Chapter 3

I could only order coffee for everyone.

I never expected Charles to show up at my office with Gianna.

He messaged me: [I'm at the coffee shop downstairs from your office. Lucy, come here.]

Charles's commanding tone was all too familiar to me.

I really valued my job, and I didn't want to drag my issues with Charles into the office.

I asked for a quick break, grabbed the printed divorce agreement from my bag, and headed downstairs.

Charles and Gianna were sitting by the window. Gianna was acting all sweet and close to him. Honestly, they looked like a perfect match.

The helpless smile in his eyes disappeared in a flash as soon as he spotted me.

He said, "Finally, you're here. Gianna and I put our work on hold just for you, and now the whole experiment's going to be delayed. Lucy, can you stop being so childish?"

Before I could even sit down, he was already throwing all the blame on me.

I shot back, "I don't remember inviting you two for coffee."

Charles froze for a moment, probably because the mocking on my face was too obvious.

Then he growled, barely holding back his anger, "Lucy!"

Gianna bit her lip, her eyes suddenly welling up with tears.

She said, "Lucy, you misunderstood Charles. He was just afraid you'd get jealous and wanted to explain everything to you. I feel like it's all my fault for putting him in this difficult spot, so I came along to apologize to you."

Charles gave me a disappointed glance, then looked at Gianna with a gentle, sympathetic gaze.

He said, "Gianna, you don't have to apologize. Lucy has always been like this: unreasonable, jealous, always overthinking things. And now she's even using divorce to threaten me."

He turned to me. "Lucy, have I been too indulgent with you?"

Gianna said, "No, Charles, I just don't want to see you caught in the middle." She said to me, "Lucy, if you're upset, take it out on me instead."

If this wasn't such an awkward moment, I might've been touched.

The waitress was hovering nearby with the coffee tray, looking totally unsure if she should step in.

I motioned for her to come over.

There were two black coffees on the tray. They were way too bitter for me.

I picked up one and tossed it straight at Charles.

Charles was left with coffee dripping down his hair, staring at me in disbelief.

Gianna shrieked, "Lucy, how could you? Charles, are you okay?"

Her eyes flashed, and she nearly leaped into Charles' arms. "Lucy, if you're angry, take it out on me, not him. Do you have any idea how much Charles sacrificed for you? How could you do this to him?"

Charles got over his shock and grabbed my hand, furious.

His sudden, rough move made Gianna lose her balance and fall back into her seat.

He spat through clenched teeth, "Lucy, what the hell is wrong with you? You really think I won't drag you down to the city hall and get that divorce?"

I was completely unfazed, staring him down. "Just wanted to give you a reality check. Are you finally listening to me now?"

I yanked my hand free and shook off the coffee stains he'd left on me when he grabbed me.

He stared at me, his expression turning even more stormy.

The suffocating tension between us reached its breaking point the instant I handed him the divorce papers.

His voice rose, incredulous. "You really want a divorce?"

A flash of smug satisfaction crossed Gianna's eyes, but she quickly put on a sad face, her eyes red with tears as she bowed her head to me.

She said, "Lucy, I know you're upset because Charles has been taking care of me. For his happiness, I'm willing to leave the institute and give up my job. Just please, don't make things harder for him."

As she spoke, she watched Charles out of the corner of her eye, waiting for his reaction.

But things didn't go the way she wanted.

Charles didn't even seem to hear her emotional plea. He just crumpled the divorce papers in his hand.

His veins were bulging with anger. He looked up at me, his gaze unwavering.

He said, "Lucy, this time I'll pretend none of this ever happened. Let's talk about it when we get home."

I dodged his hand, couldn't help feeling annoyed.

He used to hang up on me or bail without a second thought. So why couldn't I even get a straight answer out of him now?

I said, "Charles, I'm serious about the divorce. I don't want to be with you anymore. Look over the terms, and if you're fine with them, just sign it."

I stood up to leave, and for once, Charles lost his composure.

He yelled at me in public.

People started staring and gossiping. It was exactly the kind of public drama he always hated.

He always complained about me crying, always needing reassurance from him.

He acted like he was doing me a favor by handing out affection, making me feel like a beggar in our marriage.

But now Charles was starting to lose his cool.

He shouted, "Lucy, there's a limit to how much you can push your luck. I'm giving you a chance to take back your words. If you don't take it, it is over between us."

My steps sped up as I headed straight for the exit.

He brushed off Gianna, who was grabbing onto him, and moved to block my path.

"Charles!" Gianna cried out.

At some point, Gianna had dropped her coffee cup. The shattered pieces were scattered across the floor, and her calf was bleeding from the shards.