Victoria and Robert had been married for over ten years. They had poured their entire lives into building and growing their own business, and somehow, the thought of children had always been pushed to the side.
With every passing day, Victoria found herself dwelling on it more and more, her heart heavy with regret. On the other hand, she sometimes felt it was a blessing they didn't have kids; she no longer saw the same wonderful man she had agreed to marry when she looked at Robert. Lately, the word "divorce" had been circling her mind like a vulture. They could still run the company together as partners without the messy ties of a failing marriage. Victoria wanted to experience motherhood. So what if she was nearly forty?
Plenty of women focused on their careers first these days before even thinking about a family. She was just one of them. Victoria rolled over in bed and glanced at her sleeping husband. The morning sunlight streaming through the window didn't seem to bother him at all. Usually, she would get up a bit earlier than Robert to surprise him with a cup of rich, hot coffee, but today she had absolutely no desire to do anything for him. Thoughts of separation had tormented her all night. It was time for a talk.
"Robert, wake up. It's time for work," she called out.
"Coming," he mumbled sleepily. Victoria headed to the kitchen.
***
Her husband had become obsessed with work lately. He was leaving earlier, staying later, and constantly pushing new ideas to scale the business. Meanwhile, Victoria found herself longing for a family—she wanted a husband who was present, a protector, a father for her children. But Robert was almost never there. She sighed. She would talk to him today. She would explain exactly what she needed from life. He would understand; he had to.
"Vic, I've got to run!" Robert shouted from the hallway. "I'm leaving the car for you; I'll just grab an Uber. Dinner tonight at that Italian place downtown?"
"Fine," she replied indifferently. "Not even a cup of coffee?"
"No time, a million things to do today. Anyway, honey, love you!" he blurted out in one breath before slamming the door behind him.
Victoria wasn't surprised. Robert had been acting like a man possessed for a long time. For a while, she had even suspected he was having an affair, but a private investigator she hired found nothing. Robert was simply a workaholic. Women with husbands like him were lucky if they made it home for bed, so she supposed she was "fortunate." She poured herself a cup of coffee and took a thoughtful sip. He wanted dinner tonight—maybe that would be the place to bring up the divorce. Though a restaurant, with all those people...
She sighed again. She would let fate decide; she was too tired to overthink everything.
***
Robert stepped out of the taxi a few blocks away from the office. He decided to grab a latte at the small café he and Victoria used to frequent after work. A wave of warm memories hit him—sitting there in the evenings, watching the city rush by, drinking hot coffee and sharing pastries while they brainstormed ideas for the company. He really needed to take Victoria on a vacation; it had been nothing but work lately. But he couldn't forget the pitch meetings today for those major projects. They couldn't afford to lose those investors. Just a little more work, he told himself, and then he'd plan the trip.
***
At the office, Victoria was a wreck. She couldn't focus, her mind constantly rehearsing how to break the news to Robert. Robert, however, was on fire. He was tackling tasks with effortless precision; it seemed like everything was going his way. Then again, Robert was always a powerhouse at work.
"Vic, you finished yet?" Robert asked, stepping into her office.
Victoria was currently reviewing some ad concepts.
"Um, no, not yet. Are you done?" She glanced at the clock. Usually, he didn't leave before ten, and it was only four in the afternoon.
"Yeah, I told you I wanted to take you to dinner. Need some help?"
"No, I'm fine, just a few things left," Victoria said, waving him off.
She hoped he would wait right there so she could start the conversation, but Robert had other plans.
"Okay, keep at it. I'm going to wrap one last thing up in my office. Come get me when you're ready to head out, okay?"
"Sure," Victoria muttered, annoyed that the moment had slipped away. "Of course, work before wife. Every single time," she whispered to the empty room after the door closed.
***
When she finally finished, she walked into his office. Robert immediately hung up a phone call and flashed her a bright smile.
When was the last time he had smiled at her like that? Or given her a compliment?
