Sheryl Stevens had to water her garden even in the midsummer heat, her beautiful petunias were nearly at their death and Sheryl was too proud of her pristine garden to have any of her flowers wilting. Sheryl Steven daughter of Adele and Michael Smith was born into a middle income background and although she had worked hard for the master's certificate hanging on the wall of the office, Sheryl has never worked a day in her life. Donovan Stevens or God's gift to women as Sheryl liked to say, was made for her. Donovan was tall and had the body of an athletic swimmer, which he was for two years, his eyes were a deep forest green which stood out against his blonde cropped hair, but even with all this Sheryl fell in love with Donovan's smile, his smile could turn many heads be it male or female and not because it was beautiful, which it was, but because it was so honest and pure, it drew Sheryl right in, even when she promised herself that she would not fall for a silver spooned, boy-next-door smiling man with his whole life already planned out.
Even with her many refusals, their friends were not surprised when Donovan and Sheryl officially got together, their friends would tease that Donovan was Sheryl's superman and she was his Louise Lain and it made sense, every time Sheryl was in any kind of trouble, which she went through a period of, Donovan was the one who was always there for her so when she finally had her head right Donovan was just the perfect choice for her and from then it was Donovan and Sheryl against the world. Marriage for them was easy, Sheryl had decided, a while after she was comfortable with Donovan, that she was more into the whole 50's housewife life and it made her happy knowing Donovan only wanted her happy. Their first home was in the richest part of town, large enough to house two families of five and very secure, they had both wanted a large family, they were both only children and wanted their children to have many siblings, so the house was perfect for them. Marriage was fun for Donovan and Sheryl, even when he started working they still went to date night, their weekends were all about hosting neighbours, friends and families and Sundays were all about just lazing around in one others company.
Five years of married bliss and their first child, a little boy with his father's smile named Alistair, was born, shortly after, two years to be precise, that the twins, Max and Maddox, were born and their last child, born a year after the boys, was a little girl, Zahra, their only daughter. The family orientation was bliss, the children were all very close with the boys always protecting their little sister. Alistair being the oldest was always taking charge but unlike most children who had to shout to get attention, he did so quietly with subtle looks towards his siblings, the twins, although protective of their sister, were little devils, always causing the most trouble and had a problem with authority, their dad had tagged them 'The Terrible Twosome' but even the twins knew that their brother's word was law. Zahra on the other had was a mixture of her older siblings quiet but also hell raising, she was smart enough to get herself out of trouble but also one could never get upset and her big doe eyes. Family life was different for Sheryl and Donovan but they doted on their children and loved them all equally, though like many things in life compromises had to be made, date night happened after every few weeks, Saturday entertainment also trickled to a few Saturdays a month, and Sunday was no more lazing around but was more about helping the children with their homework and playing around as a family. It was out of their expected norm but it was also their favourite part of life at that point for both Sheryl and Donovan family was their life.
It was a surprise one that rocked Cheryl's world into pieces when after fifteen years of marriage, that at the age of 45, her beautiful ever loving Donovan approached her with the most heart aching sentence Sheryl had never wanted to hear "I want a divorce." Sheryl would never forget the words he had said and worst how he had spoken them. They were in bed, she was lying across his chest, he had still been reading his book and she had finished reading a story she was editing for her friend, as was Sheryl's favourite hobby, so she lay in the comfort and safety of her husband. Sheryl was about to pass out when Donovan spoke those words softly but nonchalantly, as if he was talking about the weather. Sheryl knifed up to the heels of her palm "you are joking right?" Sheryl as calm as a lake on the outside but she was a raging storm on the inside "Sher, I met someone" he did not even try to explain it easier. Sheryl knew that most people preferred to have the patch just ripped out but, she would have preferred him to feel bad enough to feel remorse, hell even if he faked it she would have slightly better, but he was cold and far away and that look alone explained to Sheryl that she never knew her husband. "What did I do wrong?" She had to know why his love faded, why she was not enough anymore "Sher, let's be real here. Things have been south for years now and you have changed into one of the most boring people I have met especially since the children." Sheryl saw red how dare he after all the sacrifices, the love she gave him and then he decides that she's too boring. She will show him boring! The screaming had at one point in her rage filled mind started with, usually quiet and calm Sheryl going of the ceiling with blood rage, Donovan watched her like she was a madwoman and not understanding why she was upset about a marriage he felt ended three years ago, he had thought that they kept an act for the children, only then did Donovan realise that even his wife believed that they were fine. It was, for Donovan, quite sad because he had moved on but she would not. The arguing woke the children up and scaring the twins and Zahra who all moved to their seventeen year old brother's room who huddled them all in, the children waited for the shouting to cease but it took a good 20 minutes and this only stopped after the main door banged closed. It was five minutes when Sheryl walked into Alistair's room and frond them all bundled together. Sheryl had to explain to her children who more than understood what was happening that they had to go to their grandmothers for a while. Alistair wanted to refuse but his mother cut him the same look that he had mastered, he understood and by the next morning Sheryl had dropped of her children at the door of her unsuspecting mother in law.
That was all two years ago and looking back at it Sheryl was not certain if she should have broken it all down to her mother in law or not, but it was all too late to think about it now. It did not matter anymore. In finalising the divorce, Donovan wasn't going to settle for fifty percent he was going to give Sheryl just enough for her to survive, Sheryl was tired of fighting but that low son-of-a-bitch knew she would care for the kids and he did not even consider that he fed them the good life and then he just wants to rip it all away. Sheryl was livid, Donovan could do anything to her, hell he could torture her for all she cared, but the minute that he targeted her children. Sheryl had to take matters into her own hands, she was looking into the right places, research taught her that if you searched right then you will find what you are looking for and she found it all right. Marcus, whose last name was not included, had asked how she wanted him to work, when he should make himself available and all the other nitty gritty questions that he had to first check out. Marcus had somehow become her relief, her solace when she wanted to give up but then he assured her that it would all be alright.
It was a week after she had received those terms of agreement, to her divorce. Sheryl was in the TV room, in the home that her husband had so kindly allowed her to live, absentmindedly watching an infomercial on TV, the infomercial had switched, to the news anchor who had started with breaking news, Sheryl watched for a few seconds and then jumped onto the couch and put the volume even higher "...Influential business man Donovan Stevens was killed on impact in a collision accident, Stevens was apparently driving at over 200 km/h on a busy highway, when he collided with a truck and his car was dismantled underneath it, Stevens, was killed immediately and the truck driver only received minor injuries, Donovan Stevens is survived by his wife Sheryl Stevens and his three children." Sheryl was still intently staring at the TV screen when a phone call interrupted her thoughts; she already knew who it was. "Marcus" "they will rule it as a drunken accident and none of this will be traced back to you, it was a pleasure doing business with you, Mrs Stevens" he hung up and she smiled at Marcus's method of working. Sheryl already knew that Donovan had not changed his will, but still she had a job to do. Be a grieving widow
*End*
ns 15.158.61.23da2
