My Divorce Began At The Airport

"Sure, I'll explain everything to the client," I replied coolly. "Anything else?"

Although he needed my help, Holden didn't seem bothered by my tone. His voice turned smoother as he added, "It's not a big deal. After apologizing to the client, could you stop by downtown and pick up a watch for me? It's a special order for Nori."

My heart sank further at his words. He knew perfectly well that the client's office was uptown, and there was over 300 miles between the two. Yet he had the nerve to call it 'on the way.'

I had seen him sketching the design for that watch myself. At the time, I thought it was a birthday gift for me. After all, my birthday was coming up, and I had been hinting about wanting a watch. But it turned out to be for Nori Spencer. He never truly listened to anything I said. Everything was just wishful thinking on my part.

Just as I was about to refuse, Nori's cheerful voice came through the phone. "Holden, could you come here a minute and help me bring in the laundry?"

Holden sharply drew in his breath and quickly muffled the phone, but I had already heard her. I let out a bitter chuckle.

He rushed to explain, his words stumbling over each other. "Maren, you got it wrong. Nori and I were just..."

I should have felt some satisfaction at his urgency, a sign that he cared a little. But instead, I felt emptier, unable to take any more of his deceit.

I stood up, moving towards the taxi stand, interrupting him, "Holden, no need to explain. It's okay."

Silence followed on the other end. All I could hear was the wind howling through the receiver, mingling with the crunch of my footsteps in the snow.

Maybe it was my persistently icy demeanor today that finally pushed Holden's buttons. His voice turned cold and accusatory. "Maren, enough! All I did was ask a simple favor. Do you have to be so sarcastic? Besides, you're the one who stood the client up, and I haven't even called you out on it yet!"

I was about to argue when the sounds through the phone shifted again. Holden let out a muffled "hmm," followed by Nori's teasing laugh.

"Holden, you're being cheeky. I asked you to bring in the laundry, yet here you are chatting on the phone. How should I make you pay for that?"

I couldn't listen anymore and hung up immediately. Holden rang back right away, but I rejected the call again. He had never faced such dismissive treatment from me, and it seemed to unsettle him.

Messages started pouring in, each one critiquing me. I finally hit my limit and challenged him directly: [If you're so unhappy with me, why don't you take my video call right now?]

After sending the message, the phone finally went silent. A half-hour later, his response came through.

[Maren, let's not fight anymore. When you get back, I'll throw you a birthday party, and we can take that island vacation you've always wanted. What do you think?]

I tucked my phone away, choosing not to reply. Staring out the car window, my thoughts wandered far away.

Despite five years of marriage to Holden, we had never taken a proper vacation together. He always used work as an excuse to dodge my suggestions. Yet, just a month ago, he secretly took Nori on a getaway to the island I had long dreamed of visiting, using a business trip as a cover.

He thought he was discreet, but Nori had turned the trip into her bragging right, posting every detail on Instagram—down to what they did at each hour of the day.

It's not that I was oblivious or unaffected. But because I loved him, I couldn't confront him or speak the truth. I clung to the illusion that as long as he didn't ask for a divorce and stayed by my side, nothing else mattered. I believed that one day he would see my worth again.

But now, I realized, I no longer needed him.