He Dumped Me Before Deadline

He had no idea how right he was.

My voice stayed calm.

"I was kidding before. Meet me at the county courthouse tomorrow morning."

Calvin sounded surprised.

"That easy? Since when did you become so reasonable?"

"Don't want to? Forget it."

"Wait. You'd better not be pulling anything."

He agreed almost instantly.

***

At nine the next morning, we were standing in the hallway outside the county courthouse.

The family court office and county clerk's office were on the same floor, separated by nothing but a hallway.

Because I was one minute late, Calvin immediately snapped.

"Rhea, what now? So you were faking being sick yesterday too? People like you always stick around. You'll probably live to a hundred."

His friends looked just as smug.

They were all waiting for Calvin and Molly to get their license, holding confetti and ready to celebrate.

I almost laughed.

Back then, whenever Calvin and I made plans, he was never on time. He stood me up over and over, enjoying watching me wait around like an idiot.

Now I was one minute late, and he was already annoyed.

"Yeah, I did it on purpose. I changed my mind. For the third thing, carry me on your back into the family court office so we can finish the filing."

It wasn't even a hundred yards from here.

Calvin narrowed his eyes at me. "That's it?"

Molly rushed over like I'd committed some unforgivable crime.

"Calvin's the CEO. How can you treat him like a servant and make him carry you? So what if the divorce isn't finalized today? I'll wait for Calvin forever!"

The others immediately frowned.

"Rhea, seriously? That's shameless. You're doing this on purpose. You just don't want the divorce finalized."

I smirked and waited.

Calvin finally spoke. "Fine. But if you pull anything in there, I'll make your life hell."

He stepped in front of me.

I climbed onto his back without hesitation.

A quiet sound escaped him.

He must have felt it immediately.

I was too light.

Alarmingly light.

I used to be fearless. I loved racing, mountain climbing, anything with adrenaline. I used to be strong.

He asked, "Have you been starving yourself?"

I answered flatly, "You and Molly make me too sick to eat."

His expression hardened. "Enough."

Back when we got married, ten bodyguards had dragged him into the county clerk's office in this same building and forced him to sign the marriage paperwork. He'd looked disgusted the whole time.

Now, in the same courthouse, he walked toward the family court office with steady steps, determined to end our marriage.

In a daze, I thought back to when I was seventeen.

Calvin had gotten caught in an avalanche during a ski trip.

I ran into the snow without thinking. I screamed his name until my throat felt shredded before I finally found him.

Snow blindness had blurred his vision, and he'd slammed his leg against a rock. He couldn't even stand.

I half-carried, half-dragged him down the mountain for a day and a night.

I even cut my wrist and fed him my blood so he'd have the strength to keep going.

Half-conscious, his hot tears soaked into my neck.

"You're so good to me. I'll marry you!"

I laughed and told him he better not break that promise.

By the time we made it down the mountain, I should've died from hypothermia.

That was when the System attached itself to me.

It told me our love was extraordinary. If I stayed married to Calvin for seven years, it'd give me health and a long life.

I agreed without hesitation.

Secretly, I was thrilled.

It felt like a gift.

Of course we'd be happy.

But when I woke up, I saw him confessing to Molly in front of the entire school.

He said he'd marry her.

I was the one who saved him.

What I got in return was his endless gratitude toward Molly.

I tried to explain.

He didn't believe me.

"The person who saved me was gentle. Like an angel. You're rough and bossy. How could it possibly be you?"

Snapping out of my thoughts, I leaned close to his ear. "We're even now."

He stopped.

"What did you say?"