I want a divorce

Caroline 

I woke up unhappy, remembering yesterday's event, a disaster. Nate wasn't on the bed. God, I wished I had woken up before him and left to Claudia's place. I stared at the ceiling, replaying what happened before. He could have Serena for all I care. 

I shot to my feet, showered and dressed, then made my way downstairs, my stomach was already growling. I was drawn towards the smell of eggs and bacon coming from the kitchen. My face turned cold when I saw Nate over the table, his eyes were glued to his tablet. 

He finally looked up when I approached the table. “Good morning.” 

I dragged a chair and sat down. “Morning.” I threw my face elsewhere. 

“The chef made your favorite.” He dropped his tablet. “Did you sleep well?”

Since we got married, I haven't had a moment to sleep at peace. I nodded absentmindedly. “Yeah.” I began to eat. 

“You're dressed. Are you going somewhere?”

“Yeah.” I sipped from the orange juice and stood up. “I have to go and get something.” I walked towards the doorway.

“What's that? Let Chris take you.”

“No.” 

He turned to look at me, brows furrowed. “What?”

“I don't need help, Nate. I'm not a little kid.” I clutched my purse and took a deep breath. 

He dropped his fork and turned to me. “Since when did you start opposing?”

I shrugged. “I'm not. I'm telling you I have somewhere to go. Bye.” I didn't wait for him to say another word, I just walked away, exhaling as I walked towards the foyer. He had a very confused and uncertain look on his face. 

The moment I got to Claudia's house, relief washed over me. Her apartment smelled like lavender. I curled up on her couch, my fingers were hot from touching the mug with coffee, Claudia sat on the floor, her laptop on her lap. 

“Are you sure about this?” She looked up. 

I nodded. 

“So.” She clapped her hands. “Vance Corp. If you start working there, Nate is going to lose his mind, because Vance is basically Nate's biggest rival.” Her eyes lingered on my face. “Isn't that going to be a problem?”

I wrapped my hands tighter around the mug. “No. It still doesn't feel wrong to me. And I don't care.”

She paused and studied my face for a while. “How are things actually? With him?”

I exhaled slowly and looked up at the ceiling. The weight of what happened last night still weakened me. “I want to quit, Claudia. The marriage. All of it.”

“Damn.” She dragged her hands through her hair. “So—”

My phone buzzed against the floor. I stretched to check the caller ID. It was Nate. I didn't move. 

“You're not going to pick?”

“No, I'm not ready for that yet, but…” I leaned and grabbed the phone. “Let me just continue with my search.” I tapped the screen, heading straight to the tab I bookmarked, about rental listings and small apartments for rent. 

“I can't even go back to my parents house yet. They're so happily invested in this marriage.” I scoffed. “I would explain to them sooner, after I'm done with everything.”

“You can stay here for as long as you want.” she offered a small smile. 

“Thank you so much.” I rested my head against the pillow, thinking about Vance Corp. I'd be the happiest person once I got the position I'm seeking. Claudia is helping me get my foot in the door. We just have to wait for the results. 

Before I went to sleep, I switched my phone off to avoid his calls. I don't understand why he called, when he never really cared about me. I slept better in her guest room.

I spent the morning on my phone while Claudia got dressed for work. I finally found an apartment that was to my taste and budget-friendly. I filled out the application before I let myself overthink it, entering my card details. 

Suddenly, the sound of what sounded like an argument came from the front door. I froze. The voice sounded so familiar and I could hear Claudia saying something like. “Please, sir, calm down.”

I instinctively moved from the living room and rushed to the door. Claudia was by the door, talking to someone I couldn't see. Surprisingly, Nate pushed past her and she stepped back startled. My eyes widened. How did he—?

“Caroline.” His eyes found me, chest heaving like he was in a hurry. “I knew you would be here.” He adjusted his tie. “My instincts were right.”

Of course, this was the only place he had in mind because he knew how Claudia and I were close. 

“What are you doing here?”

He gave me a quizzical stare. “What's that supposed to mean? I should be asking you that. You didn't sleep at home last night, you just left without telling me your whereabouts. Why?” 

“Because—” I stopped and glanced towards Claudia who read the look on my face. 

“I'll just go.” Her hands clasped together and she walked away slowly, leaving us alone. 

Nate exhaled, crossing his arms and waiting for an explanation. “Well, this is new. I called you more than twenty times. You didn't pick up. You used to be so alert.”

“Oh. Is that so?” 

He chuckled. “Where were you?”

“Here, obviously. I spent the night here.” 

“And you left without informing me? We've talked about this before.” He stepped closer. “Always tell me where you are. How do I know you're not seeing some guy?”

My shoulders drooped. “Don't be delusional, Nate.”

His jaw tightened, eyes narrowing as they trailed over me, assessing, like he didn't know who I was anymore. 

I looked back into his eyes that were full of shock, staring for a long moment, the way I used to stare at him when I wanted to say something important. “Nate.” I said in a perfectly still voice. 

“I'm listening.” 

“I want a divorce.”