Business at the dessert shop was booming.
On the last day of the mandatory waiting period for the divorce, David came to find me, with Leo in tow.
It happened to be Children’s Day.
1045
Chapter 2
10:45
To attract customers, I was doing a live demonstration, recreating the Spider–Man I had made for Leo’s birthday out of fondant.
Sadie was working the crowd. More and more children gathered around.
“Wow! You’re amazing, lady!” they exclaimed.
“It’s miss, actually,” I corrected them with a smile, my voice muffled by my clear mask.
The kids were enthusiastic. “Miss! Can you make Queen Elsa?”
“Of course! And we have a special today…” I smoothly transitioned into pitching the day’s deals to the parents.
The crowd grew larger.
I handed out cookies and flyers.
And then I saw him.
Leo.
David was holding his hand, standing just outside the crowd.
www
He had lost weight in the month I’d been gone. His eyes were wide and watery, his expression wounded as he stared at me.
1 had one cookie left on my tray, a little teddy bear.
A quiet, well–behaved little girl was
standing right in front of Leo.
I handed the cookie to her.
VAS
vx
no
www
N
“Thank you, miss!” she said sweetly.
Leo saw the empty tray, and his face turned beet red. “That’s my bear cookie! Mine!”
17
After I had asked David for a divorce, I would still, pathetically, find myself missing Leo.
To keep myself from falling back into old patterns, I would engage in a form of self–torture. I would open Rosalie’s Instagram.
And I would screenshot every single post she made about David and Leo.
Including the provocative DMs she sent me-
[It’s not like I’m trying to steal your husband and son. They’re the ones who don’t want you.]
[See? Leo just called me Mommy. Looks like the real mom isn’t very popular.]
Every time my resolve weakened, I would unlock my phone and put myself through this desensitization therapy.
It’s okay. The people who don’t love me, I don’t want them either.
I gave the intricately carved Spider–Man to the family that had bought the most desserts.
From the edge of the crowd, Leo began to wail. “That’s mine! Daddy! That’s my Spider–Man!”
The commotion drew stares.
David’s handsome face darkened. “Elara, are you going to do something about this?”
I walked over to Leo. His shoulders were shaking with sobs, as if his most precious possession had been stolen.
10.45
Chapter 2
How ridiculous.
When I had served it to him on a silver platter, he had treated it like trash.
Now that it was truly gone, he cherished it.
Is this kind of pathetic possessiveness just ingrained in men from birth?
I bent down, looking at the son for whom I had so often relented, so often softened, only to be wounded in return.
10:45
I asked him, “Leo, I made you the exact same Spider–Man once. You were the one who didn’t want it. What are you crying about now?”
18
David had brought Leo here to discuss the divorce.
“Are you sure you won’t reconsider?”
There’s nothing to reconsider.”
I tapped my phone, the screen lighting up and then going dark.
Leo was eating dessert with Sadie, occasionally casting a pitiful glance
ally use
in my
direction.
David was silent for
a
long moment. “Is this because of your
ister?
THAN THE T
didn’t answer.
He rubbed his forehead. “I really don’t think you need to worry. First, she’s your sister. I would never cross that line. I have some self -respect. Second, Rosalie is terrible at taking care of Leo. She has no idea how to raise a child. Are you really willing to leave Leo…”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. His voice grew husky as he stared at me. “Are you really willing to leave Leo–and me–to someone else?”
19
I didn’t speak.
My finger tapped the screen.
It lit up. Went dark.
Lit up again.
David, receiving no answer and infuriated by my dismissive attitude, snatched my phone from my hand. “Elara, even if you’re serio- us about this divorce, we could at least part on good terms! Your son and I are here, practically begging you, and what are you doing? What’s so interesting on your phone?”
He glanced down at the screen, and then he fell silent.
It was all there. All the proof of his and Leo’s disrespect, their neglect, and their smug satisfaction in it all.
His anger was like a fire doused with water, leaving behind nothing but ashes.
He stood there, covered in the grey dust of his own making, and pleaded with me. “Leo and I can’t live without you. We can change. Can’t you just… not divorce me?”
20
“No.” I met his pleading gaze and looked at him calmly. “David, I was a little slow to answer your question, and you got this angry. Have you ever stopped to think about how much pain I must have been in, all those times I was hysterical?”
1045
Chapter 2
10.46
“You and Leo… you don’t actually love me. You just can’t bear to lose a live–in maid who dedicates her entire existence to you. Oth- erwise, tell me, to this day, has either of you ever apologized for that slap on Leo’s birthday?”
David’s jaw worked. “It was just a joke.”
Rage boiled in my chest.
Finally, I gave up trying to communicate with him altogether.
I raised my hand and slapped him, hard.
His head snapped to the side. I had used all my strength. My own hand was numb and stinging from the impact.
Seeing the red handprint rapidly rising on his face, I let out a sharp, cleansing breath. “I’m just joking with you, David. Is it funny?”
21
+
My marriage to David did not survive.
The day we left the courthouse, it was pouring rain.
David stood beside me, holding an umbrella. “It’s not too late to change your mind.”
Mition
His gaze was fixed on Rosalie, who was holding Leo’s hand a short distance away. The look on her face was a mixture of triumph and provocation.
Without hesitation, I stepped out from under the umbrella and into the rain. “David, if I didn’t have the ability Ila, I stil! wouldn’t place my hopes in someone else. Especially not a man.”
to
hold my own umbre-
David’s eyebrow shot up.
The next second, several sports cars screeched to a halt beside us.
The doors flew open. Sadie and the girls from the shop jumped out, unfurling a banner in a practiced, orderly fashion. Confetti pop- pers exploded.
They shouted in unison, “A WOMAN INDEPENDENT IS A WOMAN RADIANT! CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BEAUTIFUL ELARA ON ESCAPING HELL AND RECLAIMING HER THRONE!”
In the pouring rain, they embraced me in a joyous, fierce hug.
Sadie’s six–year–old nephew presented me with a bouquet of sunflowers. “Auntie Elara, there are millions of men in the world. This one sucks, so we’ll just find another one!”
We all burst into laughter.
Sadie picked up a confetti popper and deliberately aimed it in David and Rosalie’s direction, setting it off.
They scrambled to shield themselves, completely forgetting about Leo.
He was knocked to the ground, scraping his palm. He looked at me, his eyes welling up with tears.
But I would never give him a response again.
I took the little nephew’s hand.
Sadie, having had her fun, tossed the empty popper aside, covered her nephew’s ears, and shot a cold sneer at David. “Congratulat- ions to our baby Elara! She’s finally divorced this loser!”
22
