That cabinet full of luxury goods, just like this table piled high with fish, was nothing but a symbol of my humiliation.
“My mom's choice to tolerate it was her choice. I won’t.”
If not for the shame of airing our mess in public, I would’ve torn the entire scene apart.
Kyro finally moved.
He ripped the divorce agreement in half and stormed toward me, grabbing my wrist with bloodshot eyes.
“Eloise, you’re going to make things clear today! Why are you divorcing me? Is there someone else?!”
He had the nerve to accuse me of that.
His grip tightened, forcing a gasp from my lips.
I yanked my hand free and shot back coldly, “Because just looking at you makes me sick. And the smell on you? Even worse.”
That sentence stirred things up.
My mother-in-law burst into hysterical sobs, wailing that I was ungrateful. My sister-in-law jabbed a finger at my face, shouting that I was nothing but a drama queen. Even the quiet uncle, who rarely spoke, shook his head and sighed.
"A virtuous wife makes a happy home. Eloise, you’re going to ruin your marriage with all this nonsense!"
But what none of them knew was that my marriage to Kyro had already died the moment he became obsessed with night fishing.
The entire room buzzed with accusations, like a swarm of relentless mosquitoes drilling into my ears.
I pulled out another copy of the divorce agreement and handed it to Kyro.
"If you want to end this peacefully, meet me at the City Hall on Wednesday at 9 a.m."
My calm determination somehow brought tears to Kyro’s eyes.
He stepped forward and pulled me into a tight embrace.
"Honey, stop this, please? It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have gotten addicted to night fishing. If you really hate it, I’ll quit, alright? I’ll be the same old devoted husband again, okay?"
His dramatic act, so full of remorse, once again shifted all the blaming eyes toward me.
My best friend Ruby Wallace, who had appeared at some point, chimed in sharply.
"Eloise, it’s not good for a woman to be too overbearing. Kyro’s already willing to give up fishing for you, just let it go. If you really go through with the divorce, how will a second-marriage woman like you, with nothing to her name, ever find another man who loves her like he does?"
Let them say what they wanted. I was going through with this divorce, no matter what.
I grabbed my bag and turned to leave.
That’s when I saw Chad by the door, his face pale.
I didn’t know how much he had seen or understood, but I gently reached for his hand.
"Baby, come home with Mommy."
But Chad suddenly pulled away, shaking his head with fierce desperation.
"No! I don’t want Mommy and Daddy to get divorced! I don’t want to be the kid everyone laughs at!"
His teary eyes turned pleadingly toward my mom, and that’s when it hit me.
She had snuck out earlier, filled his head with lies, and brought him back in.
"Eloise, you’re a mother now. You need to think about your child. Stop being so selfish."
Her words crashed into me like a hammer. My heart, already shredded and raw, started bleeding all over again.
If she wanted to close her eyes and pretend nothing was wrong, that was her choice.
But I couldn’t keep lying to myself. That was mine.
I knelt and reached out to pick Chad up, but he flinched away like a cornered animal, scratching, kicking, biting.
"You’re a bad mommy! The worst mommy!"
"That’s enough."
Ruby suddenly stepped forward, grabbing my arm with mock concern.
"Do you have any idea how many women would kill to have a husband like Kyro? Why can’t you just be satisfied? Is that other man worth it, worth throwing Kyro away for?"
Her words sizzled like oil hitting a burning pan, setting the whole room ablaze with fury.
"What the hell? So the divorce is because she cheated on Kyro?! That’s disgusting!"
