Starting Anew

I took a deep breath and said, "I'm not. I just don't want you to feel disgusted by me."

Jake was speechless, as if a thought had suddenly crossed his mind.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but I've never gotten an abortion before," I added.

Jake was completely flabbergasted. His face paled as he mustered meekly, "I..."

I unbuckled my seatbelt and reminded him, "Return this to me after signing it. Don't make me wait too long."

That was the last thing I said to him before getting out of the car.

Once I returned home, I packed up all my belongings. Half the closet was empty as a result.

I opened the drawers and found a box hidden at the bottom containing a pair of children's clothes.

When we first got married, Jake and I lived a simple and happy life together. Even so, I yearned to have a child, but Jake somehow persuaded me that the timing was not right.

"Mindy, we'll be tied down with more responsibilities if we have a child. The economy doesn't look very promising, and we simply cannot afford to raise a child now. Let's hold off that thought for a few years and have children once we've settled down."

I compromised.

Eventually, three years had passed. He treated me well during that period and took great care of me. We became financially stable, and it was about time to have a child.

Jake, however, still seemed to be reveling in our extended honeymoon. It remained that way until I saw the message he sent to his friend.

He did not lie when he told me he loved me, yet it was also true that he was averse both to my supposed impurity and the thought of having children with me.

I sighed and threw the box into the trash can. After packing all my stuff, I waited until nightfall for Jake to return home.

The door clicked open, and I looked up to see Sonia. When she saw me sitting on the living room sofa, she frowned at me and said, "Ms. Bridgerton! Could you please prepare some soup for Jake? He had a little too much to drink. He's not a fan of ginger, so do remove them before serving it to him. Oh, and—"

"Why do you have the key to my house, Sonia?" I interrupted her in irritation.

Sonia was briefly startled but soon snapped back to her senses. "Jake gave it to me because I'm his assistant."

'That's rather convenient', I thought. I nodded, got up, and headed to the bedroom.

Sonia hurriedly asked, "Aren't you going to check up on Jake?"

"Isn't that your job now? While you're at it, why don't you prepare the soup for him?"

"Mindy!" Jake lashed out angrily.

He got up and stared at me with reddened eyes. "Why are you being so harsh?"

I cocked an eyebrow and pointed at Sonia. "I don't see how my presence will be useful now that you've brought another woman here."

I added, "You once claimed that this was a safe haven meant for just the two of us. Now that she's in the picture, I'm more than happy to step aside. Don't try to persuade me otherwise, Jake.

"I'm tired of your nonsense. I prefer to end this on a slightly less terrible note. I wouldn't dare to think of what I might do if this gets any worse than it already is."

Jake's chat history was just the tip of the iceberg, and my patience was fast wearing thin when he allowed Sonia to come onto him.

Jake protested, "Sonia is my assistant! Why are you so bothered by her? I wasn't even bothered when you lived with your ex for a year!"

Unable to control myself any longer, I reached out and slapped him.

One of Jake's cheeks turned red.

"Why did you slap him?!" Sonia exclaimed.

She turned to Jake and asked, "Are you okay, Jake?"

She seemed so distressed that she took Jake's arm and tiptoed to get a better look at his face.

"Would it kill you to be more considerate, Ms. Bridgerton? Jake's been giving it his all at work! You're the one whoring yourself out before you met him, and Jake accepted you even though you're not a virgin! Where did you get the nerve to play victim with him?!"

No sooner had she finished speaking that I raised my hand and slapped her.

Sonia fell to the ground, nearly crying. I reached for the cup of water on the coffee table and splashed it onto her.

Jake went ballistic. "You're acting like a mad woman, Mindy! You wanted a divorce, right? Well, let's get the divorce!"

He dragged Sonia out and said to her, "We're leaving this place!"

The door was slammed shut.

I was shaking from anger, and before I knew it, my vision went black.

I had fainted.