A Flight to Freedom

Jacob Carter left me again—this time to rush over to Wendy Miller's place. I grabbed the sleeve of his jacket as he headed for the door."Can't you stay? It's our fifth wedding anniversary.""Alicia, come on. Try to be reasonable. Wendy's on her own with Oliver, and he's running a high fever. She needs help." He pulled his arm free, feeling irritated.I fumed. Oliver Ford always managed to fall sick at just the right moments. "He's not even your son. Why is it always you she calls? Doesn't she have anyone else?"If you walk out that door tonight, Jacob, we're getting a divorce tomorrow."In our town, "divorce" wasn't a word we could throw around lightly. People would have gossiped for years. But I wasn't afraid.Jacob flared up. "Do whatever you want! Just don't try to blackmail me with this crap. A woman with zero empathy—who the hell would want you after a divorce?"I snapped. I flipped the dinner table over as he reached for the doorknob. The candlelit anniversary dinner I ha

My hand had just touched the doorknob when I heard a knock from outside. I opened the door to find Elizabeth Larson standing there with a bright smile."Alicia, these eggs are from the hens back home. Thought you could use a little nourishment."But I knew she hadn't come all this way just to bring me eggs. There was something else on her mind. "Come on in, Elizabeth. Have a seat."As soon as she stepped inside, her eyes landed on Jacob. "You're here too, huh? Now, don't take this the wrong way, but a married man shouldn't be keeping other women in his thoughts. Taking care of your own wife is what matters most."Jacob didn't say a word. He kept his head down, eating, but the guilty look he shot me told plenty.I brought over some juice and set a cup in front of Elizabeth, who waved her hand politely. "I won't stay long. I just wanted to say a few words before I run off to take my grandson to school."I smiled and thanked her. After she left, I noticed someone else standing jus

Wendy, looking like she'd been gravely wronged, pouted and stormed off to her room. Moments later, she came back holding an envelope."Here's 20 thousand dollars. It's everything I've got, and I'm giving it all to you. As for the 5 thousand dollars? You decide whether my life is worth that much or not."Jacob's expression softened the moment he saw her like that. "Wendy, come on… What are you doing? You don't need to rush to pay it back. Just take your time."I shot Jacob a glance, then reached out and took the envelope from Wendy's hand. Right in front of her, I started counting the bills."One, two, three… exactly 20 thousand dollars. As for the remaining 5 thousand dollars, consider it my wedding gift for you. Keep it. No need to pay it back."Jacob panicked. "Alicia! Don't say nonsense like that. Everyone around here can hear you, and everyone knows you're my wife!"I gave a cold laugh. "Sure. Anyway, everyone knows you spend every other day running off to Wendy's place. We

That afternoon, I was in the lab, bent over a half-finished architectural model, when someone called me out, saying there was an international call for me. On the other end of the line was Jacob. He said he wanted me to come back so we could finalize our divorce.As if I had the time to just hop on a plane and fly halfway across the world for that.Not long after, Elizabeth called. That was when I found out what had really happened. Wendy had apparently thrown a fit, accusing Jacob of ruining her life. She claimed the neighbors were watching and waiting for her to fall apart. She wanted him to divorce me and "take responsibility" for her.Three months later, I returned to the country with my team for a short-term teaching assignment. I had exactly one day off.I called Jacob. "I've got time tomorrow. Bring everything. We'll finalize the divorce in the morning."There was a pause. Then, slowly, he replied, "Okay…"The moment he agreed, I hung up. I had nothing else to say.Th