Chapter 2
The next morning, I took half a day off and headed to the law firm.
My college buddy, Jonas Flynn, was a partner there.
"Divorce?" Jonas frowned after I finished talking. "Are you really sure about this?"
"Absolutely," I said without hesitation.
Jonas explained, "From what you said, your parents put down the down payment before you got married, and you've been paying the mortgage yourself since then.
"That part you can keep. But any appreciation in value after the wedding, she could claim a share of that."
"I know," I replied.
"So, what are you planning to do?" Jonas asked.
I slid the bank statement over to him.
I said, "Here's everything from the past four years, monthly mortgage payments, renovation receipts, invoices for furniture and appliances.
I also checked her accounts. She basically spent all her income on herself, never chipped in for the mortgage."
Jonas let out a breath. "You've been planning this for a while?"
"No." I shook my head. "My mom always told me to have a little something saved up for myself."
He smiled. "Alright, with this, you can keep the whole house."
"There's one more thing," I said.
"Go ahead," Jonas replied.
"Can you help me draft an agreement stating that we're both divorcing by mutual consent, with no shared debts, no children.
"I'll pay her a lump sum of 60 thousand dollars, and she won't have any further claims on anything we acquired during the marriage, like the house, car, or any other personal property."
"60 thousand dollars?" Jonas raised an eyebrow. "You're really giving her all that?"
"Yeah," I said, not hesitating.
"What's the point?" Jonas asked.
"So her family won't keep bugging me for money," I replied.
Jonas shook his head with a smile. "Man, you're just too cool-headed about this."
I didn't say anything.
'Am I really that calm? Maybe,' I thought.
When I stepped out of the law firm, the midday sun was so bright it made my vision go black for a second.
I stood by the curb for five minutes, but couldn't flag down a cab.
I pulled out my phone and shot a text to Isabel.
I texted: [Tomorrow at 10 AM, city hall. I've had the agreement drafted. You can take a look at it first.]
She took a while to reply. [Okay.]
Just one word.
I stuffed my phone back in my pocket and headed for the subway.
Right then, I felt nothing, no hate, no regret, not even a trace of attachment.
Just a kind of emptiness that left me wide awake.
I knew this marriage was done.
And I knew she'd never realize I was holding more than just the house deed.
On the day of the divorce, the line at city hall was out the door.
Isabel showed up in a light gray dress, her hair in a neat bun, and just a hint of makeup.
I just wore the same shirt I always wear to work.
Isabel took the agreement and read it through twice, just to be sure.
"60 thousand dollars?" Isabel looked up at me, a hint of surprise in her eyes.
"Yeah," I said, keeping my voice steady.
"You really don't have to give me that much," Isabel said quietly.
"Just take it." I told her. "Trust me, you'll need it someday."
She pressed her lips together and didn't say another word.
We signed the papers, put our fingerprints on the forms, and got the divorce certificate.
The whole thing took less than twenty minutes.
As we walked out of the hall, she stopped on the steps.
"Scott," she called out.
I turned around.
"Thank you," she said.
I looked at her.
Under the sunlight, Isabel's face looked more relaxed than I'd ever seen, almost like a weight had finally been lifted.
I said, "No need to thank me. Take care of yourself from now on."
She nodded and turned to leave.
I stood there, watching her cross the street and slip into a white Porsche.
Through the window, I saw who was sitting inside.
It was Blaze Cleveland.
As the car pulled away, he didn't get out or even look back.
I tucked the divorce certificate into my suit pocket and pulled out my phone.
In my contacts, there was a name, Killian Glover, my mom's distant cousin, who worked as a headhunter in another city.
I hesitated for three seconds, then dialed his number.
"Killian, I want to switch jobs," I said.
"What's up? Did you and your wife have a fight?" Killian asked.
"We're divorced," I said.
There was a brief silence on the other end. "Where do you want to go?"
"Anywhere as far from Rivertown as possible. I'll work out of town for a couple of years, then decide if I want to come back," I said.
"I've got an opportunity in Amraeryn, a brand new AI algorithm platform, looking for a lead. The pay's good, but the project's tough, and the boss is really demanding," Killian said.
"How tough is it?" I asked.
"The last three leads all bailed," Killian replied.
I chuckled. "Count me in."
After hanging up, I looked up at the sky.
Summer in Rivertown wasn't over yet, and the cicadas were wailing in the trees, their cries almost tearing the air apart.
I stood on the steps for a long time, finally making up my mind. Once I turned the page, I wasn't going to look back.