End of a Decade's Dream

I swallowed back the words on the tip of my tongue, ended the call, and informed the doctor he could proceed with the procedure.

"Are you sure about this?" the doctor asked softly. "The baby's perfectly healthy. Maybe you should talk to the father first?"

"That won't be necessary. He doesn't care."

…

After leaving the hospital, I went back to the house and packed my things. The house was filled with wedding favors and wedding gifts, reminders of the wedding ceremony that was supposed to have taken place.

Clearly, Dominic hadn't come home at all in the last few days. Otherwise, he wouldn't have let these things remain in the house, sullying his eyes.

Halfway through packing, Mom called me. "Eve, have you managed to appease Dominic yet? Has he forgiven you?"

Her voice was full of anxiety and hopeful anticipation, but not a hint of concern for me.

I told her I was divorcing Dominic.

After a brief silence, I was hit with a torrent of tearful reprimands. Mom told me not to be willful—that I should endure all the humiliation for the sake of being Dominic's wife.

I swiped at my tear-covered phone screen and ended the call.

Once I managed to compose myself, I went to work and submitted my resignation letter.

Dominic showed up at the end of the workday. In the ten years we had been together, it was the first time he had waited for me after work.

I wanted to walk away, but he grabbed me and hauled me into the car.

"It's just a wedding ceremony. Must you kick up such a huge fuss over it? You're not a young woman in your early 20s anymore, Evelyn. Why are you still using the threat of divorce to gain attention?"

Dominic reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a velvet jewelry box before tossing it to me. When I opened it, I saw a pair of rings inside.

"What are these?"

Dominic, who had started driving, responded matter-of-factly, "Irene didn't like the old pair of wedding rings, so she tossed them for me and chose a new pair for you."

Then, with an expression that made it seem like I had hit the jackpot with this, he added, "This pair is a lot more expensive than the other one. That should be enough to satisfy you, right?"

Scoffing, I tossed the box back at him and retorted, "Save it. You should give something this expensive to Irene instead. I wouldn't dream of having it."

Dominic's expression darkened. "Don't push your luck, Evelyn! If not for the baby you're carrying, do you think my family would've publicly acknowledged you as my wife so easily?"

He was right. Even though we were legally married, our marriage was never made public. The wedding ceremony was only a pitiful act of charity by the Moores, solely because I got pregnant.

There was no point in stubbornly holding on and allowing them to trample on my feelings like that.

Resisting the urge to cry, I turned my head to the side and said, "You're right. I'm not meant to get so lucky, so when you're free, let's file the divorce paperwork."

Dominic slammed on the brakes, and the car screeched to a stop.

"Evelyn, you're the one who groveled at my parents' feet, begging them to agree to let you marry me. Who do you think you're fooling with this phony act of yours, huh?"

In the past, I would have tearfully apologized at once if I saw him this angry. Now, however, I didn't even feel the slightest inclination to clarify matters.

It was a call from Irene that broke the tension in the car. "I have a splitting headache, Dom. Can you come over?"

"Let me off at that intersection over there," I said.

Taken aback, Dominic looked at me in disbelief. "You're not angry?"

I shook my head, my expression calm.

When I used to be in love with him, this certainly would have made me angry. Now that I didn't love him anymore, I wasn't going to waste my energy on being upset.

Once the car came to a stop, I tried to get out, but the doors were locked.

With mixed emotions in his eyes, Dominic grabbed my hand and said, "I'll be right back after checking on her. Wait for me here. I'll come and pick you up."

Flashing a polite smile at him, I yanked my hand out of his grasp and said, "Don't bother. I can hail a cab just fine."

Swallowing, Dominic remained silent for a while before unlocking the doors. "You're pregnant. Forget about the cab. I'll come back for you."

Shaking my head once more, I declined his offer.

"Must you insist on acting like this, Evelyn?"