Victoria was used to her husband not being the romantic type, so seeing him in such a good mood over a dinner date rather than a closed deal was jarring. They walked down to the garage and got into the car. Robert took the wheel while Victoria sat in the passenger seat. He seemed so genuinely happy during the drive that she couldn't bring herself to ruin the mood with talk of divorce. It actually started to irritate her—that on the very day she found the courage to bring up the subject, he was in a high spirits she didn't want to crush.
At the restaurant, the conversation inevitably drifted back to business. Robert spoke excitedly about a new project, and Victoria tuned him out, nodding occasionally. Her hope that his mood was about them vanished; it turned out he had secured several new investors, and that was the source of his joy.
"Robert, I'm happy for you, really, but let's talk about something else," she interrupted sharply.
"Sure. What's up?"
Victoria took a deep breath. She needed to gather her thoughts. They had been together so long—how do you even start telling someone it's over?
"Robert, I feel like we've stopped understanding each other."
"What do you mean?" he asked, looking genuinely confused.
"Exactly that. Robert, do you even remember what you did this past weekend? I'll tell you. You went into the office to finish 'just one more' project."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Yes, it is! It's bad because you haven't seen me as a woman in a long time!"
Stunned, Robert remained silent, staring at his wife, who looked like she was on the verge of a breakdown.
"Victoria... I work twice as hard for you. Only for you. So you can relax more, eat better, actually get some sleep! Do you remember when we started this company? We had nothing. We were borrowing money just to make it through the month. Are you saying it was better back then?"
"At least back then you were actually next to me at night, instead of coming home long after I'd fallen asleep!"
"What do you want from me, Vic?"
"A divorce!" she snapped.
It felt like a bucket of ice water had been thrown over him. All these years of striving for her, and now she wanted out?
"Robert, try to understand, okay? You're a good man, you're a hard worker, but... I need something else. I need attention, I need love. I need a family."
"Right. Right, I get it," Robert replied automatically. "Fine. Let's get a divorce."
His sudden calmness made Victoria's blood boil.
"Even now, you act like you don't care! About me, or our marriage! Honestly, it's a good thing we never had kids. They'd be the ones suffering right now."
"Can you calm down? One minute you're demanding a divorce, the next you're talking about kids. I don't follow you."
"No, Robert, I can't calm down! Because I can feel how little this matters to you. We lived together for ten years—does that mean nothing?"
"Of course it means something."
"Then show some kind of emotion!" Victoria finally broke down, sobbing from the sheer bitterness of it all.
She felt sorry for herself, unable to understand why he was being so cold. Meanwhile, Robert was still struggling to process the fact that his wife had just asked for a divorce. He couldn't imagine life without her.
"Victoria... let's go outside. You need some fresh air." Ignoring her protests, Robert took her arm and guided her toward the exit.
The night air helped her clear her head slightly.
"Let's talk about this tomorrow, okay? Let's just go home. I'll go back in and settle the check; wait for me in the car."
Victoria didn't answer; she just walked to the car. She felt sick, pained by the realization that even when their world was collapsing, her husband remained a pragmatist. And she had been worried about how to tell him. It had turned out to be incredibly easy.
They drove through the evening city in silence. Robert decided to take the long way home via the bypass road. He needed time to think. He really had worked too much lately, and she needed his attention.
And that comment about children... Victoria had never told him she wanted to be a mother. He realized he truly didn't understand his wife at all. Happy moments flashed before his eyes—her smile, their early days. He was so lost in thought that he didn't see the car swerving into their lane until it was too late.
Victoria screamed. Robert jerked the wheel, positioning the car so that he would take the brunt of the impact. The collision was violent. Shards of glass grazed Victoria's face, but Robert lost consciousness instantly, blood pouring from a wound on his head.
***
At the hospital, Victoria's scratches were quickly treated, but Robert was rushed straight into surgery. She knew it was her fault. She had pushed him to this point. If she hadn't started that fight, if they had just talked at home, none of this would have happened. Robert was moved from the OR directly to the ICU.
