thump heavily in his chest as he and Charles wordlessly carried her straight in.
"Doctor! We need a doctor!" Charles screamed at the top of his voice the second they entered the hospital, a cry Ben was thankful for as he watched a doctor instantly move towards them.
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"She's nine months pregnant, but something's wrong!" Ben hurriedly explained as he watched the doctor take over, directing a few nurses over at the same time.
Even as they placed her on a bed and began to wheel her into a room, both Charles and Ben followed closely behind her until they arrived at a border where they were both asked to stop.
"Who is the husband?" the doctor in charge asked when he came out of Diana's room and saw Ben and Charles standing side by side.
"I'm her husband," Ben instantly responded, stepping closer to the doctor, a little surprised to see Charles do the same.
"I'm almost family. Doctor, how is she?" He had a determined look in his eye, one he directed at Ben, who glanced at him with a surprised expression.
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Diana is family to me, and I refuse to be left behind.
"Doctor, we need to know exactly how she is."
"Yes, how is my wife?" Ben asked, ignoring everything else and focusing solely on ensuring that Diana was okay.
"There was a minor complication, but she's in labor now. She'll be taken in for delivery any minute now," The doctor informed them before asking a question that made Ben do a double take.
"If so, I'd like to know if the two would be present for the delivery."
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The answer was a straightforward yes, especially since Diana had no other family and had told him it was important to her that Charles be there. Still, Ben couldn't help but hesitate a little.
"Yes, both of us will be there," Charles responded, despite Ben's silence, trying to hide his anxiety.
"Is that true?" the doctor asked Ben again with a weird look, almost like he found it hard to believe that Ben would allow another man in.
"Yes," Ben conceded, watching the doctor leave a few seconds later.
He and Charles barely said a word to each other after that. Even when they were called in and saw Diana awake and looking better than ever, they silently ignored each other.
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Ben wanted Charles to take the hint and leave, and Charles had no intention of leaving until the baby was born and Diana was no longer in danger.
As fate would have it, Diana's labor soon began, and in seconds, whatever issues they had with each other disappeared as they focused on supporting Diana and each other throughout the ordeal.
Ben thought that Charles was much stronger than him, but watching him faint a few minutes into the whole process made him feel a tinge of satisfaction as he tried his best not to panic as Diana's screams echoed across the room.
Ben was on the edge of tears when the entire thing was over, unable to keep still the second he caught a glimpse of the baby the moment the doctor brought the baby out.
Is it a boy or a girl? Not that it matters, but Diana hoped for a boy. I prefer a girl, but at this point, it doesn't matter. As long as the baby is healthy and looks as beautiful as his mother– Diana would be happy.
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Different thoughts ran through his mind as he watched some nurses instantly hover over the baby while the rest focused on Diana.
Ben heard the baby's cries and instantly moved closer to Diana. Above all, he needed to make sure that his wife was okay.
"How do you feel?" he gently asked, helping her wipe off her face's sweat.
"Exhausted. I'm just glad the baby's okay. What about Charles? I don't see him anywhere," Diana asked worriedly.
At that moment, Ben was thankful he didn't stop Charles from entering.
"He fainted, but I'm sure he'll be running back soon."
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Ben was right. He was barely done speaking when Charles ran in through the double doors.
"WHERE'S THE BABY!" he shouted, looking everywhere after confirming at a glance that Diana was completely fine.
"You're not even going to ask about the mother?" Diana asked, directing a fake look of anger at Charles, who couldn't tell the difference.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't around for the delivery," Charles said, moving to hug Diana. Ben, unlike before, didn't mind as he impatiently waited for them to bring back his baby.
Thankfully, they didn't have to wait long as a nurse soon entered the room carrying a small white bundle in her arms.
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Ben and Charles flew off their seats almost at the same time, but this time, Ben got to the nurse first, staring down at his child with a grin on his face.
"He looks just like you," Ben commented, seeing the baby boy's resemblance to his mother.
"Oh, he does," Charles added, hoping to take the baby from the nurse, only to have his hopes completely dashed as he watched the nurse avoid him and move straight toward Diana's bed.
She sat up, and even before the nurse got to her, Diana beamed as she stretched out her hand to take her baby from her.
"He feels so tiny and looks just like his father," Diana grinned, beckoning at Ben, who quickly hurried to her side. The baby was fast asleep, and no matter how much he stared at its face, he couldn't see any resemblance but chose to ignore it.
