After Divorce She Rose Again

The prince of New York high society once stopped a plane for me, and I once vanished with our child for three years.

We were married.

Nine years later, a younger, more attractive woman appeared by his side. She's vivacious and daring, joining him in all his thrilling escapades. Meanwhile, I had become a housewife, keeping a watchful eye on our daughter, insisting she not indulge in too many sweets.

He told me, disappointed, "Thalia, you've lost your spark."

Even my daughter critiqued, "Aunt Alison is smart, gorgeous, and earns her own living. What about you? You just depend on Dad."

The next day, I took my ID and went through with the divorce from Harvey.

Perhaps they'd forgotten. At twenty-two, I was bold enough to dive off a cliff into the open sea to escape. And at thirty-five, I still have the guts to start over from scratch.

---

In Riverside, a city that once thrived on heavy industry near New York but now faced decline, I pushed open the glass door of a local tech company.

At the reception, the young woman was engrossed in Instagram, the video blaring from her phone.

"[Scandal in high society: Harvey Kelly is getting divorced! This couple's story was like a novel—his former wife was an Ivy League student. Her family disapproved of the relationship, leading to an intense love saga, where he pursued her while she tried to escape but couldn't cut ties. It's rumored that the infamous U8420 flight delay years ago was because the prince halted it to chase his wife! And now, they've split up. It seems marriages that cross social classes are nearly impossible.]"

The young woman was so captivated she hadn't noticed my presence. So, I stood beside her, listening to the three-minute saga of what seemed like my own life story.

Eventually, the young woman noticed me and quickly muted the sound. "Oh, I'm sorry. Are you here for the interview?"

"Yes, I have a ten o'clock appointment with Marvin for the algorithm engineer position."

She nodded, suddenly remembering, "Oh right, please fill out this information form."

Her eyes lit up, connecting the dots from the video. "Marvin mentioned you're also an Ivy League graduate. Did you ever meet Mrs. Kelly? I think her name was... um..."

After being married to Harvey for so long, I felt like I'd lost my identity. I smiled and told her, "Thalia Hansen."

"Right, Thalia Hansen!" she said with a dreamy look. "To win over the prince, she must be quite the intellectual beauty."

An intellectual beauty, huh? I forced a smile, remembering how just last week, my daughter criticized me for the extra weight around my waist, saying it wasn't as slim as a young girl's.

"Ma'am, have you completed the form? I'll take it to the interviewer."

I handed her the form.

"Okay, please follow me, Ms. Hansen," she said. Her eyes snapped to me suddenly, as if she'd seen a ghost.