The President's Humble Substitute Secretary

Chapter 1: Alone

"I waited for you all night. You should have told me you weren't going to make it. I looked like a fool in front of everyone."

Arturo's voice boomed through the bedroom walls.

The streetlight flickered behind him casting dancing shadows across the walls. They'd moved into this city a year after their marriage because Isabella had always dreamed of living in the city as they both grew up in a small downtown.

Isabella ignored him as though he wasn't even in the room.

She ransacked the wardrobe throwing her clothes onto the opened blue coloured suitcase laying open across their matrimonial bed before moving to the bed to fold the clothes neatly into the suitcase.

"Bella. Baby" he tried again, his voice softened as he stepped closer. "Why are you doing this? Why do you want to leave and end everything we've built so far? Are you just going to throw all of this away?"

All of this.

The vows they made.

All the years they've spent together.

A life they'd spent so long building.

Her shoulders stiffened. For a moment he thought his words had finally got to her. And then she turned to face him but the anger shining in her eyes nearly knocked the air from his lungs. She looked nothing like the kind woman he knew.

"Can't you see Arturo or are you just pretending to be oblivious to everything?" She screamed. "I've had enough. I'm tired, Arturo. I feel suffocated in this marriage. All I want is to be free"

"Free? What do you mean free?" His laugh came out raw and filled with pain. "What do you want to be free from? Me?"

"Yes,you!" She snapped. "I'm not in love with you anymore. You do not make me happy anymore. I'm tired of pretending. I can barely recognise myself again."

Her words seemed to slice through his heart clean and deep like a brand new knife.

He took a step back as if physically struck.

"What are you talking about?" He asked quietly. "We were happy. You never told me if something worried you."

"We used to be happy. I used to be happy but... people change."

Her voice shook at the last part of her sentence.

He reached for her arm. "Lets talk it through then. Let's try to fix things. Tell me what I did wrong and I promise I'll change. I'll make it work. For you. For us"

She pulled away as if his touch burned.

"You didn't do anything Arturo. You... we can't fix it." She whispered,then louder,harsher. "This is about me. This is about what I want and... I do not want any of this anymore."

She zipped the suitcase closed.

The sound echoed like a gunshot.

Without thinking, Arturo rushed to the stand between her and the bedroom door,his broad frame blocking the exit completely. Isabella had always told him that she loved how commanding and confident he was.

But now his eyes were