2
He’d smashed a glass, holding a shard to his throat to threaten her.
“If you two don’t get divorced today, I might as well just die!”
Cassandra, who had been planning to just placate him, panicked. She grabbed my wrist, her nails digging into my skin, leaving deep red crescents. “We have to do it today, Daniel,” she hissed. “Or Scott will do something terrible!”
in that instant, something inside me finally clicked into place.
It didn’t matter if I married Cassandra a hundred times, or a thousand. I would never be more important than her precious Scott.
“Alright, alright, it’s all done. Let’s go home,” Cassandra said, pulling Scott toward her car.
Out of habit, I reached for the passenger door, but Scott blocked my way. He pouted, his face a mask of displeasure.
“Daniel, you and Cassie aren’t married anymore. It wouldn’t look right for you to ride in her car, would it?”
I instinctively looked at Cassandra. She frowned and tugged at Scott’s arm, but he shook her off.
“I’m just speaking the truth, Cassie! You’re divorced. What will people think if they see you two together in the same car?” he conti nued, turning his lecture on me. “Besides, Daniel, you’ll have to marry someone else eventually. You should learn to keep a little
distance from your ex–wife.”
Every word was calculated, every point seemingly logical.
Cassandra could only look at me, her expression pained. “Daniel… maybe it’s for the best if…”
She didn’t have to finish. I understood.
The soft flesh inside my cheek was raw where I’d been biting it. My voice tasted faintly
blood when I spoke.
“It’s fine. Fil walk.”
The moment the words left my mouth, Scott’s face broke into a satisfied grin and he hopped into the passenger seat.
Before they drove off, Cassandra a gave m
me a look filled with apology and guilt, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Don’t mind him, Daniel. He’s just not in a good mood today, so he’s acting out.”
–
“Wait for me. Once he’s settled down, we’ll go get married again. And this time, it’ll be for good. I swear.”
I didn’t say anything.
At Scott’s urging, she sped away.
Thad believed that same promise seven times before. Every single time, I was a fool.
The first divorce was because Cassandra forgot Scott’s birthday.
The second was because Scott’s beloved cat ran away.
The third was because Scott had a nightmare that Cassandra would abandon him once she was married.
And this time? It was because she bought me a gift and not him.
rew more absurd with each iteration, yet each one was enough for Cassandra to choose him, to abandon me.
The reasons grew
Over the years, I’d argued. I’d fought. I’d raged against the unfairness of it all. But the result was always the same. She would soot He me with empty promises, then go right back to catering to Scott’s every whim.
Now, after the eighth divorce, I was done. I was letting go.
No matter how fiercely a fire burns, enough cold water will eventually extinguish it. My love was finally out.
I walked back to Cassandra’s house in a stupor. Before I even opened the door, I could hear them laughing and playing inside.
I walked in to see Cassandra’s face dusted with flour, her expensive clothes speckled with white. I remembered a time when a sing- le drop of soup had splattered on her shirt, and she had berated me for my clumsiness. She had a touch of OCD, a obsession with
cleanliness.
Yet here she was, covered in flour for Scott, without a hint of anger.
Seeing me, Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief. She untied the apron from her own waist and tried to put it on me, giving me no
time to even catch my breath
“Daniel, you’re finally back! Get cooking, will you? Scott and I are starving.”
Scott, sprawled on the sofa like a king, issued his command, 1 want pot roast today. And make sure the meat is extra tender,
ng right off the bone.”
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. I looked straight at him.
falli-
“You want to eat? Why don’t you make it yourself? With all the time you two spent playing with flour, you could have cooked a five-
course meal,”
