After Divorce She Rose Again

The next day, I walked into the company and saw Marvin Robertson giving me an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, but the job offer has been withdrawn," he said.

I was taken aback. "Why?"

He hesitated, nervously gesturing towards a corner of the room. "Our company has just been bought out. The new CEO said we can't hire you."

Following his gaze, sunlight poured through the blinds, forming a golden halo around the man seated in the leather executive chair.

He was tall and dressed in a tailored suit. His smoke-gray trousers met black socks tucked neatly at his ankles. Slowly, the chair turned to face me.

A strong nose, thin lips, striking brow, and deep-set eyes made up his face. His only accessory was a wristwatch worth a fortune, unmistakably showcasing his wealth.

Suppressing his anger, he spoke in a low voice. "Thalia Hansen, haven't you had enough? Your daughter is waiting for you at home."

His eyes swept over the company's outdated walls and old water cooler, a mocking smile on his lips. "Do you really believe you can make six thousand dollars a month here? I'm busy; I don't have time for these distractions."

I looked up at the man I'd been involved with from the age of twenty into my thirties, suddenly finding the situation amusing.

I heard my own calm voice say, "Why should I return? To play nursemaid to your girlfriend while she's recovering?"

"Harvey, I'm not that desperate."

Harvey rubbed his temples. "How many times have I explained? I was drunk that night. I don’t remember anything."

The sharp sound of high heels echoed in the room. The door opened slightly, and a pair of nude high heels stepped in.

Alison Wright, dressed in a business suit, her smoke-gray skirt revealing long, pale legs. Her curls draped over her shoulders, and her slightly rounded belly was the only sign that she was expecting, her figure still elegant.

She placed a file on Harvey's desk and spoke softly. "Mr. Kelly, here is the acquisition contract for your review."

The words hit me like a punch, and I took a deep breath to fight back the bitterness, fixing him with a cold stare. "Nice touch you have there. Bringing your pregnant lover to meet your ex-wife."

Harvey frowned, annoyed. "Alison is different from you. She's my top assistant. Who else would I bring to an acquisition meeting?"

He raised his eyebrows, giving me a patronizing look. "Oh, I forgot, you never worked, so you wouldn’t understand these things."

Each word was like a slap.

My heart felt weighed down, as if a wet cloth were pressed against it, aching deeply.

At eighteen, I was a rising star, the top student in my class. A bright banner with my name hung at the school entrance, and everyone knew who I was.

The neighbors' smiles shone brightly. "Thalia from the Hansen family is destined to be a community leader!"

At twenty-two, I was the student body president. I spoke at a major conference in Vienna, delivering a speech confidently in English before thousands.

Walking down campus paths, I would hear, "Look, it's Thalia Hansen, she's amazing!"

Now at thirty-five, how did my life come to this?

Alison looked up, her fresh face and gentle voice directed at me. "Thalia, don’t hold it against Mr. Kelly. We both drank too much at the company’s holiday party."

"I intended to end the pregnancy, but Mrs. Richards found out. When she took me for a checkup and learned it was a boy, she insisted on keeping it."

She caressed her belly with a smile. "You know how Mrs. Richards has always wanted Harvey to have a son. You couldn’t give her one. For years, Mr. Kelly bore that pressure for you."

A wave of absurdity swept over me.

I clutched my throat, the pain stinging like saltwater, leaving a raw sensation.

The sheer absurdity made me laugh bitterly. "Why couldn’t I have more children? That woman knows better than anyone."

"I’ve said it before, Haisley is my only daughter. I will only ever have her."

"Do whatever you want." Harvey stood up, towering over me at six-foot-two, completely enveloping me in his shadow.

His face was as dark as the relentless rain outside the window.

"When you were twenty, it was called playful caprice. At thirty, it’s no longer appealing. It's foolish."

He pronounced each word deliberately. "Thalia, think it over carefully."