Chapter 2
Henry went from shock to disdain, convinced that I was just making a scene.
He took the laptop from me, acting all nonchalant as he scrolled through the pages until his face slowly froze up.
I leaned in, explaining patiently.
"This is the only house we have, and it's close to our daughter's school, so I'm keeping it.
"We've been married for ten years, and our savings add up to nine hundred thousand dollars. I'm keeping that. And as for our daughter, I won't ask you for a single cent in child support.
"There's nothing else worth splitting. Take a look, and if you don't have any objections, just sign it."
Henry slowly straightened up.
The exhaustion and irritation on his face disappeared instantly, replaced by that cold, distant look I knew all too well.
"Olivia, are you actually serious right now?" he asked.
Of course I was serious.
I didn't want to drag this out any longer. Ever since the moment he threw up, every illusion I ever had about Henry just shattered for good.
What I dreaded most was having my husband look me in the eye and tell me himself, that he'd fallen hopelessly in love with someone else.
I was even more afraid that when I was old and gray, I would complain to my daughter, saying that I had stuck it out all those years just for her.
Henry laughed bitterly, gritting his teeth as he spoke.
"Olivia, what exactly are you trying to do?
"I already said I'd break things off with her. Why can't you just let it go?"
He probably never thought I'd actually bring up divorce.
After all, in his eyes, he had status, he had skills, and honestly, for a middle-aged guy, he was still pretty good-looking.
Me? I was just another woman in her forties, with a daughter, stuck in a comfortable but pointless job that only existed because of him.
Maybe, in his eyes, I had no right to even mention divorce.
But he had no idea.
I'd seen how he loved me, so when he fell for someone else, I saw it coming before he did.
How pathetic.
I knew him better than he knew himself.
He never let go of what he wanted.
He wasn't about to give up on that girl.
In the end, I'd be the one going crazy, the one looking pathetic.
But I refused to be that person.
"I'm serious," I said.
I looked up at Henry.
I continued, "No matter what, you're still our daughter's father. I sincerely want to set you free. I really mean it.
"Of course, letting you go comes with a price. You'll have to give up some material possessions. But I suppose someone as lofty as you, Professor Mason, never cared about material things anyway."
It was rare to see Henry's face so blank, almost completely unreadable.
After a moment, his expression soured.
He said, "So you want me to walk away with nothing? That's what your divorce agreement says?
"I already told you, Olivia, I'll break things off with her. Why are you making such a big deal out of this?"
I gave a bitter smile and kept my voice steady.
"Because I don't want to end up acting crazy in front of our daughter.
"Before I caught you, I could still fool myself. But now that I've seen it for real"
My voice wavered, choking up before I could stop it.
'I'll never be able to trust you again. From now on, I'll be snooping through your phone, checking your schedule. If I find even the slightest hint, I'll lose it, acting like a total lunatic, doing whatever it takes to make you cut her off.
'But deep down, I know it's pointless."
Henry stared at me for a long moment, as if trying to read the seriousness in my eyes.
Once he was sure, he gave a small smile and nodded toward the family photo behind me.
"Divorce? Do you really think your dad would ever agree to this?
"Everyone knows I'm your dad's favorite student. He invested way more in me than he ever did in you."
He gestured with his chin toward our daughter's room, then at my coat.
"With your tiny paycheck, can you even afford the coat you're wearing? Can you really give our daughter the kind of future she deserves?"
I stayed silent.
Honestly, he wasn't lying.
All these years, even though Henry's heart and mind were never really with me, he never let me down financially. And when it came to our daughter, he never missed out on anything; her school, her life, he was always involved.
He always remembered my birthday and every important holiday, and did something special for me.
He never missed a single parent-teacher meeting or family day for our daughter.
To outsiders, he looked like the ideal husband and father.
Even my easy job at the university library was all thanks to him.
He was my dad's favorite student, the one he took under his wing from grad school all the way through his PhD.
We were tangled up in each other's lives in so many ways.
That was why he was so sure I could never leave him.
Honestly, I used to be just as sure myself.
I touched the wedding ring on my finger and slipped it off.
It came off so easily.
Back then, when he was still a student, the ring he bought wasn't even a real diamond, and it didn't really fit my finger.
But I still wore it for years.
Some things, once compromised, stayed a compromise, no matter how many years went by.
I repeated myself. "Fine. I'll take our daughter and leave with nothing but her."
He stared at me for a second, then came at me like a wild animal.
The coffee table got knocked over, glass splintering everywhere with a sharp crack.
He pinned me down on the couch, gripping my throat so hard I could barely breathe.
His glasses smashed against my cheek, and his eyes, cold and vicious, stared right through me.
"Olivia, how dare you be the one to bring up divorce?"