I silently gripped the steering wheel. We didn’t go for French dinner.
At home, Nolan locked himself in the study, unwilling to talk.
Usually, I’d try to make peace, or if I couldn’t take it, we’d have a big fight, but he’d always remain indifferent, making me look foolish.
But this time, I acted as if nothing happened, quietly going about my business.
An hour later, Nolan suddenly opened the study door.
“Who are you sulking for?”
“Eloise passed the team interview. I’m not letting her go. If you care, we can just divorce.”
He seemed sure I’d back down, speaking with authority.
“Anyway, you’re just a housewife. Without me, you can’t do anything…”
“Fine, let’s divorce.”
I cut him off. Nolan was stunned, “Phoebe, are you serious?”
After a couple of seconds, he laughed.
His smile was usually reassuring, but now it was laced with mockery, “Phoebe, I’m not joking.”
“If we divorce, don’t come crying back, saying you can’t bear to part and only love me. It’s pathetic.”
Though this wasn’t our first fight, hearing such hurtful words nearly shattered my composure.
I was used to his harsh words, but it still hurt.
I took a deep breath, “I’ve drafted the agreement. The car and house are yours, and I’ll take the savings.”
I placed the agreement in front of Nolan. His expression shifted from disdain to disbelief, but he soon took it blankly.
“Phoebe, once you sign this, there’s no going back. No matter how much you beg, I won’t look at you again. As a faded housewife, you’ll struggle to find better. I suggest you think…”
I handed him the pen, “Stop wasting time. Sign it.”
Nolan was stunned, grabbed the pen, and signed quickly to save face.
5:35
“Tomorrow at nine, don’t disappear,” he mocked.
I shook my head seriously, “I won’t. I’ve already made the appointment.”
That night, I moved my bedding to the living room, listening to the sounds of things being thrown in the bedroom, crying silently under the covers.
2
Maybe my relationship with Nolan was doomed from the start.
I always chased him, an eight–year crush from college.
After graduation, he and Eloise broke up, and everyone knew.
Eloise got an overseas job offer, but Nolan had been interning at a domestic airport for six months, soon to be permanent. Neither could give up their future, so they parted ways.
At that farewell party, Eloise didn’t come. Nolan drank heavily and was a mess.
Leaving, he was unconscious. His friends knew I liked him, so they urged me to take him home.
Even drunk, he was a grown man, over six feet tall, his weight on me. I got him to the couch but was pulled into his alcohol–scented embrace.
