Goodbye Losers, Hello Freedom

Damian Pyke left me once again for Waverly Benson, our neighbor.I grabbed Damian's sleeve and asked, "Do you have to go? Today is our fifth wedding anniversary.""Maisie, can you be a little more understanding? Waverly is raising a child on her own, and the kid has a high fever. She can't afford to wait," Damian growled as he impatiently pried my hand off.I let out a cold laugh, noticing how that kid always seemed to get sick at just the right time.I snapped, "The kid isn't even yours, so why is she always calling you instead of someone else? Damian, if you walk out that door today, we're getting a divorce tomorrow!"However, Damian's face darkened. "Do whatever you want, but don't use this to threaten me! After our divorce, no one else would want a woman as heartless as you!" Fury boiled inside me. The second he turned to open the door, I flipped the dining table over. The candlelit dinner I had prepared crashed to the floor.Damian froze in place. "Are you out of your min

Just as I placed my hand on the door handle, I heard a knock from outside. I opened the door to see Clara Wilson standing there with a bright smile.She said, "Maisie, these are fresh eggs from my family's farm back home. I thought you could use some extra nourishment."I could tell Clara did not come just to drop off some eggs. She clearly had something on her mind, so I invited her in."Come on in, Clara. Have a seat."Clara stepped inside and immediately caught sight of Damian at the dining table. She frowned and shook her head. She told him, "Damian, I'm telling you, a married man shouldn't worry about another woman. Taking care of your own wife should be your top priority."Damian kept his head down, silently shoving food into his mouth. Nonetheless, when he sneaked a guilty glance my way, I caught it.I brought Clara a cup of tea, but she waved her hand. "I just came to say a few words. I have to send my kid to school soon."I thanked her with a smile and walked her out. H

When Waverly saw Damian's reaction, she put on her usual pitiful expression and rushed back into her apartment. Moments later, she returned holding a thick envelope.She shoved it toward me and said, "This is twenty thousand dollars. It's everything I have. Take it all. As for the remaining five thousand dollars... Well, you decide if my life is worth that much."Damian's face went pale. He immediately softened, his voice trembling as he said, "Waverly, what are you doing? You don't have to hand it over all at once… Take your time. We'll figure it out."I shot him a glance and snatched the envelope from Waverly's hand. Right there in front of her, I counted the bills out loud."One, two, three... Exactly two hundred bills. Well, Waverly, you can consider the remaining five thousand dollars Damian's gift to you—money he's been saving for your future wedding."Damian's head jerked toward me, eyes wide with panic. "Maisie, don't spout nonsense like that. The entire neighborhood just

That afternoon, I was in the lab working on a scaled architectural model when someone called for me, saying that there was an international phone call for me.I picked up the receiver and heard Damian's voice on the other end. He said he wanted me to come back so we could finalize the divorce.As if I had the time to fly halfway across the world just to get divorced.Shortly after, Clara called. That was when I learned what had really happened. Apparently, Waverly had caused a massive scene, blaming Damian for her miserable life. She screamed about how the neighbors mocked her and insisted that he divorce me and take responsibility for her and her child.Three months later, I returned home with my team for a short teaching program. I had exactly one day of free time, so I picked up the phone and called Damian. I said, "I have one day tomorrow. Bring the paperwork. We'll finalize the divorce in the morning."He went quiet. I could hear his breathing through the static of the ca