I stood by Liam from the days when he had nothing until he finally had everything. And yet, six months into our marriage, I was the one asking for a divorce. Lily, the girl I had been sponsoring, cried and swore she would cut off all contact with him. Liam did not try to stop me. He only sat there in silence, his thumb moving back and forth over the divorce papers, before he said quietly, “Lily reminds me of the way you used to be.” “Back then, I had nothing. I couldn’t give you the best. Now, whenever I see her, it’s like seeing you back then. I just wanted to make up for everything you went through with me.” So taking Lily to eat hot dogs from street carts, carrying her bags through the mall like a free porter, bringing her to Sedona to make wishes, spending a fortune at an auction to win her the “Moonlight Heart” diamond ring, staying up all night to keep her company – all of that was compensation. Compensation meant for me, handed to someone else. I did not want Liam anymore, either. …… I laughed and gave him a faint, mocking smile. “Liam, am I dead?” I was alive and standing right in front of him. What gave him the right to give my compensation to someone else? Liam said nothing. His mouth tightened as he watched me in silence. Lily went even paler, her legs nearly giving out beneath her. In the past, this would have sent me into hysterics. I would have screamed at him for being so emotionally detached. I would have hated how calm he always stayed, as if no matter what happened, he could never be the one at fault. But today, I only laughed softly. I uncapped the pen and tossed it in front of him. “Sign it. I’m only asking for half. That’s fair.” Ink splattered across his hand. Maybe I imagined it, but Liam’s fingers seemed to tremble for an instant. He picked up the pen. This time, his hand shook harder. He tried several times, but he could not bring himself to write his name. Finally, the pen struck the table with a sharp crack. “Ava, it’s really not what you think. You’ve misunderstood us.” “You can’t just throw away our marriage like this. I won’t agree to it.” Lily seemed to snap back to herself then. Tears welled in her eyes. She stumbled toward me, clutched the hem of my dress, and begged, “Ava, Liam and I really don’t have anything going on. He only treats me like a sister, like a younger version of you he wants to make things up to.” “Please don’t fight because of me. I’ll leave. I’ll leave right now. Just don’t be angry anymore.” I sighed. It was the same thing I had already said. Was I dead? Since I was not dead, why was my compensation being spent on someone else? “Lily is a girl you sponsor,” Liam said. “Are you seriously jealous of her?” “If I wanted another woman like you, why wouldn’t I just get a mistress?” By the last sentence, irritation had crept into his voice. “Isn’t that exactly what she is?” I asked, too exhausted to argue. No husband bought another girl a diamond ring. No husband stayed up all night talking to another girl. Once or twice could be called looking after someone. But twenty times in a single month? And he still expected me to call that innocent? I used to think I was being oversensitive. Now I realized I had been too slow. Too stupid. “Ava! You’ve lost your mind!” Liam rounded on me, furious. “She’s nineteen. She just started college. Do you have any idea what an accusation like that could do to her?” “She’s not like you. She didn’t go straight to work after high school. Are you trying to destroy her future?” Three questions, each one heavier than the last. Liam did not even realize how much he cared about Lily. My eyes burned. The tears would not stay back. He was right. I was not like Lily. I had started working early for him. I had woken before dawn and collapsed after dark for him. I had turned down an offer from a top university for him. He could forget all of that. But what right did he have to use it to hurt me? I tilted my head back and wiped my tears away roughly. It took everything I had to get the words out. “If that’s how you feel, then sign.” “Liam, let’s end this cleanly.”
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