The Kindest Goodbye

I thought I was over it, but his icy words sent a shiver through my heart.

Everyone I knew, even people I barely talked to, had kind words for me after hearing about my close call.

My husband? He had not said one caring thing to me that whole time.

I gave him a small, wry smile. "I don't remember asking you to shower me with gifts, did I?"

"You're going to regret this, Harriet!"

With his teeth gritted in anger, Lucas stormed out without a backward glance.

I ended up going back home. I had stuff to pack and a divorce agreement to discuss with my lawyer friend.

Lucas changed his late-night habits. He started coming home right after work and even cooked meals that were just to my liking.

He even started offering to drive to work together.

However, I had him drop me off just before we got to the office.

He looked at me, bewildered, asking why.

"You wanted to keep our relationship hush-hush around the office, remember?"

Lucas was speechless.

When he started at the company, I was the one with the higher position. He was worried about office gossip and did not want us to be public. I got it and respected his wishes.

Even after we got married and he climbed the ranks, he still kept us a secret.

He even had to have his own car, refusing to commute with mine.

"Where's your ring?" he suddenly asked, eyeing my left hand on the steering wheel.

I brushed it off. "It's not practical, so I took it off."

"No way! You never took that off before..."

His words were tinged with a whiny nasal sound.

True, I had always worn it, a silent signal to my coworkers that I was taken, though they had not a clue about the man I had married.

They would joke about my top-secret love life, guessing he must be some kind of catch.

If only they knew it was my husband who would not own up to being mine.

Lucas held out the ring to me, but I could not care less, actually feeling more bugged than anything.

"Keep it if it means so much to you."

Later that night, Yvonne's picture popped up on my phone.

There was Lucas, numbing his woes with booze at a bar, slumped over in her embrace.

Her message read, [Thanks for giving him back to me.]

I left her hanging, snapped a screenshot, and blasted it on my feed.

[Perfect pair. Best wishes.]

Come morning, Lucas was at my door, desperate to clear the air, insisting they had not done a thing.

"Take down your post, will you? Yvonne was just blowing off steam. Her new business can't take the hit if your clients see that..."

I coolly told him, "I really do wish you the best."

That set off his alarm bells.

I slid the signed divorce papers across to him.

"We're done, Lucas."