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He was happy that Diana was well and their baby was safe, but all that changed when he heard Charles's next words.
"I don't quite agree, though. The baby has more resemblance towards you than to Ben."
"He'll grow into his features soon," Diana responded with most of her attention on the baby as they all leaned in to stare at his little face.
"Yeah, but before then, his red curly hair still resembles mine the most!" Charles commented with a big grin, opening up the floodgates of doubts that Ben had tried burying in his heart.
"Weirdly, it matches your hair. I wonder why. My mother also had blonde hair," Diana continued, touching her blonde hair before reaching to touch Ben's own, who also had the same hair color.
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"Who knows?" Charles grinned excitedly as he reached out to touch the baby's hair lightly.
They were still talking when a nurse carrying a few documents entered the room.
Diana wondered what she had come for as she watched her silently glance at the baby, Ben, and Charles before walking straight towards Charles.
"I always have a knack for knowing who the baby's father is. It's not every time you have two young men standing around one woman," the nurse playfully said, handing the paper to Charles with a smile.
"As the baby's father, I'll need you to sign here and here," the nurse said, pointing at a spot on the paper.
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Ben tried to hide it, but Diana could see just how pissed he was, glad to hear Charles speak up before she had to.
"I wish, but that's the father," Charles said, pointing at Ben on the other side of the bed, who had an icy look on his face, his eyes burning with underlying anger.
The nurse's mouth instantly hung open, but instead of trying to correct her mistake, she only made the situation much worse than it already was when she spoke again.
"Really? But the baby's hair matches—"
"That's enough. Ben's the father, and I'd like you to hand the document to him and leave," Diana firmly told her with a trace of annoyance.
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"Ben don't—" Diana began recalling how annoyed he was at the nurse's words, only to see him shake his head to show that he didn't care about it.
"It's fine. All that matters is that you're fine and the baby is fine," Ben responded, putting a smile on his face.
Diana had just given birth, and the last thing he wanted to do was worry or stress her in any way.
"Relax! Diana. Ben knows that the baby is his even if it looks like me," Charles jokingly teased, and Diana instantly laughed and agreed while Ben struggled to do the same.
The baby is mine. Assuming anything else would only build a rift between Diana and me.
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Instead of focusing on such things. Instead, Ben focused on caring for Diana and the baby boy, whom they named Luis.
A few days later, Diana was discharged and allowed to go home. Ben stood beside her and supported her as she carried the baby. On the other hand, Charles took all the bags and walked proudly behind them.
They had just gotten to the hospital entrance at the parking lot and were about to get into the car when Charles and Diana heard someone call their name from behind.
"Charles! Diana!"
"I knew it was you! I was a little far away, but with that red hair, there's no way I wouldn't recognize you."
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Ben was baffled to look back and see a stranger he hadn't seen before.
The man was lean and looked pretty average, but how he stared intensely at Diana made Ben uncomfortable as he quickly moved to stand in front of her and block her from his view.
"It's been a long time, right? The last time I saw both of you was in high school. Congratulations!" he continued, pointing at the baby in Diana's arms.
"With how inseparable the both of you were, I figured you were going to end up together regardless of the names people called you."
"I mean, who would ever have imagined that you were—"
"THAT'S ENOUGH SAM!" Charles yelled at the top of his voice in a way Ben had never seen before.
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The Charles he knew was an easygoing guy who was always at the cusp of cracking a joke, yet he was boiling with overwhelming anger, doing his best to hold it in but failing horribly.
"That's Ben, Diana's husband, and that's their baby!"
Ben continued to stand behind Diana, and from the expression on Sam's face, Ben could tell he didn't believe it in the slightest.
"Really?" Sam rudely continued taking a couple of steps forward, only to stop when he finally realized that a little more and he might lose a few teeth.
"But that child has red hair."
This time around, Diana could no longer keep quiet.
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"You're not welcome here. You're still as rude and obnoxious as before," Diana said, insulting him to his face before turning around to face Ben's car.
"Ignore him. Let's go!" Diana said, gently entering the car and urging Charles to do the same.
Ben had no idea what was happening, so he had no problems ignoring the stranger.
He hopped into the driver's seat, about to drive off, only to hear Sam, the man Diana and Charles knew from their past, yell from beside the car where he stood.
