The Temperature of Love

I did not give him a chance to cry.

I picked up a pen and signed my name at the bottom of the agreement.

"Harry. Tomorrow's Saturday. Nine a.m., at the entrance to the County Clerk's Office.

"If you don't show up, this agreement, along with everything I've found on Larisse, will land in your chairman's inbox."

I meant every word.

This past month, I was not just sitting around doing nothing.

I looked into Larisse. I looked into Harry's company, too.

The only reason Harry managed to climb into a department manager position was that his chairman was obsessed with so-called "experts" and gurus.

Larisse was introduced to Harry by that very chairman.

To impress his boss, Harry turned our home into Larisse's testing ground.

"Suzy, are you threatening me?

"You think you've got something on me? Let me tell you, Larisse is a specially appointed consultant for our company. You're challenging the authority of the entire company."

"You've seriously lost it. All this because we asked you to learn some advanced parenting concepts? Really?"

He took a deep breath.

"Suzy, what happened to you? When did you become this extreme? This unreasonable?

"Look at Larisse. Educated. Elegant. Big-picture thinking. And you? You're acting like some hysterical woman from the countryside.

"Adrian. Come here."

He turned to our son and ordered, "Tell your mom. Do you want her to leave or not?"

Adrian flinched at his tone. He looked at his father, then at me, and suddenly burst into tears.

"I don't want Mom to go, but if she doesn't learn and improve, she'll hold me back."

He cried as he spoke, repeating words he clearly learned from his father.

"Dad said Mom is a negative asset in my original family."

I stood up. Ignoring Harry's fury and my son's sobs, I walked straight into the bedroom.

"Suzy, stop right there." Harry followed me in and blocked the doorway. "What are you packing? Name one thing in this house you paid for. Everything you eat, wear, and use comes from my money.

"If you're leaving, then leave with nothing. Even the clothes you're wearing, I bought them. Take them off."

Even Adrian followed us in, tilting his little face up.

"Yeah, Mom. Take off the clothes before you go."

My vision went dark for a second. I grabbed the doorframe to steady myself.

Seeing me frozen there, pale and silent, Harry thought he had me cornered.

He cleared his throat.

"Alright, enough of this. Stop making a scene. Tomorrow, when Larisse comes, apologize properly. Turn in your reflection, and we'll forget all of this.

"You'll still be Adrian's mom. Still the lady of the house."

…

I turned around and pulled open the bottom drawer of the closet.

Inside was a faded cotton dress. My mom bought it for me before I got married.

She said, "Suzy, if anyone ever treats you badly, come home. I'll cook for you."

Back then, I promised her with complete confidence, Mom, Harry treats me well. I'll never be wronged.

Thinking about it then, it felt like the biggest joke in the world.

Right in front of Harry, I took off the silk nightgown he bought me and changed into that old dress.

It was a little tight then. The style was long out of date. However, the moment I put it on, I felt something I did not feel in a long time.

Solid. Safe.

Harry opened his mouth, ready to mock me, but when he saw the dress, his expression changed instantly.

Maybe he remembered the day he came to my house to propose, when my mom held his hands and told him again and again to take good care of me.

Maybe, for once, he felt a little guilty.

"Suzy, what are you doing? Who are you trying to put on a show for?"

I walked up to him, grabbed the divorce papers, and slapped them hard against his face.

"This dress was bought by my mom. Not with your money. I can take it with me, right?

"Harry. Nine a.m. tomorrow. County Clerk's Office. Show up if you want."

After that, I did not look at him again. I pulled the door open and walked out without turning back.

Behind me, I could hear Harry shouting, and Adrian crying.

"Mom, don't leave me, Mom."

I did not turn around. I just kept walking.