Home / I'm Just a Half‑Hour on His Calendar / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of I'm Just a Half‑Hour on His Calendar: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Marcus Bane opened his study door at 7:03 pm. "No update today?"I was sitting at the dining table.Today was our third wedding anniversary. I'd booked a restaurant a month ago, but that afternoon, he canceled, saying that his project meeting had been pushed back.I didn't mind staying home since he didn't like wasting time commuting. I made soup, fried some eggs, and bought a little cake.Marcus glanced at the time. It was still 7:03 pm. "You still have 27 minutes."I looked at him, suddenly unsure where to start.Should I tell him that my stomach hurt so badly last night that I knocked on his door, only to be told that my time was up? Or that I woke up in the middle of the night and saw him revising a proposal for Cindy Moore?Marcus furrowed his brows at the long silence. He hated losing control. In his eyes, projects, meetings, and our marriage should be settled within a fixed time.“Juniper, don't give me the silent treatment to get more time."I put down my cutlery. "Wha

Chapter 2

At 4:00 am, Marcus finally came home. I was still awake, my stomach aching more with every turn.He dropped the stomach medication onto the bedside table. "You skipped dinner, didn't you? You did this to yourself." Then he tucked the blanket around my shoulders. "Don't take your anger out on your body."He always showed me a little affection at times like this. It was as if he knew I'd give in because I was in pain, or was certain that one small gesture from him would be enough to make me get over it."Are you done revising Cindy's proposal?" I asked.Marcus paused, his fingers freezing against his tie. "She was stressed because the client changed things at the absolute last minute.""So even though you're with her until 4:00 am, it still counts as work?"Marcus glanced at me. "Juniper, don't get sarcastic with me."Even though my stomach hurt badly, I sat up. "I just want to know why, when I had a high fever, you couldn't make a round trip in 29 minutes, but when Cindy cried,

Chapter 3

Marcus called me for the first time before 7:00 pm the next day.I was puking my guts out, crouching by the bathroom door. My stomach felt empty, and stomach acid burned my throat.My voice was hoarse as I answered, "Yes?"It was quiet on Marcus' end. "Bring that white shirt in your wardrobe to the office."He meant the shirt I'd bought last month for an interview. I hadn't even removed the price tag yet."What do you need it for?"He paused for a brief second before answering, "Cindy spilled some coffee on her shirt. She has a presentation in half an hour. Your shirt is the perfect size for her."I braced myself against the bathroom sink, feeling my stomach twist again. "I'm not feeling well.""Juniper." Marcus' voice was always calm when he called my name. "Don't make trouble at a time like this. Bringing it here won't eat up much of your time."I ended up going to his office as he instructed.It was raining, and the Uber driver took 20 minutes to get to my place. I careful

Chapter 4

The rain poured down even harder than before, making the pain in my stomach even more noticeable.A confirmation message popped up on the law firm's appointment page. I had scheduled a meeting for 3:00 pm the next day.I stared at it for a long time, suddenly feeling like I finally had solid ground beneath my feet. It turned out that leaving someone didn't have to involve screaming and shouting.I only needed to press the confirm button.By the time I got home a little after 6:00 pm, I was already running a low-grade fever. I looked in the bathroom mirror and saw my face was deathly pale. The rainwater on my skirt had dried and cooled, leaving the damp fabric clinging to my legs. It was as if it wanted to remind me how miserable I'd looked earlier.Marcus' message remained at the top of my inbox. "I won't be calling at 7:00 pm. We have a project review after the meeting."How ridiculous. He could take away even that half hour of my time at a moment's notice.I flipped my phone

Chapter 5

Marcus got home at 4:20 am. He stood in the entryway for a brief second before realizing that something was amiss.The pair of light-colored slippers had vanished from the shoe rack, and there was no cup of honey water on the dining table, where I'd always left it for him.When Marcus walked into the bedroom, he saw that the walk-in closet was half-empty, with my usual pajamas gone. Even the skincare bottles on the dressing table were gone.With his brows furrowed, he called me. The first call couldn't get through. Neither could the second.By the seventh call, Marcus finally realized that I'd blocked him. He stared at the screen, then let out a quiet laugh. He thought it was ridiculous.After all, in our three years of marriage, I'd rarely even slammed a door in his face. How could I possibly block his number now?Marcus walked into the study without thinking much. Then he saw the ring, the test results, the medical records, and the crumpled ultrasound printout on the keyboard.

