Chapter 3 · 300 Dollars To Know A Man

David didn't come home that night.

The next morning, I headed to Rachel's office.

She went through the bank statements and screenshots I brought, her expression growing more serious with every page.

A cold, heavy feeling settled in my chest.

All those years, every penny Sophie scrimped and saved, every bit she went without, had been used to pay for Emily's child's living expenses, tuition, and summer camp.

After leaving the law firm, I got into my car and was just about to start the engine when I spotted a familiar car parked nearby.

It was David's.

Before long, three people walked out of the mall entrance.

It was David, Emily, and her kid.

The kid had a shiny new laptop bag slung over their shoulder and a passport case in hand.

Emily was holding onto David's arm, grinning so wide she could barely contain it.

David walked alongside Emily and her child, looking completely relaxed, even reaching out to help adjust the kid's shoulder strap.

The three of them stood together, so naturally, like a picture-perfect family.

I sat in the car, my hands and feet turning cold.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, I remembered that school family day when Sophie was in third grade.

She'd been looking forward to it for days. After finishing her homework at night, she even wrote a little note on a sticky pad: "Dad, please come."

David said he'd definitely be there.

But when the day came, he didn't show up.

He just texted, saying something came up at work.

Sophie stood by the playground, watching other kids holding hands with their dads, playing games. She didn't say a word the whole way home.

That night, I found a blank page in her activity book.

It said, "Complete with Dad."

*****

Now I finally get it. It wasn't that he was busy.

He just gave all his time and patience to someone else.

I pulled out my phone and snapped a photo of the scene.

When David came home that night, I slid the photo across the table to him.

His expression shifted the moment he saw it.

But it only lasted a moment.

He quickly frowned and tried to explain, "It was their first time dealing with the paperwork for going abroad. They didn't know what to do, so I was just passing by and gave them a hand."

I asked softly, "Just passing by?"

David shrugged, "They reached out for help. How could I just turn them down?"

I looked at him and let out a bitter laugh.

"And what about Sophie? Her first time dealing with college paperwork, her first laptop, her first time leaving home for school. Were you ever there for her?"

David was at a loss for words.

But instead of looking guilty, he just looked annoyed.

"Sophie's grown up now. Going to college isn't a big deal. She's got you, that's enough. Over there, it's different. That kid only has one parent," he said.

I stared at him, and honestly, I found it laughable.

I grabbed the glass from the table and smashed it hard on the floor.

Glass shattered everywhere.

David froze.

Sophie came running out of her room, standing in the doorway, her face pale.

The moment I saw her, I pulled myself together.

I couldn't let her keep watching me get treated like this, or let her learn to just put up with it and stay quiet.

I stood up, looked David straight in the eye, and said, word by word, "I've already found a lawyer."

He froze, stunned. "What?"

"Divorce," I said.

The room went dead silent for a moment.

David's expression turned cold. "You're really doing this over 100,000 dollars?"

I looked at him, and honestly, I couldn't believe how clueless he was.

Even at this point, he still thought it was all about the money.

I said softly, "It's not about the 100,000 dollars."

"It's because I finally realized you're not fit to be a husband, or a father."

Just as I finished speaking, his phone rang again.

He looked down at his phone without even thinking.

That single glance told me everything I needed to know.

Even now, he was still thinking about Emily and her kid.

I didn't want to say another word. I turned, took Sophie's hand, and led her back to her room.

Soon, I heard him outside, talking on the phone in a hushed voice.

Not long after, I heard the sound of him putting on his shoes at the door.

He left again.

Sophie sat on the edge of the bed, her tears just wouldn't stop.

I hugged her tight, and in my heart, I knew exactly what this meant.

This time, it was really over.

Chapter 3

David didn't come home that night.

The next morning, I headed to Rachel's office.

She went through the bank statements and screenshots I brought, her expression growing more serious with every page.

A cold, heavy feeling settled in my chest.

All those years, every penny Sophie scrimped and saved, every bit she went without, had been used to pay for Emily's child's living expenses, tuition, and summer camp.

After leaving the law firm, I got into my car and was just about to start the engine when I spotted a familiar car parked nearby.

It was David's.

Before long, three people walked out of the mall entrance.

It was David, Emily, and her kid.

The kid had a shiny new laptop bag slung over their shoulder and a passport case in hand.

Emily was holding onto David's arm, grinning so wide she could barely contain it.

David walked alongside Emily and her child, looking completely relaxed, even reaching out to help adjust the kid's shoulder strap.

The three of them stood together, so naturally, like a picture-perfect family.

I sat in the car, my hands and feet turning cold.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, I remembered that school family day when Sophie was in third grade.

She'd been looking forward to it for days. After finishing her homework at night, she even wrote a little note on a sticky pad: "Dad, please come."

David said he'd definitely be there.

But when the day came, he didn't show up.

He just texted, saying something came up at work.

Sophie stood by the playground, watching other kids holding hands with their dads, playing games. She didn't say a word the whole way home.

That night, I found a blank page in her activity book.

It said, "Complete with Dad."

*****

Now I finally get it. It wasn't that he was busy.

He just gave all his time and patience to someone else.

I pulled out my phone and snapped a photo of the scene.

When David came home that night, I slid the photo across the table to him.

His expression shifted the moment he saw it.

But it only lasted a moment.

He quickly frowned and tried to explain, "It was their first time dealing with the paperwork for going abroad. They didn't know what to do, so I was just passing by and gave them a hand."

I asked softly, "Just passing by?"

David shrugged, "They reached out for help. How could I just turn them down?"

I looked at him and let out a bitter laugh.

"And what about Sophie? Her first time dealing with college paperwork, her first laptop, her first time leaving home for school. Were you ever there for her?"

David was at a loss for words.

But instead of looking guilty, he just looked annoyed.

"Sophie's grown up now. Going to college isn't a big deal. She's got you, that's enough. Over there, it's different. That kid only has one parent," he said.

I stared at him, and honestly, I found it laughable.

I grabbed the glass from the table and smashed it hard on the floor.

Glass shattered everywhere.

David froze.

Sophie came running out of her room, standing in the doorway, her face pale.

The moment I saw her, I pulled myself together.

I couldn't let her keep watching me get treated like this, or let her learn to just put up with it and stay quiet.

I stood up, looked David straight in the eye, and said, word by word, "I've already found a lawyer."

He froze, stunned. "What?"

"Divorce," I said.

The room went dead silent for a moment.

David's expression turned cold. "You're really doing this over 100,000 dollars?"

I looked at him, and honestly, I couldn't believe how clueless he was.

Even at this point, he still thought it was all about the money.

I said softly, "It's not about the 100,000 dollars."

"It's because I finally realized you're not fit to be a husband, or a father."

Just as I finished speaking, his phone rang again.

He looked down at his phone without even thinking.

That single glance told me everything I needed to know.

Even now, he was still thinking about Emily and her kid.

I didn't want to say another word. I turned, took Sophie's hand, and led her back to her room.

Soon, I heard him outside, talking on the phone in a hushed voice.

Not long after, I heard the sound of him putting on his shoes at the door.

He left again.

Sophie sat on the edge of the bed, her tears just wouldn't stop.

I hugged her tight, and in my heart, I knew exactly what this meant.

This time, it was really over.