Chapter 11

Harvey was gone a long time, and I never expected him to find the wish card either. That tree was gigantic and bore the weight of countless strangers' wishes. A single wish card was almost impossible to distinguish from the rest.When the knock came, I was a little surprised. Harvey stood there, looking pale and weak with dark circles under his eyes. It was obvious he hadn't had proper sleep for days.The weather-beaten wish card dangled from his hand. His knuckles were scabbed, with no medicine applied.My surprise wasn't feigned since I hadn't thought he could do it. But instead of taking the wish card over, I said, "Come in."Delight lit up his near-dead, ashen face.I returned to my room and grabbed a file from the top of the desk. It was the agreement Arthur had drafted yesterday and freshly printed. I hadn't expected Harvey to show up so soon. It was just in time to get it signed."Here's the divorce and asset settlement agreement. Sign it when you can, and we'll pick a day

Chapter 12

After walking Harvey to the exit of my neighborhood without a word, I was about to head back when I caught his pleading, reddened eyes. With a sigh, I compromised and decided to walk him to the subway.We had walked through this stretch of road countless times when he used to pick me up after work, when we went on dates, and when he insisted on walking me home afterward.Later, even after I got married, he'd come with me to visit my parents.So many years had passed. Businesses had closed, new ones had taken their place, and storefronts had been renovated. I thought things would stay the same, but nothing ever did.Harvey kept talking, recalling memory after memory, and I never realized how much we'd been through. His memory was so sharp that he remembered things I'd long forgotten, and a few of them even made me laugh.We had done so many silly things as a couple back then—covering an entire wall in the study with photo booth strips, burying a time capsule under the ancient tree

Chapter 13

Harvey altered the divorce agreement and stripped it down so much that he was nearly left with nothing.Arthur was stunned, and I knew he was thinking to himself that Harvey was a fool.I froze briefly before deciding to accept it. Why should I turn it down when it was all mine to begin with?…The sun was out on the day Harvey and I visited the courthouse. Harvey had tried to tidy himself up as if he didn't want to look too wretched, but he still looked worn down and aged. And in contrast, I felt alive and steady.The courthouse was right next to the city clerk's office, where marriage registration was handled.At 25, Harvey had walked out carrying the 23-year-old me, promising that he would never let me down in his lifetime. He had even covered my eyes on our way out so that I wouldn't have to see the courthouse.At 30, he walked into the courthouse with the 28-year-old me.I stared at the flimsy sheet of paper and lifted my hand to write "incompatibility". At least it save

All Chapters of Anniversary of a Lie: Chapter 11 - Chapter 13

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13