Kate and John meet at the lawyer’s office to sign their divorce papers when an unexpected power outage traps them together in the elevator. Can they overcome their hurt and mistrust to save their marriage, or will they part ways forever?

Kate stepped into the office building where she was scheduled to meet with the divorce attorney. Her mind was preoccupied with the upcoming meeting, so she barely noticed the large notice hanging at the entrance.

As she neared the elevator, her heart sank when she saw John, her soon-to-be ex-husband, standing there. Determined to avoid any confrontation, she kept her gaze forward and walked straight towards the elevator, pointedly ignoring John.

“Not even a hello?” John asked.

“I don’t greet cheaters,” Kate snapped, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

“Of course, a cheater. That’s who I am,” John said, shaking his head slightly.

“Exactly. Or is sleeping with another girl not considered cheating anymore?” Kate shot back.

“I’ve told you countless times, I didn’t…” John started but then stopped mid-sentence, sighing heavily. “Fine, think what you want. It’s too late to prove anything now.”

“Yeah! Today you’ll be free to sleep with whomever you want,” Kate said, her voice rising.

“If that’s how you like to think, then fine,” John replied.

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. Kate and John stepped inside. Kate pressed the button for the floor they needed, the tension between them palpable.

“Just so you know, the lawyer agreed that most of the property will go to me,” Kate said.

“Whatever you wish,” John replied, staring at the elevator doors.

“You don’t even care about the money. How could I have believed that you cared about me and our marriage?” Kate said, her voice trembling slightly.

“I’ve never cared about the money, and I always cared about you,” John replied, looking at her with sad eyes.

“Right,” Kate muttered.

At that moment, the elevator shook and stopped, the light went out. Kate gasped, panic evident in her voice. “What’s happening?”

“I don’t know. I hope everything starts working again, and we can get out,” John said, turning on his phone flashlight.

“Can’t wait to get divorced?” Kate taunted, bitterness creeping into her voice.

“Do you need reminding that you filed for divorce?” John asked.

“And what? Was I supposed to continue living with a husband who cheated on me?” Kate retorted, her voice sharp.

“You could at least have believed the man you lived with for seven years,” John said quietly.

“Sure,” Kate said, turning on her phone flashlight and approaching the panel with buttons. She pressed the emergency call button, and after a few seconds, she heard the dispatcher’s voice.

“What happened? Why are you in the elevator?” the dispatcher asked through the microphone.

“We were going up the elevator, and it stopped. I should be asking you what happened,” Kate said, her voice tense.

“There’s a notice on the building doors. Didn’t you see it?” the dispatcher asked.

“What notice?” Kate asked, frowning.

“That there will be a power outage,” the dispatcher replied.

“And how long will it last?” Kate asked, her frustration growing.

“From one to three hours,” the dispatcher said.

“We can’t wait that long! Get us out of here!” Kate shouted.

“There’s nothing I can do,” the dispatcher said, and the microphone went silent.

“Hello? Hello?!” Kate tried to get the dispatcher’s attention but realized he had hung up. “Damn it!” she shouted and kicked the elevator.

“I don’t think kicking the elevator is the best idea right now,” John said, already sitting on the floor.

“As if you ever think,” Kate said, sitting on the floor opposite John.

“Do you really hate me that much?” John asked.

“You betrayed me! How else should I feel about you?” Kate said, her voice breaking.

“Do you need reminding who set up this betrayal?” John asked, his voice rising.

“Set up the betrayal?! I just decided to test you and asked her to help me. I didn’t put you in bed with her!” Kate shouted.

“No, you just hired my ex to seduce me. And somehow believed her, not your husband,” John replied.

“Tell me, John, why did I believe her? Maybe because she’s pregnant with your child?!” Kate retorted.

“What makes you so sure it’s my child?!” John shot back.

“Because I saw your damn photos!” Kate yelled.

“Photos where I’m asleep, and she’s lying next to me?!” John asked, his voice rising.

“Would you have preferred she recorded the entire process?!” Kate snapped.

“There was no process! It was all a setup! And it hurts me that you didn’t trust me enough to hire my ex for a test!” John shouted.

“As if you passed the test!” Kate replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“As if you even tried to verify if it was all true!” John retorted.

“I saw enough. I didn’t need any other factors!” Kate said.

“Of course, you’re perfect! Good thing I managed to forgive you when…” John started but stopped, looking away.

“When what, John? When what?” Kate pressed, her voice softer.

“Nothing. Forget it,” John said, shaking his head.

“If you hadn’t lied to me about where you were spending your evenings, I wouldn’t have set up any tests,” Kate said, her voice tinged with regret.

“Right. Whatever you say,” John replied, leaning back against the elevator wall.

John and Kate had been sitting in the elevator for almost an hour. The light was still out, casting them in darkness. They sat in silence, the tension thick between them.

Finally, John couldn’t take it anymore. “What do you plan to do with our child?” he asked, his voice breaking the heavy silence.

Kate placed a hand on her stomach, her eyes hard. “My child. I don’t want her to have a role model like you in her life,” she said firmly.

“It’s a girl?” John asked, a smile spreading across his face. “You can’t take away my right to be a father.”

“Oh, yes, I can. We will be divorced before she’s born, and I won’t put your name on her birth certificate,” Kate said.

“Whose name will be there then?” John asked.

“Only mine. We’ll manage, just the two of us. And you can have a child with your new woman,” Kate replied, glaring at him.

“She can’t be pregnant with my child! Because nothing happened between us,” John insisted, frustration evident in his tone.

“John, please. I’ve had enough of these lies,” Kate said, shaking her head.

“Why don’t you believe me?” John asked, his voice almost pleading.

