She Can Have Him

When the anaesthesia wore off and I woke up again, it was already the next afternoon. I lifted my hand and caressed my stomach, which had become flat. My sleeve slid down because of the movement, revealing the bruised and swollen back of my hand.Ever since I was little, I had always been absolutely terrified of being injected with needles, yet I endured more than 300 injections to save the baby Charles and I had conceived.Yet, in the twenty-seven hours between me being rushed into surgery last night and now, he hadn't returned.As if on cue, my mobile phone rang with a notification from where it lay on the bedside cabinet.It was a message from Charles, yet not one asking about my nor the baby's health. No, it was a simple voice message that said, "Sue got a fever after being on the rooftop for so long last night. Her parents are out of town, and her brother doesn't care for her, so I'm the only person who can help her out. What a hassle."Even though he said it was a hassle,

I rented an apartment outside.After that night, I hadn't even seen Charles for days. Meanwhile, my lawyer friend had already finished checking the divorce agreement, and had sent me the final copy. After checking through it, I asked her to send it to Charles in my stead.After that, there was nothing but silence, as if it were a rock that had sunk into the sea.One afternoon, I got a call from Charles' assistant. "Ma'am, Mr. Page says that he's been in contact with the hospital. Your baby can be delivered after a week via C-section, so please start packing your things and getting ready."Also, he's seen the divorce agreement. He thinks it's beneath you to get so jealous over a girl who's younger than you. He's been taking care of you ever since you got married, and all your expenses have been paid from his accounts since you haven't been working, either. If you apologize to him, he'll consider all of it water under the bridge."However, if you insist on being stubborn, he says he

Sunlight streamed in through the window, bright and warm, yet Charles shivered as if he were caught in a snowstorm. His expression became so dull and lifeless he looked like he was dusted over with gray, and he looked so heartbroken he was about to cry.I cast my gaze towards the floor, irony flashing in my eyes, before handing him the divorce agreement I'd prepared beforehand. "Sign it. Then, let's arrange a time to settle everything between us."Charles' face went pale, and he was unwilling to accept the papers. Like a child desperate to undo a mistake, he said, "I'm sorry, sweetheart."He stumbled over to me, his eyes filled with sorrow. "Does it hurt…?"I didn't bother replying, only stepping back and increasing the distance between us once more. "Even if it did, that's got nothing to do with you. See you two days later at the courthouse, nine in the morning."After that, I turned and left."Sweetheart, don't go!"Charles wanted to chase after me, but Sue pulled out the ne

After our divorce, I was left completely unburdened, finally able to put all my energy into my work. Within a year, my small studio, comprising fewer than thirty people, had grown into a full-fledged company with an office downtown.On moving day, many friends sent flower baskets to congratulate me. Among them was a simple bouquet that didn't stand out, addressed from Charles.To be honest, I hadn't even thought about the man in ages.Many of our shared friends were aware of what had happened between the two of us, and joked openly about him and Sue at our celebration that night, their downfall being the talk of the table.Just as I expected, Sue's gambler father and her lazy, freeloading brother had continued leeching off the two of them like vampires, bleeding them dry. They assumed that someone as capable as Charles would be able to quickly bounce back, even after giving everything to me during the divorce.However, they didn't expect the method by which Charles chose to exact