Chapter 3

This wasn't the first time he had invited me.

I had actually been tempted to go before.

But when Ethan found out, he did everything he could to stop me.

"The West Coast is so far away, Nora. We'd be living in a long-distance relationship. I can't bear to be away from you. Please, for me, don't go."

My parents had used guilt to chain me down too.

"We raised you, Nora. We're getting older, and we'll need you when we get sick. Do you really have the heart to abandon your aging parents?"

Even Jack had pleaded with me, pretending to be reasonable.

"Mom and Dad are getting old and their health is failing. I'm too busy with work to look after them. I need to rely on you. I'm begging you, don't leave."

Their words had softened my heart.

Plus, I had finally gotten pregnant.

So, I gave up on the idea of leaving.

During the years I spent undergoing fertility treatments, I had drained every single penny of my savings.

I thought I was sacrificing for our future.

But in reality, it only gave them the leverage to control me.

Recalling my dad's words, "She has no job and no money, she'll come crawling back," I tapped on my partner's chat and replied:

"Book the ticket."

Five minutes later, he sent me a screenshot of the flight confirmation.

I saved it silently.

Then, I went home to pack.

When I opened the front door, I noticed a pair of pink women's slippers in the shoe rack.

On the coffee table, my favorite yellow roses had been replaced with peonies.

Even my favorite hand soap on the bathroom counter had been shoved into the cabinet.

As I stood there in confusion, my phone buzzed with a text from Ethan.

"Vivian is staying at our place for her postpartum recovery. It's easier to take care of her here."

I didn't reply.

I locked my phone, pulled out a large suitcase, and began packing.

There was so much stuff.

Most of them were things Ethan and I had bought together when we were dating.

A pair of matching mugs we made at a pottery class.

Matching hoodies we bought in a cozy mountain town.

And over eight hundred photos of us during our happiest moments.

I threw the mugs and hoodies straight into the trash can.

Then, I took the photos to the stove and lit them on fire.

Midway through, Ethan's voice suddenly startled me from behind.

"What the hell are you doing?"

When he realized what was burning in my hands, his face paled with shock.

"Are you burning our photos?"

I replied flatly, "Too much clutter. It takes up space."

Meeting his disbelief, I calmly pulled out a signed set of divorce papers and laid them out.

"I've already signed. Now it's your turn."

I expected him to sign it without hesitation.

Instead, he glanced at the papers and threw them straight into the fire.

"Who said I'm divorcing you?"

An uncontrollable rage flared up in my chest.

"What is wrong with you? I'm stepping aside to let you two be together. Why are you dragging this out?"

He didn't get angry. Instead, he looked at me with a sickeningly gentle expression.

"Nora, we've always been happy together, haven't we? Do you really have the heart to leave me?"

I felt like I had swallowed a fly.

What did he mean by "we've always been happy"?

His version of happiness was built entirely on my misery, and now he actually expected to keep both of us?

Just then, Vivian's cry echoed from the living room.

"Ethan! I fell!"

Ethan bolted out of the kitchen instantly.

He carefully lifted Vivian off the floor and cradled her onto the sofa.

When he turned back to look at me, his face was masked in cold fury.

"Why did you leave your suitcase right in the middle of the hallway? Vivian almost got seriously hurt because of you! Don't you know she just gave birth?"

Vivian clung to him, her eyes red as she whimpered, "Don't blame Nora, Ethan. She just lost her baby, so she's bitter. It makes sense that she'd do something like this on purpose."

My dad pointed a finger at my face, shouting, "Even if you're bitter, you can't take it out on Vivian! She's recovering! How can you be so cruel?"

I was about to say "I didn't."

But before I could speak, Jack grabbed my suitcase and hurled it out into the hallway.

"Maybe a little lesson will teach you some manners."