The Wind Between Our Goodbye

I dined alone in the restaurant.

My stomach was full, but my heart felt hollow.

When I returned home, I printed the divorce papers. I was just about to sign them when my phone vibrated.

Josie Law sent me a screen recording of a video call. In the video, she and Xander Christian were standing on the deck of a luxury cruise ship. On the other end of the line were their friends cheering with admiration.

"A trip to Antartrica? That costs at least 100 thousand! Xander had never once taken Josephine on even a 10-thousand-dollar trip, right?"

"He spends money on where his love is!"

"It's surprising that Josephine didn't even make a scene this time. She even liked the post!"

Josie said in a feigned huff, "Of course she did. She even asked Xander for a divorce."

The other friends erupted in shocked gasps.

"Josephine used to only throw small tantrums, and now, she'd even dare bring up divorce? She's not serious, is she?"

"Of course not," Xander replied calmly. "She just wants me to go back and keep her company. I was heading back soon, yes, but I hate being threatened the most. So, I've decided to accompany Josie for a few more days."

His eyes gleamed icily, but when he lifted his hand to smooth Josie's wind-tousled hair, his demeanor softened.

Their friends teased them again.

"Get a room!"

"Xander, why don't you just take this chance and divorce Josephine?"

"Everyone knows that the only reason Josephine could end up with you back then is because of Josie. Now that Josie's back, she can step aside."

"Yes, Josie, look at Xander. He's a high-flying executive now. His feelings for you have never changed."

Xander swallowed. Just as he was about to speak, Josie suddenly buried her head into his arms.

"Xander, get them to stop. If they keep this up, they'll tarnish our pure friendship. Besides, it's normal for a housewife to overthink. Just indulge in her, alright? I don't want to be the bad person here."

A light seemed to have dimmed in Xander's eyes. He smiled ambiguously.

"Don't worry. She won't ask for a divorce. Without me, Josephine doesn't have a home. She wouldn't dare."

I looked at him, standing at the edge of the world. This man knew all my weakest points, yet he trampled on them without any restraint.

I finally understood that our time together was at an end, but why did my heart feel like it was being squeezed and twisted? It hurt beyond words.

Perhaps I had always seen him as my savior, my knight in shining armor.

Back in my sophomore year, Xander–who was a first-year graduate–confessed to me. He was the star on campus, someone I had secretly admired.

Me?

My mother died early, and my father started a new family. I had gained a stepmother and a stepfather. From a young age, I drifted from one roof to another, learning how to read faces, never again having a home.

It was Xander who made my insecure self believe that I was worth being loved, too. When he kissed me with utmost tenderness and gently called me 'Josie,' I suddenly broke down and cried.

Ever since my mother passed away, no one has called me by my nickname.

My sobs turned into laughter as I chuckled through my tears. That drifting heart of mine finally seemed to find a place to land.

After graduation, I gave up my guaranteed postgraduate recommendation and followed him to Lucerno, just because he said he would give me a home.

He said he wanted to focus on building his career, so I turned down job offers, took care of everything for him, and learned to cook and keep house.

I stayed by his side through four years of hardship.

Eventually, his career took off.

He immediately bought a high-quality diamond ring and proposed to me, saying, "Josie, you're worth it."

After marriage, he was always busy with work, yet from time to time, he would buy me expensive jewelry.

When I hesitated, reluctant to accept it, he smiled and hugged me, repeating the same thing, "Josie, you're worth it."

In those glittering moments, I thought that we were truly in love. I thought that I was finally blessed by luck this time. I finally had a lover and a family.

It was not until a month ago, when Josie returned to the country…

Josie was Xander's childhood sweetheart, the one he loved but could never have.

Life was like the sharpest, cruelest thorn, piercing through my fabric of happiness.

It turned out that Xander had only confessed to me because that very same day, Josie had announced that she had a boyfriend abroad.

When he kissed me for the first time, she had uploaded a photo of her holding hands with her boyfriend.

He only proposed to me because he found out that she was engaged. The diamond ring and jewelry that he gave to me were all her favorite styles.

When he called me Josie with all his tenderness, he was actually referring to her.

…

Every moment I once believed to be of happiness was saturated with his regret and reluctance.

I was never worth it in the first place after all.

A teardrop smudged the ink on the divorce papers.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized how pathetic I was.

Xander thought that I would not survive without him, but I had places to go.

I picked up the pen and signed the papers without any regrets.

This time, I was truly leaving him.