The cool detachment I’d been maintaining since last night finally seemed to shake him. I saw a flicker of real anxiety cross his face.
He snatched up the papers and quickly skimmed through them. “If you don’t really want to quit, we can talk about it. I’ll put Emma in another role.”
Emma, clearly panicking at the thought of losing her spot, latched onto Liam’s arm and pouted, “Liam~”
For once, Liam didn’t even spare her a glance. His eyes stayed locked on me, waiting for a response.
I smiled, a tight, cold smile. “No need. I’ve given enough to this job.”
Liam gritted his teeth, his face turning red with frustration. He slammed his fist on the table, his voice rising. “Fine, if that’s what you want, don’t come crawling back later!”
He flipped open the resignation letter, about to read it, but before he could, Emma suddenly clutched her stomach, crying out, “Liam, my stomach hurts! Hurry, sign it and take me to the hospital!”
Liam didn’t even hesitate. He hastily scribbled his signature and practically ran out of the room, Emma in tow, playing the part of the damsel in distress.
I stared at the resignation letter in front of me, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. And inside that letter, hidden away, was the divorce agreement. Once he signed, he’d be nothing more than a stranger to me.
I spent the evening at home, sorting through my things, taking only what mattered, throwing away everything that had once symbolized our life together. I deleted every trace of him and us: the thousand origami stars he’d made for me when we were thirteen, the love letters from when we were eighteen, the gold ring he’d sacrificed everything for when he proposed.
Without love, those things no longer held any meaning. They were just cheap reminders of a time that was over.
Liam came home around 8 p.m., looking tired and worn out. His eyes immediately landed on the emptiness of the apartment, his gaze flicking to the luggage I’d packed. “What’s going on here?”
I shrugged, not missing a beat. “Just cleaning up. There was too much clutter.”
His eyes narrowed when he opened the closet and saw only his clothes. “Where’s yours?”
I smiled, indifferent. “You told me to be a housewife, right? My clothes were old, so I’m getting rid of them to buy new ones.”
Liam scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Of course, you wouldn’t mind spending my money. Go ahead and shop. Oh, and I’ve cleared my schedule tomorrow. We’re going to the orphanage.”
I nodded, still calm. “Okay.”
Even though everything between us had crumbled, I still wanted to part on my terms, with my dignity intact.
