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Chapter 5
Over the next few days, Lionel didn't bother to come home once. Honestly, I felt a strange sense of relief. With the praise from my boss, I got promoted to team leader and saw my salary increase, which made life a little easier. I hired a lawyer and had a divorce agreement drafted, just waiting for Lionel to come back and sign it.
To celebrate the bonus, I treated myself to a few new dresses. The woman in the mirror still looked a little pale, but that was just the lighting. Still, Lionel was nowhere to be found. I wasn't about to waste any more time waiting around, so I took the initiative to reach out to him.
We met at a coffee shop. He was dressed casually, but there was no missing the expensive watch on his wrist. Maybe now that I knew about the salary he'd been hiding, he couldn't be bothered to pretend anymore.
"You here?" he asked, pushing a cup of coffee toward me. His eyes lit up as he looked at me, a mix of greed and something almost nostalgic. He smiled, the sun catching his features, making him look like the charming young man I had once married.
"Wife, you look good all dressed up. You know, I was wrong. I got a little hot-headed that day, but you were really too harsh. I can give you $699 a month for living expenses from now on, and you won't even have to work anymore." He said it so matter-of-factly, like I should be grateful.
I took a breath, pulled out the divorce papers from my bag, and slid them across the table. "No need. I'm here for the divorce."
His smile vanished in an instant. He grabbed the papers with a frown.
"Emma, do you really have to be this ungrateful?"
I took a sip of coffee, unfazed.
He skimmed through the papers, his expression changing when he saw that the house and car were mine now, and that he owed me additional money. The mood shifted, and he slammed the papers on the table, his face twisted with sarcasm.
"Emma, you're just after money, aren't you? We'll divorce, but you're not getting a single cent. I've been supporting you all these years with $1,119 a month, and now you want to take my house too? Dream on!"
I snorted. "Lionel, have you forgotten? We bought that house together. We paid the mortgage together. And you used our shared money to buy a house for your mistress. If anything, you should be spitting out what you owe me."
"Don't bring up Elaine all the time!" His voice rose, his face reddening. "Elaine is our friend. You can't be so cruel and leave her homeless."
I was done pretending to care. "Elaine has a family. What does it have to do with me if she's homeless?" I shot him a look. "You're so generous. Maybe you should start buying houses for everyone in the world who's down on their luck. You and Elaine really make a perfect match. Why don't you just get married already?"
His hand tightened around the coffee cup, his knuckles turning white. "Emma, forget it! I'm not signing! I've told you before, I'm just helping her out because of our old relationship, "
I stopped him. "I don't have time for your excuses." I stood up, gathering my things. "If you don't want to sign, I'll sue you. We're getting divorced either way."
Just as I was leaving, I got a call from Lionel's mother.
"Emma, come over. Your dad fell. Lionel is busy with work and doesn't have time. Can you come take care of him for a few months?"
I almost laughed. "Busy with work?" He could always make time to hang out with Elaine, but not to help his own mother? Or was hiring a nurse too expensive on his salary of $4,197 a month? They probably thought my job was useless, and I was just free labor.
I agreed to go over, not wanting to give them a reason to complain. My mother-in-law hung up proudly.
I bought a box of supplements and drove over to their place. Sure enough, my father-in-law was lying in bed watching TV, while my mother-in-law was sitting beside him, cracking melon seeds.
When she saw me, she barely looked up from her snacks. "Emma, go get your dad a glass of water and cook dinner. Oh, and the guest room is a mess. You can clean it up and stay here for a few months."
The kitchen was a disaster, dirty pots and pans piled high, and the dining table looked like a tornado had hit it. I walked into the guest room to find it even worse, clothes and miscellaneous items scattered everywhere. "Messy" didn't even begin to cover it.
I gave them a glass of water and then plopped down on the couch, ordering takeout. I pulled out my phone and started scrolling.
When the food arrived, I called my mother-in-law to eat.
"Why's it so late? I'm starving," she grumbled, stretching lazily before heading to the kitchen.
I looked at her as she went off to complain about everything. "You ordered takeout for your dad while he's sick? No wonder Lionel says you're a spendthrift," she added, shooting a glare at me. "Do you know how hard it is for my son to make money? How much did that takeout cost?"
Yeah, it's tough for him, but apparently not tough enough to spend on me. I spent my own money to buy you food, and this is what I get?
"Mom, Dad's injury is to his leg, not his stomach. And honestly, the food I make isn't as good as takeout anyway. Eat up. I've got to go after this, work stuff."
Her face turned beet red with anger. "You're leaving? I told you to stay and take care of him for a few months. Didn't you hear me? You're such an ungrateful daughter-in-law!"
"Ungrateful? I've taken care of you both for years," I said, trying to stay calm. "I've been there whenever you needed me. Cooking, cleaning, even taking care of the house, everything. But now, I'm done."
She huffed, but I wasn't finished.
"My job is important too. I've been covering for Lionel, making sure no one thinks he's an ungrateful son. I've done my part."
She scoffed, "Your job doesn't compare to Lionel's. He makes $4,197 a month. How can you compare?"
"Funny," I said. "How much of that does he spend on me? Zero."
She threw her hands up in frustration. "You waste money, and now you're just abandoning us. How typical."
I didn't even have to respond. Their expectations were the last thing I was going to cater to.