Divorce

“Go to sleep. I need to take this,” Cohen said, avoiding her question as he picked up his phone and walked out of the bedroom.

Beatrice lay there in silence, staring at the ceiling. Her chest felt tight like something was pressing down on it. She didn’t understand why he had to step outside just to answer a call… unless it was someone he didn’t want her to hear.

Someone like… her.

She turned to her side and closed her eyes, but the more she tried to sleep, the more restless she felt. After a while, she sat up, pulled the blanket aside, and grabbed her pillow. 

Without hesitation, she walked out of the room and into the guest bedroom next door.

Nothing had changed.

From the day they got married, she had always stayed here. The room still felt more like hers than the master bedroom ever did.

She locked the door, turned off the lights, and lay down.

“Stop thinking about it,” she whispered to herself, forcing her eyes shut.

***

The next morning, Beatrice woke up later than usual. It was Saturday, so she didn’t have work, but she still dragged things out on purpose. She shut the door a little louder than necessary and made more noise than usual as she went downstairs.

If he was home, he would hear it.

But when she reached the dining area, the place was empty.

She paused as her eyes landed on the dining table.

Ever since they decided to try and fix their marriage, Cohen had been making breakfast whenever he was home. It became something she quietly looked forward to, even if she never said it out loud.

But today, there was nothing.

Her heart sank slightly.

Without thinking, she turned and rushed upstairs, heading straight for the master bedroom. When she pushed the door open, everything looked exactly the same as when she left the night before.

The bed hadn’t been touched. It’s obvious he left and didn’t sleep here.

Beatrice stood there for a moment, then walked to the closet and pulled out a suitcase.

She didn’t want to think about where he spent the night.

Or who he spent it with.

***

At the company dorm, her friend Daisy looked up in surprise as Beatrice walked in with her luggage.

“Bea? You’re moving in? I thought you said you’d never stay in the dorm.”

“Starting today, I will,” Beatrice replied as she began putting her clothes away. “It’s closer to work, and we only have a month left before the internship ends. I need to focus.”

Daisy sat up, frowning slightly. “There are a lot of interns this batch with connections. Some are even from better schools. It won’t be easy to stay.”

“Sterling Capital is fair,” Beatrice said calmly, though her hands paused for just a second. “As long as we do our job well, we’ll have a chance.”

“…I hope so,” Daisy muttered.

Beatrice smiled faintly, but she didn’t say anything more.

That night, she woke up to a dark room. She reached for her phone and checked it.

No missed calls. No messages.

She stared at the screen for a few seconds before letting out a quiet laugh at herself.

What was she even expecting?

Two years ago, she already knew there was someone else in Cohen’s heart. Someone he had always cherished. Everyone in his world knew it.

Just as she was about to put her phone down, it rang.

Her heart jumped, and she grabbed it immediately.

[Hubby]

She almost answered right away, but then paused, forcing herself to wait a few seconds before picking up.

“Where are you?” Cohen’s voice came through.

“I moved into the company dorm,” she said, keeping her tone steady. “I’ll be staying here from now on. You don’t need to look for me.”

There was a short silence before he spoke again.

“Come back. Now.”

“No.” The word slipped out before she could stop it. Her chest tightened, but she didn’t take it back.

On the other end, his voice turned colder.

“Then let’s get divorced.”

Beatrice froze.

“…What did you just say?”

“Monday. We’ll go finalize it,” he said flatly.

Her fingers tightened around the phone. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm.

“Fine. Monday at eight. Bring the marriage certificate. It’s in the drawer.”

She hung up before her voice could betray her. The moment the call ended, everything she had been holding in broke.

She buried her face in the pillow and cried, her shoulders shaking as tears soaked through the fabric.

She didn’t love him. At least, that’s what she kept telling herself.

But that night, when he said they would try to build a real life together, she believed him. She gave everything she had to that promise. She imagined a future with him.

A home. A child. Maybe even love.

And just when she started to hope, he asked for a divorce.

“Fine…” she whispered through her tears. “Then we’ll divorce.”

She wasn’t someone who couldn’t live without him.

***

The door suddenly opened, and Daisy stepped in, flipping on the lights.

“Bea? What happened?” she asked, rushing over.

Beatrice quickly wiped her tears and forced a weak smile. “I watched a really sad movie. It just got to me.”

Daisy blinked. “What movie? I want to watch it too.”

“Don’t,” Beatrice said, sniffling. “Both leads die.”

“…Okay, never mind,” Daisy said, handing her some tissues. “Have you eaten? I brought pizza and milk tea.”

“I’ll eat.”

Beatrice took the food and started eating quickly, trying to distract herself.

“Don’t watch sad movies anymore,” Daisy added.

Beatrice nodded, her eyes still slightly red. “I won’t.”

But the pain in her chest didn’t go away.

Later that night, after a shower, Beatrice still couldn’t sleep. Her phone lit up with a new message. She opened it slowly and saw that it was a photo.

In a high-end restaurant, Cohen sat across from a delicate-looking woman with long black hair. She looked soft, sweet… familiar.

Beatrice put on her earphones and played the voice message that came with it.

“That woman’s back? What’s Cohen doing? Is he cheating? Do you want me to go over there and throw a drink on him?”

Beatrice stared at the screen for a moment before typing calmly.

“Don’t do anything. We’re getting divorced. Let’s talk after Monday.”

***

Monday morning came quickly.

Beatrice woke up early and got ready carefully. She didn’t usually wear much makeup, but today, she took her time. If this was the end, she wanted to walk into it properly.

When she stepped out of the dorm building, she immediately noticed a familiar black car parked nearby.

Her lips pressed together slightly. So he couldn’t even wait. He even came to pick her up.

Beatrice pretended not to notice and walked toward the roadside to hail a car instead.

But before she could, the black car pulled up beside her. The back window rolled down, revealing Cohen’s cold, handsome face.

“Get in.”

His tone left no room for refusal.

Beatrice glanced at him, then opened the door and got inside. She deliberately sat as far away from him as possible, turning her gaze toward the window.

Her chest felt tight again. Just two nights ago, they were still in the same bed. Now they were heading to end everything.

Cohen looked at her, noticing the effort she had put into her appearance. 

“You look happy about the divorce.”

“Of course,” she said lightly. “I finally don’t have to deal with you anymore, old man.”

He let out a short laugh. “Old man? I’m only thirty.”

She didn’t respond. The rest of the ride passed in silence.

When they arrived at the courthouse, Beatrice got out immediately and walked ahead without looking back, as if she couldn’t wait to get it over with.

Cohen stood there for a second, watching her back as his expression grew darker.

His phone rang and he answered quickly.

A few moments later, he hung up and called out, “Beatrice, wait.”

She turned around. “What is it?”

“Grandpa’s in the hospital. We need to go.”

Her face turned pale instantly.

“What happened? Is he okay?”