April Fools “Surprise” Husband Divorcing Me For His “Pure” Girl novel Chapter 23

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Day three of lockdown. The fridge was practically bare.

Three shriveled carrots. Half a block of cheddar turning hard at the edges. One lonely egg.

That was it.

Diana shoved past me, yanked open the crisper drawer. Stared inside. Slammed it shut.

“This is all we have? What the hell were you thinking?”

“Ryan said not to bother. Said this whole thing would blow over.”

“So you just nodded along like a damn puppet? Jesus, Emma.”

I pulled out my phone before I could snap back.

The neighborhood group chat was chaos. Everyone panic-buying. Grocery bundles going fast-order now, maybe see it tomorrow.

I scrolled through the options. Clicked the cheapest one.

$120.

Iceberg lettuce. Russet potatoes. Baby carrots. Two celery stalks that looked like they’d already given up on life.

Diana’s face appeared over my shoulder.

Her eyes went wide.

“A hundred and twenty dollars? For that?”

“Then don’t eat it.”

“Excuse me?” Her voice shot up. “I’m almost sixty years old, Emma. You want your mother-in-law to starve?”

She didn’t wait for an answer. Just grabbed her phone off the counter and jabbed at Ryan’s contact.

One ring.

Two.

He picked up.

“Ryan, sweetheart-” Her voice went syrup sweet “Your wife is completely out of her depth here. We’re down to nothing. When are you coming home?”

Speakerphone. Of course.

His voice crackled through-hollow, like he was in a big empty room.

“Mom, I can’t. The lockdown’s serious here. Whole district’s shut down. Emma’s smart-she’ll handle it.”

“But where are you even staying? You can’t still be at the office.”

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April Fools’ “Surprise”-My Husband’s Divorcing Me for His “Pure” Girl

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Chapter 2

A pause.

“Company set up dorms. Temporary thing. I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

She hung up. Whipped around to face me.

“You hear that? Your husband’s sleeping on a cot somewhere while you can’t even keep groceries in the house.”

I didn’t move.

Company dorm.

He was in Auckland. Probably in some hotel with floor-to-ceiling windows, Jade next to him, both of them toasting to their clean getaway.

And he told his mother he was roughing it at work.

A thought crept in, cold and sharp.

Does she actually believe this? Or is she playing along?

Dinner was Campbell’s tomato soup. Saltines on the side.

Diana stared at her bowl like I’d served her garbage.

Two bites in, she shoved it away.

“I can’t do this. It’s too depressing.”

She got up. Walked to her room.

Didn’t say another word.

2 AM.

Something woke me. A low murmur from the other room.

1 cracked the bedroom door.

Diana was on the couch, phone pressed to her ear, back to me.

Her voice was soft. Warm.

“…oh thank God, honey. You made it. And Jade? She’s treating you well? Being sweet to you?”

My heart stopped.

Jade.

Not “your coworker.”

Not “that girl from the office.”

Jade.

Like they’d known each other for years.

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April Fools’ “Surprise”-My Husband’s Divorcing Me for His “Pure” Girl

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Chapter 2

“Don’t stress about the visa, sweetheart. Jade’s family has connections. They’ll take care of everything.”

I pressed my back against the doorframe.

My hands were shaking.

She knew.

She’d known the whole time.

She knew Ryan flew out.

She knew he left with Jade.

And she’d been sitting in my living room, eating my food, spending my money, bitching at me for not doing enough.

While her son was halfway across the world screwing with another woman.

“Emma?” Diana’s voice drifted over. Casual. Easy. “Oh, don’t worry about her. I’ve got her handled. And listen-don’t rush the house sale. Wait till this lockdown blows over.”

“Let Emma keep making those mortgage payments for now. No point complicating things.”

Let Emma keep making the mortgage payments.

I backed into the bedroom.

Silent.

Closed the door without a sound.

Lay flat on the bed. Stared at the ceiling.

In this house, I was the only idiot who didn’t know.

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11:49

April Fools’ “Surprise”-My Husband’s Divorcing Me for His “Pure” Girl

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