Chapter 3She Signed the Divorce Papers on Our Wedding Day

Dave stood at the bottom of the steps outside City Hall.

He had changed his outfit today, but his face still carried that pristine, untouchable innocence.

When he saw me get out of the cab, he took a step back and kept his mouth shut.

Gina was waiting at the top of the stairs, clutching a folder with her ID and documents.

As I walked up, she gave me a blank look and didn't move.

"Let's go inside," I said.

She turned and walked through the double doors, and I followed. Dave didn't come in. He just stood outside like a loyal guard dog.

The divorce window was separated from the marriage window by a single row of plastic chairs.

We sat down across from the clerk. She was a middle aged woman wearing thick glasses. She kept her head down, flipping through our paperwork without even looking at us.

"Reason for divorce?"

"Irreconcilable differences," I said.

Gina turned her head to look at me.

The clerk skimmed the agreement and pointed a pen at the blank sections. "Make sure the division of assets is clearly written. Leave child support blank if you don't have kids."

I wrote down my bank routing number and handed over copies of the mortgage payment history.

The clerk reviewed it and stamped the pages.

The heavy metal stamp made a dull, final thud against the desk.

"Alright," she slid two dark green divorce certificates across the counter. "One for each of you. Keep them safe."

Gina didn't move a muscle.

I reached out, grabbed both booklets, flipped mine open for a quick glance, and then slid hers over to her side of the desk.

"Take it."

She stared at me, her hands in her lap.

I left it sitting on the counter, stood up, and walked toward the exit.

Right as I reached the glass doors, she called out from behind me.

"Wait."

I stopped.

She hurried over and stood in front of me, her knuckles white around her divorce certificate. All the color had drained from her face.

"You are just going to walk away?"

"What else do you want?" I asked. "Do you want me to buy you guys a celebration dinner?"

A sudden, weird smile cracked across her face.

It was not the relaxed, liberated smile from yesterday morning. It was twisted. The corners of her mouth pulled up, but her eyes were completely dead.

"I really regret it," she spat. "I regret marrying you."

I studied her face.

Three years. I woke up next to this face every single morning for a thousand days.

When she slept, her brow would furrow. Sometimes she would roll over and reach out blindly in the dark. Whenever her hand brushed against me, she would flinch, pull back, and roll to the other side of the bed.

"What did you say?"

"I said I regret it." She locked eyes with me, enunciating every single syllable. "I regretted it from day one. I spent every single day of the last three years regretting it. My biggest regret is..."

I slapped her.

The crack echoed loud through the lobby.

The clerk at the counter snapped her head up. The people in line all turned to stare.

She covered her cheek with her hand, completely paralyzed in shock.

I shook out my hand. My palm was stinging.

"That was for me. For wasting three years of my life."

Before she could even form a word, rapid footsteps slapped against the tile.

Dave sprinted through the doors and threw himself in front of her, spreading his arms wide like a mother hen protecting her chick.

"What the hell are you doing!" he yelled, his eyes welling up with tears. "How could you hit her!"

I looked at him.

Tears pooled in his eyes, his bottom lip quivering. He looked absolutely pathetic and utterly heroic all at once.

I let out a scoff.

"Why are you acting so dramatic?"

He shrank back an inch, then forced himself to stand taller.

"She just told you the truth, and you hit her? Do you have any idea what she went through? Every single night for the last three years, she sat in my living room for hours before going home. She told me she felt like she was suffocating in that house. She said just breathing the same air as you made her skin crawl."

"Dave," Gina warned from behind him. "Stop talking."

He ignored her completely. "She bought you gifts, and I was the one who helped her pick them out because she didn't know what you liked. She brought you flowers, and I was the one who had to approve them before she felt safe bringing them home to you."

"Dave!"

He spun around to look at her, the tears finally falling.

"My heart breaks for you," he cried. "I cannot stand watching him bully you anymore."

Gina grabbed his arm and pulled him into her chest, wrapping her arms around him protectively.

She shot me a look I had never seen on her face before.

It was a chaotic mix of pure hatred, fury, heartbreak for him, and guilt. It all condensed into three simple words.

"Just leave."

I stood my ground.

"I was already leaving," I said. "You were the one who told me to wait."

She flinched.

Dave lifted his head from her chest. His face was still wet with tears. He looked at me, his voice dropping to a soft, pleading whisper. "Charlie, please do not be mad at her. She is just in a bad mood today."

I looked at the two of them.

She was shielding him. He was leaning into her. Standing there in the lobby of City Hall, they looked like a pair of star crossed lovers who had finally conquered the world.

The sunlight spilled through the glass doors, painting them in a warm, golden glow.

I shoved my green booklet into my bag, turned around, and walked down the concrete steps.

After a few strides, I heard her voice calling out from behind me. "I am having the locks changed tomorrow. Get your stuff out by tonight."

I didn't look back.

"I saved your routing number. The money will be wired by next week."

I still didn't look back.

Just as I reached the sidewalk, Dave yelled out.

"Charlie!"

I stopped and glanced over my shoulder.

He jogged down the stairs, stopping a few feet away, catching his breath.

"Charlie," he said softly. "I am sorry."

I examined his face.

Tears still stained his cheeks, his eyelashes were wet, the tip of his nose was red. He pressed his lips together, looking like the picture of genuine remorse.

"Sorry for what?"

He paused, caught off guard.

"Sorry for... sorry for saying all those things inside. I didn't mean to explode. I just felt so bad for her."

"Felt bad for what?"

He froze again.

"Felt bad for... her suffering these past three years..."

"What exactly happened these past three years?" I asked flatly. "Did she cheat on me? No. Did she physically abuse me? No. Did she starve me? No. She simply did not love me. What is so heartbreaking about that?"

His mouth opened, but no sound came out.

"Dave," I said. "If your heart really broke for her, where the hell were you for the last three years? She chased you for a thousand days. You dangled her on a hook for a thousand days, stringing her along until the exact day of her wedding anniversary to finally say yes. Tell me, are you really heartbroken for her, or do you just love the drama of being the victim?"

He had absolutely nothing to say.

I turned and walked away.

This time, he stayed put.

While I was waiting at the bus stop, my phone vibrated.

A text from Gina.

"The money will be wired this afternoon. I left the house keys with the property manager. Go get your stuff. Do not contact us again."

I stared at that message for a long time.

The bus pulled up.

I climbed aboard and took a seat by the window.

My phone buzzed again.

Her again.

"He is not the kind of person you think he is. You misunderstood him."

I shoved the phone into my pocket.

A genuine smile finally tugged at the corners of my mouth.

Free. I was finally free.