Chapter 6
That was a damn good question.
No one could bring their first love home and then have the audacity to ask their wife if she still loved them-except Derek.
let out a long, exhausted sigh.
‘Derek, what the hell are you doing? Why are you asking me this?”
When I wanted emotional connection, you completely shut me out.
Now that I want money, you’re asking why I don’t want emotional connection.
telationships are basically about matching needs at the right time.
Derek and I were never on the same page.
looked at him with zero expression. “What about you, Derek? When have you ever loved me?”
We’ve been married two years. Except for our honeymoon phase, we say less than five words to each other daily. When I wanted to see you or act cute, I had to
ake appointments through your secretary to check if you had time.”
You’d leave for business trips without warning. I never knew where you were going, what you were doing, or who you were meeting. And if I wanted to have ex, I had to wait for Saturday because any other day might interfere with your cases.”
Derek, you might as well have tattooed ‘repaying a debt’ on your forehead. Now you want to talk about love? Ha! Tell me, what IS love?”
ly voice started breaking as I spoke, getting choked up.
was angry. I was bitter.
hat innocent, romance-obsessed version of me died at Derek’s hands.
echnically he didn’t do anything wrong-he just didn’t love me.
ut from another angle, I didn’t do anything wrong either. If he didn’t like me, why did he marry me?
cried while wiping tears from my face. Derek reached up and took my hand.
sadora, it’s not that I don’t have feelings for you…”
ist not love.
smiled bitterly and looked at him helplessly.
Derek, you’re so smart. How can you be so cruel to me?”
admit I was young and stupid, corrupting your soul with money. I know I was wrong now. Can we just let each other go?”
Nora’s back now. Let’s get divorced so you can pursue real love. I wish you happiness.”
aving a second chance at life, I could chase anything-just not love.
ut I hadn’t counted on Derek refusing to divorce me.
ot only would he not divorce me, he completely changed from his workaholic ways, turning down most of his cases and coming home every few days.
his was making me panic. At this rate, when would he ever make partner? I still wanted to get more marital assets.
couldn’t help calling Derek’s boss and best friend.
Marcus, you need to control your boy.”
farrus was evasive, acting like it wasn’t his problem.
How dare I control him? His temper’s been awful lately.”
“You don’t know, Isadora-ever since you started talking about divorce, he’s been scared shitless. Won’t take cases, won’t meet clients, won’t go on business trips. Ask him why and he says he’s afraid his wife will cause trouble.”
I was getting a massive headache. “Yell at him! What’s more important, people or money? He can’t throw away money just for people!”
“Besides, I don’t have that kind of power. He used to treat me like furniture-I’m not taking the blame for this.”
“Please, Marcus, put some pressure on him. If that doesn’t work, create opportunities for him and Nora to get back together, okay?”
There was silence on the other end, then Marcus’s hollow sigh.
“Isadora, I need to tell you something bad.”
“What?”
‘Derek heard everything you just said.”
…Starting from when?”
From when you said you don’t have that kind of power.”
Great. How much worse could things get?
was just a beautiful woman trying to escape marriage with everything intact.
prepared for a fight, but Derek didn’t come home from morning until night.
At ten PM, he finally pushed through the front door.
4
teeking of alcohol so badly I could barely keep my eyes open, I grudgingly helped him collapse onto the sofa.
Derek squinted and when he saw it was me, his eyes turned red.
Isadora Morrison!”
What.”
You don’t want me.”.
You’re all I got left, and you don’t even want me. That hurts.”
couldn’t help slapping him. “What are you sad about? You don’t even like me.”
Derek propped himself up, looking completely wronged. “I do like you.”
My heart skipped.
le added, “I like you. You’re pretty like a doll.”
le was seriously drunk, talking complete nonsense.
But Derek seemed like a faucet had been turned on, words pouring out nonstop. “Growing up, my family was dirt poor. Mom was always sick, in and out of
ospitals.”
Once she needed medicine that cost 132 dollars and I didn’t have it, so I went to ask my uncle for a loan. He said, ‘You’re like a curse-whatever family you go to gets bad luck. Look, you’re practically killing your own mother.””
From that day on, I felt like I was cursed, bringing bad luck to everyone around me. The more I cared about someone, the more I had to keep my distance.”
Until I met you… I went to this psychic who said I needed to stay away from you for three years. Once I hit my lucky streak, I could finally bring you good
fortune too.”
“So I waited and waited. We’re barely halfway through and you want to divorce me. That psychic was full of shit.”
Derek was sobbing uncontrollably.
Chapter 6
“Baby, I don’t believe in any of that crap anymore. Please don’t leave me.”
Chapter?
