Chapter 3

3.

When I met the lawyer, he asked if I wanted to try for a settlement first.

I thought about everything that had happened and shook my head calmly.

"No. File the lawsuit directly. I'm leaving everything in your hands."

I gave him full authority over the divorce.

After that, I went to the cemetery. I wanted to move my parents' ashes back to our hometown.

When they passed away in an accident, I was devastated.

Ian had handled all the funeral arrangements back then.

When the staff told me they needed the signature of the person who originally filed the paperwork, I froze for a moment.

I took the consent form home and placed it in front of Ian.

He frowned, looking confused. "Why are you doing this?"

I blinked. "I dreamed about them yesterday. They said they wanted to go home."

Ian still didn't seem to agree.

"Won't it be a hassle to visit them if they are that far away?"

My parents had treated him like their own son.

Every year on the anniversary of their death, Ian used to prepare so much to honor them.

But since Enid showed up, he hadn't gone once.

The day they died happened to be the same day he met Enid, so he spent that day celebrating their anniversary instead.

I had tried to talk to him about it once.

He had just frowned and snapped at me.

"They're gone, Yvonne. They wouldn't want me to break a promise to a friend over something like this. They aren't petty like you."

Thinking of that, I said calmly, "They're gone. They won't mind."

Hearing his own logic come out of my mouth made Ian uncomfortable, but he had nothing to say.

"Just sign it," I said, pushing the paper toward him.

Ian wanted to argue more, but a scream came from the bathroom. It was Enid.

He immediately swallowed his words, signed the paper, and rushed to the bathroom.

Looking at the signature, I felt grateful for the first time that Enid was so good at distracting him.

Otherwise, I would have had to waste energy making up more excuses.

It was exhausting.

I was about to head back to the cemetery with the form when Ian yelled from the bathroom.

"Yvonne!"

I ignored him.

But he kept shouting as if he wouldn't stop until I answered.

I hopped on one leg to the bathroom door and asked what was wrong.

Ian looked frantic. "Enid twisted her ankle. Help me get her to the hospital."

I looked down at Enid, who was faking a look of agony, and let out a soft laugh.

"Sorry. I can't help you."

Ian blew up instantly.

"Yvonne, this is no time to be jealous! She's hurt. Can't you stop being so damn petty for once?"

I interrupted him, my voice cold.

"I can't walk properly either. If you can't handle it, I'll call an ambulance for you."

Ian's lips moved, but no words came out.

The look of disgust and annoyance on his face didn't fade, though.

After all these years, I knew that look. He was annoyed that I was useless to him.

He was mad that his precious Enid was "suffering."

Since I just stood there, he found a target for his anger.

"Then call the ambulance already! Why are you just standing there? You're a jinx."

"I can't believe I married a woman like you!"

I slowly hopped away, dialed 911, and then went into my bedroom.

After the ambulance took her away, I got a text from Ian.

"Since you hate Enid so much, I'm staying at her place for a few days."

"We both need to cool down. You should reflect on your behavior."

I laughed at the screen.

Ian was always so good at shifting the blame.

In the past, a text like that would have made me apologize immediately.

I would have dragged my broken leg to the hospital to help take care of Enid just so they wouldn't be alone.

But now, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders.

Being alone felt pretty good.