I Waited Until I Was Done

When it was almost time to get off work, I got a text message from Sandra. It was a booking notification from a local high-end restaurant.

I knew this was Sandra's way of making things up to me.

I tucked the freshly-printed divorce agreement into my briefcase and got ready to go to the restaurant.

The moment I stepped out of the office, I saw William in the distance. William was famously known as Sandra's trusty sidekick throughout the city. He was quite handsome too.

I watched as he entered Sandra's car before it sped off.

Sandra soon sent me a text message, most likely asking me to wait for her at the law firm.

I didn't do so. Instead, I went to the restaurant.

I then ordered a couple's set menu for myself. I loved the ribeye steak here, and so I ate both portions for dinner.

I used to only start eating when Sandra arrived. However, now I knew that she couldn't care less about whether I ate or not.

Sandra stood me up in the end.

I didn't get upset whatsoever.

Even after I tended carefully to her for five whole years, she still didn't care for me in the slightest.

As long as Sandra signed the divorce agreement, I couldn't care less about what she was up to.

She didn't know that the divorce agreement she saw earlier today was for us.

…

I took a stroll after dinner. It was late at night by the time I reached home.

The living room's lights were still on. I was shocked to see Sandra still up and waiting for me.

The reason I was shocked was that in the past, Sandra usually only came home past midnight. Meanwhile, I would always turn down any gatherings or hangouts to wait for her to come home.

I used to be so worried she wouldn't have anyone to look after her once she came home drunk, or that she would miss dinner because of work. So I would always have some hangover meds and a properly-cooked meal ready for her at home.

Sandra hated it when I did this. She used to say that my behavior made me seem like a fussy old woman.

I shook my head, trying to dispel the memories.

Sandra's gaze and tone of voice were very cold. "You nearly spent the entire night outside again."

"Oh," I said. Maybe not coming home at night was something only she was allowed to do in our household.

No matter. From now on, we'd just go back to our own respective homes.

Sandra's eyes narrowed. She seemed to be confused by my response.

"Do you know what day it is today?" she asked.

I was taken aback by her question for a moment. My hand instinctively went to my pocket, where the present I'd prepared earlier for Sandra was.

Today was our fifth wedding anniversary.

I used to spend so much effort on celebrating our anniversaries.

But I didn't take the present out this time, given that we were about to be divorced. There was no need for such a meaningless formality any longer.

Sandra looked a little irritated. She handed me a gift box and said, "I got this for you sometime ago. You can open it and take a look."

I wasn't surprised by her gesture. After all, she had to make it up to me after canceling on me the past few times.

This was how Sandra had always been. She'd make a mistake, then give me something later to make up for it. I would always eagerly anticipate such a gesture from her, hoping that one of these times she'd pay me back by spending more time with me.

I took the gift box before tossing it onto the couch.

"You're too kind," I said politely.

A confused expression appeared in Sandra's gaze. She didn't seem to understand why I was being so polite.

"I didn't join you for dinner earlier because William had an emergency—" Sandra began.

"It's fine. You don't need to explain yourself. I understand perfectly," I said, cutting her off.

I meant what I said. Yet Sandra seemed a little frustrated by my response.

"Quit imagining things and making a fuss. Since I took on the Howles family's case, I have to see it through," she said.

"That you do—even to the extent of going to a concert. You're so devoted to this case, aren't you?" I said, thumbing through my briefcase for the divorce agreement.

Sandra's brows knitted slightly as her expression darkened. Staring at me with that glum, solemn look was all she could do. After all, she had no way of explaining herself out of such a situation.

In the past, I would've been shocked out of my wits by such an expression. I would then urgently try to appease her and even apologize.