But none of it mattered anymore.
Elina let out a self-deprecating laugh and mechanically stuffed peanuts into her mouth. The rich, nutty flavor mixed with the saltiness of her tears, spreading across her tongue.
It tasted so bitter it nearly suffocated her.
When Jack and Jaslyn came home, the house was still dark. Normally, no matter how late they came back, Elina would always leave a small light on for them in the living room.
But tonight… Jack frowned. He turned on the lights and glanced upstairs.
The nanny hurried down the stairs, carrying a half-asleep Jaslyn. She hesitated before stealing a glance at Jack.
After a long pause, she finally spoke. “Sir, Mrs. Mansor hasn’t come home yet. Maybe you should give her a call?”
“She’s not home?” Jack sounded surprised.
“Yeah, she hasn’t been back since last night. Mrs. Mansor never used to do this…” the nanny said, sighing softly.
She had seen Elina’s silent grievances all too clearly. But those were things a nanny had no place to comment on.
Half-awake, Jaslyn rubbed her eyes and spoke up. “Daddy, is Mommy not coming back? That’s great! Can we bring Aunt Elowyn here tomorrow?”
“Take Jaslyn upstairs to bed,” Jack said in a low voice, then turned and walked out the door.
In the car, he called Elina’s cell phone. “You’re still at the hospital?”
“Yeah,” her voice on the other end sounded tired.
Jack expected her to explain, but after waiting a while and hearing nothing, he grew annoyed. “You just worked the night shift yesterday.”
“So?” Elina had been fast asleep. Her voice still carried a hint of drowsiness, but the words that came out were far sharper than usual. She said, “Did you sign the divorce papers on the table? Once you’re done, just have someone send me a copy. I’ll be staying at the hospital for a few days.”
“Divorce papers?” Jack was stunned. “What are you playing at now?”
“You know I don’t use divorce to throw tantrums.” Elina’s voice remained calm as she continued, “Jack, our marriage was a mistake from the beginning. I won’t stand in the way between you and Elowyn anymore. You can have Jaslyn. I only want the money I earned myself.”
Jack finally understood. His tone was full of impatience. “Elina, are you really that petty? What’s so wrong with Jaslyn being close to Elowyn? And me seeing Elowyn? Last night was just a dinner to celebrate her new job. What are you so worked up about? How can you be so twisted? Why can’t you just accept her?”
The same words again. Elina couldn’t help but let out a soft, bitter laugh. “Think whatever you want,” she replied indifferently, then hung up the phone.
It felt as if every drop of blood had been drained from her body. Elina sat quietly against the headboard, the cold seeping into every inch of her bones.
Her phone buzzed again and again with Jack’s texts.
“If you’re done making a scene, get back here. You don’t find it embarrassing to stay at the hospital? Don’t go bothering Elowyn again, or don’t blame me for getting nasty.”
“?”
Elina didn’t reply to a single one. Jack stared at the message thread, his face growing darker by the second. He slammed on the gas and rushed back home.
Sure enough, he found the divorce papers Elina mentioned wedged neatly at the corner of the bedroom desk. Her signature at the bottom was neat and composed, clearly not something done in a moment of impulse.
But why? Didn’t she work so hard back then just to marry me?
…
The next morning, Jaslyn woke up and ran into Elina’s room to check. Finding it empty, she raced over to Jack.
“Daddy, Mommy’s not here. She’s not coming back, right? Can we bring Aunt Elowyn to live with us?” Jaslyn’s voice was filled with barely concealed excitement.
As she spoke, she pulled up her smartwatch. “I’m gonna call Aunt Elowyn right now. That meanie finally left!”
“Eat your breakfast,” Jack said sharply, shooting her a cold look.
“Daddy…” Seeing Jaslyn shrink back fearfully, Jack pressed his lips together and forced his tone to soften. “Finish your food. You have school later. We’ll talk about bringing Aunt Elowyn over after.”
“Yay!” Jaslyn squealed with delight and immediately dug into her meal.
The nanny, who was tidying up nearby, couldn’t help but shake her head. She truly felt sorry for Elina.
Meanwhile, Elina, after losing sleep thanks to Jack’s calls, dragged herself to work nearly exhausted. Just as she stepped into the hospital lobby, she ran into her parents.
Seeing the dark circles under Elina’s eyes, they assumed she must have fought with Jack over Elowyn again.
They couldn’t help but lecture her. “Lina, I thought you’d understand after what we said yesterday. Why are you still so stubborn? You’ve had Jack for six years now. Can’t you give him back to Elowyn?”
Ronald chimed in sternly. “Yeah, if it hadn’t been for your pregnancy back then, they’d have ended up together. You know, Jack’s heart was never really with you. Clinging to him won’t change anything.”
Elina stared coldly at the “concerned” parents before her, feeling a sharp pain in her chest. She leaned lightly against the wall to keep steady, her lips trembling with rage. “Dad, Mom, you really think it was my fault Elowyn and Jack didn’t end up together? Do you know where Elowyn actually was back then? She was sleeping around, got pregnant, and went abroad for an abortion…”
“Shut up!” Ronald snapped, glancing nervously around to make sure no one overheard. He stepped closer, his face dark with fury. “How dare you slander your sister like that? She’s never even been married!”
Rowena panicked too. “Exactly, Lina, a girl’s reputation is everything. If you still see us as your parents, you’ll keep that to yourself. Otherwise–”
“Otherwise what?” Elina forced the tears back, her voice turning icy. She couldn’t understand how they could be so biased when she and Elowyn were both their daughters.
Realizing she had said too much, Rowena lowered her voice, backing down a little. “Lina, please, for our sake… just let Jack go back to Elowyn. Okay?”
Elina bit down on her lip so hard she tasted blood. After staying up all night and skipping breakfast, she felt lightheaded and dizzy.
“Don’t worry. I’ve already filed for divorce,” she said.
“Really?” Their eyes lit up, though they still sounded uneasy. “Lina, you’re not lying to us, are you?”
Elina didn’t want to hear another word. She clenched the wall for support as she staggered away, her fingertips turning white from the force.
She couldn’t understand how her life had fallen apart like this.
“Dr. Ford, are you okay?” A nurse passing by quickly stepped up to help her. “You don’t look well at all. Is it low blood sugar?” the young nurse asked as she handed her a piece of chocolate. “Here, eat this. See if it helps.”
“Thanks…” Elina’s voice was hoarse as she accepted the chocolate. Her fingers curled tightly around it.
She couldn’t understand why even a passing nurse could see she wasn’t well, yet her parents, seasoned doctors for over 30 years, couldn’t see a thing.