Chapter 3
952 Words
The moment I stepped into the private room, every conversation came to an abrupt stop.
Heads turned one after another.
For a brief second, it felt as though someone had pressed pause on the entire room.
Robert was the first to break the silence.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. There was a trace of surprise in his voice.
Victoria immediately slipped her arm through his and leaned against him.
"Mr. Carter, wasn't Claire's birthday a few days ago?" she asked sweetly. "I heard you never got the chance to celebrate it with her."
She tilted her head innocently and added, "I figured a few days late wouldn't matter, so I borrowed your phone and invited Claire here. Think of it as making up for her birthday."
Robert's gaze softened as he looked at her before turning to me.
"See how thoughtful Victoria is?" he said. "You should learn from her."
The irony almost made me laugh.
Without a word, I pulled the divorce agreement from my bag and tossed it onto the table in front of him.
The document slid across the polished surface and stopped beside his drink.
"I'm here for your signature," I said. "Not for a birthday party."
The room instantly grew tense.
Robert picked up the agreement and glanced through it.
His finger tapped lightly against the paper.
"You're asking for a divorce because I didn't pick you up that day?" His tone was casual, as if he were discussing something completely insignificant.
As if he had forgotten that if I hadn't escaped those men on my own, the consequences could have been far worse.
My jaw tightened.
Before I could answer, Robert casually tossed the entire agreement into the trash can beside him.
The papers disappeared among the discarded bottles and napkins.
"I told you years ago that I'd take responsibility for you for the rest of my life." His expression hardened. "Stop being unreasonable."
A sharp laugh escaped me.
I pointed directly at Victoria. "This is what you call taking responsibility?"
Victoria's eyes immediately reddened.
Tears began gathering along her lashes.
"Mr. Carter and I really haven't done anything. We—"
"No need to explain yourself to her." Robert cut her off before she could finish.
Then he looked at me.
The look in his eyes felt strangely unfamiliar.
Cold.
Distant.
As though he were looking at a complete stranger rather than his wife.
He had probably never imagined I would challenge him in front of so many people.
For a few moments, neither of us spoke.
Then he suddenly laughed.
The sound carried a faint trace of mockery.
"You've been part of this social circle for five years." He leaned back in his chair. "Haven't you figured out how things work by now?"
A few people nearby lowered their heads awkwardly.
Others watched with open curiosity.
Robert continued calmly, "What successful man doesn't keep a mistress or two?"
The words struck like a slap.
Then he added, "I've stayed faithful to you for five years already. That's more than enough."
The room fell silent again.
The next second, Robert reached out, hooked a finger beneath Victoria's chin, and kissed her.
Hard.
Possessively.
As though he were deliberately trying to prove a point.
Whistles immediately erupted throughout the room.
Several people cheered.
Others laughed and raised their glasses.
The atmosphere became even more chaotic than before.
The drunken man who had earlier joked about wanting to sleep with a married woman suddenly staggered toward me.
His face was flushed red from alcohol.
A disgusting grin spread across his face.
He reached for my shoulder.
I didn't hesitate.
I lifted my foot and kicked him squarely in the stomach.
He crashed onto the floor.
Before anyone could react, I grabbed a wine bottle from the nearest table and smashed it over his head.
The bottle shattered.
Blood immediately streamed down his face.
The room plunged into dead silence.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The drunken man groaned on the floor while everyone stared at me in shock.
Robert only ever remembered one thing.
He remembered that I loved him.
What he had forgotten was who I truly was.
I grew up in an orphanage. I wasn't some fragile woman who depended on him for protection.
I wasn't weak.
I wasn't helpless.
And I certainly wasn't someone people could bully without consequences.
When I loved him, I had willingly hidden my sharp edges.
I swallowed every grievance.
Every humiliation.
Every disappointment.
I convinced myself it was worth it because I loved him.
'But now?'
'I didn't love him anymore.'
And once that love was gone, there was no reason to keep sacrificing myself.
No reason to keep enduring pain that never should have been mine.
I walked to the trash can and retrieved the divorce agreement.
The pages were slightly wrinkled.
I smoothed them out and threw them back onto the table in front of Robert.
This time, they landed directly before him.
Robert slowly pushed Victoria out of his arms.
His eyes locked onto mine.
The entire room remained silent.
Everyone was watching.
Waiting.
Finally, he spoke.
Each word was slow and deliberate.
"I will not divorce you."
I met his gaze without looking away.
"You will." My voice was calm.
Steady.
Firm.
For several long seconds, neither of us blinked.
The tension in the room became almost unbearable.
Then I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone.
Ignoring everyone's stares, I dialed a number I hadn't called in five years.
As the call connected, I lifted the phone to my ear.
When I finally spoke, my voice was calm but unwavering.
This time, there was no hesitation left in it at all.
- Writer
