Chapter 2

The kitchen sink was piled high with dirty dishes.

In this house, everyone just assumed if nobody else did anything, I, as the mom, couldn't stand it and would end up doing it myself.

I looked at the sticky note stuck in the fridge. It was covered in two sets of messy handwriting. It listed the breakfast orders for all three of them.

For breakfast alone, I had to whip up three different meals.

Alma was into healthy food, so I had to make her a bacon, cheese, and egg sandwich, plus some homemade milk.

Jack wanted my homemade waffle. And Landon insisted on having coffee with his oatmeal.

On top of that, I'd pick up groceries for my in-laws and personally deliver them to their place.

I glanced at the clock. Just like in my previous life, in two hours I'd have to get up and start the day.

It was pitch dark outside, with only the living room light shining in our house.

Everyone else was sound asleep, and I was the one left to clean up their mess.

Bitterness and anger surged in my chest, and my eyes stung with unshed tears.

There were four people living in this house. So why was I the only one stuck doing all the chores?

I ripped the sticky note off the fridge, tore it up, and tossed the pieces into the trash.

Then I turned and headed into the bedroom. Landon shot awake after I slapped him three times.

His snoring stopped dead. Landon grabbed the cheek I'd just slapped and yelled at me. "Ophelia, have you lost your mind? What are you doing at this hour?"

I grabbed Jack's dirty, smelly pants and yanked them over Landon's head. I said coldly, "Landon, we're getting a divorce."

Landon nearly gagged from the stench, almost passing out. He tossed the pants away in disgust and shouted at me, "Are you out of your mind?"

I stared Landon down, my eyes never leaving him. "I'm dead serious."

Landon blinked, finally snapping out of it, looking at me like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Landon scrambled to remember, searching his mind for anything that might've set me off.

"Is this just because I drive Halcyon to work every day?" Landon blurted out, sounding incredulous.

Halcyon was the new girl at Landon's company, his female subordinate.

She was also the woman he'd married in his previous life, dropping 300 thousand dollars and a BMW just to make her his wife.

The wedding banquet lasted three whole days and nights, and Landon blew over a million dollars on it.

But when he married me, Landon was just a broke country kid.

I felt bad for him, so I didn't ask for any bride price or a big wedding banquet. No house, no car, not even a wedding ring.

Landon cried and promised he'd never let me down in this life.

A man's words couldn't be trusted.

Just like now, Landon swore to me, desperate to prove his innocence. "There's nothing between me and Halcyon.

"I just give her a ride because it's on my way. The boss asked me to help the new girl settle in. What else could I do?

"We've been together for ten years, from college sweethearts to husband and wife. After all this time, you still don't trust me?

"I'm so disappointed in you, Ophelia."

If this had been my last life, those words would've made me feel guilty. I would've apologized and tried to make it up to Landon.

But after coming back for a second round, I finally saw things clearly. I shook my head and said, "Landon, I don't care anymore. I just want a divorce."

Landon clenched his fists, his gaze icy as he stared me down. "So you're really done listening? You just have to cause trouble, huh?"

I didn't even bother to explain. I grabbed my suitcase from under the bed and began packing my clothes.

"We're getting divorced. I shouldn't be living here anymore," I said.

Landon, furious and desperate, yanked me hard. The clothes I was holding slipped from my hands and landed on the floor.

Landon didn't even bother to look, just stomped right over them and snapped at me, "Ophelia, what do you want from me?

"Can't you just let everyone sleep? Do you have to make a scene and ruin everyone's night?"

My eyes fell on that dress. It was the one Landon bought me with the first money he ever earned, back when we first fell in love.

I adored that dress. Even after I had kids and couldn't wear it anymore, I just couldn't let it go.

I always kept it hanging in my closet, sometimes taking it out just to reminisce about the old days with Landon.

Now, there was a big, ugly footprint from his slipper stamped right across the white fabric.

Landon glanced over, following my eyes. He hesitated for a moment, but didn't recognize the dress.

He just bent down, grabbed it, and passed it back to me.

It was such a small thing. Landon could've just apologized, or at least tried to explain.

But the first thing out of his mouth was to belittle me.