Always in Second Place의 모든 챕터: 챕터 1 - 챕터 10

Claire's head snapped up. "What did you say?""I said I want a divorce.""Ev, don't say things you don't mean just because you're angry—""I'm not angry." I interrupted her. "This is a decision I've been thinking about for a long time."She stood frozen.I let out a cold laugh. "Claire, I've always known. You can't break things off with Daniel, and you can't let go of Lily. Between the three of you, I'm always the one who gets sacrificed.""That's not true, Ev...""Enough." I finally lost control of my voice. "I'm sick of being beaten by your ex-husband, being treated like the bad guy by Lily, and having to pretend none of it bothers me."I'm sick of Daniel going online and claiming I got involved with you while he was seriously ill. Strangers chase after me to hurl abuse, and all I can do is keep my head down and take it."I'm also sick of you taking care of them, going camping and hiking with them, and leaving me home alone to wait for you."I'm sick of having your guilt, y

By the time I left the hospital, it was already afternoon.Several passersby stood near the entrance, giving me strange looks."That's him, the so-called homewrecker."I pulled out my phone.A local gossip account was livestreaming, with a headline so outrageous it was almost laughable.[Lieutenant Claire Bennett Suspected of Cheating on Her Husband? Sick Ex-Husband Betrayed]In the video, Daniel's eyes were red, and his voice was hoarse but clear. "Claire and I got divorced because I was sick and didn't want to drag her down with me. But she promised she'd wait for me to recover."Evan was the man she rescued during the hostage incident at the downtown bank. I even comforted him afterward. I never imagined he'd do something like this to me."The comments had already descended into chaos.[Climbing over someone else's back while they're sick. Absolutely disgusting.][Doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman. A homewrecker is a homewrecker.][I heard Claire even helped him fin

By the time I returned to the Mercer family home in northern Seattle, it was already dark.My mother, Elaine Mercer, froze when she saw me. "Ev? What are you doing back? Where's Claire?"I was silent for a long time before finally speaking. "I'm planning to divorce Claire."The living room fell quiet.I started from the day Daniel came back.I told them about the online harassment, the initial compatibility test, the kidnapping, and Lily.I told them about lying in the hospital bed, listening to Claire's hurried footsteps as she left.I spoke calmly, as though I were recounting someone else's story.Mom's eyes turned red. She clasped my hand tightly. "Then get a divorce. Just because she doesn't cherish you doesn't mean you aren't worthy of being cherished."She wrapped her arms around me and gently patted my back. "You can stay here. As long as you need."That night, I slept in the room where I had grown up. The sheets had just been changed, and the room still carried the fa

A little over three months later, Washington State's statutory waiting period had expired. We attended the final hearing at the Superior Court.It was raining that day.Claire arrived ten minutes late. "Sorry. Something came up with the department.""It's fine."The judge quickly reviewed the marital settlement agreement and uncontested petition for dissolution of marriage that our lawyers had submitted.The clerk handed us the signed divorce decree.Three years earlier, we had obtained our marriage license through King County Records and Licensing Services, then completed our civil ceremony and registered our marriage.Three years later, in the same city, we formally ended it in family court.By the time we walked out of the courthouse, the rain had grown heavier."Let me give you a ride," Claire offered."No need. I'll call a car."She nodded.We stood at the foot of the courthouse steps, neither of us making the first move to leave."Ev."I turned around."I'm sorry."

Lily clutched her blanket and suddenly spoke in a quiet voice, "Dad's kidneys really are in bad shape, but a lot of the things he said about being close to death, needing Mom, and having to get Mom back were made up to scare her into feeling sorry for him."Margaret watched her quietly without rushing her.Lily sniffled, as though she were desperate to prove something. "Dad also said that if the bad man disappeared, Mom would come back."So he had people kidnap Evan, and he made them take me too. He said that way Mom would choose me and not Evan."Margaret immediately signaled the note-taker to notify the detective in charge of the case.Claire stood outside the command vehicle. Through the glass, she heard everything Lily had said. Her expression gradually turned cold.The detective walked over to her and spoke in a low voice, "We've already obtained the suspects' recent call and financial transfer records, as well as Daniel's. If the evidence corroborates Lily's account, we'll