Chapter 2

"I want a divorce."

At the breakfast table, I calmly uttered those four words. My voice was low, yet clear.

Hector spat out the coffee he'd just sipped. Simon and Hailey looked up together, shock written across their faces.

Hector wiped his mouth, staring in disbelief. "What did you just say?" he asked.

"I want a divorce," I repeated, my voice firmer this time.

The moment those words left my lips, I was surprised to find myself feeling an unprecedented sense of relief as if a weight I'd carried for years had finally been lifted from my shoulders.

A deathly silence fell over the breakfast table.

Simon and Hailey exchanged bewildered glances, while Hector's expression shifted from confusion to disbelief, finally hardening into anger.

He shot to his feet, slamming his hand on the table. "Are you out of your mind? What kind of sick joke is this, first thing in the morning?"

"I'm not joking," I said, looking him straight in the eye. "I've thought this through. Our marriage is over."

"What's the reason?" Hector asked, his face flushed with anger. "Did I cheat? Do I have any vices? Haven't I provided for this family?"

"None of that," I shook my head and replied. "You're a good husband, by conventional standards."

"Then what do you want?" Hector practically shouted. "You're throwing away a good life. Have you lost your mind?"

"I want to be myself, Sia. Not just Mrs. Zimmer, not just their mother, and not your maid." I burst out, my voice shook, not with fear, but with release. "In twenty-two years, Hector, have you ever once asked what I want?"

Hector stared at me as if I were some bizarre creature. "Are you going through menopause or something? Do you need to see a doctor?" he asked.

That was the last straw. I jumped to my feet, hands on the table. "See? Every time I show emotion, you call it menopause. I'm not an accessory, Hector. I'm a person," I shouted.

"Mom," Hailey ventured timidly, her voice barely above a whisper. "What's wrong? Did we do something to upset you?"

I turned to my kids, my tone softening. "No, sweethearts, it's not your fault. You are my greatest pride, but I need to live for myself, just this once."

"Enough," Hector shoved his chair back and called out. "I'm going to be late for work. No time for this nonsense. We'll talk when you've calmed down."

He snatched his briefcase and stormed out, slamming the door behind him, leaving me and the kids staring at one another in stunned silence.

"Mom, are you really getting a divorce?" Simon asked hesitantly, confusion clouding his eyes.

I walked over and gently stroked his hair. "Yes, sweetheart. This was a hard decision for me, but it's something I have to do."

"But why, Mom?" Hailey asked, her eyes welled up. "Aren't we a happy family? Has Dad been treating you badly?"

"It's not about good or bad," I took a breath and explained. "Just as you want to start new lives at college, I need that, too. I need to find myself." I tried to explain this midlife existential crisis to them.

They couldn't grasp my explanation, but they sensed I meant it. Simon wordlessly shouldered his backpack and left, while Hailey, tears welling in her eyes, ran upstairs.

I cleared the table alone, hands trembling but heart calm. The moment I decided, it felt like a weight had lifted. The road ahead wouldn't be easy, but this time, I knew the choice was mine.

Hector didn't come home that night. He just sent a text saying he was working late. I knew it was his way of protesting, but that was fine. It gave me time to gather my thoughts and plan my next step.

*****

The next morning, I headed to the law firm and was greeted by Lily Lewis, a lawyer in her early forties. Her sharp bob and piercing gaze gave her a strong, no-nonsense presence.

"So, Mrs. Zimmer, you're here to consult about divorce?" Lily asked calmly, getting straight to the point.

"Yes." I nodded. Then a sudden thought struck me. "But please, call me Ms. Lynch, or Sia."

Lily smiled faintly, a knowing look flashing in her eyes. "Very well, Ms. Lynch. Could you tell me why you're seeking a divorce? This will help me assess how your case might proceed."

I took a deep breath and said, "My husband hasn't cheated. He isn't abusive. He has no bad habits, and he even hands over his entire paycheck. By society's standards, he's a good husband."

"But?" Lily asked, having picked up on my underlying meaning.

