Chapter 6

Tears pooled in Valda’s Bambi eyes.

Her Oscar–worthy trembling chin met Antonio’s glacial glare.

“Ever heard of knocking?” He barked. “This isn’t your trailer park bedroom!”

She staggered back as if shot, scattering medical reports in her sob–choked exit.

“Remarkable recovery speed.” I adjusted my oxygen tube. “Youthful resilience?”

Antonio’s face flushed with embarrassment.

He scrambled to collect the papers.

His paling fingers shredded an STD panel before I could “accidentally” glimpse it.

My heart was filled with derision.

I had already seen the texts from Valda.

He thought it was their secret.

Antonio’s acting was pitiful, but in the past, love had blinded me to his flaws.

Now, without affection, his every move only exposed his inadequacies.

Antonio, still uneasy, took out the trash under the pretext of buying food and left.

When he returned, he attended to me with exaggerated care.

Yet, no matter what he did, I met it with silence.

The words I had longed to say over five years of waiting were finally uttered.

The lawyer chose this moment to knock and present the divorce agreement.

Antonio’s face darkened as he beheld the document.

Losing control, he roared at the lawyer, “Get out! We don’t need you!”

Soon, the ward was left with only the two of us.

Seeing that Antonio had no intention of signing, I spoke calmly, “You know me well enough to understand that my decisions are unshakable. Just like I defied my family to marry you, I am just as resolute about our divorce.”

Antonio’s expression crumpled as he buried his face in his hands, his short hair in disarray.

“Grace, I truly know I was wrong. Can’t you give me another chance? You know I’ve never neglected you, even if it was just emotionally…”

His voice trailed off.

I, devoid of any emotion, said, “No need. You’re stained and can never be clean again.”

“The past five years of our marriage have been filled with too many moments of Valda intruding on us. So much so that I often can’t tell who the real third party is–her or me.”

“By tolerating her all these years, by letting her treat me with such disdain, we can’t go back to how things were.”

Pausing briefly and seeing no reaction from him, I continued, “Your attempts to win me back aren’t driven by love. You’re just unwilling to have your dirty little secret exposed.”

“You can’t bear the thought of the girl who once followed you in silence suddenly walking out of your life. You know very well that I would never send private messages to berate someone.”

“You’re merely trying to embarrass me, to feed your pitiful vanity.”