The Divorce: Happy Birthday to Me

However, it didn't bother me. After all, if Keira could betray seven years of marriage, what was one more broken promise?

As long as she signed the divorce papers, she was free to sleep with whomever she wanted.

After the concert, I walked all the way home.

I stopped on a familiar street and realized that the muffin shop Keira and I used to visit every day just to save a dollar was gone. It had been replaced by a sleek new bakery.

It hit me that time had stolen more than just us. Even the sweetest memories we had shared had faded over the years.

It was 1:00 am when I finally got home.

The living room light was on. Keira was sitting on the couch, typing on her phone.

The moment she saw me, she frowned and stormed over. "What's wrong with you? You didn't even answer my calls or reply to my texts. Were you planning to stay out all night?"

I froze. Was Keira actually waiting for me?

But for the past three months, I had been dragging myself home later than this every single night. Maybe she only cared tonight because I wasn't working overtime. That meant she couldn't risk bringing Jackson over.

Well, once the divorce was final, Jackson could move in for all I cared.

I pulled my hand free from her grip and said flatly, "I haven't been out in a while and forgot to charge my phone. It died during the concert."

The word "concert" reminded her of her broken promise, and guilt flickered across her face.

Keira pressed her lips into a tight line. She shifted awkwardly before reaching for a box beside her, opening it carefully.

My hand instinctively reached out and touched a suit.

Back when Keira and I got married, we were too broke for anything fancy. We just had a simple dinner with close friends to mark the occasion. For years, I regretted not being able to wear a suit and walk her down a proper aisle.

But now, those regrets were well behind me.

Keira noticed the indifference on my face. Something seemed to dawn on her, and she quickly added, "I booked a church for tomorrow night. We can finally make up for what we missed."

I looked at her with a faint smile and pulled the divorce papers from my bag. "Instead of that, I'd rather you sign this."

Keira took the divorce papers, staring at me in surprise before breaking into a smile.

"Liam, you've really changed. You're not just buried in your experiments anymore. You've actually learned to get jealous, and even ask me for a present."

"I'm glad, though," she added. "Whatever you want, I'll give it to you."

To prove her generosity, she didn't even glance at the contents. She flipped straight to the signature page and signed her name.

As she handed the papers back to me, her eyes shimmering with affection, she leaned in to kiss me.

Just as I was scrambling for a way to refuse, a sharp, insistent ringing from her phone shattered the moment.

Jackson's name flashed on the screen.

Keira swiped to decline the call, but before she could reach me for a hug, the phone rang again.

She was about to explain, but I cut her off. "You should get that. It might be important."

Jackson's voice came through faint and strained on the other end of the line. He had twisted his ankle and couldn't manage on his own, so he reached out to Keira for help.

When Keira hung up, her eyes flicked to mine, tinged with guilt. "Um… Jack's in some trouble. He can't handle it alone, so I might need to go."

"Then you should go. Don't keep Jackson waiting," I replied, waving Keira off.

My understanding caught her off guard. She clutched my hand, desperate to figure out why I was acting so strangely.

But the phone rang again, a relentless summons.

As I held her gaze, Keira finally let go of my hand. With tender affection in her eyes, she confessed her feelings to me.