Finding my way home
Author's Note: Thanks for all the lovely reviews of the previous series!! You guys are GOLD!!
This is yet another idea I came up with while doing the previous series - My Best Friend, My Prince, My Soulmate. So I thought I'd put it up, before I forgot all about it. BTW, in this fic all thoughts and flashbacks are in italics.
Chapter 1 : The biggest mistake
Monica stared around at the living room. She sighed. As usual, he was late.
It was 10 P.M.
It had been like this for the past three months. And it was all her fault (atleast, it felt that way). She should have known better than to open her big mouth and ask him for the one thing he wasn't ready to give her.
It had led to huge screaming matches in the beginning. But now there was only silence. Cold and uncomfortable silence whenever they were in the same room. While they ate, the only sounds were that of the cutlery scraping the china. And Monica hated it.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Monica looked at the clock.
10:30 P.M
He still wasn't home. And the dinner was getting cold.
11:00 P.M
Monica decided to go to bed. Just as she reached the stairs, she heard a key in the door. She turned around just as he walked in.
"Where were you?" she demanded.
"Out." he replied shortly.
"Oh! I didn't know that!" she said sarcastically.
"Monica, why do you care where I went? I'm a big boy. I can take care of myself."
"My, my! Am I happy to know that! I'm proud of you, big boy." she spat. "Quit beating around the bush and tell me where you went!"
"To Shelley's." he said flatly.
"Shelley? That slut who works at my restaturant. Wow!", she said. "Atleast you admitted your affair. Good job, that!"
"Listen, I can't take anymore of this. I'm leaving New York, Monica and I'm not taking you with me."
"Who said anything about coming with you?"
"No... what I meant is... I want a divorce."
"What? So rather than try to work this out, you're going the easy way. Divorce. Fine with me.", she said through gritted teeth.
"Well, that's good." he said wanting to hurt her even more.
"So... this Shelley... is she coming with you?" her voice held no sign of the hurt she was feeling.
"Yeah, she's handing in her notice tomorrow." he looked squarely at her.
The words stung Monica. She couldn't believe he was being so blunt about his affair. Anger coursed through her body like poison.
"Sounds like you've had all this already planned out. For how long? How long has this being goin' on?", she asked unable to keep her voice down anymore.
"Three months."
The words hit her with the force of a brick. Three months. Ever since she felt her life hit the downward-spiral.
"Oh, I can't believe I allowed myself to marry you," Monica yelled at him. "I fell for all your charms and finally it's come to this!"
"I don't care! All I know is I don't want to be your husband anymore.", he reached into his coat and produced a manila envelope. "Sign those. I'll collect it in the morning." And without another word, he was gone.
Monica stared at the closed door, feeling her eyes begin to sting. She brushed away the tears. She would not cry over him. He didn't deserve that.
She walked over to her husband's desk and sat down. She pulled out the documents from the envelope.
Petition for divorce
The words swam around in her head. She blinked furiously, trying to stem the flow of tears. In all her life, she never thought it would come to this. Here she was, 27 yrs old and about to be divorced. She looked up from the papers and her eyes fell on the photo-frame - her wedding day - the day she'd made the biggest mistake of her life.
She could vaguely remember the day she'd announced her engagement to her friends. But what she could remember most vividly about that day, was when she broke the news to him - her best friend and confidant.
****Flashback****
"You're actually going to marry him?" he asked incredulously.
"I thought you liked Richard," she protested.
"Oh, I like him...", he paused.
"But?", she prompted.
"But, I just don't know whether you're doing the right thing."
"What? Chandler, he loves me."
"I know. But what I do question is whether deep down you really love him."
"I..I don't know... I, honest to God, don't know. I think, I do love him. Chandler, I thought you'd be happy for me."
"Oh Mon, I'm happy for you. No-one deserves this more than you. Believe me. And if you are 100% sure that Richard can give you that happiness you crave for, then good for you.", he hugged her.
"So... you're really happy for me?"
"Yes."
****End Flashback****
Chandler had a premonition even at that time. Why hadn't she listened to him? Come to think of it, even Ross and the rest of the gang were not that enthusiastic about her engagement. She knew it. Why had she not taken the 'not-so-subtle' hints from all of them and ended it when she had the chance? But no, stupid Monica married Richard and finally ended up with a broken heart.
What was I thinking? How could I let myself believe that the secret to my happiness lay in a guy who was 20 yrs older to me - my dad's age?
She sighed and looked back down at the papers. She grabbed a pen from the pen-stand and signed for the last time - Monica Geller - Burke.
That signature closed a chapter in her life. It was over. She was Monica Geller - just Monica Geller.
She set her pen down and looked around the room. A place which once felt like home was now a source of pain and agony. She was now a stranger. She didn't belong here - she needed to go home.
Home? Where was home?
Once again his voice filled her head.
"Monica, if you ever need me - for anything... you know where to find me. I'll be home."
So that was it. She knew where home was and she was going there. She was going home... home to the life she once lived.
She stood up and walked up the stairs to the bedroom. She stuffed some clothes and a toothbrush in a night-bag and came back downstairs. She walked back to the desk. The papers were still lying outside. She stuffed them back into the cover and her eyes once again fell on the wedding photo. In a sudden fit of anger, she slammed the frame down. There was a sound of cracking glass - but she didn't care. She was going home.
A.N. And that's it for Chapter 1. BTW, I hope I had you going in the beginning. Did you seriously think, I'd allow my fave couple to go thru' a divorce? Nu--Uh!