Seven Days From Now, I Would No Longer Be Mrs. Vale

Synopsis

"The divorce application has entered the final confirmation process. In seven days, if neither party withdraws it from the court, it will officially take effect," the lawyer said. As he slid the papers toward me, Greyport was getting drenched by a downpour. I stared at Adrian's signature at the bottom of the page for a really long time. The letters were sharp and bold, just like the ones on the hotel acquisition contract. He never asked why I wanted a divorce. Two hours ago, I set the agreement on his desk. He'd just returned from Olivia Hart's gallery, and the shoulder of his suit still held the lingering scent of her favorite white iris perfume. "Clara, what do you want now?" he asked, his brows furrowing the moment he saw the papers. "Nothing," I said. "Just sign it." He flipped straight to the last page, not glancing at the property terms. "Are you done making a scene? Then come home. There's an anniversary dinner at the Vale Hotel next week. I don't want the media to notice you're not there," he said. Then he signed it as quickly as he'd signed our marriage license five years ago. The difference was, back then, I was so happy that I couldn't sleep all night. This time, I only felt empty inside. After the lawyer left, I played the last voice message on my phone. My father's weak voice came through the speaker. "Clara, don't keep waiting for someone who will always put you second."