"I'm tired of being a voiceless shadow," I said, my voice steady. "For years I've been Mrs. Zimmer, my kids' mother, a daughter-in-law, but never myself. Now that the kids will go to college soon, I want to find Sia again."

Lily listened quietly as I finished, then nodded gently. "I understand. Cases of 'no-fault divorce' like yours have become quite common in recent years, especially among middle-aged women seeking self-fulfillment."

Lily walked me through the divorce process, explained how assets would be divided, and outlined the challenges I might face. As I took notes, it hit me. For the first time, I was making choices for myself, not the Zimmer family.

"Since you've been a full-time homemaker, you can request reasonable alimony," Lily said. "But I recommend trying to settle with your husband first. An amicable divorce is much easier than a contested one."

*****

As I stepped out of the law firm, golden sunlight bathed the street. Pausing on the sidewalk, I drew in a deep, liberating breath.

The air was filled with the distinctive freshness of early summer. For the first time, I noticed the roadside flowerbeds full of tiny wildflowers in purple, yellow, and white gently swaying in the breeze.

All these years, I had never noticed these beautiful little lives blooming right there by the roadside.

When I returned home, I found Hector sitting in the living room, waiting for me, his face dark with suppressed anger.

"Where have you been?" he demanded.

"I went to the law firm," I answered calmly, "to discuss our divorce."

Hector's expression shifted from anger to shock, then to a kind of panicked confusion. "Sia, what's wrong with you? If it's because of something I said that night, I can apologize. You know I say things without thinking—"

"It's not about that one sentence," I cut him off and said. "It's every word, every glance, and every single time you took me for granted over these twenty-two years. Hector, our issues run far too deep for just an apology."

"Then what do you want me to do?" Hector asked, his voice taking on a helpless tone I'd never heard before. "I'll change, alright? Tell me what's wrong. I'll fix everything."

Seeing him like this, my heart wavered, but I steeled myself and said, "Hector, it's not your mistake. This marriage made me lose myself. I need to leave, live on my own, and find who I am before becoming your wife."

"How are you going to live on your own?" Hector suddenly seized on a new angle of attack and pressed. "You don't even have a job, and all your bank cards are extensions of mine. How do you expect to survive without me?"

His words cut deep, but I felt no pain, only clarity. "That's the problem. You see me as helpless, but I was a top graduate. I gave up my career for our family, Hector. Don't forget that."

Hector was left speechless. He stared at me, eyes wide, as if seeing me for the very first time.

*****

The days that followed were calm before the storm. Hector's anger turned to silent coldness. The children avoided the topic, leaving the house in a tense, suffocating peace, as if everyone held their breath, waiting for something to break.

I began quietly packing my belongings, preparing to move out on my own.

As I packed my things, I was surprised to rediscover so many untouched art supplies bought on a whim a decade ago, back when I thought I'd take up watercolor painting.

It turned out I'd collected stacks of travel magazines, each dog-eared page marking a place I'd always dreamed of visiting but never got to.

I still had a box of college notebooks and journals. Inside them, the Sia once full of dreams lay forgotten, quietly waiting to be rediscovered.

*****

A week later at dinner, Hector suddenly broke the silence. His voice was low and almost pleading as he asked, "So you've decided?"

I nodded, meeting his gaze squarely. "Yes"

Hector asked, "What about the kids? They're about to head off to college, and our family is breaking apart—"

"Hector," I cut him off and said, "the kids are already eighteen. They're stronger than you think. And just because we're getting divorced doesn't mean we'll stop loving them. We'll love them differently, as co-parents."

Hector heaved a weary sigh and replied, "Give me some time. I need to process all this."

"Alright," I said softly, "but my mind's made up."

That night, I had a dream for the first time in years.

In my dream, I was twenty-three again, standing at my college graduation ceremony, an honors diploma clutched in my hand, my eyes sparkling with anticipation for the future.

Back then, I used to believe I'd become an outstanding translator, explore every corner of the world, and write stories that were my own.

I woke up to find my pillow damp with tears, yet my heart swelled with a long-lost sense of anticipation.