I had gone to Alexia furious, demanding an explanation. After hearing her out, I believed her one more time. I even did what she asked and closed that ten-million-dollar deal.
But she broke her promise again and gave Caleb the diamond wedding ring she had promised to buy me. On top of that, she hid behind "what's best for the company" and tore into me for not being the bigger person.
Living like this was just pointless.
She thought I was joking about the divorce. What she didn't know was that the last time she gave the reward to Caleb, I had already tricked her into signing the divorce papers.
I was going to give her one more chance, for old times' sake. But she didn't appreciate it.
Fine. I didn't want a disloyal wife like her anyway.
After I hung up, Alexia didn't contact me again. Not even a single text.
I knew she was angry. She was giving me the silent treatment. She didn't come home that night, either.
I was used to this. Every time something didn't go her way, she protested by staying out all night.
In the past, I used to worry about her safety. I'd always cave first, reach out, apologize, and beg her to come back. She'd take the out, give me a little grace, and we'd move on.
But not this time. I didn't give in.
I saw the videos on Caleb's social media feed—them clinking glasses at a bar. I ignored it and went to bed, sleeping like a log.
When I woke up, I saw that Alexia had called me ninety-nine times. I ignored those too. I took the divorce papers and went straight to the courthouse. While I waited, I submitted my resignation.
"You may come around tomorrow to collect your divorce license, sir."
I said thank you and headed home.
I thought Alexia would stay away for days. But to my surprise, she was home. She had an apron on and was carrying plates of steaming food to the table. She greeted me like nothing had happened.
"You're back. Wash your hands and eat. I made all of this for you."
I looked her up and down, suspicious.
Alexia had a bad temper. Every time she got mad, she'd ice me out for ages. She also never cooked.
For her to suddenly make me a meal, I almost wondered if she'd put something in the food.
Just as I was thinking that, Caleb walked out of the bathroom. He saw the food on the table and lit up.
"Alexia, these are all my favorite dishes! I've never told you what I like. How did you know?"
Alexia put her hands on her hips, proud of herself.
"That's easy. You take more bites of the food you like. We've eaten together twice. I have a good memory—how could I forget?"
Listening to them joke around, I leaned over to look at the table.
I was allergic to seafood. And eight out of the ten dishes on that table had lobster in them.
She'd known Caleb for only three months, and she already had his eating habits memorized.
But we'd been married for seven years. Last month, I almost died from accidentally eating seafood and had to be rushed to the emergency room. She had completely forgotten.
Her memory was fine. It's just that things about me didn't matter to her.
Seeing that I wasn't saying anything, Alexia suddenly remembered I existed and handed me a set of cutlery.
I waved my hand. "Not hungry."
Caleb saw this and started apologizing in that pitiful voice of his.
"Elliot, did I do something wrong again? Did I make you mad? Whatever it is, just take it out on me. Don't let me come between you two."
Alexia had been trying to stay calm and make things right, but hearing that, she lost patience. She said a few words to soothe Caleb, then turned to me.
"If you're not hungry, then do me a favor. Caleb made a small mistake, and I need you to help him out. Just say you did it. Say it has nothing to do with him. He's young, and he's the talent our company is betting big on. We've poured too many resources into him. He can't afford to have a stain on his record."
