Chapter 4

"Humphrey, do you really have to humiliate me in front of everyone?"

Tilda's face was full of anger.

I laughed and shot back, "You think you're the one being humiliated?"

"You're the one who brought up divorce on Valentine's Day, then showed up at my office waving divorce papers for me to sign. If that's not humiliating me, what is?"

I felt worn out, and rubbed at the throbbing ache between my brows.

"Fine, let's say I'm humiliating you on purpose. So, can you sign the papers now?"

"You... fine, it's just signing for a divorce, isn't it? I'll give you what you want."

Tilda went furiously to look for a pen.

Aaron hurried to stop her. "Tilly, calm down."

Her coworkers all chimed in, talking over each other to talk her down.

Once they'd settled her, they turned on me one after another.

"Humphrey, what exactly has Tilly done to wrong you? How can you treat her like this?"

"Apologize to Tilly and admit you were wrong. Otherwise, even if she forgives you, I won't."

"Hmph, one Valentine's Day and he's making a scene about divorce. You've been married five years, an old married couple. Does it really matter whether you celebrate Valentine's Day or not?"

"Do you have any idea how exhausted Tilly is, working overtime day after day for the company's next-phase project? You can't be bothered to care about her, and you come here to fight with her on top of it."

"Take a look at this project yourself. Could you ever pull something like this off?"

One of Tilda's coworkers dragged me over to her desk and pointed at the computer for me to look.

On the screen was a business proposal.

The longer I looked, the more familiar it felt. This was... something I'd made?

The project plan, the market analysis, the outlook, all of it was identical to a business proposal I'd put together a while back.

And that proposal was the one Tilda had torn apart as worthless. At the time I'd felt awful about it, and for a while I'd doubted myself completely.

Ha.

So it turned out I'd done it too well, and she wanted it for herself.

I asked Tilda, "You made this proposal?"

Her expression turned uneasy.

The coworker who'd pulled me over snorted. "If Tilly didn't make it, then who, you? Let me tell you, Aaron worked on this proposal too. Not only because he cares about Tilly, but because he's driven, he's reaching for a higher position."

"Compared to him, you're not just a failed husband, you've failed at your job too!"

So that was it.

I looked at Tilda, then at Aaron.

Both of them had their heads down, faces gone slightly pale.

"Humphrey, say something!"

Tilda's coworker wouldn't let up.

"How is this going to get resolved today? You're a man. When you're wrong, you own it. Don't make me lose all respect for you."

"Apologize to Tilly."

Before I could open my mouth, Tilda blurted out in a panic, "You've made this whole scene because you want a divorce, right? I'll sign it right now."

At those words, her coworkers' faces all changed.

"Tilly, don't act on impulse."

"Marriage, divorce, these are the big things of a lifetime. Don't do something you'll regret."

"Tilly, you can't sign."

"..."

Ignoring their protests, Tilda picked up the pen and moved to sign the divorce papers.

Slap!

My palm came down flat on the papers.

Tilda looked up at me, forcing herself calm, and said coldly, "Having second thoughts? But I've already decided."

I shook my head. "Of course not. It's just that I think, before you sign, you'd better come with me to the police station."

"Oh, and Aaron too!"