Victoria tried to get information, but the nurses only told her his condition was "stable but critical." She sat outside the ICU doors and prayed for him to make it. In that moment, she realized how desperately she still loved him. She shouldn't have blamed him; he had sacrificed himself in that crash to save her.
Robert regained consciousness slowly and painfully. Every inch of his body ached. What happened? Then, the memories came rushing back: the divorce, the fight, the crash...
"Victoria!" he gasped.
"He's awake," an unfamiliar female voice said. "Stay still, I'll call the doctor."
"Wait—where's my wife?"
"Your wife is fine. She's at home resting."
"Thank God," Robert whispered.
And then, he realized. He couldn't see a thing. It was total darkness.
"Hello, Robert," a male voice said. "I'm the attending physician. How are you feeling?"
"I... I can't see anything. At all."
"During the accident, you suffered severe trauma to the occipital cortex and the cranial nerves. There's also some brain bruising. The blindness... it is treatable, but the surgery costs tens of thousands of dollars. You could wait for a state grant, but by the time it's approved, I'm afraid the damage will be permanent."
It was over. The doctor had basically told him he would be blind forever. After a quick check-up, the doctor noted that his other vitals were improving and allowed the nurse to call his wife. As the nurse left to call Victoria, Robert wondered how he would tell her. They didn't have that kind of liquid cash. Victoria already wanted a divorce—now she had one more reason to leave.
***
An hour later, Victoria arrived. She had dropped everything the second the hospital called. Robert had been in a coma for over a week; she had been terrified he would never wake up. But he had. He was a fighter. She ran through the hallway, searching for his room.
"Robert!" she cried out. He turned his head toward her voice.
"Hey," he said, managed a weak smile. He had missed her so much, even if she wanted to leave him. Victoria hugged him and started to cry.
"Oh my God, I was so worried... I'm so sorry, Robert, this is all my fault..."
"Don't be silly. It wasn't your fault."
"How are you, honey?"
"Not great," he admitted. "Did you talk to the doctor?"
"No, I came straight here."
"The thing is... I'm blind. And the surgery to fix it costs a fortune. I know we don't have that kind of money, Vic. I get it."
"Robert... no, no, no..." Victoria couldn't believe it. "No!"
"Nothing to be done," he said with a sad smile. "I guess I won't be much help with those divorce papers."
"You... you idiot!" Victoria was sobbing now. "There isn't going to be a divorce! I'll figure something out. I promise, I'll figure it out."
***
After she left his room, she found the doctor. He explained that if Robert hadn't turned the car the way he did, Victoria would have likely been killed, but he took the full force of the blow. She looked at the cost of the surgery, thanked the doctor, and went home.
Back at the apartment, she opened a bottle of wine and sat in Robert's favorite armchair. Just a week ago, they were arguing about business strategies, and now... he was in the hospital, blind because of her. She hated herself for that conversation, but she had to act. The thought of life with a disabled partner was frightening—not knowing if he'd ever be able to care for himself again, let alone work.
Victoria felt a pang of guilt realizing her mind had drifted back to divorce. It would be the "easy" way out. She could keep the business, support him from afar, hire a nurse...
No! Robert was in that bed because of her. She shouldn't be thinking about her own convenience; she had to save him. The only way was the surgery. But where would she get that much money? No bank would give her a loan that large that quickly. Borrowing from friends wouldn't be enough. What else was there?
Victoria bit her lip. There was only one thing left. She would have to sell the business. She'd sell everything they built to pay for the operation, but Robert couldn't know. He had to think it was a grant.
A few days later, Victoria signed the papers. She sold their joint company—the business they had started from scratch—for exactly the cost of the procedure.
***
That same day, she went back to the hospital.
"Is the surgery still an option?" she asked the doctor.
"Yes, but time is running out. We need to decide now."
"I have the money," she said quietly.
