Title: “Fractured Vows”
Characters:
– JEN (female, 35)
– MIKE (male, 37)
Act 1: The Crack
(The scene opens in a cozy living room. JEN and MIKE sit on opposite ends of the couch, tension palpable.)
JEN: (her voice trembling) We can’t keep pretending, Mike. It’s over.
MIKE: (defensive) What are you talking about? We’ve been through tough times before.
JEN: (frustrated) Exactly. We’ve been through too much. We’ve grown apart.
MIKE: (anger rising) You’re just giving up.
JEN: (tearfully) I’m facing reality. We’re not the same people who fell in love.
Act 2: The Break
(The scene shifts to a lawyer’s office. JEN and MIKE sit across from each other, lawyers present.)
LAWYER 1: (to Jen) Are you certain you want to proceed?
JEN: (resolute) Yes.
MIKE: (bitterly) You’re really doing this.
JEN: (softly) I have to.
LAWYER 2: (to Mike) Do you have any questions?
MIKE: (defeated) No.
(The lawyers exchange documents. JEN and MIKE sign, their eyes avoiding each other.)
Act 3: The Aftermath
(The scene returns to the living room, now empty and divided.)
JEN: (alone, reflecting) What happened to our forever?
MIKE: (entering, somber) It’s done.
JEN: (sadly) I know.
MIKE: (hesitant) Can I still see you?
JEN: (firmly) No. We need to move on.
MIKE: (nodding slowly) Goodbye, Jen.
JEN: (whispering) Goodbye, Mike.
(They part, the door closing on their shattered vows.)
Epilogue: New Beginnings
(JEN and MIKE, separately, look toward the horizon.)
JEN: (to herself) I’ll find me again.
MIKE: (to himself) I’ll learn to let go.
(They take their first steps, apart, yet toward healing.)
THE END