Farewell to My Ex-Husband

Simon called me repeatedly, asking for a meeting, but I ignored him. Then, he called again, his voice loud and insistent, “Zara, let’s meet.”

I refused. “Open the window,” he demanded, “I’m downstairs.”

I didn’t expect him to actually be outside, but there he was, standing under the dim streetlight with an impatient look on his face. Reluctantly, I went downstairs, wearing only a thin sweater in my haste.

Simon smiled when he saw me as he said, “Zara, happy release from prison.” The sight of him made me feel sick. Keeping my distance, I said, “You know I didn’t have to go to prison. Cut the bullshit.”

His smile faltered, cracking like a mask. “You’ve lost a lot of weight. Why are you wearing so little? Aren’t you cold?” I stared at him, expressionless. “Without money transactions between us, I don’t see the point in talking to you.”

Simon dropped the act. “I promised I’d marry you after you got out… I’ll give you what you deserve.”

“Is it really always about money?” I asked.

Simon’s smile was genuine this time when he said, “Zara, you saw what money could do three years ago.” I was silent for a long time, amazed at his shamelessness, his tone full of self-satisfaction.

“Simon, do you think you’ll have the last laugh?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Not necessarily, but the person who will compete with me won’t be you.” Then he added, “Zara, you’ve been in jail for three years and somehow you’re even more attractive. Are you sure you don’t want to renew our arrangement?”

I smiled. “You’ll soon find yourself in my shoes.”

Simon was stunned, then recovered and smiled. “If I got you in once, I can do it again.”

I replied, “Simon, why do you think Scarlett doesn’t want to be with you? Isn’t it obvious? Don’t you know why she even talked to you last time?”

Simon seemed irritated, grabbing my throat with his hands. “Shut up! Are you even worthy of mentioning her name?!”

I tilted my head and forced out a smile, squeezing out a hoarse “How pitiful.”

For a moment, I thought I was going to die, but then Simon suddenly let go and smiled at me—a chilling, eerie smile. “Zara, don’t you want to know who Scarlett killed?”

I paused, then asked, “Who?” Simon laughed. “Aren’t you surprised that no one contacted you after you were released? Zara, who is more pitiful between us?”

My mind went blank. Simon leaned close and whispered, “It’s the beggar who used to pick up garbage at our school’s gate. Zara, you knew him, right?”

My thoughts froze and I grabbed Simon’s arm. “Say it again? Who did she kill? Who?” Simon laughed mockingly. “It doesn’t matter how many times I say it.”

“The homeless man had died. You’re the only one with a deep connection to him. Why did you have to go to jail? Because you’re the only one who cares about him, so you would probably collect evidence, but what if you don’t have time to search?”

I was stunned. Everything was calculated. Simon continued, “You’re smart, high school and college tuition were free, you could definitely find out if you wanted to, but time will consume more than you think.”

Then, he reached into my purse. I tried to stop him, but he was quicker. “A recorder? Zara, is this your little trick?” I said nothing as I watched him break the recorder in half.

Simon’s eyes gleamed with a cruel satisfaction as he tossed the broken pieces to the ground. “You really thought you could trap me, didn’t you? How naive.”

I glared at him, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and fury. “You won’t get away with this, Simon. You and Scarlett will pay for what you’ve done.”

Simon leaned closer, his breath hot against my ear. “No, Zara. You’re the one who will pay if you don’t play along. You’ve already seen what we’re capable of. Do you really want to test us again?”

His words hung heavy in the air, a suffocating threat that made my skin crawl. I had underestimated Simon’s ruthlessness and now I realized just how deep his manipulations went. But I also knew I couldn’t let fear control me. I had to find a way to outsmart him, to bring him and Scarlett to justice.

I straightened, meeting his gaze with as much defiance as I could muster. “You may think you hold all the cards, Simon, but you don’t. I’ve survived prison. I can survive anything you throw at me.”

Simon laughed, a dark, mocking sound that echoed in the quiet night. “We’ll see about that, Zara. Just remember, you’re playing a dangerous game.”

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing alone in the cold. My mind raced with a thousand thoughts, each more terrifying than the last. The beggar… I had known him, had often given him my leftover food and chatted with him when no one else would. The thought of him being dead and Scarlett being the one responsible, filled me with a deep, burning rage.