Chapter 2
I got the message loud and clear. Now that I was officially Charles's wife, I had no right to ask for his love or attention.
Charles's face darkened a bit after he said that, as if he realized he'd gone too far.
His voice grew gentler as he added, "Alright, go get Lucy. Let's have some cake and stop worrying about everything else. Let's just celebrate together as a family."
With that, he picked up the plate, cut a slice of cake, and handed it to me.
After every argument, Charles would make some small gesture to smooth things over, and I'd just play along.
For ten years, that was our unspoken agreement.
But now, I was done playing along. I raised my hand and firmly pushed away the cake he offered.
He thought I was reaching for it, but instead, the cake hit the floor with a sharp smack.
I froze for a moment.
Charles scoffed, his eyes blazing with anger that he could barely hold back.
He snapped, "Are you done throwing a fit yet? Sophia, I've been walking on eggshells around you all night. If you don't want to celebrate our anniversary, then fine, let's just drop it.
"But let me give you some advice. Know when to quit while you're ahead. I won't always be this patient with your drama," he added.
With that, he turned and stormed out, slamming the door so hard that the whole house shook.
I stood there in silence, my gaze dropping out of habit. It was nothing new to me. With a sigh, I crouched down and quietly started cleaning the cream off the floor with a tissue, just like I always did.
Most couples talked about breaking up at least once or twice, but in ten years with Charles, I never once said I wanted out.
I cherished my love and respected Charles's feelings. No matter how rough things got, I never threatened to leave.
But if I ever said I was done, I really meant it.
No second thoughts, no turning back.
Once I'd finished wiping up the cake from the floor, I printed out the divorce agreement and started packing up my clothes, piece by piece.
By the time I finished, dawn had broken. Lucy had woken up at some point and was standing on her tiptoes, quietly munching on the cake Charles had brought home the day before.
When Lucy turned around and saw me dragging a big suitcase, she tilted her head in confusion.
"Mommy, where are you going?" she asked.
I crouched down and ruffled her hair. I said, "Sweetie, I have to go work overseas. Do you want to come with me?"
Lucy nodded and said, "Wherever you go, Mommy, I'll go, too." Then she asked, "What about Daddy?"
I gave a bitter smile and said, "Your daddy doesn't want to be with us anymore, so he won't be coming. From now on, we probably won't be living together as a family."
In Charles's diary, his judgment of me was: [Perfect for having kids and keeping the house in order.]
To him, I was just there to bear his children.
Lucy was supposed to be his little princess, but all these years, he never really cared.
If he'd ever given a damn about us, I wouldn't be filing for divorce now.
Lucy's face froze, and she dropped her head.
She said, "I know you and Daddy aren't happy together, but Mommy, two days ago Daddy said I got more gold stars than anyone else in my class. He promised he'd take me to Lakeview to see the fireworks on Christmas.
"Mommy, it's the first time Daddy ever said he'd go on a trip with me. Can we stay and watch the fireworks with him before we leave? Just this once?"
Seeing the hope shining in Lucy's eyes, the words died on my lips. I wanted to tell her that her dad might not even remember his promise.
Charles never broke his word with anyone else, but when it came to Lucy and me, he always let us down.
But in the end, I gave in.
I'd stopped hoping for anything from Charles, but Lucy still longed to spend time with her dad.
Charles, this was the last chance Lucy was giving you.
If you still didn't treasure it, I'd have no choice but to take Lucy and walk out of your life forever.
We'd never see each other again in this lifetime.