I Want A Divorce

Picking herself off the ground, Thalina had just stepped out of the stall when the door opened and Elowin walked in as if she owned the place, a soft smile resting on her lips.

Thalina felt her mood darken instantly at the sight of her, but Elowin seemed to feel the exact opposite. She even lifted her hand and gave a small wave.

“Hi, bestie,” she greeted casually, as if she hadn’t just framed her minutes ago and turned her husband against her.

Thalina clenched her teeth but said nothing. She walked to the sink, turned on the tap, and began washing her hands, deliberately ignoring her presence.

But Elowin didn’t leave.

She strolled over and leaned against the sink, watching Thalina like she was some kind of curiosity under a microscope.

“You look like shit,” she said, her voice stripped of that sweet, innocent tone.

Then she clicked her tongue lightly. “Seems married life didn’t treat you well. Or is it that Evan was too busy loving me—even when I wasn’t around—to spare a pitiful thing like you any attention?”

The words stung, because no matter how much Thalina wanted to deny it, they were true.

Evander had spent five years loving a ghost.

Not his wife.

Her jaw tightened as she bit down on her lower lip, but she still said nothing.

“Well,” Elowin continued, her tone turning smug, “I should thank you. You kept all those desperate bitches away from him for me all these years.”

She pushed herself off the sink and stepped closer, her voice lowering as the smile disappeared completely.

“I’m back now,” she said softly, “so it’s time you return him to his rightful owner.”

At that, Thalina’s hands stilled under the running water.

She turned off the tap slowly and faced her.

For a second, she considered walking away. Ending this conversation before it could go any further.

But then she crushed that thought.

“And if I don’t want to?” she asked.

Elowin stared at her.

For a brief moment, her expression went blank. Then confusion flickered across her face, followed by irritation.

And just when it seemed like she might snap, her lips curled upward and a laugh slipped out.

Her shoulders shook slightly as she let out a soft, amused chuckle.

“Forgive my expression earlier,” she said lightly. “I have a new movie coming up, so I need to practice.”

Her words made Thalina’s fingers curl into a fist.

Right. While she had been trapped playing the role of a substitute and a devoted housewife, Elowin had been out there chasing her dreams. She had searched her name on the ride to work—an A-list actress, surrounded by sponsors and brand deals, basking in the spotlight while Thalina stood in sinking mud, a ticking time bomb hidden beneath her skin.

“But what did you say?” Elowin continued, tilting her head slightly. “You don’t want to give him up?”

She didn’t look offended as she repeated it. If anything, amusement danced in her eyes.

“Oh, honey,” she chuckled, “I thought after all these years, you would have grown at least a few brain cells… or finally seen the obvious truth in front of you.”

She stepped forward and placed a hand on Thalina’s shoulder, her voice lowering as she said it plainly.

“Evander doesn’t love you.”

The words landed exactly where they were meant to.

“That five years you wasted playing housewife?” she continued. “A complete waste. It’s time to wake up.”

The truth in those words couldn’t have cut deeper.

But Thalina refused to let it show.

Her expression remained calm as she lifted her hand and brushed Elowin’s off her shoulder.

“You’re right,” she said evenly. “It was a waste.”

Elowin’s brow arched slightly.

“I married him thinking he was something special,” Thalina went on. “But even in bed, he’s a disappointment.”

For the first time, Elowin’s composure cracked, her face paling.

But Thalina didn’t give her the chance to recover.

She leaned in slightly, a faint smile touching her lips despite the dull ache in her chest.

“Don’t worry,” she added softly. “I’m not going to fight you over him. You can have my leftovers. Consider it a welcome back gift… bestie.”

Then she straightened and walked past her, deliberately avoiding contact, as if Elowin were something contaminating.

She didn’t look back.

Behind her, Elowin stood frozen in place, anger simmering just beneath the surface.

~☆~

The rest of the day passed in a blur of work, and by the time Thalina decided she had done enough, it was already past eight.

She packed her bag, shut down her computer, and glanced at Evander’s office one last time.

The lights were off.

He had left earlier than usual, escorting Elowin out. The moment they walked out together, the entire office had erupted into whispers.

“Oh my goodness, it’s the first time Mr. Hale has brought a woman to the office.”

“Is that his girlfriend?”

“I heard they’ve known each other since childhood.”

“Haha, we should probably start calling her Madam from now on.”

The murmurs had floated endlessly through the air, but Thalina had kept her head down, refusing to react.

She planned to resign the moment Evander signed the divorce papers, so she had spent the rest of her time organizing handover documents for whoever would take her place. She didn’t want to leave a mess behind for the next assistant.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, she picked up the divorce papers and walked out.

The ride home felt longer than usual. More than once, her fingers tightened unconsciously around the documents in her lap.

When the taxi pulled into the Hale estate, she stepped out and instinctively glanced up at the study window.

The lights were on.

Evander was home.

Unexpected… but convenient.

Without hesitation, she headed inside and went straight for his office. She knocked once before opening the door at his response.

“Enter.”

She stepped in quietly.

Evander sat behind his desk, dressed in a long-sleeved casual shirt that revealed part of his collarbone and a pair of loose sweatpants. Reading glasses rested low on the bridge of his nose, and his damp hair suggested he had just taken a shower.

He had left the office hours ago with Elowin.

Was he only just getting back now?

The thought came unbidden, stirring a brief ache in Thalina’s chest.

But she clenched her fist and reminded herself why she was here.

With quiet resolve, she stepped forward.

The sound of her heels against the floor drew Evander’s attention. He glanced up, but his gaze only lingered on her for a second before dropping back to the documents on his desk.

She didn’t let that stop her.

Reaching his table, she opened the file and placed it neatly in front of him. “This needs your signature.”

Evander’s fingers paused briefly before his eyes flickered toward the document. He didn’t bother reading it, simply lifted a hand and waved her off dismissively.

“I’ll attend to it when I’m less busy. Get out.”

The words stung, but she swallowed the pain, straightened her spine, and squared her shoulders.

“It urgently needs your signature.” She insisted.

His hand stilled again.

This time, after a brief pause, he reached for the file and pulled it closer, his eyes scanning the contents.

The first words that greeted him were written in big, bold letters—

Official Divorce Documents.

His gaze halted.

For a moment, he blinked and looked again, as if expecting the words to change.

They didn’t.

A faint crease formed between his brows as he lifted his head to look at her, something unsettled that he refused to acknowledge rising in his chest.

“What’s the meaning of this?” he asked, his voice calm, but his eyes darkening.

Thalina didn't hesitate. She held his gaze without an ounce of hesitation. 

“It’s exactly what you see, Evander,” she said, her tone steady.

“I want a divorce.”