Chapter 1
Cassandra’s childhood obsession, Scott, was throwing another one of his tantrums, which meant she was getting ready to divorce
me again.
My heart felt like a dead weight in my chest. I looked at her, my voice flat.
“This will be divorce number eight.”
Her face was a mask of guilt, her eyes pleading “Daniel, I don’t have a choice. You know how Scott gets. He’s threatening to… hurt
himself. I can’t just let him, can I?”
“But don’t worry, Daniel,” she added quickly, a line I knew by heart. “As soon as I calm him down, we’ll
I said nothing.
Il get married again. I promise.”
She’d said those exact words to me countless times. We’d been married eight times and divorced eight times. The clerks at City Hall knew me by name. I heard them whispering behind my back once, calling me part of the “Revolving–Door Couple.”
I held the freshly printed divorce certificate in my hand.
Behind the counter, a clerk asked with a smirk. “So, when are you coming back for wedding number nine?”
I just shook my head, my voice hollow.
“There won’t be a next time.”
Walking out of City Hall, I saw Cassandra already doting on Scott, cooing at him. The same Scott who, less than an hour ago, had been threatening to end his own life, was now beaming, completely pacified by a few of her sweet words.
Every time I saw it, a sense of surreal disbelief washed over me. Was this smiling boy really the same person who had smashed a glass bottle, held a jagged shard to his own throat, and screamed until his voice was raw?
Today was supposed to be my third wedding anniversary with Cassandra.
The irony was laughable. It had been three years since our first wedding, but that time was fractured by an endless cycle of divorc es and remarriages. Our most recent “I do” was only a month ago.
And now, we were divorced again.
Three years. Eight marriages. Eight divorces. I used to see memes online about couples like this and laugh. I never imagined it
would become my reality.
As I walked out of the building in a daze, Scott shot me a triumphant glare, twisting the knife in my already bleeding heart.
“Cassie,
are vo
you tricking me?” he whined, his voice cloying. “How did you get the divorce done so fast? Did Daniel try to stop you again? He just wants me dead so he can have you all to himself,
Cassandra looked exhausted.
This time, she didn’t defend me. She didn’t say a word in my defense. She just soothed him, handing the divorce certificate over as
proof.
“See? It’s right here. I wouldn’t lie to you.”
Scott’s
face lit up as he examined the document. He fell silent, but wh
contempt, his chin held high in victory.
Cassandra wasn’t looking, he shot me a look of pure
Even though I knew he was just
just trying
to provoke me, a storm of emotion still churned inside me.
17:00
It was almost too ridiculous to believe. The reason for this latest drama? A month ago, Cassandra had given me an early annivers- ary present. Scott saw it and flew into a jealous rage.
We had just remarried, and almost immediately, Scott’s tantrum had us back at City Hall, filing for divorce once more. I remember- ed the clerk who handled our paperwork that day, shaking her head.
“You two are here more often than my mailman.”
I was so ashamed I could have crawled into a hole. In three short years, we’d been to City Hall nearly thirty times. Every employee
recognized us.
But Cassandra had exploded, pulling me behind her like a protective lioness. “Just do your job! Why do you care? My husband and I enjoy getting married and divorced. It’s our hobby! What’s it to you?”
The clerk, stunned by her ferocity, had silently processed the paperwork.
Ever since that day, Scott had been counting down the thirty–day waiting period. And this morning, he couldn’t wait another second, forcing Cassandra to drag me here to finalize it.
