Chapter 2

Celine spoke softly, but Derrick's brows drew together.

"Knock it off. I'm tired." He lazily rested his chin on her head, clearly not taking her seriously. "I don't have time for these empty threats.

"See? This is exactly why we didn't add you to the group. You take everything way too seriously. Maybe learn from JenJen for once. She doesn't freak out over stupid little stuff like this."

Stupid little stuff.

The words rang in Celine's ears.

Jenny leaned into Derrick, practically hanging off his arm. "Hear that, Cece? Quit being so petty!"

Celine suddenly looked up and laughed. "Derrick Gladwin, so being generous means not caring when someone shares private pics of your wife so everyone can laugh at her? That it?

"Well, I care!"

Before either could react, she raised the phone, aimed at Jenny's grinning face, and snapped a pic.

Derrick scowled.

He smacked Celine's hand away.

The phone went flying. Celine stumbled back and cracked her head against the corner of the vanity.

She braced herself on one arm and tried to get up. Her fingers touched the back of her head.

Blood.

But Derrick didn't even look at her.

He was too busy.

Busy comforting Jenny, pulling out his phone, and tapping away.

Messages deleted.

Group chat gone.

Just like that.

Celine laughed until tears ran down her face.

He said Jenny had a good attitude.

Of course she did.

No matter what happened, Jenny never had to lift a finger. Derrick fixed everything for her. What did she have to be upset about?

But the second Celine called out how unfair it was, she was petty.

"Ricky..." Jenny sniffled, holding up her arm. "My arm..."

It was barely a scratch.

Derrick immediately took Jenny's hand and gently blew on it. "Does it hurt? I'll take you to the hospital."

Then he got up and walked right past Celine without even looking at her.

Celine sat on the floor, blood running down her neck and soaking her collar.

It was so ridiculous, she almost laughed.

Her head was split open, but her husband only cared about Jenny's tiny scratch.

She gave a bitter smile as she reached for the first-aid kit.

Without a mirror, she had to feel around, pressing alcohol-soaked cotton to the cut on the back of her head.

One cotton ball after another came away red.

Eventually, even the pain went numb.

She opened her laptop, the cold screen lighting up her pale face.

She started a new document and typed the title—

Divorce Agreement.

As a lawyer, she'd handled more divorces than she could count. She knew the process by heart.

She just never thought she'd be writing one for herself.

The room was pitch-black.

She remembered how scared of the dark she'd been when they first got married.

Derrick used to leave a warm night-light on for her every night.

Once, she'd woken up in the middle of the night and found him frowning, his eyes struggling with the light.

But the second he realized she was awake, he pulled her close and asked in a rough voice if she'd had a nightmare.

Every memory of him patiently putting up with her sensitivity now felt like glass in her chest.

She kept typing until her numb fingers hurt.

By the time gray light crept through the window, she was staring at one line:

[Both parties voluntarily agree to dissolve their marriage.]

Celine let out a long breath, then fell asleep in her clothes.

...

The next morning, Celine had barely opened the door when Jenny wandered in, yawning.

"Morning, Cece." She rubbed her eyes. "We stayed out way too late, so we got a hotel room.

"Your husband snores like crazy. Seriously, how much do you love him to put up with that?"

Derrick hooked a finger under her shoulder strap. "You drooled all over the pillow, and I didn't say a word..."

Jenny giggled and dodged him. "Relax, Cece! Ricky and I are basically bros. I don't even see him as a guy, so don't make it weird..."

Derrick smirked. "You're flat front and back. Who are you calling a guy?"

Celine's face stayed blank.

She walked over and held out the bound papers.

"Divorce papers. Look them over. If everything's fine, sign them. Then I'll be out of your way."