After Divorce, No Longer Waiting for Him

Chapter 2

The moment my daughter died, any trace of warmth I had left for Tom vanished.

But Tom, as always, thought I was just being emotional.

"Amber, what game are you playing this time? It was just a birthday, nothing serious. But River's dog got hurt. She was freaking out, I couldn't just leave her like that."

Just a birthday. Nothing serious.

He'd said things like that so many times whenever it involved our daughter.

He never cared about her. Not once.

Sometimes, I wondered if he outright hated the child who shared my blood.

She wasn't planned. Years ago, after a drunken one-night stand, I found out I was pregnant.

River had just broken up with Tom and moved abroad. He'd gone drinking to numb the pain, and that's when I met him.

I had secretly admired him for so long… and that night, I didn't push him away.

I went back to finishing my thesis after that and completely forgot to take the morning-after pill. By the time I realized, I was already three months along.

My mother, money-hungry and deep in debt, found out I was carrying a powerful man's child and immediately pushed for a marriage. I was stunned when Tom agreed. Even more stunned when he gave me a grand wedding.

For a while, it felt like the happiest time of my life.

But later, I learned the truth: he only married me to spite River. If I hadn't shown up when I did, they would've gotten back together.

Then our daughter was born, with hemophilia. The smallest injury could kill her. She needed constant care, attention, and money.

The only thing tying Tom to me was a marriage contract.

And he hated every second of it. He never said it outright, but I could see it. In the way he looked at her. At me. Like we were mistakes he couldn't shake off.

But what could I do? I had to pretend I didn't notice. I had to swallow it all, his indifference, his disappearing acts, his endless loyalty to River.

I let her insult me, humiliate me, treat me like trash… because I thought if I could just hold on, if I endured long enough, maybe… maybe he'd change.

But I was wrong. My patience only gave them room to hurt me more.

I'd had enough.

"You can do whatever you want. It has nothing to do with me anymore."

I looked at him, cold and distant, then grabbed my luggage and turned toward the door.

That's when he seemed to realize something.

"You haven't called me these past few days. Is… is our daughter mad about what happened? I can explain."

Mad?

She never even dared to be upset with him. All she ever wanted was a little love, a little time, a smile from her dad.

If he had even glanced in her direction these past few days, he'd know how ridiculous that question was.

"No need," I said, and without another word, I walked away.

Maybe it was because I'd always been quiet, always eager to please, always soft and accommodating, but this time, my coldness caught him off guard.

He reached out like he wanted to stop me, but River stepped in, grabbing his arm.

"Tom, this isn't your fault. She seduced you that night, forced you into marriage, and now she's using that poor kid, pretending she's sick, just to manipulate you."

I don't know where the strength came from, but I walked straight up to River and slapped her.

Hard.

She staggered backward, stunned.

"Ah! Tom, she hit me!" she cried, clutching her cheek like I'd broken something.

I didn't look back. Not once.