Chapter 5
Outside the civil affairs office.
I waited for Dean. From nine in the morning all the way until five in the afternoon.”
He never showed.
Honestly, I thought he’d storm in the moment he saw my text–maybe with some gorgeous new girlfriend on his arm, ready to end things with maximum drama. Instead, all I got was an empty day and a wasted personal leave.
Whatever. After two years of living apart, I can file for divorce on my own. Maybe staying “married” for now, keeping up the image of a happy little family, isn’t the worst thing–at least it helps my case for promotions at work.
I didn’t reach out to Dean again. I just posted a few vague, moody updates online–set so only he and his crew of party friends could see.
The night before I was set to leave the city, one of Dean’s friends messaged me.”
[“Marian, you and Dean are just from different worlds.“]
I didn’t bother pointing out he got my name wrong.
Then he sent me a video.
In it, Dean lounged on a sofa, one hand wrapped around a bottle of whiskey. The amber liquid spilled down his neck, soaking into his shirt, leaving a trail that was way more suggestive than it should’ve been. On both sides of him, women–drop–dead gorgeous, the kind people stare at on the street–leaned in close.
Whoever filmed it clearly wanted me to see how “carefree” Dean was now.”
Just then, someone in the background called out:
“Erica’s back in town! She came home last week!“}
Dean didn’t even blink. But i know him too well–I noticed his grip on the bottle tightening, his knuckles going white.
So that’s it.
Dean didn’t rush home to make up for missing our anniversary. He wanted to be here for her.
Erica.
A name straight out of a romance novel. Dean’s ex–the one who left for a new life overseas. The one he once swore he’d marry. The only woman who ever made him want to settle down.
The video was pretty shaky, but in the last half–minute, the real “leading lady” appeared. She walked in, all eyes on her, and even the crowd fell silent. Without hesitating, she walked straight to Dean.”
The video cut off.
i hesitated for a moment. Then I decided–I needed to see this for myself.
Outside the club.2
Finding Dean’s car was easy. Audi RS7–he always did like to show off.”
I got there just in time to see him step out for a smoke. He leaned against the car, long legs crossed, hair tousled by the night breeze, his jawline sharp and perfect. Girls passing by couldn’t help but look. Not that Dean noticed any of them.
At least not until Erica came out.
She tried to smile, but it was awkward and a little desperate. “Dean, am I that easy to ignore? Not even a hello?”
Dean didn’t respond. He just took a drag from his cigarette, then snuffed it out as she got closer.
“I heard you got married,” she said, voice light but eyes searching. “To that girl who’s been chasing after you for years?”
“None of your business,” Dean shot back.!!
Erica didn’t back down. “Do you love her?”
Dean gave a short, cold laugh, but he didn’t answer.
The silence between them stretched out, heavy and sticky Erica just looked at him, really looked, like she was tracing every line of his face, committing him to memory. Dean just let her
Finally, Erica turned to go. Before she left, she said softly. “I’m not the type to regret things, but sometimes I can’t help wondering…”
“If f’d never left. Well Congratulations on your marriage.”
Her words were almost swallowed up by the noise of the city, but I could tell–Dean heard every word.
Suddenly, he said, “I never loved hers
1 stopped recording.
I’d come here hoping to get some kind of leverage, something to speed up the divorce. Turns out I was just fooling myself. Dean wasn’t avoiding me because he cared–he just never saw my messages. He was too busy partying.
A breeze drifted by, carrying the faint scent of Dean’s cologne. Only then did I realize my eyes were wet i
Three years of chasing. One year of getting what I thought I wanted a
I used to imagine Dean and I growing old together i used to think that when we were both wrinkled and grey, no one would say we didn’t match anymore.
There were good moments this past year–grocery shopping together, watching TV Okay, maybe nothing special. But to say I didn’t care about Dean would be a lie!
People like me–plain, boring people we always end up getting hurt.”
Chapter 5
But at least I never fell too deep.
Hands shoved in my pockets, I walked away, lighter with every step. Behind me, a pair of lovers reunited, kissing like no one else existed.>>
That night, I left the divorce papers on the table and caught my flight out of town.
