4
When I returned home, the living room lights were already on. Gabriel was sitting on the couch, radiating anger.
Before I could speak, he leaped up and stormed toward me, his voice rising. “What the hell was that, Lexa? I’ve been trying to make peace, and you show up at my parents‘ place just to throw a tantrum?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity. “I made them soup, Gabe. They didn’t even taste it before throwing it on the floor. They have an entire staff of caregivers, yet they still expect me to clean up after them.”
“As your wife, I don’t even rank as high as a housekeeper.”
Gabriel frowned, exasperated. “They’re old, Lexa. They’re bound to be emotional. They trust you, that’s why they rely on you.”
“Trust me?” I spat, disgusted. “They trust you the most. So why don’t you handle your own parents‘ bodily fluids?”
In three years, Gabriel had barely visited the nursing home. His excuse? Work kept him too busy. The truth? He couldn’t stomach the indignity of his parents‘ failing health, so he passed the responsibility onto me. And because I loved him, I accepted it.
But my sacrifices were taken for granted.
“How dare you talk to me like that?” Gabriel snarled, his temper boiling over. He slammed the coffee table so hard that the pot of boiling water spilled.
The scalding liquid seared my hand, leaving a large, blistering welt. My body trembled from the searing pain.
“Maybe now you’ll learn to keep quiet,” Gabriel said, satisfaction flickering in his eyes as he loomed closer. “Can’t you learn something from Serena? She’s gentle, understanding. Why can’t you stop picking fights?”
Every sentence dripped with Serena’s name. Always Serena.
Clenching my jaw, I stood despite the pain and laughed bitterly. “If you love Serena so much, then marry her.”
“Lexa!” Gabriel’s face turned crimson, his voice shaking with rage. “Say that again, and I’ll divorce you.”
This was exactly what I had been waiting for.
Meeting his gaze, I responded firmly, “Good. Let’s get a divorce.”
For a moment, he froze, his expression a mix of disbelief and anger. “You’re serious?” he asked hoarsely.
“Yes.”
His reaction grew frantic. “Lexa, are you insane? You know the agreement. If you’re the one to file for divorce, you’ll only get $18.80.”
That clause had always been his safety net. It never occurred to him that I might leave.
Without hesitation, I pulled out my phone and held up my payment app. “Send me $18.80, and I’ll sign the papers right now. I’ll even throw in a parting gift.”
Soome SVIP! Read all SVIP stories
D
4:35 PM
Gabriel’s face went ghostly pale.
