Chapter 4

Emily's pov

His look of utter confusion might have been mildly amusing if I weren't insanely furious. The lines of stupidification written all over his face told me that in his wildest dreams, he did not expect me to place divorce on the table, even after seeing him pushing his tongue into my younger sister's mouth. 

He finally pulls away from Becky; "Sweetheart, why don't you give us some time alone? Go fix yourself a sandwich in the kitchen?"

I watched the two of them with my jaw on the floor. Mixing with my rage was shock. This was not the man I had married; the man I married had no idea how to be sweet or romantic. He was blunt and irritable at every turn, or maybe... Just maybe he was that way with me because he never liked me, not to mention love.

It took all the patience inside of me to wait until Becky was done whining, and finally let just the two of us discuss.

Good!

I don't think I would have been able to handle both at the same time.

"When did it start?" I asked. My voice felt like it was echoing out of an empty shell. 

Brad brushed his fingers through his hair excessively, as if he were trying to rake out another lie from his scalp.

"Look, I never meant for it to happen... It started a year ago because of a project at the company. I was really working overtime, and that project just happened to be with Becky's company too... So since it was a partnership, we ended up talking late into the night to distract ourselves from the heavy workload."

It was supposed to be an apology, but yet it sounded more like he was recreating the most romantic story in his head. 

"... I really don't know what happened. When I noticed that I was attracted to her, I did my best to resist... But you know how our marriage has been for a long time now."

"And whose fault is that?" I screamed at the top of my voice. "I was always trying to talk with you... To plan something with you, to be with you! But you rejected me at every turn, didn't you?"

He looked at me with genuine confusion as if I had just switched into a different language without giving him a heads up. Then he continued talking without even considering what I said. 

"Like I was saying before, I really tried to resist, but before I knew it, we started going out together after work hours, and even after the project ended, I still wanted to see her, to be with her. And we only started sleeping together five months ago."

Gosh! I was so shocked! He was so confident saying these words like they were meant to make me feel good.

He said the last part like I was supposed to throw my hands up in bountiful joy.

"I'm so flattered," I sneered at him sarcastically. "You were cheating on me emotionally for an entire year, but only recently decided to start cheating physically. How did I ever get so lucky?"

The veins on his forehead became visible, and he stood upright in one sharp, fluid motion.

"Well, if you were half the woman that your sister was, then maybe I wouldn't have to cheat!"

My throat nearly closed up when he said that. It felt like a sharp sword had been pierced through my side. I staggered to the nearest couch to avoid a heavy fall. He knew that most of my self-esteem issues took root from my parents' blatant favoritism of my younger sister, Becky. 

Back then, he promised me that it would never be the case, that I would be his only flower, but his words and actions had never aligned. Yet, I cared about him and kept on with the relationship, hoping that one day, they would. 

So stupid.

"I've heard all I need to hear... Let's discuss how we're going to go about the divorce," I said, finally taking a seat on the couch I was just leaning on. 

"What do you mean by divorce?" 

Hearing that question, two thoughts popped up in my mind. Firstly, I married someone whose IQ was below room temperature, and secondly, he was testing the last bit of my patience before I'd crash out.

"Do I have to get the dictionary and explain what divorce is to you? Fine, I want to legally separate from you, Braden Winchester Junior," I said his full name with disgust tainting my lips. "Since it's clear that it's my sister who makes you happy, then there is no need for me to keep wasting my time anymore, and yours as well."

He started giving me this funny look like there was a horn growing on the side of my head. 

"Why would we have to divorce just because I made a mistake?" He looked like a confused toddler who had just spoken his first words, except he wasn't a toddler. He was a full-grown man in his late 20s and should have known better. 

"No, Brad... The mistake, the true mistake, was me ever getting married to you when I knew deep down that you hated me to your core." I reached for the Ring on my finger, and his eyes bulged out.

"What are you doing?" He screamed, but I ignored him, tightening my grip on the ring as I twisted it back and forward. It was a hard fight, but I came out victorious, pulling it off my finger. 

It fell on the floor, and I didn't bother picking it up. I passed it towards him with my foot, watching his every reaction.

I stood up to leave, swinging my hand back and forth because it hadn't felt lighter in years.

"Emily, you can't just..."

I slammed the door behind me as I was already tired of listening to his crap story.

Leaving home wasn't a big deal. Where do I go? 

That was the real issue.