Chapter 3

After that big fight, Emily started calling Peter all the time.

One minute she'd say her faucet was leaking, and Peter would gently guide her over the phone on how to shut off the main valve.

Next, she'd say her son had a fever, and Peter showed up right away with two boxes of fever medicine.

Then she'd claim a light bulb was out and she was scared of the dark, so Peter drove two hours straight to help her out with the bulb.

I heard every single one of those calls.

Peter didn't care at all. He'd sit right on the living room couch and talk to her, making no effort to hide it from me.

I pretended not to care.

What was the point of making a fuss? In the end, the only one who got hurt was me.

*****

But then, one day, Peter showed up with Emily at our place.

I was sitting in the living room, watching TV, when Peter walked in, holding her high heels in his hand and helping Emily walk in.

He acted like I didn't exist anymore.

I was furious and slammed the remote down onto the floor.

"Peter, you really have some guts. Doing all this right out in the open now, huh?" I snapped.

Emily shrank back, her eyes welling up, as I'd really frightened her.

"Susan, what are you saying? Emily hurt her ankle dancing, and her kid's not home, so there's no one to take care of her. She's staying here for a few days," Peter said, shielding her behind him and gently patting her shoulder.

"Susan, I'm really sorry for intruding," Emily said softly.

I was so pissed off, I could barely see straight. "Peter, what the hell are you trying to pull? You want me to wait on your side chick now?"

"Susan, please... don't get the wrong idea. Peter and I are—" Emily stammered.

"Shut up! Who said you could speak?" I snapped.

"Susan!" Peter frowned, his voice rising. "Why are you being so hostile? Emily hurt her foot. She's a guest here. Do you really have to act like this?"

"Peter, do you really think I'm that clueless? You call her all the time, now you're bringing her home. What's next, you want me to clear out the master bedroom for her, too?" I shot back.

I turned to Emily, my glare sharp. "Wow, you're really eager, huh? Can't wait to be his wife, can you? Fine, I'll divorce him right now and let you take over. Is that what you wanted?"

"Susan, please, stop making a scene," Peter said, exasperated.

He reached out, trying to calm me down, his tone softening. "Why don't you go wash the vegetables and start dinner? Let's eat first, then we can talk things over."

Emily stood there, acting all guilty. "Peter, maybe I should go back... I can handle myself, really. Don't let me be the reason you two fight."

She started to turn, but the moment her foot touched the ground, she let out a hiss and nearly lost her balance. Peter rushed over to steady her.

"Emily, the doctor said you shouldn't be moving around. Why are you making things harder for yourself?" he said. "How about I get you a helper?"

Peter sounded all caring when he talked to her, but the moment he turned to me, he was annoyed. "Susan, her foot's messed up. Can't you show a little sympathy?"

"Fine, you want to play the hero, go ahead. But I'm not taking care of her. Divorce me first, then hire a helper for her, so you can do it out in the open," I shot back.

Peter's face fell, his expression turning sour. "Susan, when did you get so impossible to talk to?"

I said, "Peter, ask yourself. When Nina needed tuition for college, you said money was tight and had me use my own savings to cover it.

"And recently, when I wanted to replace the car, you told me we were strapped for cash and to wait.

"But what are you really doing? Pinching pennies with us, but you spend over one million on insurance without batting an eye. Are you broke, or are you hoarding it all for your side chick?"

Peter's face flushed red, embarrassed and angry after what I said.

He let go of Emily, stormed over, pulled something from his pocket, and shoved it hard against me.

It was our marriage certificate.

"Divorce. Right now!" he yelled. "Isn't this what you wanted? Let's go."

"Fine!" I nodded, then made for the door without a second thought.

Peter was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting me to be so decisive. "You..."

Emily spoke up right on cue, still wearing that helpless, pitiful look she always had. "Peter, don't be rash. Susan's angry in the heat of the moment. Oh, it's all my fault. I'll leave."

She made a show of trying to walk out, acting all shaky, and Peter instinctively reached out to steady her, but when he glanced at me, his hand hung there, frozen.

I stared straight into his eyes, not giving an inch.

He stood there, fists clenched, wavering and unsure.

Watching all this, I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of emptiness.

After thirty years, this was all I got, a man like him.

He got all fired up the moment someone egged him on, talked big about divorce, but when it was time to do it, he lost his nerve.

Peter stared at me for a while, gritting his teeth like he was trying to muster up some courage. "Fine, let's go. I can't wait to do it."