Chapter 2

"It's fine. I'll just find them a new dad," I said.

Charles's face darkened instantly. He said, "That's nonsense."

Rebecca scoffed, as if she just heard some crazy fairy tale.

Rebecca said, "Just look at you, a divorced woman with two kids tagging along.

"Who would ever want you?"

Refusing to be outdone, I shot back, "Maybe you should worry about your own son first."

Charles was ten years older than me.

Back then, I said yes to him because he was older; he seemed more reliable and grown-up than the guys my age.

But after we got married, his true colors showed. The warmth vanished, and all that remained was chaos and disappointment.

"What do you know, huh? Men hit their stride at forty; there are tons of young girls dying to get with him," Rebecca yelled, practically losing her cool.

I couldn't care less about her anymore. I turned to Charles and told him, "Go file for divorce already."

Charles stared at me for a long moment, then let out a soft, weary sigh.

He said, "Alice, I'm really disappointed in you. Just causing all this drama over something so small.

"Fine, if you want a divorce so badly, I'll give it to you."

His buddy tried to talk him down, saying, "Dude, don't be impulsive. Divorce is no joke."

Charles lifted his chin with a smirk and said, "Relax. Alice can't live without me. She'll come crawling back to me in no time.

"Just wait and see."

I didn't want to argue with him anymore. The only thing on my mind was getting this divorce done, fast.

After finishing the paperwork, I dragged my suitcase out, ready to leave.

Out of nowhere, a hand shot out and blocked my path.

Rebecca glared at me, her eyes blazing. "Wait. Give me back the money I paid for your wedding."

Her words brought back all those painful memories and reminded me of how I used to risk everything for love.

Back then, I ignored my parents' objections. I was determined to marry him, even if it meant leaving everything behind and moving far away.

I believed that love could conquer all.

The wedding itself was shabby, and Charles even had to borrow money just to pay for it.

Less than two years after we got married, Charles's company went through restructuring, and he got laid off.

After that, he just loafed around the house, doing absolutely nothing.

At first, I figured he was just really devastated, so I did everything I could to encourage him, hoping he'd pull himself together.

I kept hoping he'd turn things around after a while.

But even after three or four years, Charles still refused to look for a job.

The financial strain, raising the kids, and every bit of housework—it was all on me.

I was feeling the strain, so I tried to talk things through with him.

But whenever I brought up work, he'd either come up with excuses or just freeze me out completely.

He never did any chores, just always holed up with his computer, gaming nonstop.

One time, behind my back, he even took the Christmas money I saved for the kids and spent it all on buying stuff for his games.

That led to a huge fight between us.

After that, we ended up fighting over every little thing.

Even after everything, I still held onto some illusions about him, hoping he might change.

I just couldn't bring myself to believe that the man I once loved was now a complete stranger.

We met back in college. Charles spent two years trying to win me over, and then we dated for another two.

For four years, rain or shine, he brought me breakfast and picked me up after class without fail.

He knew all my likes and dislikes, and even though he wasn't exactly a master chef, he fumbled his way through cooking my favorite meals.

At festivals, he surprised me with sweet little gestures, romantic things that always caught me off guard.

Maybe life's struggles made him more sensitive and vulnerable, and that was why he changed so much.

Who hadn't gone through tough times?

I kept convincing myself that if I just showed him more patience and understanding, the cheerful, optimistic Charles I once knew would come back to me.

So even though it was exhausting, I still put my heart into making our home work, day in and day out.

Sometimes, after a long day at work, I came home only to deal with Rebecca's snide remarks and her constant passive-aggressive jabs.

Looking back now, I realized it was all just me fooling myself.

All my patience and tolerance just got me used and walked all over, with not a hint of gratitude in return.

That shove two months ago was the wake-up call I needed.

It hit me all at once. What kind of life had I been living these past six years?

Thank goodness I was leaving before it was too late.

I stared at Rebecca, who was still stubbornly blocking my way.

All the anger, hurt, sadness, and anxiety I used to feel just vanished in an instant.

She wasn't worth my emotions anymore.

I said flatly, "I'm not giving you any money.

"Don't bother me again, or I'll make sure you pay for everything that's happened these past six years."

I shot back coldly and walked out the door without a second glance.