8. I only want my WIFE

IN A FEW DAYS

XAVIER'S POINT OF VIEW:

When I pulled up to my parents house, the familiar feeling of unease settling in my chest. The grand, old house had always been a place of mixed emotions for me. It was where I grew up, but it also held too many memories of expectations and things left unsaid. Today, however, I wasn’t here to talk about the past. I was here to make sure my future was clear. As I walked up to the front door, I could already hear the muffled voices from inside. I took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. Moments later, the door swung open, revealing my mother’s warm smile.

"Xavier, darling! It’s good to see you." She stepped aside, ushering me in. I nodded and entered, the scent of freshly brewed coffee and a faint trace of perfume filling the air.

My mother’s comforting presence was a stark contrast to the storm brewing in my mind.

"Thanks, Mom." I said, trying to mask the tension in my voice.

I followed her into the living room, where my father sat in his usual armchair, reading the paper. He glanced up when I entered, offering me a nod of acknowledgment.

"Son." he said, his voice gruff but not unkind.

"Hey, Dad." I replied, taking a seat on the couch opposite him.

My mother, ever the hostess, made her way to the kitchen, leaving us alone for a moment. I could feel the weight of the conversation I was about to have pressing down on me. I needed to tell them everything the truth about Isabella, about how I had changed, and how I wasn’t going back to Ana. But before I could get the words out, the doorbell rang again. I glanced at my mother, who was already heading to answer it.

I didn’t expect who walked through the door next. Ana.

She stood there in the doorway, looking as polished as ever, her eyes locking onto mine with that familiar glint of hope. My heart skipped a beat, but not in the way it used to.

"Xavier." She said softly, her voice almost pleading. "I need to talk to you."

I stood up from the couch, unable to mask the irritation creeping into my tone.

"What are you doing here, Ana?"I asked.

"I... I came to apologize." She said, stepping into the room. "I didn’t mean for things to end the way they did. I thought... I thought I was doing the right thing, but now I see that I made a mistake."

I couldn’t believe it. After all this time, she thought she could waltz back into my life and make everything better with a few words? The anger flared up in me again, stronger this time.

“No, Ana. You didn’t make a mistake. You made a choice. You left me. You walked away when I needed you most." I said, my voice firm, my fists clenched at my sides.

She flinched, but quickly recovered.

"I thought I was giving you space. I thought... I thought you’d come to your senses."She said.

I shook my head.

"No, Ana. You left me broken. You don’t get to just show up now and act like nothing happened."I said.

Before she could respond, my grandmother’s voice cut through the tension in the room.

"What’s going on here?" She asked, stepping into the living room with her usual air of authority.

Ana turned to face her, but my grandmother wasn’t having any of it.

"Ana, what are you doing here?"She asked.

"I... I came to talk to Xavier." Ana said, her voice faltering slightly.

"You came to talk?" My grandmother repeated, her voice sharp. "After three years? After you left him, you think you can just come back and everything will be fine?"

Ana’s face flushed with embarrassment, but she tried to stand her ground.

"I didn’t mean to hurt him. I just thought... I thought I was doing what was best for him."She said.

My grandmother shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You don’t get to come back here and pretend like nothing happened. You left him when he needed you the most. And now you think you can just waltz back in and make it all better? No, Ana. That’s not how this works."She said with an angrier tone.

Ana opened her mouth to argue, but before she could get a word out, my father stood up from his chair, his face hard and stern.

"What’s going on here?" He asked, his voice low but filled with authority.

I felt relief that my father was here to back me up. I didn’t want to do this alone.

"Ana thinks she can just come back into my life after everything." I said, my voice tense with frustration. "She left me, Dad. She left me when I was at my lowest."

"You left him, Ana. You walked away when he needed you the most. And now, after all this time, you think you can come back and fix everything? No. That’s not how it works."My dad said.

Ana’s eyes widened, and she took a step back, but she didn’t leave.

"I didn’t mean to hurt him." She said, her voice trembling now. "I thought... I thought I was doing what was best for him."

"You weren’t doing what was best for him. You were doing what was best for you. And in the process, you hurt him more than you’ll ever understand."Grandma said.

I could feel the tension in the room building, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to let Ana manipulate me anymore. I wasn’t going to let her guilt trip me into thinking I owed her something.

"I’m done, Ana." I said, my voice steady and calm. "I’m not going back to you. I’m done."

Ana’s face twisted in disbelief, but she didn’t argue. She turned on her heel and left, the door closing behind her with a soft click. The room was silent for a moment, and I finally exhaled the breath I’d been holding. My father looked at me, his expression softening.

"I’m proud of you, son. "He said quietly. "You did the right thing."

I nodded, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. I didn’t need Ana. I had made my choice, and I was going to stick with it.

My grandmother stepped forward, her eyes twinkling with approval.

"Good for you, Xavier. Now, focus on what’s important. And that’s Isabella."Grandma said.

"Thank you."I said.

I nodded again, my thoughts immediately going to her. I had made my decision. I wasn’t going back to Ana. And nothing, not even my family’s expectations, was going to change that. As soon as Ana left, my grandmother crossed her arms and turned to my mother.

"You see? She’s just like I said. She left him when he needed her the most, and now she thinks she can come back and fix everything."Grandmother said.

My mother, visibly upset, shook her head. I never understood why she liked Ana so much. Her rich family must have been one of the reasons.

"But she was trying to make things right, Mom. She was just-"Mom tried to argue with her.

"No." My grandmother interrupted, her voice rising. "She was running away! She made him feel like he wasn’t enough. And now she shows up like nothing happened?"

My father, who had been quiet until now, stood up, his voice low but firm.

"I agree with your grandmother. You both know what Ana did. She walked away from Xavier, and now she thinks she can just come back and make it all better?"Dad asked.

My mother’s face flushed with frustration. It's clear that she was angry that everything did not go how she planned.

"I’m just trying to understand. I want him to be happy. He’s my son."Mom said.

"And I want him to be happy too." My grandmother shot back. "But not at the expense of his dignity. Ana doesn’t get to come back after breaking his heart."

The tension was thick in the air, and I felt myself growing angrier, but I stayed silent, letting them argue. It was clear now. I wasn’t going back to Ana. I didn’t need to hear anymore. It seemed that everything was alright now until I saw a door open and Martha walking inside the room.