Chapter 5 The battle ahead would be long

The days following Luna's decision to file for divorce felt like a slow, deliberate march toward the unknown. The weight of her decision was heavy, but every morning she woke with a strange sense of clarity, as though the fog of indecision had finally lifted. The house that once felt suffocating now felt like a battleground-a place she was determined to reclaim.

Darius's behavior shifted after that conversation. He became colder, more distant, as if he were preparing for a war he didn't want to fight but knew was inevitable. But Luna didn't care anymore. She had long stopped needing him to validate her worth.

In the past, she had sought his approval, his love. She had bent herself into shapes to fit his expectations, to be the perfect wife, mother, and companion. Now, she was finding herself again. She was no longer the woman who waited for a text or a whispered apology. No, she was someone different-someone stronger.

That evening, as she sat at the kitchen table drafting a letter to her attorney, the front door slammed open, and Darius's voice rang out.

"Luna!"

Her fingers stilled on the paper. Her name-his voice-rang out like a warning bell. She didn't look up at first, letting the silence stretch between them.

"I want to talk," Darius insisted, his voice softer now but still carrying an edge of anger. "You can't just make decisions like this without consulting me."

Luna lifted her gaze slowly, her eyes cool and unwavering. "I don't need your permission."

"Are you serious right now?" He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "You think you can just take everything from me? The kids, the house, everything? You're delusional if you think that's going to happen."

Luna exhaled softly, letting his words wash over her without the sting they once would have carried. She had spent years listening to his threats, his manipulation, but now she could hear them for what they were-empty.

"Darius," she said, her voice calm but firm, "you stopped being a husband long ago. The day you decided to bring someone else into our marriage, you made your choice. Now I'm making mine."

His face flushed with anger. "You think you've got this all figured out? You think you can just throw everything away and walk away from it all?"

"I'm not walking away," she said, her eyes hardening. "I'm taking back what's mine. My life. My dignity. My children."

"You'll regret this," he spat, his fists clenching at his sides. "I'll make sure of it."

Luna stood then, finally rising to meet him on equal ground. She met his eyes, her gaze unwavering.

"I don't think you understand, Darius. I've already lived through the worst of it. I survived your betrayal. I survived being invisible in my own marriage. And now? I'm taking control. I'm done being your doormat."

For a moment, the room was silent. Darius stared at her, a mixture of disbelief and fury in his eyes. But it wasn't the kind of fury that had once made her shrink. No, it was the kind of fury that made him dangerous-a man whose ego had been bruised.

"I won't let you destroy me," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

"You already destroyed yourself," Luna replied quietly, her voice steady but filled with quiet finality. "I'm just cleaning up the mess."

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving him standing there, his rage simmering beneath the surface.

---

The following days were a blur. Luna's lawyer had begun to gather evidence for the divorce proceedings. It wasn't just about the emotional toll of the marriage-there were financial matters to address, assets to divide, and most importantly, her children's future.

Luna knew that Darius wouldn't go down without a fight. He would use his wealth, his influence, and his connections to try to sway things in his favor. But Luna had been underestimated for too long. Now, she had a plan.

She spent hours at the law office, meeting with her attorney, discussing every detail of the case. The more she learned, the more she realized how much Darius had been hiding-hidden accounts, investments, and properties that weren't on the books. It was as though he had been living in a world of secrets, constructing a life that was built on lies.

And Luna was going to expose it all.

But the hardest part wasn't the legal battle. It was the aftermath. The impact on the children. The way Darius would react when he realized that Luna wasn't backing down. She knew he would try to manipulate the situation, try to paint her as the villain. He would make her seem crazy, irrational, unstable-anything to make her seem like the one who was ruining their family.

But Luna had learned something in these past few weeks-she wasn't afraid of his games anymore. She wasn't afraid of him. And she certainly wasn't afraid of what other people thought.

That night, after putting the kids to bed, Luna sat alone in the living room, staring at the fireplace. The silence in the house was heavy, but it felt peaceful in a way she hadn't felt in years. It was the silence before the storm.

Her phone buzzed on the table, breaking her reverie. It was a message from her lawyer: "The papers are ready. It's time to serve him."

Luna's heart skipped a beat. She had been preparing for this moment, but now that it was here, she felt the weight of it all. This was no longer just about her-it was about her children. About her future.

She pressed her fingers to the screen, typing a quick response: "Let's do it."

---

The next day, the papers were delivered. Darius's reaction wasn't what Luna expected. He didn't yell. He didn't storm out of the house. Instead, he sat there, staring at the papers as though they were a death sentence.

"You really went through with it," he said quietly, his voice trembling with a mixture of disbelief and rage.

"I did," Luna replied, her voice steady. "And I won't stop. Not until everything is settled. Not until I have what's rightfully mine."

Darius looked at her then, something shifting in his expression. For the first time in years, Luna saw a glimmer of uncertainty in his eyes.

"I'll fight this," he said, his voice low. "I'll make sure you regret this."

Luna stood her ground. "You'll fight all you want. But I'm not the same woman you married. I'm not the woman who begged for your love. I'm not the woman who cried when you ignored me. I'm the woman who fought for her children. Who fought for herself."

She stepped closer to him, her gaze unflinching. "And that's the woman you'll never defeat."

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving him standing there, the weight of his own actions finally catching up with him.

---

As Luna walked into the kitchen, her heart pounded with adrenaline. This was only the beginning, but for the first time in a long time, she felt a flicker of hope. The battle ahead would be long. But Luna was ready.

She had nothing to lose anymore.