The Scattering of Love

“Mike, let’s get a divorce.”

Mike’s steps suddenly halted, as if he had just heard something unbelievable.

He slowly turned his head, his eyes as cold as a frostbitten winter day.

“Shannon, do you think playing this little act is funny?”

He narrowed his eyes slightly, the corners of his mouth curling into a sneer.

“If you think threatening me with divorce will shake me—fine, then I’ll give you what you want.”

With that, he turned and walked away without looking back.

That resolute figure seemed to declare that he had never truly cared about me or Melanie.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile flashed quickly across Jennifer’s eyes.

But it vanished in an instant, replaced by a carefully arranged look of false remorse as she returned to me.

“I’m truly sorry, Ms. Harvey. There’s nothing between Mike and me. Please don’t misunderstand our relationship.” Mike is a man who values loyalty and affection deeply. He just feels sorry for me—divorced so early, my child without a father—so he’s been a little more caring. Please don’t take it the wrong way, and don’t let this make things unpleasant between everyone…”

Before she left, Jennifer even hypocritically added me on WhatsApp, saying she wanted to compensate Melanie for the drawing Oliver had torn apart.

“Jennifer, come here.”

Mike was standing not far outside, holding Oliver in his arms.

His voice was impossibly soft, calling to her gently.

“Coming!”

Jennifer’s face lit up with a radiant smile as she happily trotted over to him.

Their figures hadn’t even fully disappeared from view when their hushed voices reached my ears with perfect clarity.

“Mike, really? Ms. Harvey was just angry when she mentioned divorce. How could you just agree like that?”

Jennifer’s tone carried a hint of playful blame, as though she were defending me.

Mike let out a cold snort, his voice thick with ridicule.

“She begged and schemed for this marriage—how could she possibly be willing to let it go? She snapped at Oliver just now. This is just a little punishment, and before long, she’ll come crawling back to me in tears.”

Hearing that, I couldn’t help but curve my lips into a cold smile.

‘Mike… you’re wrong. People change. The Shannon who once chased love like a moth to a flame—throwing everything away without regret—she’s gone. Now, for the sake of my daughter, I would walk away from you without hesitation, leave behind this endless pain and humiliation once and for all.’

Melanie had locked herself in her room.

Her muffled sobs pierced straight into my heart like sharp needles.

After a long while, she finally choked out a question, her voice laced with that innocent grief and helplessness unique to children.

“Mommy… everyone at school says Daddy is Oliver’s daddy. But I never tried to take Daddy away from him…”

Her cries came in broken bursts, as if she was trying to pour out all the sorrow in her tiny heart.

Eventually, the weeping faded.

I gently pushed the door open.

Melanie had fallen fast asleep, still clutching a photo of Mike, with teardrops glistening at the corners of her eyes.

Her little face was streaked with dried tears, and the sight of it felt like a giant invisible hand had reached into my chest and twisted my heart.

It hurt so much.

And as for me me—

I tossed and turned the entire night, unable to sleep.

In my boredom, I reached for my phone.

The screen lit up, and the moment it did, a new post caught my eye.

Jennifer had just updated her Twitter.