The doctor raised an eyebrow. "My patient mentioned the family couldn't afford it."
"I found a way," Victoria replied tiredly. "If you think it will work, let's do it. But please, tell him it was a grant."
The doctor nodded and said he would arrange the transfer to the neurological center for the following morning.
"Tomorrow?" Victoria was taken aback.
"Why wait? Every day we wait increases the risk of permanent vision loss."
"I understand. Can I see him?"
She walked into Robert's room. He turned at the sound of her footsteps.
"Hey," she said.
"Hey. How are you?"
"I'm okay. Robert, I have news. I got you the grant for the surgery."
Robert didn't look happy; he frowned. "Vic, I wasn't born yesterday. The doctor said the waitlist for a grant is months, maybe years. How did you get one in a week?"
"I pulled some strings," she shrugged. "Remember my aunt Sarah? She works at the neuro center."
"She's a receptionist there, Victoria! Please, stop lying to me. Just tell me the truth. Where did you get the money?"
Victoria was silent for a long moment. "I sold the business."
"Why?" Robert asked softly.
Victoria expected him to be furious—he had put his soul into that company. She didn't expect him to be so calm.
"What do you mean 'why'?"
"Am I worth it, Vic? That night, you said you wanted a divorce. Are you sure you did the right thing?"
"Yes," Victoria said, and she walked out of the room.
***
When she got home, she couldn't stop herself from opening another bottle of wine. She was a nervous wreck. Sitting there with her glass, she wondered: what if Robert hadn't turned the wheel? What if she had been the one to lose her sight? She knew, without a second's hesitation, that Robert would have sold the business to save her. Because he loved her. And she loved him.
The next day, the center called to say the surgery was a success. He was stable, and the bandages would come off in three days. Victoria was there, her heart in her throat. The doctors cautioned that they wouldn't know the extent of his recovery until the dressing was removed.
Finally, the day came. Victoria stood by the doctor, watching as the layers of gauze fell away. Robert opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was his wife. She looked beautiful. Victoria held her hands to her chest as if in prayer, searching his face. He smiled at her, and she knew instantly that his sight was back. She sat on the edge of the bed, threw her arms around him, and sobbed.
Robert stroked her hair, rocking her gently. "Vic, it's okay. It's over now..."
"I'm just so happy," she choked out.
"Let's get married," Robert said suddenly. Victoria pulled back and wiped her eyes.
"I don't have much of a dowry left," she joked through her tears. "I've got nothing."
"It doesn't matter," he smiled. "We'll start over."
"In that case... I'm in."
***
And they truly did start over. They used their old connections, took out a small bank loan, and opened a new firm. With their years of experience, they managed to thrive despite the competition.
But now, Robert knew that nothing in his life was more important than Victoria. And Victoria finally felt loved. Two years after the accident, Victoria walked tentatively up to her husband.
"Are you busy?"
"Of course not," Robert said cheerfully. "It's the weekend."
"I'm still not used to you being a 'former' workaholic," she teased. "Um... Robert. I have to tell you something. I'm a little nervous..."
"What is it? Did you find a handsome young personal trainer?"
"Or a yoga instructor..." Victoria smiled cryptically.
"Are you pregnant?!" Robert jumped up. He laughed and scooped her into his arms as if he were thirty again instead of forty-two. "Oh my God, you're pregnant!"
"I thought you didn't really want kids," Victoria noted, laughing with him.
"That was nonsense. Victoria, I know you want to be more than just a business owner. And I'm truly happy we're growing our family."
"I love you," she said softly.
"I love you too," Robert replied, kissing her.
Nine months later, they had a healthy baby boy named Leo. When he turned one, the whole family went on a trip to the Mediterranean. Victoria was on cloud nine. She finally understood what it meant to be both a mother and a cherished wife. Robert adored little Leo and thanked fate every day for his family.
To an outsider, they looked like newlyweds, so tender were their feelings for one another. They had walked through the fire together and came out stronger on the other side.
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