My Husband Kept Sending Packages to Ex, So I Filed for Divorce Chapter 04

Julian had booked a private dining room. Two long tables, close to thirty people.

Chloe was at the same table as his parents. She was sitting right next to them, with Julian on her other side.

When the waiter opened the door for me, Julian was leaning in close to Chloe, saying something that made them both smile. Their faces were inches apart.

The room went quiet the second I stepped in.

Julian jerked back from Chloe, suddenly putting a foot of space between them as if they hadn’t just been whispering to each other.

Then he stood up and came toward me, a little too casually. “Hey, you made it.”

He waved a waiter over and ushered me in. “We were waiting for you. Come sit.”

I nodded and went to greet his parents.

Julian was right behind me with the explanation. “Mom insisted she missed Chloe and made me invite her.”

He leaned in and dropped his voice. “There are thirty people here, Claire. Don’t make a scene over one extra guest.”

I stepped back from him.

“Whatever you want, Julian.”

They seated me on Julian’s right. Chloe was on his left.

I turned my head, and there it was.

The pastel handbag resting by her chair. The one I’d explicitly asked Julian for last year. It ended up at her place instead.

The strawberry teddy bear tumbler in front of her, mine too. Another thing I’d picked out that found its way to her.

But what I couldn’t look away from was the bracelet on her wrist.

A limited edition gold bracelet from a designer’s Valentine’s Day collection. I’d been tracking the release for weeks. And it happened to drop on our second wedding anniversary.

Julian promised to get it for me.

It went to Chloe.

I asked him to get it back. He refused. We didn’t speak for a month.

And now Chloe was wearing it like it had always been hers.

The food came out fast. The room was loud, close to thirty of Julian’s colleagues and friends, glasses going around, everyone having a good time.

At some point, the teasing started. I couldn’t tell who kicked it off.

“After all these years, Julian and Chloe still bicker like an old married couple!”

“Seriously, if you two hadn’t had that stupid misunderstanding back in college, you’d be married with kids by now.”

“Come on, look at the way he looks at her. Some things never change.”

Chloe went pink and ducked her head, playing shy.

Julian shook his head. “Come on, you guys have had too much to drink.”

The teasing only got louder. He just smiled and let it happen.

I sat there, face neutral, and didn’t say a word.

I waited until the plates were mostly cleared.

Then I reached into my bag, pulled out two copies of the divorce agreement, and set them on the table in front of Julian. A pen on top.

I turned to his parents first.

“Mr. and Mrs. Vance, I’m sorry to do this here. But I came tonight to tell you that I’m divorcing your son.”

Then I looked at him.

“I’ve already signed. Your turn.”