Chapter 2
The living room was as silent as a grave.
Alex was the only one making a sound, groaning in agony from his burns. He tried to rub his eyes, but his hands were smeared with grease, leaving him a sorry mess.
Margaret and Brian stood frozen. They stared at me, their eyes stripped of contempt and smugness, replaced by pure terror.
They probably never imagined that the woman who was beaming in a wedding dress just yesterday would turn into a crazy woman today, using horrible words to threaten them.
I couldn't care less about their fear.
I turned around, crunched through the mess on the floor, and walked back to our bedroom, stone-faced.
I closed the door and locked it behind me.
The door slammed shut, cutting off all the noise from outside.
The room was still plastered with happiness symbols, and the bed was covered with a brand-new quilt. Everything radiated that newlywed joy. Looking at it now, all I could feel was bitter irony.
I didn't cry. Not a single tear.
When that slap landed, it was like something inside me shattered into pieces. Three years of love, the wedding, and all my hopes for the future were just gone, wiped out in a heartbeat.
I walked over to the wardrobe, slid it open, and pulled out my suitcase.
I started packing.
Piece by piece, I folded my clothes and placed them in the suitcase. Makeup, jewelry, books—every single thing I'd brought with me, not leaving a single thing behind.
At last, the silence outside the door was shattered.
"Wanda, you crazy bitch! Get out of here!" Margaret was screaming curses. "Look how bad you hurt my son! I swear, you'll pay for this!"
Then came the pounding on the door.
"Open up! Wanda, open the door! If you had the guts to throw that at me, then open up!" Alex shouted, his voice raw with anger and pain.
I ignored them and kept packing.
My movements were calm, almost methodical. My mind felt empty, but everything seemed painfully clear.
I knew it was all over.
It all ended the second he hit me.
"Wanda, open the door! Alex can't even open his eyes. Come out and take him to the hospital!" Brian was shouting, his voice shaking. I couldn't tell if he was afraid of me or just scared his brother was really hurt.
He wanted me to take Alex to the hospital?
I let out a cold laugh.
Wasn't he just saying I deserved to be hit?
I zipped up my suitcase with a sharp click.
Then I walked over to the bedside table, grabbed my phone, scrolled to a contact, and hit dial.
The call went through almost instantly.
"Hey, Aunt Elaine," I said.
On the other end was my aunt, a star divorce lawyer with twenty years in the game.
"Wanda? What's going on? Didn't you just get married yesterday? Why are you calling me already?" Elaine's voice was still light with a smile.
My voice was flat, no emotion at all.
"Aunt Elaine, I want a divorce," I said.
She went quiet for three seconds.
"Send me your address. I'll be downstairs in half an hour. Don't open the door, don't say a word, and just wait for me." Her voice snapped into lawyer mode—cold, efficient, not a word wasted.
"Okay," I replied.
After hanging up, I sent her my address.
Then I rolled my suitcase over and sat down quietly with my back against the door.
The shouting and pounding on the door kept going.
"Wanda, if you don't open up, I'm calling the police! I'll have you charged with assault!" Alex yelled.
"You vicious bitch! Our family must have the worst luck in the world to end up with you!" Margaret screamed.
"Wanda, stop it. We're all family, okay?" Brian said.
I listened to the shouting and banging, like I was just tuning in to some drama that had nothing to do with me.
Absentmindedly, I brushed my fingers over my burning cheek.
The pain was gone.
Really. Not even a twinge.
After about twenty minutes, the noise outside started to die down.
What replaced it was a hush of anxious, uneasy whispers.
"Mom, why isn't she making a sound?" Alex's voice was full of unease.
"You don't think she's doing something stupid in there, do you?" Brian sounded genuinely scared.
"She wouldn't dare! If she tries to die in our house, I swear I won't let her off!" Margaret spat, her voice dripping with venom.
I closed my eyes, and honestly, I couldn't help but find it all a little funny.
Just then, my phone buzzed.
It was a message from Elaine: [I'm here. Black Mercedes, parked at the building entrance.]
I stood up, walked over to the window, and pulled back a corner of the curtain.
Downstairs, a sleek black Mercedes sat quietly, looking like a predator ready to pounce.
I took a deep breath and walked to the door.
The noise outside started up again, this time with Alex choking back sobs, pleading.
He said, "Wanda, I was wrong. Please, just open the door, okay? I didn't mean it. Mom got me so worked up that I lost it. Just open up. Let's talk it out, okay?"
"That's right, Wanda, couples shouldn't hold grudges. Alex knows he was wrong. Just forgive him this time, okay?" Margaret's voice softened, trying to sound like the caring elder.
Nice act.
They were really laying it on thick.
I spoke through the door, my voice icy.
"Alex," I said.
My voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough for everyone outside to hear.
It went dead silent outside.
"Wanda, I'm here, I'm here!" Alex blurted out, his voice full of relief.
"Get your ID, marriage certificate, and everything you need ready," I said, my voice flat. "We'll meet at the city hall at nine tomorrow morning.
"Let's get divorced."