End of Twenty-Year Marriage

The curtain lifted, and Jemma Gomez walked in holding Eiden's hand. Under the dim lighting, I got my first real look at this young woman. Her long hair flowed down her back, and she wore a trendy spaghetti-strap dress—something I never dared to try, even when I was younger. Her bold fashion sense exuded a youthful energy.

In contrast, I was a mess, still recovering from stomach pains that had me doubled over just minutes before. Kevin Sanchez often mentioned he liked intellectual women, claiming my eloquence matured like a fine wine. Yet here he was, captivated by a young, pretty girl.

Jemma stumbled slightly over a pair of loafers by the door and nearly fell. Kevin rushed to catch her, letting me fall back onto the bed as my support vanished. The pills scattered on the floor—he had tossed them aside to free his hands for her.

Jemma gave me an apologetic smile. "Ma'am, Mr. Sanchez mentioned that matter to you, right?"

"We didn't mean to bother you so late, but it's urgent because it concerns Eiden."

I stared blankly at Kevin. Talk about what? Wasn't he here to bring me my medication?

"It's really not a big deal; we're just talking about transferring Eiden's school enrollment to me first, and then using your marital status to officially transfer it under your name," she explained. "Eiden's about to start school, and you own an apartment in the best school district here. Since you love living there, it would be ideal for looking after Eiden."

I was trembling all over, staring incredulously at Kevin as he struggled to find the right words. That apartment was a legacy from my late mother—a place that sheltered us through our toughest times, a home where I dreamed I'd return in my later years. Yet now, he wanted a child who had broken my heart to live there and expected me to take care of him!

I gasped for air; the stomach pain was nothing compared to the ache in my heart.

“Absolutely not. That's my place! Even if I were to give it away, I wouldn't let an outsider's child stay there…”

Before I could finish, Kevin cut me off sharply, “Don't talk like that in front of a child!”

He covered Eiden’s ears and glanced anxiously at Jemma. Jemma’s face turned pale, and with tears in her eyes, she looked at Kevin. “Mr. Sanchez, you didn’t tell her about this when you left to take that call, did you? You lied, saying she agreed just to see her reaction, didn’t you?”

“Eiden is the child I had through IVF, after so many treatments to stabilize the pregnancy. I won’t let him suffer any indignities. Mr. Sanchez, maybe you should stay, and Eiden and I will leave the country.”

She broke down in sobs. Kevin held her tenderly, “You carried our child for nine months. How could I abandon you and Eiden like that?”

“If she won’t accommodate Eiden's education, then I’ll buy a new place in the school district and put both your names on it. This city is your hometown; you shouldn't be the one to leave!”

I blinked, my heart sinking as if weighed down by a heavy stone. Kevin wouldn't let Jemma leave the city; clearly, I was the one who needed to go.

As I showed them to the door, I handed Kevin the divorce papers. “Let’s not see each other again. Just sign these and mail them to me.”

Kevin’s eyes widened, and he grabbed my wrist forcefully, “Stop joking. At our age, hardly anyone gets divorced anymore.”

“But it’s not unheard of, is it?”

He was visibly upset. “Think about how our students will see us, how our colleagues at the university will perceive us. We share an office, for heaven’s sake.”

“That’s your problem,” I replied, sharply pulling away and walking off.

In our youth, we defied external pressures to choose a child-free life, and now, worried about others' opinions, I tolerated a loveless marriage. Isn't that absurd?

We had been married for twenty years, colleagues for as long. We started with nothing, working odd jobs in a foreign land. Through it all, we never complained. We pursued further education together, became professors, and never parted ways.

Somewhere along the line, despite being together every day, we ran out of things to say to each other. No matter how hard I tried to return to what we once were, it was all in vain.