Goodbye Losers, Hello Freedom

The moment Damian saw Waverly lunge toward the window, he rushed forward and grabbed her, holding her tightly as she sobbed uncontrollably. He whispered reassurances to her while she clung to him like a lifeline.

Simon slammed his hand on the desk, his face twisted with irritation. "You two have no shame at all! This is a workplace! Look around—everyone here is watching! Do you realize how ridiculous you both look right now?"

He turned toward me with a softer expression and said, "Maisie, go home and get some rest. I promise I'll handle this situation."

I gave him a nod, turned around, and left without a second thought.

As I walked away, I heard footsteps behind me. Damian was trying to catch up, his hand reaching for my arm.

However, before he could touch me, Waverly latched onto him, crying as she begged him not to leave her behind.

I did not stop or say anything. Instead, I walked straight home, grabbed my documents, and went to buy my plane ticket.

When I returned, I spotted Damian marching furiously down the street, with Waverly trailing nervously behind him.

I did not care what had happened after I left the office, nor did I want to know. I stuffed the ticket into my coat pocket, pretended not to see them, and made my way home.

Perhaps ten minutes later, I heard a commotion outside my door. I opened it to find Damian and Waverly standing there, along with a pile of random items scattered in the hallway.

Waverly's face was full of resentment, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Damian cleared his throat and spoke first. "Maisie, I got everything back. Can we... Can we forget about the divorce now?"

Before I could respond, Waverly burst out, voice sharp and shrill. "Maisie, you got your stuff back! I didn't take anything from you! Are you happy now?"

She turned to Damian, wiping away fake tears. "Fine! Don't worry about me or my kid anymore! We'll just starve, I guess!"

I crouched down and sifted through the pile they had brought back. There were broken appliances, worn-out clothes, and even a carton of eggs Damian had just bought for her two days ago.

I clapped my hands and laughed.

"Waverly, seriously? Damian spent five years helping you raise your kid. He paid for your food, your clothes, everything.

"Your late husband left you a pretty generous settlement, didn't he? I'm guessing you've been saving it all while living off my household.

"Starving? Yeah, I think you're exaggerating just a little."

The hallway was packed with curious neighbors, all craning their necks to watch the scene unfold. They had been waiting for the drama ever since I confronted Damian and Waverly at their workplace.

Damian's face turned beet red as he glanced around at the gawking crowd. "Waverly, enough! I helped you when you needed it, but stop making a spectacle of yourself. I might not care, but I'm embarrassed for you!"

Clara squeezed through the crowd and tried to calm the situation. "Maisie, dear, let it go. The more you fight, the harder it'll be for everyone. At the end of the day, you still have a marriage to protect."

I appreciated Clara's good intentions. People from her generation grew up believing that we should not air our dirty linen in public, but I did not care about appearances anymore.

I was done playing the dutiful wife, especially since I did nothing wrong. Soon, I would have nothing to do with Damian and Waverly, that shameless couple, anymore.

I squeezed her hand. "Clara, I've made up my mind. I'm divorcing him, no matter what. In five days, I'm leaving the country to study abroad. I've already bought my ticket."

I gestured toward the pile of junk in the hallway and added, "Look, if you see anything your grandson could use, go ahead and take it. I'll just sell the rest to a scrap collector."

Clara hesitated, glancing from me to Damian and back again. "Oh, I don't know... It feels a bit awkward."

I picked up a toy car from the pile and handed it to her. "Here, your grandson will love this. These clothes are unworn too. I'm pretty sure they'll fit him."

I held up the carton of eggs. "Take these eggs home and make him some breakfast."

Clara smiled gratefully and whispered, "Maisie, are you really leaving? I mean, won't that just give those two exactly what they want?"

I met her eyes and nodded. "I am, Clara. I've wasted enough time on Damian already. He never appreciated what I gave him, but with my education and my career, my country will appreciate me more than he ever did."

Clara could tell I was determined, eventually supporting my decision. As she turned to leave and passed Damian, she shook her head and muttered under her breath.

"You had a good woman and threw her away. What a damn shame."

Damian stood there, rooted to the floor, not daring to lift his head under the weight of the neighbors' judgmental stares.