I fixed my gaze on Declan, speaking each word with deliberate weight. "No matter what Yvette told you, I never asked you to leave. I never suggested you should run off and leave everything behind."
Declan’s lip curled into a sneer. "You told Yvette to stay away from me, to keep her distance. Isn't that basically telling me to go as far away as possible?"
"We’re both men," he continued, his voice dripping with accusation. "Do you really think I don’t see what you’re doing?"
I stood there, momentarily speechless. But as the truth settled in, I realized something else, he had always seen me as an opponent. A rival in a game I hadn’t even known I was playing.
And now, I was ready to give him exactly what he wanted.
At that very moment, I dialed my lawyer friend, my voice calm but resolute.
"Are you busy? Do you have time in the next couple of days to draft a divorce agreement for me?"
"Yes, I’m getting a divorce," I added, watching Yvette’s face freeze in disbelief.
Her mouth hung open, her eyes wide with shock. "Are you serious?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
I nodded, the weight of the decision sinking in. "Yes."
She took a moment to process, her confusion turning into frustration. "You’re divorcing me over a piece of cake? Over that? You’re really going to end our marriage just because I brought Declan some cake while he was on duty?"
In stark contrast to the shock that painted Yvette’s face, I replied with unnerving calm, "Yes, that’s exactly why."
The moment the words left my lips, Declan couldn’t hold back his laughter. It came out as a mocking cackle as if he found the situation utterly absurd. "Oh, come on! Stop pretending! You nearly gave your life to donate a kidney to Yvette, and now you’re telling me you’re divorcing her over a piece of cake?"
At the mention of the kidney, Yvette’s expression shifted. A flicker of pity danced in her eyes before she sighed with resignation. "I know you’ve always loved me deeply, but love can’t survive the weight of constant strain. If you keep tossing around divorce like it’s nothing, what happens if I actually agree one day? You might regret it then."
I was about to fire back, but before I could, Declan cut me off, his voice suddenly alarmed. "Oh no! I left my phone at the claw machine shop we were just at! Yvette, come with me to help look for it!"
Yvette hesitated for a brief moment, her eyes flicking between me and Declan. With a heavy sigh, she gave in. "You need to calm down and think things through. Come find me when you’ve made up your mind."
With that, Declan seized her hand, and they jogged off together, leaving me standing there, rooted to the spot. The distance between us only seemed to grow.
I kept my eyes locked on their retreating figures, the distance between us growing with every step they took. It wasn’t until I felt the wetness of a tear roll down my cheek that I realized I’d been fighting to hold back the flood.
My phone buzzed in my hand. It was a message from my mother asking me where I had gone.
I quickly wiped my tears, trying to regain some composure before typing back. [Out to get food. Thankfully, the shop was still open. You know how it is; food keeps you going. I’ll eat first and then announce the death.]
My mother responded almost immediately, her tone heavy with sadness. She pleaded with me not to ruin the New Year’s mood for our family and friends, urging me to wait until tomorrow to tell them about my father.
I sighed, realizing that for now, the world would remain unaware of the tragedy that had befallen us.
When I finally arrived at the funeral home, my mother was already waiting, her face a mixture of exhaustion and grief.
As I approached, my phone vibrated in my hand. The message that popped up was from an unfamiliar number.
[So pathetic. Your dad died, and even your wife doesn’t care enough to visit. You’re absolutely useless as a son.]
I froze. The words hit harder than I could’ve imagined, the weight of them sinking deep into my chest. Another message quickly followed.
[Your mom was sobbing when she called for the ambulance. I couldn’t stop laughing when I answered the phone. She couldn’t even give the address right. Hahaha, serves you right!]
I stood there, stiff and numb, nearly losing my balance as the harshness of the messages hit me like a punch to the gut.
The moment I recalled the post Declan had made earlier on his social media, accusing someone of prank-calling emergency services, everything suddenly clicked into place.
A wave of fury surged through me, uncontrollable and all-consuming. Without thinking, I spun on my heel and sprinted back, ignoring the world around me.
My mother, of course, couldn’t keep up with me, but I didn’t care.
I tried calling Yvette repeatedly, but each time, the line went silent. I didn’t stop. I dialed again and again, my impatience building with each unanswered ring.
When I finally reached the spot where I had seen them before, I overheard Yvette and Declan talking, their voices filled with excitement.
"Good thing I didn’t lose my phone! Otherwise, all our fun photos from the outing would’ve been gone."