"No matter how hard you try to hide it, your secret will soon be out in the open!"
Ben was curious to know more, but seeing the anxious look on Diana's face made him do the opposite as he hurriedly quickly drove off.
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The tension in the car was palpable.
No one spoke through the entire journey home. When they all returned to the house, Charles instantly said his goodbyes.
"Do you have to leave now?" Diana asked with a heavy trace of concern as she watched Charles kiss the baby before kissing her on the cheeks.
"I'll be back. I need a little time to myself," Charles responded, staring intensely into Diana's eyes so that Ben, who stood by the side, felt like an outsider.
He had always assumed that Diana's love for Charles was nothing compared to how she felt for him, but watching them, he couldn't help but feel like he might have been wrong.
"I'll be back to greet the both of you in a few days," he whispered in a low tone that Ben could still hear from where he stood—planting another kiss on Diana's head before waving at Ben, who subconsciously waved back.
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The moment Charles drove away, without waiting for Diana to recover from the daze she was stuck in, Ben asked her a question that had been bugging me.
"Do you love him?" he asked, unsure what gave him the courage to ask such a thing but wanting to know the answer.
"Of course. Charles is almost like family to me," Diana instantly responded, driving an invisible knife through Ben's soul.
He was confident that Charles loved Diana and had hoped they hadn't gotten together because Diana didn't feel the same, but now he wasn't so convinced.
Turning around to see the sad look on Ben's face scared her a little as she continued talking.
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"But you're my husband, Ben. I love you the most!" Diana added, moving closer to kiss him with Luis in her arms.
"We should go inside. I'm worried that the baby might be affected by the cold," Ben whispered, subconsciously trying to kiss her forehead like he usually did, only to stop and lead her in instead.
Diana thought nothing more of it as Ben led her to the room and soon began to get everything ready.
Luis' room was ready, and everything they needed was bought in excess. Ben even warned that she wasn't allowed to move around a lot without his permission as he walked to the kitchen to figure out what they would eat.
But unknown to anyone but himself, instead of preparing dinner like he said he would, Ben slowly but decisively began dialing his lawyer's number.
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Ben wanted a divorce.
It was apparent that the child wasn't his, and he was nothing but a hindrance to his wife's high school lover.
Ben loved her more than anything, but trying to look back for good memories, he could think of Diana laughing and happy only when Charles was around. Is that true? Can she never be as happy with me as she is with him?
Either way, he wasn't going to feel like the third wheel in his own marriage anymore. He had been patient enough, and the resemblance between his child and Charles was the last straw.
"Hello, am I speaking with Mr. Henry from H.K. Legal!" he said, speaking directly into the phone in a deep, hoarse voice that betrayed his pain.
"I'd like to file for a divorce," Ben continued in a low tone, shocked to hear a loud thump on the ground from behind him when the words were out.
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He instantly turned around, confident that he was the only one in the kitchen, only to turn around and see Diana standing beside him with the baby in her arms and a broken phone on the kitchen floor.
On her face was a look of utter betrayal as she stared at Ben with eyes brought with tears.
"Di-divorce. You're divorcing me!" Diana asked, feeling like her entire world was collapsing in one day.
She had just returned from the hospital, and Ben had even offered to cook dinner. The fact that she had walked in on him on a call with the lawyer trying to divorce her felt like a dream to her.
"Why? Everything was perfect! We were fine!" Diana said, her tone slowly increasing as she felt tears slide down her face.
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"Fine?" Ben let out a painful chuckle, but Diana's teary eyes stopped him.
Usually, he would have run straight towards her the second he saw her start crying, but he knew he couldn't.
"See, I thought we were fine. But today...I'm seeing everything differently. Look, Diana, I love you. And I only want what's best for you and the baby. But if he's not mine, if he's Charles', then..."
"What on Earth are you trying to say, Ben?" Diana was more shocked than heartbroken.
"You have to PICK ONE!" Ben blurted, struggling to let out his mangled breath.
"You can't have me and Charles, Diana. We both know what I'm talking about. You chose him when you decided to have Luis with him."
Diana had a completely lost and baffled expression, utterly confused as she listened to Ben continue talking.
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There were tears in his eyes just as much as there was in hers.
"You love the both of us, but you can't have us. It doesn't help that you have been lovers since high school. Charles also loves you, and the only reason you can't be together is me!"
