My husband was allergic to peaches. He couldn't touch a drink with even a drop of peach juice in it.
Five years of marriage, and I'd been careful about everything he put in his mouth.
Then he landed a ten-million-dollar contract for his company.
At the victory banquet, he drank a glass of peach juice—poured for him by his little childhood friend Deborah—right there in front of everyone.
I wasn't surprised. I just turned and handed him a set of divorce papers.
The employees all piled on, calling me unreasonable.
Thaddeus Harding was so furious he tore the papers to shreds and flung them in my face.
"Debbie was worried I'd feel sick from the drinking, so she poured me some juice to settle my stomach. That's it!"
"And you know what? Without Debbie's help I never would've landed that contract. Know when to stop with the jealousy!"
I lifted a hand, brushed the scraps of paper from my face, and pulled out my phone.
"Cancel the deal."
——
I hung up. The room filled with sneering.
"Ma'am, you been watching too many soap operas? Now you're acting one out for us?"
"If Deborah hadn't brokered the introduction, our company never would've signed that contract with Blue Horizon Group. Read the room before you throw a jealous fit!"
Thaddeus stared at me, his face dark as stone.
"Just because Debbie poured me a glass of juice, you want a divorce? Have you lost your mind?"
"Everything I do is for you. For this family. You can't even appreciate how hard I work, and now you want to divorce me over a glass of juice?"
His little speech had every friend and relative in the room seething on his behalf.
"Thaddeus is famous for how good he is to his wife. All these years, he's been so afraid of making you jealous he won't even hire a woman unless she's married with kids."
"He's wrecked his stomach drinking at business dinners for you, for this family. And instead of showing a shred of sympathy, you're filing for divorce over a glass of juice? You don't know how good you have it!"
In everyone's eyes, Thaddeus had always been the model husband.
Five years of marriage, and he still went along with whatever I wanted.
When I couldn't get pregnant and his family blamed me, he'd step in front of me and tell every last one of them that the problem was his, not mine.
And yet this good husband had turned me into a fool.
His assistant Deborah walked over looking wounded and took my hand.
"Maud, I've been married with a kid for ages. Why are you still jealous of me?"
"I was just worried Thaddeus's stomach would act up from all the drinking, so I poured him some juice. If it bothers you, I won't do it again. That's all."
Deborah and Thaddeus had grown up together. They'd always called each other brother and sister.
When he and I first got together, their closeness bothered me.
But then Deborah rushed into marriage and had a baby, and I let my guard down.
I shook her hand off. My expression didn't change.
"Once we're divorced, you can spoon-feed him juice every day for all I care."
Thaddeus's face turned even uglier when he heard that.
"Maud, are you done? All this over a glass of juice?"
"Today is my celebration with Debbie—not some place for a housewife to make a scene!"
My expression stayed the same. My voice was cold.
"I'm not done."
Deborah heard that and stepped closer, deliberately lowering her voice.
"Maud, I know Thaddeus is always busy with work and you're stuck at home by yourself, but no matter how good-looking those boys on the outside are, none of them can compare to him. He started his own company so young, and now he's just signed a ten-million-dollar deal with Blue Horizon Group. His future is limitless."
