Why So Serious?

"Your mom's been a gentle soul her whole life, but she was so fierce earlier," my dad remarked.

I could not help but laugh, but as I did, my eyes stung a little.

"I'm sorry, Mom, Dad," I said, feeling the weight of everything I put them through.

Back at the office, I terminated the partnership with Jen's company. The project was practically a cash gift to her—something she had taken for granted.

That evening, for once, she got home before me.

The moment I stepped in, she confronted me.

"Why did you terminate the partnership? Just because Wesley and I shared a bowl of soup? Come on, Ryan. Don't take things too far."

She thought I was just throwing a tantrum.

I laid the divorce agreement in front of her.

She turned red with anger and shouted, "Are you serious, Ryan? You want a divorce over such a small problem?"

I leaned back on the couch, closed my eyes and replied calmly, "Yeah, such a small problem."

"I told you, Wesley and I are just colleagues. There's nothing going on."

"Oh, right. Just regular colleagues who sleep together."

Her mocking smile deepened. "We were drunk, and it wasn't me who initiated it. What are you jealous about?"

Her excuses no longer fazed me.

"Whatever. Sign the agreement."

I would not budge, so she became furious and started throwing insults.

"Fine, Ryan. You'll regret this. Don't beg me to come back later. You're not even worth one of Wesley's fingers—"

I snatched the signed agreement from her and snapped, "I'll see you at the Civil Affairs Bureau next Monday morning. Don't be late. Also, pack your stuff soon. I'm selling this house."

The next day, Leela stormed into my office. She started to scold before even meeting me.

"You ungrateful scumbag! How could you divorce Jen after two years of marriage? What, do you have someone else on the side?"

She did not hold back, hurling insult after insult.

"Do you think the Wagners are still a thing? We Walters could easily wipe you off the face of the earth!"

I had my assistant record the whole conversation. After all, Leela was a kind and gentle woman in public.

Her rant was vile, but she never even got to see me.

Later that evening, I went out with some old friends I had not seen in a while.

They were aware of what I was up to.

Zack Moller, one of my friends, asked curiously, "Ryan, are you serious?"

I downed a drink and responded, "Dead serious. It's over."

The group exhaled in relief.

"Honestly, Ryan, you've wasted two years of your life. We've warned you so many times, but you were so stubborn, like you were cursed or something."

"I saw Jen with another guy just a few days ago," one of them chimed in.

I glanced at him, and he immediately clammed up.

Zack patted my shoulder and tried to comfort me. "Alright, man. Let's chill tonight and blow off some steam. Do you want to hit up another spot?"

We ended up at a bar we used to frequent.

As soon as we sat in our usual booth, Zack exclaimed, "No way, man. Speak of the devil."

I followed his gaze and saw Jen leaning against Wesley.

As I got up, my friends followed.

Jen, clearly drunk, was muttering complaints about me.

"Wesley, you're so much better than Ryan. He says he wants a divorce, but without me, he's nobody. He always causes me trouble."

Wesley stroked her hair and comforted her, "Jen, just divorce him and be with me. I'll never treat you like that—"

I grabbed a beer bottle and poured it over Jen's head.

Both of them were startled. When Jen saw me, she immediately switched to a look of disdain.

"What do you want? I'll never forgive you for this!"

I sneered, "You'd better show up on Monday, on time, at the Civil Affairs Bureau. Otherwise, your video with Wesley, your mom's rant, and all the dirty secrets your family has will hit the top of the trending searches."

Jen's face paled as she stared at me in horror.