Ever since that day, Jared seemed to have vanished and never showed himself again.
I pushed him to the back of my mind and buried myself in work.
Yet, until our divorce was finalized–until he signed the papers–I would never be truly free of him.
With that, I contacted my lawyer and asked him to press Jared to sign.
To my surprise, instead of receiving signed divorce papers, Regina found me first.
“You b*tch! I’ll kill you! It’s all your fault! You’re the reason Jared doesn’t recognize our child! Give me my husband back! Give my son his father!”
Her emotions were running high, and her abdomen trembled as she shouted.
“I’ve already sent Jared the divorce papers. What he does is none of my business.”
I tried to close the door, but Regina shoved her way forward, using her belly to block it. “Are you trying to kill me and the baby?!”
This was my brother’s apartment. He and his family were out today, and I didn’t want to cause them trouble.
My hesitation gave Regina the chance to escalate things. She lunged forward, grabbed my hair, and yanked me out the door.
Before I could fight back, Jared suddenly appeared. He rushed over and shoved her to the ground.
Her wails and his insults echoed in the empty corridor.
“How dare you hurt Vanessa, you evil b*tch! If you want to die, then die somewhere else! F*ck off!”
Ignoring Regina’s sobs, Jared turned to me, worry etched across his face. “Are you alright, Vanessa?
“It’s all my fault. I put you in danger. I promise this won’t happen again.
“I’ve already cut Regina out. We’ll live happily ever after from now on, okay?” His tone was hopeful, his expression expectant.
I gave him a bright smile, which he mistook as forgiveness. He smirked, thinking everything was fine— only to falter when I spoke.
“You should get an Oscar, Jared.”
