Chapter 2

2

At nine in the evening, when Donovan returned, I was looking up road trip itineraries.

Traveling across the country was a dream I'd had since I was young.

First, I didn't have a license. Then, I had a son to raise. Twenty years flew by from his kindergarten days to his college graduation.

The trip had been postponed so many times I had stopped mentioning it, but now was the perfect time.

When Donovan walked in, the warm smile he reserved for Marilyn vanished.

He was always cold toward me. He rubbed his temples and barked an order.

"Make me some ginger tea. I had a few drinks tonight and my stomach is acting up."

Usually, the moment he mentioned feeling unwell, I would have rushed to help him.

Now, I didn't even look up. "I'm busy. Make it yourself."

Donovan's face darkened. "What is wrong with you today? Why is everything 'busy'?"

"We ate out tonight so you wouldn't have to cook! You can't even boil some water for tea?"

I stopped scrolling and looked him straight in the eyes.

Despite the gray at his temples, he worked out regularly and didn't look a day over forty.

He was a prestigious lawyer, always composed and professional.

I used to think he was just naturally distant, but reality had dealt me a brutal blow.

Thinking about those secret search records, I realized he was only distant with me.

My heart ached sharply as I saw the impatience in his eyes.

"I want a divorce, Donovan," I said, my voice raspy.

The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds. Donovan stopped unbuttoning his shirt.

His eyes widened in shock, and his patience finally snapped.

"Stop being ridiculous! We're at this age, and you're talking about divorce?"

I silently picked up the tablet from the coffee table and tossed it in front of him.

The search history was displayed in all its ugly glory.

Not only that, but the Amazon cart was filled with various "performance enhancers" and adult toys.

Donovan's face turned bright red, and he shouted at me.

"Yvonne, who gave you the right to go through my things? Don't you know anything about privacy?"

After a moment, as if realizing he needed a cover story, he tried to backtrack.

"Don't be so dramatic. Our son probably used my account for this…"

"We've been married for decades. Don't you have a shred of trust?"

Even now, he was making excuses. I exposed him immediately.

"If our son bought them, why is the shipping address set to Marilyn Gold's house?"

"Donovan, we've been together for twenty years. Do you really think I'm that stupid?"

Donovan's face went from red to purple with rage. He slammed the door and left.

Soon after, our son, Caleb, returned. He sounded annoyed.

"Mom! You're way too old to be kicking Dad out of the house!"

"We were just celebrating Aunt Marilyn's divorce. What's the big deal?"

He thought I was just throwing a tantrum because they went out to celebrate.

Then, his eyes fell on the tablet screen. He froze.

Panic and guilt flashed across Caleb's face, but notably, there was no surprise.

I realized then that he knew everything. A new wave of disappointment hit me.

"It is worth celebrating," I said calmly. "Because your father and I are getting a divorce too."

"W-what?"

Caleb looked at me like I was insane. "Over something this small? You want a divorce?"

"You guys are an old couple. Just yell at him and get over it."

"Besides, I'm bringing my girlfriend home tomorrow. How am I supposed to handle this if you're acting out!"

I looked up at him, truly seeing the son I had raised for the first time.

"Handle it however you want. Your father and I are just getting divorced."

"Bringing your girlfriend home won't be affected by this at all."

To my shock, he blurted out, "Of course it affects me!"

"I don't want people saying I come from a broken home. Mom, can't you just suck it up?"

He looked at me with pure frustration before storming out, just like his father.

Seeing the exact same selfish streak in both of them, I didn't care where they went.

I finished my planning and went to bed.