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Chapter 10 The Things I Chose for Myself
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Secondhand Love Chapter 10 The Things I Chose for Myself
At 8.40 a.m. on Monday, I arrived at the vital records office entrance.Caleb was already there. He had not brought flowers or gifts, only the identification documents we needed. When he saw me approaching, he did what he had always done whenever we entered a shopping mall, hospital, or restaurant together over the years: he opened the glass door for me.The staff at the counter checked our documents and reminded us once again about the mandatory cooling-off period.Caleb held his pen without putting it to paper for a long time. "Nikki, if there's even one moment during these thirty days when you want to come back, call me."He did not promise that he would definitely change this time, nor did he bring up Yasmine to explain himself.I nodded and signed my name.…During the month-long cooling-off period, he rarely contacted me. When the weather turned cold, he would remind me to close my windows. When I was running low on stomach medication, he would send me a link to a pharmacy
Secondhand Love Chapter 9 You Already Have All of Him
On Sunday afternoon, I returned to collect my vital records, especially the marriage certificate.Caleb told me Yasmine would come at 3 p.m. to pick up the after-sales service cards and spare water filters she had left in his tool cabinet. He suggested I arrive at 2.30 p.m. so we would not have to run into each other.…The moment I opened the door, I almost failed to recognize the place.The refrigerator, television, washing machine, robot vacuum, and coffee maker had all been replaced with new ones. Even the dishwasher I had looked at two years ago but ultimately decided was too expensive had been installed in the kitchen.Caleb set a stack of receipts on the dining table and smiled at me. "Everything's new this time. I paid for it all myself. I didn't touch the reserve fund, and I didn't ask Yasmine about any of it."He took me around the apartment, showing me each appliance. He could barely hide the anticipation in his voice. "I bought the models based on the ones you'd sent
Secondhand Love Chapter 8 Marriage Had No Grace Period
On Friday evening, Caleb invited me out for tacos. By the time I arrived, he had already picked all the cilantro out of my plate. Beside it lay a record of the money transferred out of our joint reserve fund and a transfer receipt."I've replaced all the money I took out. From now on, I won't get involved in Yasmine's belongings, repairs, or moving arrangements."He slid a bank card toward me. "I won't pressure you to come back if you don't want to. Once the three months are up, we can talk again."I didn't touch the card. "Why does it have to be three months from now?"Caleb froze for a moment before quickly breaking into a smile. "You can't seriously intend to live in that one-bedroom apartment forever. Once you've cooled off, our home will still be there."The side kebab was still sizzling hot when his phone suddenly vibrated on the table.Yasmine was calling on video.He declined the first call, but the phone rang again almost immediately. When the third call came, it was re
Secondhand Love Chapter 7 Four Years of Borrowed Boundaries
After leaving the shopping mall, I went to pick up a secondhand solid wood table I had found through a local marketplace.The sellers were an elderly couple who were preparing to move out of town to help their daughter look after her child. The table was inexpensive, though one corner bore a conspicuous burn mark, and the drawer had been cracked once before. The old woman pointed out every flaw herself and even knocked 20 dollars off the price.Caleb helped me carry the table upstairs. As soon as we set it down, he crouched beside it and ran his fingers over the burn mark. "This can be sanded off. It doesn't look good left like this. I have sandpaper in my toolbox.""I saw it when I bought the table. There's no need."His hand stopped at the corner. "So, you don't actually mind secondhand things?"I twisted open a damp cloth and began wiping the dust off the tabletop, bit by bit. "When did I ever say that? What bothered me was that you knew someone else had used it before and chos
Secondhand Love Chapter 6 This Time, I Chose for Myself
The following afternoon, Caleb sent me a location pin for a shopping mall, along with a message. 'I'm on the first floor. Pick whatever you want. I won't decide for you this time.'I did not reply.…Ten minutes later, he called. The background was noisy, with a promotional announcement playing on repeat over the mall's speakers."Nikki, I'll wait right here. It's up to you whether you come or not, but you have to at least give me a chance to make things right."My old phone had conveniently stopped charging, and the repair shop was on the same floor. When I arrived, he was leaning against the railing beside an escalator, his arms folded. The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up, but he did not dare reach for my hand the way he used to."Getting your phone fixed first?"I nodded.He really did stay with me for twenty minutes without rushing me or asking when we would be done.When the technician told me the charging port needed to be replaced, Caleb instinctively asked about the
Secondhand Love Chapter 5 When He Called It a Compromise
Caleb did not insist on bringing Yasmine's old refrigerator into our home that day, nor did he try to stop my movers from doing their job. He simply stood in the hallway, watching as box after box of my clothes, books, and medicine was carried away.One of the movers pointed at the wedding photo hanging on the wall. "Should we wrap this one up, too?""Wrap it up," he answered almost at once.I shook my head. "I'm not taking it."His lips moved as though he wanted to say something, but in the end, he merely stepped aside to let the movers pass.…That afternoon, I had just finished hanging up my clothes when the doorbell rang again.Caleb stood outside holding two brand-new cardboard boxes, sweat covering his forehead. Inside were a robot vacuum and a coffee machine, both identical to the ones Yasmine had bought for her new home."She heard you were upset about it. Neither of these has been used, and the protective film is still on. I asked her to return them to me." He placed t
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