Chapter 6

Marcus went to the hospital, where a nurse looked through the records from that night and asked, "Are you Juniper Shaw's family?"His Adam's apple bobbed. "I'm her husband."The nurse's expression turned cold. "She couldn't even stand from the pain, but she refused to let go of her phone. We thought she was waiting for someone."Marcus gripped the medical records tightly. He wanted to defend himself, to say he didn't know what happened, but the call records proved otherwise.The prompt on the screen read, "Calls from 7:00 pm to 7:30 pm were silenced."Marcus stared at it, the words stinging his eyes. He hadn't overlooked it. He'd seen it and thought it could wait.He went straight to the law firm, and the front desk handed him a document."Ms. Shaw told me to give you this if you came by."It was a divorce agreement. I hadn't asked for anything, and I'd sorted out every asset, from the house and car to our savings. I'd also signed my name on the last page.My signature was nea

Chapter 7

The next time I saw Marcus was at the law firm, with Tiana by my side. She told me, "If you don't feel well, let me know. Don't try to rough it out. It's not like no one's looking out for you, okay?"I nodded.Marcus was five minutes late, which was extremely unlike him. He used to schedule even his personal relationships down to the minute, let alone something like signing a divorce agreement.When he showed up, dark circles shadowed his eyes, but I felt no sympathy.My lawyer, Gary Tate, pushed the papers toward him. "Mr. Bane, my client's wishes are very clear. There are no child custody issues, and the asset division is straightforward. If you agree, this will be over pretty soon."Marcus' expression changed when he heard "no children". He mumbled, "I don't agree."I wasn't surprised by his response. Someone like Marcus wouldn't even let others overrule him on business proposals, so of course he would never allow me to end the marriage on my terms.Gary frowned. "Mr. Bane, t

Chapter 8

That night, Marcus sat at the dining table, waiting for me for the first time in his life.When the clock hit 7:00 pm, I didn't call. By 7:10 pm, there was still no message from me. Then 7:30 came and went. The time he'd once begrudgingly given me passed.Marcus stared at his phone, then finally messaged me. "Juniper, I'm waiting for you."There was only one tick.Marcus stared at it for a long time, then let out a quiet laugh. By the end, even breathing hurt. Then he got up and went to the study. The ring, medical records, test results, and ultrasound printout were still on the keyboard.Marcus hadn't dared to look too closely yesterday, only noticing how frighteningly light the papers felt. Now, as he opened them again, he finally saw the note in the last section of the medical records."The patient is emotionally unstable. Family members are advised to accompany her."But that night, he had been busy taking drinks for Cindy.Marcus stopped, the edge of the paper cutting hi

Chapter 9

On the day of the follow-up appointment, Tiana went to the hospital with me. The doctor reviewed my report and told me to keep warm, avoid overexertion, and not get worked up.Tiana listened, nodding along, as she wrapped the scarf around my neck. "You heard the doctor. If you're in pain again, call me. It doesn't matter what time. I'm not a publicly traded company."Her words amused me. "Alright."As I walked out of the examination room, the nurse called out, "Ms. Shaw, don't forget your prescription."Tiana replied, "Coming."She took it and turned around, only to see Marcus standing at the far end of the hallway with a bag of medicine.It was unclear how long he had been listening.His face was deathly pale.The nurse noticed Marcus standing in the way and asked, "Are you her family too?"Marcus swallowed hard. "I'm her husband."I looked at him and said calmly, "He's no longer my family."The nurse glanced awkwardly between us and said nothing more.Marcus froze on the

Chapter 10

With a hoarse voice, Marcus finally said, "Yes."The seal came down on the papers with a soft click, but I heard it. It was like a door finally locking from the inside.At 10:26 am, I finally got my hands on the divorce certificate. I put it in my bag while Marcus watched me."Juniper."I looked at him, and he took a ring from his coat pocket. It was mine, and the band gleamed from being polished.Marcus' voice was raspy. "Can I… keep this?"I glanced at it as a memory flashed through my mind. When I first married him, I held the ring up to the light and showed it to him. "Look. Does it resemble a little moon?"He replied, "Don't be so childish."Later, I wore it while washing dishes, cooking, and deleting the words I wanted to say, over and over again.I glanced at him. "Whatever you want."Marcus' fingers trembled. He finally understood that the cruelest thing wasn't having to compete for attention, but indifference.Tiana parked on the side of the road and rolled down the

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