From Promise To Betrayal

13.

Note that there might be huge grammatical errors as I haven't had the time to proofread it.

Dreams..

"Charlotte." Maria's voice quivered slightly as she spoke, "I did it. I really did it. I finally sent him the divorce papers."

On the other end of the phone, Charlotte's sharp gasp echoed through the line. "Oh my goodness, Maria! Are you serious?"

Maria let out a sigh, a mix of relief and sadness in her voice. "Yeah, I actually did it."

Charlotte could sense the weight of the moment and chose her words carefully. "Well, how are you feeling right now?"

Maria paused, her heart heavy with the realization of what she had done. "Heartbroken, Charlotte. I really feel heartbroken. I never thought it would come to this, you know? But..." She paused again, gathering her thoughts.

Charlotte's reassuring tone cut through the silence. "But what, Maria? I know how hard this has been for you. You can talk to me about anything, you know that right. Please share your thoughts with me."

Tears welled up in Maria's eyes as she heard the sincerity in her best friend's voice. "I will Charlotte, but not now." she whispered. "I think what I really need right now is to keep myself busy with some things. Maybe that will help me get through this."

Charlotte nodded on her end, even though Maria couldn't see her. "That's a good idea. Just remember, I'm here for you, no matter what."

Maria and Charlotte spoke with each other for a while until Charlotte had to go get her kids from school, and they ended the call with a sweet goodbye.

'I can do this, I can do this. Yeah, Maria, you can do this.'

Maria was facing a daunting reality. Throughout her life, she'd never had to lift a finger to earn a living. As a child, her needs were catered to by her parents, and during her marriage, John provided for her. This new chapter was uncharted territory, and she was well aware that it wouldn't be easy.

Frustration grew as she struggled to navigate the online job search process. She had little experience applying for jobs or preparing for interviews.

'Why isn't this working?' A line appeared between her brows as she stated at the screen.

Clicking her mouse repeatedly, she attempted to access a job site. After several unsuccessful tries, she decided to refresh the webpage, only to find that the ad she'd been interested in had vanished.

'What the- where did it go? I swear I just saw it.'' It had been there moments ago.

Maria squeezed her eyes shut, trying her very best to stay calm.

'Breathe in, breathe out. You can do this, Maria. You definitely can. In no time, this will be in the past.'

In the course of trying to calm down, she felt tears continuously fall from her eyes. She wiped her tears, but it continued flowing down her eyes.