Divorce Is Unnecessary

For her wedding, my friend, Colette, used the wedding plan I’d originally prepared for myself.

I had spent half a year getting the whole thing together, but my fiance, Terrence Fulton, took only one minute to throw it all out the window.

He only agreed to a rushed and perfunctory wedding plan.

Still, no matter how much he fooled around, I was his lawfully wedded wife.

That was how I felt until today, when he brought his mistress to attend Colette’s wedding.

The second I walked in, everyone looked at me. Their looks carried all kinds of unspoken emotions.

Some looked as though they were waiting for the show to start. Others were just plain nosy. Of course, some looked at me in sympathy.

Only Terrence seemed above it. He was unbothered.

“We’re here,” he said.

I looked at the young woman clinging affectionately to his arm and nodded calmly.

This was not the first time Terrence had cheated on me over the course of seven years of marriage. It was not even the second mistress.

The groom, Seth, froze. He obviously never anticipated such a thing to happen.

“Oh, Kendra, you’re here. Here, take a seat. Make yourself at home!”

I composed myself and smiled at him. I was grateful that he was trying to smooth things over.

The seats had all been arranged, of course, so there were no empty ones. Terrence prioritized his uninvited guest.

Terrence looked at me and said impatiently, “There’s already someone sitting in your seat. Sit elsewhere.”

After withstanding such treatment for many years, it was second nature for me to obey him.

“Alright.”

The second I sat down, I could feel the stares grow bolder.

Seth was very apologetic. Before he left, he asked his relatives, who were seated near me, to take good care of me.

He cared more about how I felt than Terrence did.

The wedding started as planned. Colette walked down the aisle in the wedding dress I had designed and over the red carpet I had chosen.

She was joined in marriage to a person and would receive the love and happiness that I had never known.

The whole thing unfolded in exactly the way they did in my dreams.

The woman holding onto Terrence’s arm was very young and looked innocent and doe-eyed.

“Terrence says you’re great at flower arranging, Kendra. Could you make me a bouquet? I want one that’s just like the bride’s.”

The atmosphere tensed up. The others nearby exchanged glances with each other but did not dare to intervene.

I instinctively looked at Terrence.

Terrence patted the woman’s head affectionately. He tilted his chin at me and demanded, “What are you still sitting there for? Go do it. Now!”

I met his contemptuous gaze and put on an easy smile.

I got up and headed out of the wedding venue.

“Move faster,” Terrence said.

I did not respond, and my steps did not falter.

I walked out of the building and headed right out into the street.

I did not turn back.

The family’s driver was not present, so I continued walking down the street.

When I passed a trash can, I took off my red-soled heels and ditched them.

As my bare feet touched the pavement, it felt like every shackle around me had fallen away.

After seven years of marriage, I finally felt like I was walking on a path of my own.

When I got home, Terrence called me.

“How long does it take to put together a hand bouquet? Do you realize that we’re still waiting?”

I found that hilarious, but I said casually, “I never said I’d make you that bouquet. By the way, I’m home.”

Terrence let out a mocking chuckle when he heard that.

“Kendra Mercer, you’ve finally grown a spine, haven’t you?”

“Yes.”

Terrence did not expect that I would actually retort.

On the other end of the call, his breathing quickened for a few seconds. I had angered him.