All Chapters of The Final Bouquet: Leaving My Cold Husband: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

When I received the bouquet of flowers earlier that day, I was actually happy.I thought Keith Reed had finally come to his senses and prepared a surprise for our wedding anniversary.But when I read the card that came with the flowers, my smile froze on my face.It read, "Keith, thank you for coming all this way to perform my aunt's surgery off the books. My family and I are extremely grateful. I've chosen these flowers specifically for you. I think it's perfect for 'us'. I hope you'll like it. Yours, Sonia Peterson."My grip slipped, and the bouquet crashed onto the floor.Three years ago, Dad had fallen gravely ill.The doctor said he had to undergo surgery as soon as possible.But the doctors at the county hospital lacked the medical expertise for the procedure, and Dad was too weak to handle a long-distance transfer to another hospital.I was crying as I begged Keith to come to my hometown and perform Dad's surgery.But he told me, "Our hospital strictly forbids unsanctio

I didn't sleep at all that night. Instead, I spent the whole night packing my things.Continuous work was the only thing I could use to distract myself from the painful emptiness in my chest.When it was almost dawn, I opened the door to our storage room and dug out the photography equipment that I hadn't touched in years.I picked up the camera and pressed the power button.There was a faint startup sound, and the screen came back to life.At that instant, I felt tears welling up in my eyes.I thought, "Thank goodness it's still working. It's still not too late."With the camera in my hands, I returned to the living room.I was halfway through organizing my things when my phone rang.It was the real estate agent. "Ms. Watson, I've already talked to the owner about the house you and your husband viewed last week. If all goes well, you'll be able to sign the contract next weekend."I stopped what I was doing. I almost forgot.A while ago, Keith got promoted, and his salary wa

Despite how desperate I was to get it done, the procedure was scheduled for the next morning.I had no choice but to go home first.The balcony looked beautiful under the setting sun.On the balcony were pots of gardenias, roses, succulents, hydrangeas, and the like.I had slowly but surely grown these plants over the past few years.Keith was so busy with work that he didn't have time for me, so I could only focus my attention on these plants.He probably wouldn't care for these plants after I left. It felt like a pity to let them wilt just like that.At that thought, I pulled out my phone, took a photo of the plants, and sent it to the homeowners' chat group.I sent a message. "Moving out soon, giving out free plants. First come, first served."The plants were a hit among the neighbors.In just 30 minutes, most of the balcony was already empty.After bidding the last hydrangea goodbye, I stood on the empty balcony, zoning out.I was surprised to find that letting go of th

"Where else would I go?" I calmly returned the question."The gas company came by for an inspection today," Keith said in a cold voice. "No one's home, so they called me instead. Why weren't you at home?"That made sense.I thought he had finally noticed something off with me.Lowering my head, I let out a chuckle. I was laughing at myself for having such unrealistic expectations."Why should I be at home?" I asked, "Can't I have my own matters to deal with?"For a moment, things went silent on the other end of the line. Then, Keith said matter-of-factly, "You're not even working. What matters could you possibly be dealing with?"I scoffed. "Can't I leave the house if I'm not working? Can't I have my own life, or go on a trip?"Keith's tone grew even more grave. "Clara, what's up with you lately? You stopped cooking, you're not home anymore, and you even threw a fit out of the blue. And now, you're even going on a trip on your own? Have you lost your mind?"I gazed at the even

The day after I left, Keith didn't go to the hospital.The curtains were drawn tight, and the whole house was shrouded in darkness.Keith opened another bottle of alcohol and took a huge gulp from it.The strong alcohol burned his throat, but it failed to suppress the fury churning in his chest.He thought, "Clara was so decisive about the divorce and abortion. She didn't discuss anything with me at all. Who am I to her? Did our five years of marriage even mean anything to her?"Just then, the front door was opened from outside.Sonia walked in with a flask.When she saw the mess all over the floor, tears instantly welled up in her eyes."Keith…" She strode over to him, her heart aching. "How did you end up like this?"Keith leaned against the couch, completely silent. It was as if he hadn't noticed her at all.Crouching down, Sonia opened the flask. "I've made food for you. Come, have some."Keith remained silent.However, a glimmer of hope slowly rose in Sonia's heart as