All Chapters of Excluded Husband: I Chose Divorce: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

Just then, my wife, Danielle Russell, called. "Leon, I'm going to be late tonight. Bring in the clothes from the balcony and fold them. Oh, and Mom, Dad, and Vince are busy too. Don't wait up for us. Just grab something yourself."Before I could answer, she hung up.I walked out to the balcony. Staring at the lines full of everyone's laundry, I dazed off.The signs had been there all along. I had just been lying to myself. Somewhere along the line, I had become an outsider in my own home.I picked up the last apple in the kitchen.When Vincent Tanner said he wanted an apple, the whole family demanded I give it to him. I sliced it in half to share, but all I got in return was Danielle's sharp reprimand. "Half an apple? That's not even a mouthful!"She snatched Vincent's half and tossed it into the trash. Then she grabbed his arm and marched toward the door. "Come on, Vince. Let's go buy a whole box of apples."Mom glared at me, her teeth clenched. "Do you always have to be so pet

Chapter 2

My heart sank at Danielle's words. I hadn't done a single thing, yet here I was, being ordered to apologize.I sneered, "Apologize? For what? What exactly did I do wrong?"Danielle flew into a rage. "You know damn well what you did! Making Vince upset is like slapping the face of this entire family! I don't care. Apologize now. Or else don't blame me for what happens next!"Mom's voice filtered in from the background. "Dani, don't talk to Leon like that. He's your husband."Then, she spoke into the phone. "Leon, don't take Dani's words to heart. And look, we just came out for a quick dinner. Don't read too much into it."Hearing her voice only made the bitterness in my chest deepen."You don't need to explain," I said coldly. "After all, you guys are the real family here."That completely set Mom off. She yelled into the receiver, "Leon! How can you say something like that? Just because we didn't bring you out for one dinner? Are you really making this big of a deal out of it? I

Chapter 3

"Silly child, how could we ever let you leave? We're all you have now," Mom said.Then she turned to face me, her eyes heavy with disappointment. "Leon, you went way too far this time! I am really disappointed in you."Disappointed?A bitter, hollow smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.She wanted me to yield to Vincent on everything, and I did. She wanted me to be mature and understanding, and I did that too. So what exactly was she disappointed in?Was it because I didn't let Vincent walk all over me and finally spoke up? Or was it because I refused to keep playing dumb after realizing they never saw me as family?But Mom, as a human being, I had dignity too.Dad stepped in to play the peacemaker. "Leon, your mom is truly furious this time. Just apologize to Vince, and we can all move past this."Another apology!From beginning to end, I was always the one who had to say sorry.But not this time.I raised my head defiantly and looked them straight in the eye, enunciating

Chapter 4

I dragged myself to the curb and hailed a cab."The airport, please," I rasped.The driver took one look at my pale face and the visible bruises, then asked if he should call the police.I shook my head and just repeated the destination.Outside the window, streetlights blurred past one after another. It reminded me vividly of when I was a kid, holding Mom's hand as we counted the lights along the sidewalk.Back then, she would always say, "Leon, you're the best boy. I love you the most."How utterly laughable.…At the airport, I still had over four hours before my flight, so I found a secluded seat in a quiet corner.My knee was still throbbing with pain. Rolling up my pant leg, I saw an angry patch of purple bruising, already swollen quite high.I went into the restroom to rinse it with cold water. The pain made me wince.The person staring back at me in the mirror had bloodshot eyes and dried blood crusted at the corner of his mouth.I rubbed at it fiercely, but it only

Chapter 5

I gripped my phone, maintaining my silence.I never had a brother.Mom's voice turned frantic, almost tearful now. "Say something! Where on earth are you? I'll come pick you up.""Don't bother," I said flatly. "I'm out of town. I won't be back anytime soon."The line went quiet for a few seconds before Mom spoke again, her voice laced with disbelief. "What do you mean? You ran off to another city by yourself? Have you lost your mind? You're all alone—""I'm not asking for your permission," I cut her off, my voice chillingly calm. "I'm just letting you know."Her voice spiked to a shriek. "Leon Booth! You get back here this instant! What do you think you're doing? All of this over one dinner we didn't invite you to? Is it really necessary?"I stayed silent.She assumed my silence meant I was wavering. Her tone softened slightly. "Alright, alright, just come home. I'll make your favorite honey-glazed ribs. Dani knows she was wrong too. Come back, and let's just live happily as a

Chapter 6

If it had been before, I probably would have cried out of pure frustration and injustice. But now, I just found it pathetic.It was always the same old trick. Vincent would play the victim, and everyone would believe that I was the one in the wrong.However, what I didn't expect was to see a very familiar name among the comments.It was Mom.She didn't know it was Vincent's alternate account. She probably thought it was just a post by some random internet stranger.She had commented, "You are so right. My son is incredibly immature. I only wish he were half as sensible as you."As I stared at her words, my fingers went completely cold.So that was how Mom truly saw me.I put my phone down and stood on the balcony for a long time.I remembered when I was a kid and had a high fever. Mom had stayed awake all night by my bed, changing the damp towel on my forehead over and over again.Back then, I believed a mother's love lasted a lifetime. Only now did I realize that love could

Chapter 7

Vincent had a best friend who knew all his dirty secrets. The two of them had a falling out over a woman, and the friend leaked everything to the public.How ironic. The person who ruined my life ended up destroying his own.When Danielle saw those posts, she was completely blindsided. She showed Vincent her phone and asked him if it was true.His immediate reaction was to deny it, claiming the accounts weren't his and that someone had fabricated them. But one of the accounts was tied to his phone number—a piece of hard evidence he couldn't squirm out of.Danielle broke down right then and there. She wept bitterly, sobbing through her words, "Vince, haven't I been good to you? Why would you do this? Leon is my husband! How could you…"Vincent started crying too, but this time it wasn't his usual act of playing the victim. It was pure panic. "Dani, I was just so scared! I was scared that if you guys had Leon, you wouldn't want me anymore!"Danielle froze. "You were scared we would

Chapter 8

I gripped the straps of my backpack and took a deep breath."I'm doing well out there," I said. "My job is stable, and I have a place to live. You don't need to worry.""But I miss you so much!" Mom yelled.I didn't offer a reply as I walked out of the hospital room.Danielle hurried after me. "Leon, please come home. Mom and Dad really miss you."I let out a cold laugh. "Miss me? Or miss having that 'understanding' son back?"Her mouth opened, but no words came out.As I walked out of the hospital's main entrance, the sunlight was blinding.My phone buzzed with a text from Nathan. "I just landed another massive order. When are you getting back?"I replied, "Tomorrow."That evening at my hotel, the doorbell rang. When I opened it, Mom, Dad, and Danielle were standing there, their eyes red and swollen."Leon, can we come in and talk for a bit?" Danielle asked. Without saying a word, I stepped aside to let them in.They set down a basket of fruit they had brought. A heavy s

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