"You don’t care about me anymore! After having the baby, you stopped caring about me. You just play games when you get home, and you don’t even get up. You’ve never once changed her diaper!"
Ginny's voice was shaking with anger.
"Do you even know how painful it is when your milk comes in? Look it up if you don't believe me! And Hannah's my best friend. She doesn't have enough milk, so I help her feed her baby. What's wrong with that?"
The room was buzzing with outrage, voices cutting in one after another.
"Easton, you're failing as a husband."
"Luckily, my man takes care of me. When I had our baby, he treated me with nothing but tenderness."
Annoyed by their meddling, I let out a cold smile. "You're nothing but outsiders. You don't know half of what's gone on, yet you think you can sit there and pass judgment on me?"
I turned to Ginny. "Come to the courthouse tomorrow. I'll be waiting."
I started for the door, but then Hannah suddenly grabbed my arm.
"You animal!" she yelled, "You want a divorce over something so small? Go to hell!"
Before I could react, she swung a punch at me. It landed squarely, and pain shot through my face. Blood rushed from my nose.
Her husband, Alex Stafford, stepped forward, ready to throw his own punch.
"Stop!" Ginny cried, rushing to pull them back.
She quickly wiped the blood from my face, her eyes filled with worry.
"Honey, please. Look at our daughter. She's only a few months old. How can you just abandon us now?"
In her arms, our baby giggled and reached toward me, her little smile impossibly sweet.
For a brief moment, my chest tightened.
But I forced myself to sigh, to stay calm. "Let's just get divorced."
"You must have someone else outside," Hannah snapped, still straining against Alex's grip. "Alex, don't hold me back. I'm going to kill him!"
Alex pulled her closer, holding her firmly. "Easton, listen. If you're really this upset about Ginny nursing my son, then fine. Hannah can bring him home, and we'll switch him to formula. We were already considering it, anyway. Why don't you and Ginny live your life in peace?"
The people around us nodded in agreement.
"Now that's how a man should handle things."
"If Hannah switches to formula, then Ginny can give her milk to you instead. Don't throw this marriage away."
"I heard Ginny helped you when your company was struggling, even bringing in clients. Where are you going to find another wife like her?"
Everyone tried to calm me down, pushing me toward reconciliation.
But I looked at Ginny, my face cold. "We really can't go on. Let's just end it."
The crowd erupted, shouting me down.
Some called me heartless, while others said I was throwing away a peaceful life.
Right there, Ginny, tears slipping down her face, looked fragile and pitiful.
"Honey, I promise I won't nurse her son anymore," she begged. "Please don't divorce me."
She stepped close, wrapping her soft arm around mine, her voice dropping to a whisper. "To make it up to you, I'll give you the extra milk, okay?"
Revulsion twisted in my gut.
I pushed her back and said in disgust, Can you stop pretending?"
Ginny fell hard to her knees, still clutching our daughter, desperate and pleading. "Easton, nursing Hannah's baby isn't some unforgivable sin. I'll stop, I promise. Please forgive me, just this once."
"No."
Her sobs broke into sharp cries, her words nearly lost in the sound. "You hate it when I say I'll change, but please, just forgive me this time!"
The onlookers shook with anger at my refusal.
"Ginny, don't waste yourself on him," someone shouted. "A man who is that petty and heartless isn't worth your love!"
At that moment, my father pushed his way through the crowd, his face grim.
"Easton, Ginny has done more for this family than anyone. When your company was on the brink of bankruptcy and your mother was in the hospital with her heart condition, it was Ginny who paid the bills. She's been nothing but good to us. If you dare divorce her, I'll disown you as my son!"
"Dad, don't get involved," I said, forcing a smile.
Then I turned back to Ginny. "I'll give you one chance. Tell me, why did you nurse Hannah's child?"
