What had I done? Why should I apologize? A crushing sense of absurdity spread through my chest.
"Why should I?" I asked in a hoarse voice. By the time the words left my mouth, they were trembling uncontrollably.
Quinn grew even angrier. Just as she was about to say something, her phone suddenly rang.
"What? The baby's crying? We're coming back now."
After hanging up, she shot me a vicious glare, as though I were some terrible criminal. She said, "Reflect on what you've done. When you're ready to apologize, then you can contact me."
With that, she helped Chester up and hurried away.
I stood there in a daze, watching their intimate figures disappear into the distance, my gaze filled with sorrow.
I took a step forward, wanting to go home. But then I froze in my tracks, suddenly remembering that the house had already been sold, and every penny had gone to Quinn.
I didn't even have a home to return to.
Just then, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Quinn. "Nick, it's Chester. Quinn was worried you wouldn't have anywhere to stay, so she asked me to send you some money."
Quinn had never allowed anyone else to touch her phone. Chester was the exception.
I stared at the transfer notice of 2.5 dollars on my screen. The mockery couldn't have been more obvious.
My fingers trembled as I clicked "decline" and slowly typed a reply. "No need. Keep it for yourself. It suits you better anyway."
The next second, my phone rang. It was Quinn.
For a moment, I was stunned. For the past few days that I'd been working away from home, she had never once called me. As far as I could remember, this was the first time.
As soon as I answered, a torrent of abuse poured through the speaker. "Nicholas, what the hell is wrong with you? C was worried about you and tried to show some kindness, and this is how you treat him? Did your parents die before they could teach you basic manners?"
My parents' deaths had always been the deepest wound in my heart. Quinn knew that better than anyone.
Before I could even respond, she had already hung up without hesitation.
The only reason Quinn had called was to stand up for Chester. A bitter feeling I couldn't describe rose from the depths of my chest and lodged itself in my throat.
I didn't know how long I stood there afterward. Eventually, I clenched my fists and forced myself to leave.
When I appeared outside the law firm, my friend, Arnold Simmons, looked shocked. "What are you doing here?"
Then, he seemed to realize something and punched me with a frown. "What? Your wife finally gave you permission to come see me?"
A bitter smile tugged at my lips.
Not long after I married Quinn, she deleted every woman's number from my contacts list, saying she felt insecure. A while later, she deleted all the men's too, claiming only that would put her at ease.
Of course, I had objected. But when I saw her tear-filled eyes, I eventually gave in. From that day on, Quinn became the only person left in my world.
After I told Arnold everything, he stood there silently for a long time before finally letting out a sigh. "So, what does love turn into in the end?"
Betrayal. Impatience. Deception. Hurt…
With nowhere else to go, I followed Arnold home. During the journey, I finally made up my mind.
When we stepped inside his house, I said resolutely, "I need one more favor from you. I want a divorce. Help me draft the divorce agreement."
