All Chapters of Divorce Papers Signed Over a Spicy Meal: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

In our seven years of marriage, I prepared every meal to suit his bland palate. Even the chili jar in the kitchen had gathered dust. He never thought about switching up his tastes.Now, with one simple remark, he had an excuse for his affair.I opened the photo and saved it.When I refreshed the page, the post was gone.He must have finally remembered to hide it from me.I opened our chat, ready to type, "Stop hiding it. I've already seen it."But then when I looked closer, the last message between us was still from the day before yesterday.I'd forwarded a link to a new spicy stew shop and said, "I miss the taste of home so much."He had replied with only a single word—"Disgusting".Then this afternoon, he'd eaten it with that woman.I stared at the screen and couldn't help but laugh.I was laughing at myself.I left home and spent ten years of my life for this.The phone buzzed. My mother, Aubrey Smith, called me. She asked, "Nina, did you eat the smoked ribs I sent? Wer

The smile on Julian's face froze.He looked down at the divorce papers like he hadn't understood me.A long time passed before he lifted his eyes."Nina, stop making a scene," he said.I smiled. I'd heard that line too many times.If I was unhappy, I was making a scene. If I wanted spice, I was making a scene. If I minded Fiona, I was making a scene.As long as he said I was making a scene, my feelings didn't matter.My pain didn't matter either.I pushed the papers closer and said, "I'm not making a scene. The lawyer has already reviewed the papers. The house will be divided as marital property. I don't want your car, so we'll split the savings evenly. Let's do it the right way."Julian's expression finally changed as he snatched the papers.As he flipped through two pages, he slammed them on the coffee table."Nina, have you lost your mind? Is it just because I ate a few meals with Fiona? Or because I forgot your birthday?"He spoke quickly and stumbled over his words, as

The shipping address was my hometown. It was a small town down south. Mom lived there.The streets stayed damp from rain most days. Mornings smelled like fresh pancakes.It was the place I'd left ten years ago.I used to think I'd stay in Capin forever, by Julian's side. But only now did I see it. People were not trees. We weren't stuck where we belonged. We could always break away from our past and build a completely new life.Julian sent a bunch of messages that afternoon."I'll come home early tonight."I bought everything for dinner. Let's have a proper meal."Nina, don't do this to me."I didn't reply. When I got home in the evening, the door opened. The strong aroma of cooking hit me the moment I walked in.Julian stood in the kitchen, wearing an apron. A pot was simmering on the stove, and the table was covered with food—steak, grilled shrimp, and roasted potatoes.These were all the things I used to love.His eyes lit up when he saw me."You're back," he said. "I ca

Back then, I thought that this man would protect me for the rest of my life.Later, Julian saved his most dazzling side for everyone else. For me, he only had impatience.His boss, Jonathan Cole, walked over then. He seemed to be in a good mood."Nina, you made it. Julian said you'd come today. You two have always had a good marriage. That's rare," he said.I glanced at Julian.He was practically pleading with his eyes, as if one nod from me would get him that last step to the vice president role. He'd waited years for it.I'd waited with him.When he worked late, I brought him dinner. When work dinners wrecked his stomach, I got up at midnight to make him soup. When he prepped for the promotion, I sat with him until 3:00 am. When he forgot his files, I took them to the office in heavy snow.Back then, I quietly supported him in his career.But he never saw it.Now he needed me to step forward and play the role of a proper wife again.I felt sick—not the kind of sickness he

I didn't want to hear any more, so I turned and walked away.When Julian saw that I was leaving, he shook Fiona off and came after me. He begged, "Nina, don't go."He caught my sleeve. "I know I was wrong. I'll cut her off for good. I'll have her leave the company. Just give me one more chance."I looked down at his hand."You said the same thing before last night. You said if I went to the banquet, you'd clear things up with her. But Julian, what you cleared up wasn't the relationship. It was the blame."His hand loosened.I looked at him."The person you love has always been yourself. Nothing mattered more to you than your future, your pride, your image, and the excitement you felt with someone new. All of that mattered more than I did. You only thought of me after you lost them."Tears ran down his face. It was the first time I'd seen him cry like this."That's not true. Nina, I love you. I really love you.""But I don't love you anymore," I said quietly.The words landed