The Pen That Ended My Marriage

"Chelsea cooked for you, climbed mountains in the rain to pray for you, and risked her life giving birth to your child! She's never wronged you a single time!" Joseph shouted, shaking with anger.

"Mom and Dad treated you like their own! Without the Sloanes, you wouldn't even be here today, you ingrate! When your parents ended up in a coma from that accident, it was Chelsea who nursed them for a whole year.

"If your parents knew what you're doing now, they wouldn't ever forgive an ungrateful son like you!"

I slapped Joseph across the face. The sound was sharp and clear. "How dare you speak of my parents?"

"What did you hit him for?" Chelsea screamed, rushing forward.

She cupped Joseph's swollen face, tears falling. "Why can't he bring them up? I was the one who cared for your parents through the end! Where were you? What right do you have to hit Joseph?"

I clenched my fists, my eyes cold and unrepentant, even itching to strike again. Arthur trembled with anger, his voice low and bitter. "You're a scum through and through!"

The guests all turned cold, watching me with eyes full of disgust.

Chelsea refusing to sign the divorce papers was well within my expectations, but I didn't have time to waste. The next day, I went straight to Nathan's preschool to confront her.

I stood under the shade of a tree, my eyes fixed on the two of them. Joseph moved naturally, his gestures intimate, almost as if he were the child's father.

And the black fountain pen—sleek and ominous—was tucked into the pocket at the chest of Chelsea's dress. I pushed through the crowd and walked straight up to them.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her smile frozen in an unnatural curve.

I pulled out the divorce papers and presented them to her. "Sign."

Joseph snapped instantly. "This isn't the time and place for you to throw a tantrum! When are you going to stop?"

The other parents and teachers were stunned, staring at us in disbelief.

"Hey, isn't that Nathan's father? Forcing his wife to sign the divorce papers in public? That's ridiculous."

"Their kid is right there! Can't he just wait until they get home?"

"And to think he looked like a gentleman. He's so heartless."

A female teacher hurried over, trying to mediate the situation. "Mr. Larsson, why don't you discuss this privately with Mrs. Larsson? This isn't good for the child."

Another parent chimed in. "It's normal for couples to have conflicts. Why bring it to the school? Mrs. Larsson seems kind and easygoing. Why can't you just talk it out?"

"Right? Forcing a mother to sign divorce papers in front of her kid is cruel!"

"For the sake of the child, you should've taken the higher road. Things will all smooth over."

"Is it really worth escalating to this point?"

Amid all the voices, Chelsea's eyes turned red in a flash. "I just… like using a pen. Does it really have to come to divorce over something so trivial?"

Joseph's voice shot higher as he grabbed my collar. "Because of your ridiculous need to control everything, you drag this to Nathan's school and make everything ugly. Are you even a man? Apologize to Chelsea now!"

Every gaze was fixed on me, sharp as a thousand thorns. In their eyes, I was the unreasonable man tearing my family apart.

Chelsea sighed, almost giving in. Then, she flung herself into my arms. "Honey, let's not fight anymore. Can't we just live our lives in peace? We've been through too much to let a stupid pen come between us."

With her yielding like this, everyone assumed I would finally back off.