He Chose Her, I Chose Me

The car wasn't big to begin with, and Regina's hospital bags were already stuffed into the trunk.

To prepare for the baby's arrival, Tyler had gone to every maternity store in town. He had filled the backseat with newborn supplies.

He carefully helped Regina into the front passenger seat before finally noticing me standing there.

"Lisa, Gina's holding the baby. Can you squeeze into the back?"

He had completely forgotten that I usually got car sick.

I hated the smell of public buses so much that I spent over a year saving up to buy my first car.

I let Tyler drive it so he could pick me up and drop me off on his way to work. That way, I could sit in the front, roll down the window, and get some fresh air.

But now, the passenger seat in my car was occupied by another woman.

"Sorry, Lisa, I hope you don't mind," Regina said. She flashed an apologetic smile as she cradled the newborn.

Then, with misty eyes, she turned to Tyler. "I told you not to pick me up. Look at the backseat, it's already packed with stuff. And Lisa is tall, there's no room for her. I should've just taken a cab."

Tyler panicked. "What? Since when does a new mom have to take a cab home? It's just a little squeeze. What's the big deal?"

I'd heard this kind of thing from him plenty of times before.

Like when Regina casually mentioned that getting up to use the bathroom at night was too much trouble in her third trimester.

That same night, Tyler emptied our master bedroom and moved all her things in, because it had an en-suite bathroom.

After that, she took over everything I owned without hesitation.

And Tyler? He said, "It's just stuff, Lisa. Why are you being so stingy?"

But that wasn't just stuff. That was our marital home, the wedding gift my father had given me.

Why should I just hand it over to her?

Tyler didn't wait for my answer. He yanked open the car door and grabbed my arm to force me into the backseat.

Maybe he pulled too hard, because my forehead smacked against the car, leaving a red bruise.

For the first time, Tyler looked a little guilty. "Sorry, Lisa. I got too excited about the baby. I didn't mean to."

I pressed a hand to my forehead.

The more I tried to hold it in, the angrier I felt. And the more I backed down, the more suffocating it became.

Without another word, I flagged down a taxi and tossed all the baby supplies into it.

Then, without hesitation, I slid into the driver's seat of my car and looked at Tyler and Regina.

"Something came up at work. I need the car. You guys take a cab."

Tyler's face darkened. He clenched his fists and struggled to hold himself back.

"Lisa! Can't you at least drop Gina off first? Do you have to make a scene in front of the hospital? You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

Yeah. I was doing it on purpose.

I leaned over, reached past Regina, and pushed open the passenger door. Then, I gestured for her to get out.

I met Tyler's eyes and said, "Not waiting. Resigning."

Then, I drove off, watching their figures shrink in the rearview mirror.

I pulled out my phone and called an old friend. "Get me the divorce papers. ASAP."

By the time I got home, Tyler and Regina were in the bedroom. They were laughing over the newborn like a happy little family.

Tyler barely looked up when I walked in. "You quit?"

"Yeah."

He had been furious just moments ago, but the second he heard my answer, his face lit up with satisfaction.

"Now that's more like it."

Still grinning, he walked over while cradling Regina's baby in his arms. "Look! Isn't he adorable? He looks just like my buddy when he was little."

I glanced at the baby. It was wrinkly, like all newborns.

"Your buddy was already a baby when you were still in the womb. So when exactly did you see him 'when he was little'?"

Tyler realized I was mocking him. His smile faltered.

The room went silent. A few seconds later, a loud, piercing cry broke the tension.

Regina immediately sat up in bed. "Tyler, he must be hungry. Bring him here."

Tyler fumbled to hand the baby over.

I couldn't care less about their little family drama. I set down my keys, changed my shoes, and turned toward the bathroom.

But before I could take another step, Regina lifted her shirt right in front of both me and Tyler.