I Signed The Divorce And Never Signed Back In Chapter 01

On our second wedding anniversary, my husband Jason Harrington gave me ninety-nine photos of him cheating on me.

The one on top showed him tangled up with my best friend Kimberly West in our kitchen.

He looked at my pale face and smiled contemptuously.

“I finally got why guys cheat. It was pretty thrilling.”

I didn’t say a word, just stared at him.

In the strange silence, he suddenly dialed a number.

“I lose. She didn’t cry.”

He stood up and slid a divorce agreement across the table to me.

“Kimberly and I made a bet. If I lost, I’d have to be married to her for three years.”

“Ellie, let’s give each other three years. You learn to share, and I’ll learn to settle down.”

I didn’t hesitate. I signed the papers and caught a red-eye flight out of the country.

The truth was, I’d known about all of it for a long time. The tears had dried up long ago.

That dinner was always meant to be our goodbye.

Two years later, I came back. Jason got word and showed up at the airport to pick me up, still wearing that cocky smirk.

“Three years aren’t up yet. You’re that desperate to remarry me?”

I stepped back and laughed coldly.

“Remarry? I’m already in my second marriage.”

***

I gently touched my belly, feeling my baby move inside me.

“What did you say?”

Jason hadn’t caught what I said. He stubbed out his cigarette. The corner of his mouth curled into an easy grin.

“Ellie, two years and you’re still so hot-tempered. Honestly, what other man would put up with you?”

“But the three years aren’t over yet, so technically my wife is still Kimberly, you’ll have to put up with it for now.”

I frowned.

“Jason, do you think every man on earth is dead? When exactly did I say I wanted to remarry you?”

Jason paused for a second, then laughed. He thought I was just being dramatic. He reached out and tousled my hair like he used to.

“Still mad at me? Fine. I’ll divorce Kimberly in a few days. To be honest, I’ve missed being with you these past two years.”

I slapped his hand away and was about to curse him out when headlights flashed in the distance.

“Get in the car. It’s hot out here.”

I didn’t say no. I had something to tell him anyway.

Kimberly sat in the passenger seat, holding a half-eaten slice of cake.

“Sorry I didn’t get out to greet you, Ellie. Jason kept me up so late last night. If he hadn’t gone easy on me after midnight, I probably wouldn’t be able to walk.”

Jason ran his fingers through her hair affectionately and caught a crumb from her lips with his thumb.

I looked away, out the window.

He never used to let me eat in the car. Even when my blood sugar dropped and I needed a piece of candy, Jason would grab my wrist and snap, “It’s so unhygienic to eat in the car.”

Turns out some people got to be the exception.

I stopped watching their flirting and turned back to the window.

They took me to a restaurant. Kimberly played the perfect hostess, sliding the menu toward me.

“Order whatever you want.”

I waved my hand. Jason immediately said, “One of each seafood dish.”

I used to love seafood. But now…

“I can’t. My doctor advised against seafood during pregnancy.”

Jason looked confused. “What do you mean? You used to love this stuff.”

Under their confused stares, I explained calmly.

“I’m pregnant.”