“Because I know and have seen enough to understand that you’re lying,” Kate replied.

“First you suspect me of cheating, then you hire my ex to prove it. Why, Kate? Why do you think I cheated?” John asked.

“Because when I called your work, they told me you’d left a long time ago! But you told me you were working!” Kate shouted.

“Because I found another job! For you and the baby!” John shouted back, his eyes filled with anger and hurt.

“Why didn’t you tell me right away?! Why come up with excuses?!” Kate demanded.

“Because I was ashamed to admit it!” John replied, his voice softening.

“And what kind of job could you have that made you so ashamed to admit it?!” Kate asked.

“Drag queen!” John exclaimed, his face flushed.

Kate let out a laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. “What? You worked as a drag queen?!” she asked, still laughing.

“Yes, Kate. Because we needed money, and it was almost the only job that paid well and that I could do after my main job,” John explained, his voice steady but his eyes pleading for understanding.

“This is the most ridiculous excuse you could come up with,” Kate said.

“That’s why I didn’t admit it. You’re laughing even now,” John said, his voice filled with hurt.

“If you’d told me right away, I might have reacted differently,” Kate said.

“Told you what? That I need to dress up as a woman to provide for our child?” John asked.

“That would still be better than sleeping with your ex!” Kate snapped, her eyes blazing.

“I didn’t sleep with her!” John shouted, his face red with anger. “But I know why you’re so afraid of cheating, because you cheated yourself.”

Kate laughed nervously, her eyes darting away. “What are you talking about?” she asked.

“Do you think I didn’t know all this time?” John asked, his eyes fixed on her.

“John, didn’t know what? I don’t understand,” Kate said.

“A week before our wedding. You cheated on me with your ex at your bachelorette party,” John said.

“How do you…?” Kate stammered, her eyes wide with shock. “And how long have you known?”

“The day after your bachelorette party, your ex told me everything. He wanted me to leave you so you could get back together,” John explained.

“That night… that night was a mistake. I don’t even remember anything,” Kate said, her voice filled with regret.

“I know,” John said softly, his eyes filled with sadness.

“If you knew everything, why did you marry me? Why did you forgive me?” Kate asked.

“Because I loved you, Kate. I still love you more than anything in the world. And it hurts me to think that you believe I could trade you for her,” John said.

“I…” Kate didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t believe that John had lived their entire married life knowing that she had betrayed him right before the wedding.

At that moment, the light in the elevator flickered back on. Tears were streaming down both Kate’s and John’s faces.

John wiped his tears away with the back of his hand and stood up, his legs feeling shaky. Kate did the same, her heart heavy. The elevator jolted and started moving again.

They stood in silence, the weight of their conversation hanging between them. When the elevator stopped and the doors slid open, they both stepped out into the hallway.

John and Kate entered their attorney’s office. Mr. Rogerson looked up from his desk and smiled. “I thought you weren’t going to show up,” he said.

“We got stuck in the elevator,” John explained.

Mr. Rogerson nodded. “I see. Please, have a seat,” he said, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk. Kate and John sat down. Mr. Rogerson handed each of them a copy of the divorce agreement. “Please review it. If you agree with everything, we can sign it, and you will be officially divorced.”

John started reading the agreement. After a few minutes, he said, “I’m fine with everything. I’m ready to sign.”

“Great,” Mr. Rogerson replied. “Kate?”

Kate hadn’t even read a paragraph of the agreement. The words blurred before her eyes as she thought about their conversation in the elevator. “Excuse me, I need some air,” Kate said abruptly, standing up and leaving the office.

Outside, Kate took out her phone and dialed Lucy’s number. After a few rings, Lucy’s voice answered, “Hello?”

“Why did you set up John’s betrayal?” Kate demanded, her voice shaking. She didn’t know if John was telling the truth, but she decided to bluff.

“Uh… I…” Lucy stammered.

“Lucy! Either you tell me now, or I’ll take you for a DNA test today to confirm you’re pregnant with John’s baby,” Kate shouted into the phone.

Lucy sighed, then her voice turned angry. “Because I wanted him back! Because you don’t deserve him!”

“How could you do this! We’re having a baby!” Kate yelled, her voice breaking.

“You brought this on yourself! You suspected him of cheating, I just helped you believe it!” Lucy screamed back.

Kate hung up, not wanting to hear anymore. She took a deep breath and returned to the attorney’s office.

Mr. Rogerson looked up as she entered. “Well, Kate, are you ready?” he asked.

Kate shook her head. “I’m not signing the papers,” she said firmly. John looked at her in surprise.

“Why? Is something wrong?” Mr. Rogerson asked, frowning.

“Yes. I believed a stranger over my own husband. And I made a big mistake. I don’t want a divorce,” Kate said, her voice steady.

“Are you sure?” Mr. Rogerson clarified.

“More than ever,” Kate said, nodding.

“This is certainly an unexpected turn of events. Well, then I won’t keep you,” Mr. Rogerson said, putting the papers away.

John stood up from his seat, and they both left the office together. They got into the elevator, the same one that had caused so much trouble earlier.

“Hopefully, we don’t get stuck again, though maybe it wasn’t so bad,” John said, trying to lighten the mood.

Kate looked at him, tears in her eyes. “Can you forgive me?” she asked softly.

John slowly nodded. Kate reached out to him, and they embraced. She kissed him, and he kissed her back, a sense of relief washing over both of them.

At that moment, the elevator stopped again, and the light went out.

“Seems we’re not very lucky today,” Kate said, laughing through her tears.

John chuckled. “This is one of the luckiest days of my life,” he said, pulling her close and kissing her again. They held each other, feeling a sense of hope and renewal in the darkness.

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