Chapter 9
Chapter 9
The next day, I arrived at the marriage registration office early, only to find that Jeffrey and the others had arrived even earlier. Sylvia let out a sigh of relief upon seeing me, while Jeffrey glanced at me dismissively. “I thought you’d cried all night and wouldn’t dare show up.”
I had so much I wanted to say I
I held my tongue, worried that speaking up might somehow disrupt the divorce process. Instead, I just muttered a couple of “mm–hmm” sounds and hurried inside to sign the papers.
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Lucy was delighted to see me so subdued. “Yesterday you acted like nothing was wrong, but today you’re too heartbroken to even speak? If it weren’t for your obsession with money, I might have considered letting you and Sylvia share Jeffrey. After all, no one else would want you, and you could work outside to support Jeffrey and Sylvia as they raise their child.”
Jeffrey seemed like he wanted to say something, but Sylvia, clearly anxious, quickly interrupted, probably afraid I might actually agree to the “sharing” arrangement. “Jeffrey, don’t bother with her. She’s only pretending to make you hesitate. Let’s just get the divorce done so we can get married afterward!”
“If you waste even one more word on her, you’re playing right into her hands.”
Jeffrey nodded, remaining silent, and so, we quietly signed the papers and received our divorce certificate. But I didn’t leave. Instead, I watched as Jeffrey and Sylvia moved forward to collect their marriage certificate.
Sylvia came up to me afterward, brandishing the marriage certificate as if it were a trophy. “Aren’t you envious? I easily took your husband and soon will have the child you’ve always
dreamed of.”
I didn’t argue. I simply nodded and said, “Yes, I am.”
“I’ve always wanted a child. It’s a shame, though, that my husband has a congenital infertility issue and can’t have children at all.”
