All Chapters of Thirty Days to Freedom: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

"Great, Krista, I'm so happy that you finally decided to come back after all these years."The middle-aged man, my Uncle Brian's voice carried a hint of excitement over the phone.Before the call even ended, the bedroom door swung open. Ayden stepped in, bringing with him the sharp, cloying scent of an unfamiliar woman's perfume."Who were you talking to?"He didn't actually care. When he spoke to me, his gaze was locked on his phone screen, unwilling to give me any attention.As I opened my mouth to answer, his phone rang. A saccharine voice purred through the speaker. "Mr. Baldwin, thanks for bringing me those meds last week! I don't know what I'd do without you. I might still be sick if it weren't for you."He lowered the volume. Maybe even he realized this wasn't appropriate.I shut my mouth. What was the point? We were getting divorced anyway.Without a word, I resumed packing my things. As usual, I made myself some warm milk.Ayden had just finished a tender conversation on the

"What? Didn't Mr. Baldwin get married to Krista?""Keep your voice down. Krista is still here!""Krista, we were just joking. Don't overthink it."The rows of mango smoothies and chocolate cakes told the whole story. He'd ordered office treats; worried Leticia's crash diet was wrecking her health.I wanted to taste the "witness" of their love.Unfortunately, I was allergic to mangoes and didn't like eating chocolate products.Back when Ayden was pursuing me, grand gestures were his norm. He'd trap me with work reports during lunch hours, claiming he worried I'd skip meals while buried in projects.He would sneak pills into cupcakes when I worked sick, just to watch me grimace at the bitter taste.The office drones even buzzed with gossip about our office romance, injecting life into mundane corporate days.Unfortunately, that heartbeat and care now belonged to someone else.I didn't have time to think much as the work at hand was tedious.For this project, I worked overtime for severa

Through the airplane window, the city shrank to miniature. Only then did departure feel real.I was wondering how Ayden would react when he found out that I had left. Surprise? Or perhaps he would feel relieved.In my memory, we were intimate partners and the most compatible workmates. We were inseparable and envied by others as a perfect couple.He knew that my parents had passed away early, and at that time, he held me and said, "I'll take good care of you. From now on, I am your family."But how did it end up at "Her parents are gone, making divorce impossible"?How did his care and sympathy twist into his certainty that I'd never leave?My head throbbed until I stopped trying to figure it out.The best way to deal with a painful relationship, as mentioned online, was to end it.I closed my eyes and waited for the plane to take me to another country.The plane landed, and I walked forward, carrying my luggage.I heard the voice of my uncle Brian Pearson shouting while holding a sig

His eyes were slightly red as he said in a hoarse voice, "Why did you block me, Krista?"My thoughts drifted back to the day when I deleted our chat history and blocked him."Ayden, we've already divorced. I've also resigned from your company. What is the meaning of you coming to find me?"Upon hearing these words, Ayden's throat rolled as if he was suppressing his emotions."It was my fault that we got divorced. I misunderstood you and impulsively signed the divorce agreement."I looked into that project situation and realized I wrongfully blamed you. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions without proof. I was wrong. Can you give me another chance?"I looked at him sarcastically.The divorce process took 30 days to finalize after signing the papers, meaning he got two chances to reconsider.What he didn't know was that his false accusation wasn't the real reason for our divorce. It was just the final straw after 7 years together and 5 years of marriage.The most important reason was th