Chapter 3

【Come to the office.】

The message was from Tilda.

【You don't believe I'm working late? Then come see it with your own eyes.】

I looked at the divorce papers in my hand and typed back: 【Fine.】

I did need to make a trip to the office anyway.

It was Valentine's Day, so there weren't many people around, only the people on Tilda's team and……Aaron Rowe.

When he saw me, Aaron spoke up first “Humphrey, come on in, Tilly's been waiting for you.”

He was grinning ear to ear.

Tilda, by contrast, didn't look happy at all.

“Tilly, Humphrey's here to spend Valentine's Day with you.”

Aaron took Tilda's hand without a second thought and pulled her toward me.

Every one of her coworkers was watching me.

I heard one of them, smug.

“See? I called it, didn't I? First he makes our Tilly cry, and now here he is, rushing over to apologize.”

I pretended not to hear it and held out the divorce papers to Tilda, who had been pulled right in front of me.

“Just drew these up. Take a look, and if there's no problem, sign them.”

In an instant, the whole office went quiet.

Tilda's face flushed red, and she stared me down like I was her enemy.

Aaron's face hardened “Humphrey, what do you think you're doing?”

I said flatly “Getting her to sign the divorce papers.”

“You……”

Tilda pointed a finger at me, and Aaron held her back.

He looked at me, serious “Humphrey, Tilly told me all about it. It's just a misunderstanding. Think about it, if there really were something between me and Tilly, why would she ask you to come to the office and explain herself to you?”

I lowered my eyes to their hands, still clasped together.

Did anything still need explaining?

Two years ago, Tilda started refusing to be affectionate with me in public. She wouldn't let me hold her hand. Her reason was that we were an old married couple, and keeping a little distance kept the feelings fresh.

Right. Fresh they certainly were.

After all, she'd traded me in for someone else.

“Humphrey, Tilly's all yours tonight. Give her a proper apology. I hope you two have a romantic Valentine's evening.”

Aaron held Tilda's hand and offered it to me.

When he said “Valentine's evening,” the corner of his mouth curled up.

I caught the mockery in it.

“No need. I only came to get her to sign the divorce papers. As for Valentine's Day, someone's already spending it with her.”

The flat words landed in the office, and every one of Tilda's coworkers looked put out.

“Humphrey, bringing up divorce on Valentine's Day? Is that any way to act?”

“No wonder Tilly would rather work late than go home. I'd do the same.”

“You're her husband, and you don't even treat her as well as Aaron does as her junior.”

I didn't argue. There was no point.

Right now, all I wanted was to end this marriage with Tilda as fast as possible, then go somewhere with no one around and lick my wounds alone.