"Ben, I don't understand what you're saying. I Love—"
"You love me, but you also love him. What's the point in denying it any longer? Diana, it's fine! At this point, I've pretty much accepted it."
"Ben, you're saying nonsense! Luis belongs to you, and we're—"
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"Don't lie to me, Diana!" Ben yelled, banging his fists on the table counter. He was sad as he tried to explain to Diana why he was divorcing her for her good, but now he could feel the anger he had been trying to keep at bay.
"The last thing I want from you is to hear you lie to me and give me false hope," Ben told her in a choked-up voice, making his way to the door even as he talked.
"Ben!"
"Ben, wait!" Diana called after him, making him walk away even faster than before.
Ben left the house, got into his car, and drove away. He was sad and furious at the same time, and all he wanted to do was distance himself from Diana.
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He drove around for a while trying to figure out where to go when he suddenly decided to go to Charles's house.
He had only been there once, but Diana had described it so many times that he didn't think about it too much to figure out exactly where he needed to drive.
"If I can't get the truth out of her, then I might as well confront him," Ben mumbled as he drove straight to Charles's house.
It was a big and beautiful house, just like Ben remembered it. He would have looked around a little more if he hadn't had more pressing issues on his mind as he walked up to the door and knocked heavily on it.
Ben was vastly impatient. He was just about to knock on the door again when the door swung open to reveal Charles wearing black pants with a white unbuttoned shirt.
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He looked like a handsome male model one would find on a grand runaway, but Ben didn't care, speaking the moment Charles swung open the door.
"You can be with Diana. Luis is yours, and I won't stand in your way any longer," Ben declared, annoyed at the confused expression that appeared on Charles's face as he spoke.
"Don't look surprised. Your secret's out. Diana loves you, and you can now be a family since Luis is your son," Ben added. "You win."
"What the heck are you talking about? I'm gay!" Charles responded with a massive frown as he stared intensely at Ben.
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"What have you done? What is your—"
"Darling–who are you talking to by the door?" the owner of the voice had barely spoken from inside the house when a young man poked his head out from behind Charles.
"Hi, I'm Drey," he greeted Ben with a smile. "What's going on, babe?" Drey hugged Charles's arm in a way that made it obvious that they weren’t just friends.
Ben's eyes widened in shock, staring at the both of them for a few seconds, completely lost in a daze he found difficult to escape.
"But-but Luis has red hair," he muttered aloud, trying to process the information he had in front of him with the one he had in his head.
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"This isn't my original color. It's dyed." Charles instantly responded with a loud sigh, pulling the door open a little wider for Ben to enter.
"Come in. We have a lot to talk about!"
Ben would have refused on any other day and time, but he didn't and quickly walked in, especially when he realized he had messed up.
The first thing Charles threw in front of him the second he sat down was a thick album, which Charles slowly opened before pointing to one in particular.
"That's me when I was much younger. I had much darker hair then," Charles explained, turning the pages of the album as he did so until he settled on another picture he wanted to show Ben.
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"This is a picture of me with Diana's grandmother before she died. She was the only family Diana had," Charles explained, placing his finger right on the part of the picture that showed her hair.
"Diana probably doesn't remember because she was quite young, and they didn't get along that well."
"How come you have her grandmother's" picture?" Ben curiously asked. He knew Charles and Diana were close but had previously assumed they were only friends, not family.
"I'm the closest thing to family she has. If you want to know her family's dark past, you'll have to ask her about it," Charles replied, slamming the album shut and staring at Ben without saying a single word.
"I'm-I'm sorry," Ben apologized, not knowing what else to do after making a fool of himself.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
"Truthfully, it's partly my fault. I wanted Diana to keep the fact that I was gay a secret from you. I've been bullied before, and with how cold you were to me, I figured it would only get worse from there," Charles explained.
The men talked some more until their hearts felt lighter. Then, one moment, a feeling of deep regret pinched Ben's heart into a realization: I have to go back to her right now.
Ben said his goodbyes to Drey and Charles, driving back home as quickly as possible to apologize to Diana.
He realized that he shouldn't have trusted Diana more and shouldn't have been so quick to jump to conclusions.
Diana was angry at first but soon forgave Ben. Their bond grew stronger as they bared their hearts to each other.
Together, they looked after Luis, their newborn son, and Charles became a frequent visitor to their house.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
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