"You… you mean it? No tricks?"
"Tomorrow morning, nine o'clock. The county clerk's office. I'll see you out front."
My voice was level.
"Under property division, spell it out clearly: I'm giving up the house of my own free will, and I won't dispute it."
Beside him, Rachel's voice was so excited it shook. "Sabina! You're such a good person!"
"Julian, hurry up and print the agreement, before she changes her mind tomorrow!"
I laughed, cold.
"Don't worry, I won't go back on it. Whoever doesn't show tomorrow is a coward."
I hung up and dragged the suitcase out from under the bed.
Documents, laptop, a change of clothes. I packed them in.
Julian's things in that apartment, I didn't so much as touch.
They felt filthy.
The next day, outside the county clerk's office.
Julian and Rachel were already there waiting, early.
Rachel wore a loose maternity dress, one hand carefully cradling the small swell of her belly.
A smile on her face.
Julian had those few sheets of paper clamped in a death grip.
The moment he saw me coming, he rushed over.
"Sabina, I've got the agreement printed. Take a look. If there's no problem, just sign."
I took it. Brutal, really.
Not only did he get the house, he didn't leave me a single thing—not the car, not one appliance.
He'd even added a line: the wife voluntarily assumes the joint debts incurred during the marriage.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Joint debt? Since when do we have joint debt?"
His eyes darted away for a second.
He forced himself calm.
"It's… it's the credit card we ran up buying furniture for the place before."
"You make good money anyway. That kind of money's nothing to you."
Rachel came over and tried, all warmth, to loop her arm through mine.
I turned aside and dodged it.
She wasn't embarrassed at all. She just smiled, eyes crinkling.
"Sabina, Julian's got me and the baby to support now. The pressure's just too much."
"Think of it as helping us out."
"Once the buyout settlement comes through, I'll pay you back double!"
I looked at her face and choked down the disgust.
"Fine. I'll sign."
I clicked the pen open and signed my name in two quick strokes.
Julian stared at the signature on the agreement and let out a long breath.
"Sabina, smart of you to know your place."
"From here on out, you go your way, I'll go mine."
"And don't be eyeing Rachel's buyout settlement. That's for the baby."
I tucked away my copy of the agreement.
Looked at him, cold.
"Don't worry. I won't be eyeing a cent of it."
"Here's wishing you two a long happy life together, and a child soon."
With that, I turned and walked off.
Behind me came Rachel's voice.
"Julian, we finally have a home of our own!"
"The baby can run around in a big house from now on!"
I listened to it.
And let out a cold laugh.
A big house?
I hope the two of you live in that house in peace.
I dragged my suitcase straight to an apartment near the office.
I lay down on the bed and slept peacefully, a good night's sleep.
The next day, the moment I opened my phone,
a post from Rachel turned up in my feed.
The photo was Julian from behind, in an apron, cooking in the kitchen.
【A love where both run toward each other—looking forward to our new home and our baby. Thanks to certain people for letting go, so I could meet the right one.】
Underneath, nothing but likes and comments from mutual friends.
I opened the group chat with our mutual friends.
It had already blown up.
Julian was in there pouring out his sob story to anyone who'd listen.
"Guys, I'm finally free."
"That woman, Sabina—she had to control everything."
"She'd check the books even when I bought a pack of cigarettes. The woman's a vampire!"
