Chapter 2
I couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. "What kind of brother would give you a vasectomy and then take a picture with your junk?"
Just thinking about those disgusting conversations made my skin crawl.
Swallowing my disgust, I read out Vanessa's message word for word.
[Your dick is the best-looking I've ever seen. It doesn't look like it's been drained by Laura for three years at all.]
The lewd comments, delivered with my stone-cold face and frosty voice, just made the whole scene even more absurd.
Fred's face turned ghostly pale, and he shouted at me, "Enough!
"What are you even thinking? This is just how brothers joke around with each other."
He paused, spotting those pregnancy meds scattered across the table.
His tone softened. "The vasectomy wasn't because of Vanessa.
"You're always taking all those meds and stressing yourself out. You can't keep living in the past. It's all over now."
My chest was rising and falling so fast, my voice was trembling on the edge of tears.
"You have the nerve to say that? If it weren't for Vanessa, my child would be three years old now. But look at us. My baby is gone, and Vanessa's still out there, living like nothing ever happened," I yelled.
She hadn't been punished at all.
"She should pay with her life for my baby!" I went on.
Suddenly, Fred slapped me hard across the face. "Are you thinking about hurting Vanessa?"
Fred would lose it every time Vanessa's name came up.
Tears streamed down my face, my throat raw and dry. "Fred, let's get a divorce."
Fred's lips tightened into a thin line. After a moment, he spoke, "When you finally snap out of it, you'll realize just how crazy you sound."
The door slammed shut behind him.
The room went quiet, and I wiped away my tears.
I didn't need to wonder where Fred was headed. I already knew.
Ten minutes later, Vanessa called.
Her voice was full of mockery, practically gloating. "Laura, I heard you're freaking out about me and Fred. You're way too sensitive. Seriously, there's nothing between us.
"We've been tight since we were kids. Hell, forget the vasectomy, I've even helped him get off before."
Someone cracked up on the other end of the line.
Fred's voice was soft and indulgent. "Vanessa, if you keep messing around, I'm really going to get mad."
Next thing, Fred let out a muffled grunt when Vanessa socked him in the chest.
She snorted. "You're whipped, man. Bros before hoes, remember?
"Alright, Laura, I'm just messing with you. Seriously, one time I caught him watching porn, and he was so desperate he begged me to give him a hand, but I told him to deal with it himself."
Vanessa added, as if trying to comfort me, "Oh, and don't get the wrong idea, Laura. That was way before you showed up. Fred's all about boundaries now; he won't even share a drink with me these days."
She was deliberately trying to piss me off with every single word.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves before I spoke. "Put Fred on the phone."
After a moment, Fred snatched the phone, clearly annoyed.
"Is that enough for you now? Vanessa already spelled it out for you. If you keep this up, do you really want a divorce?
"You better think twice; if you push it this time, there's no second chance," he said.
Fred was waiting for me to back down, just like I always did.
After all, Vanessa had been getting in the way between us for three years, and every time, I'd just clung to some false hope he'd change.
But this time, I replied coldly, "Divorce it is. Whoever chickens out is a coward.
"Oh, wait. I almost forgot. You're already a neutered coward."
Fred was furious. The moment he got back, he hauled me straight off to the court.
At the entrance, he shot me a frosty look, impatiently telling me to hurry up.
I told him to wait a second, and Fred just gave me that "figures" look.
He thought I was about to back down, ready to let him off the hook before I even said a word.
I turned around, clutching my ID and all the paperwork. "What, you planning to get divorced empty-handed?"
Fred's face went stiff, his jaw clenched tight.
He spat out, "Fine. Fine. Fine."
Suddenly, his phone buzzed.
I peeked at the caller ID, Vanessa again.
Fred answered, giving me a cold, dismissive glance.
Just as I was about to open the car door, he said, "Just go wait for me at the court. Vanessa forgot a report at home. I'll grab it for her."
The car handle brushed past my palm.
I just stood there for a few seconds, so pissed off I actually laughed.
Even our divorce couldn't win over a phone call from Vanessa.
Fred kept dragging his feet, and I ended up waiting at the court all the way until five in the afternoon.