Chapter 18
Katherine remained oblivious, her emotions running high.
“Ivan! Didn’t she say she wanted a divorce? What is this supposed to mean now?”
Crash!
“Ah!”
The wine bottle smashed on the floor near her feet, shattering into jagged shards.
Katherine let out a scream, clutching her chest as she stumbled backward. Her back pressed against the wall as tears of fear began to stream down her face.
“What right do you have to talk about Linda? Divorce or no divorce, that’s between me and my wife–it’s none of your business.”
“Did
you really think that sending a few texts and photos to Linda would make her divorce
me, and then I’d marry you?”
“Stop dreaming. You’re not even worthy of a single strand of Linda’s hair.”
With that, Ivan let out a mocking laugh, grabbed another bottle of wine, and collapsed back
onto the sofa.
Under the dim lights of the private lounge, he looked utterly broken, a shell of himself. His chest heaved with laughter, though it was unclear if he was mocking Katherine’s delusions
or his own downfall.
“I have nothing left now. Will you still stay with me?”
Katherine trembled with rage, her tears falling uncontrollably.
“Ivan! You’re not a man! I’ve been with you for so long, and this is how you treat me? No wonder Linda left you–someone like you doesn’t deserve a wife!”
Ivan sneered. “You were with me, but not only with me. Spare me the act of devotion.”
15:21
Forsaking the Years of Longing
30.7%
“The money and property I transferred to you before–it’s enough to raise your child. If you decide to keep it, I’ll pay monthly child support. If not, that’s your choice.”
“Honestly, you should be thankful Linda hasn’t tried to recover the money I spent on you.
Otherwise, we’d both end up with nothing.”
Katherine’s chest heaved with fury. She grabbed a wine bottle from the table and hurled it
back at him.
Crash!
The bottle shattered near Ivan’s ear, sending shards flying and leaving a cut on his cheek.
Blood trickled down in vivid red.
“Have a baby with you? Keep dreaming! Let me tell you the truth–I was never pregnant! I just wanted to piss off Linda and climb the ladder!”
“I’m the mistress, but none of you men who chase mistresses are any better!”
With that, Katherine stormed out, slamming the door behind her with a resounding bang.
The sting from the cut on Ivan’s cheek pulled him back to reality. Slowly, he raised a trembling hand to touch the wound.
Staring at the blood on his fingers, his eyes filled with panic as he murmured, “No… no, Linda can’t leave me. I still have to donate blood to Linda… Linda can’t leave me…”
Panic consumed him. He bolted out of the lounge, frantically searching for any trace of
Linda.
Forsaking the Years of Longing
