Ex-Wife Moving Wife Giving Birth? Congratulations, You’re Single Now novel Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The day I was discharged, Mary came to pick me up.

Charles didn’t show–said he had something at work. I didn’t bother asking what.

When we got home, everything was exactly the way I’d left it three days ago. Dirty laundry piled up next to the washing machine, untouched.

The baby’s bottles were still the same ones I’d sterilized before I left.

The trash can was overflowing, and no one had bothered to take it out.

Mary walked straight to the couch, sat down heavily, and turned on the TV without a word.

‘These past few days have been exhausting,” she said, not even looking at me. “Taking care of the baby all by myself.”

I didn’t respond, just slowly made my way to the bedroom, each step sending a dull ache through my incision.

The baby was asleep in his crib, but the sheets were filthy, and his diaper was soaked through, clearly unchanged for hours.

I took a deep breath, ignoring the sharp pain in my abdomen, and started changing his diaper and stripping the dirty sheets

from the crib.

Mary’s voice carried from the living room. “Charles said he’s working late tonight, so he won’t be home for dinner.”

I didn’t answer.

‘Did you hear me?”

‘I heard you.”

‘You’ll have to make dinner yourself tonight. I’m not feeling well.”

[ froze, my hands still gripping the edge of the crib.

‘I just got out of the hospital-”

‘My back hurts. I can’t bend over.” Her voice was loud, almost defensive. “Just make something simple. I’m not asking you to

cook a five–course meal.”

I closed my eyes and counted to three.

“Fine.”

By seven PM, I’d finished cooking dinner. I ate alone at the table, the silence in the apartment almost suffocating.

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Chapter 5

Mary had ordered takeout for herself, claiming my cooking “didn’t agree with her stomach.”

After cleaning up the kitchen and nursing the baby, it was already nine o’clock, and Charles still wasn’t home.

I texted him: What time are you coming back?

No response.

I called him. No answer.

I called again. This time, he picked up.

“What?”

“When are you coming home?”

“I’m working late. Not sure.”

“I got discharged today.”

“I know.”

“Aren’t you going to come home and check on me?”

“Check on what?” His tone was sharp, impatient. “You’re fine, aren’t you?”

My hand tightened around the phone, my knuckles going white.

‘Charles, do you think what you’ve been doing these past few days is okay?”

“What are you talking about?”

‘I was in the hospital for three days. How many times did you visit me?”

‘I was busy-”

‘You took three days off to help your ex–wife move. I was in the hospital for three days, and you showed up once. For ten

minutes.”

Silence on the other end.

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying you’ve disappointed me,”

“Here we go again.” He let out a long, exasperated sigh. “Elena, can you stop being so sensitive? I was just helping out-”

“Fifty thousand dollars. That’s just helping out?”

utatione You’re Single Now

Chapter 5

The line went completely silent.

“Eight thousand for her car insurance. Two thousand for her birthday. Twelve thousand for her rent. Is that all just helping

out too?”

“You went through my bank account?!”

“It’s a joint account. I have access.”

“You-”

“Charles, tell me. What the hell is this?”

He was quiet for a long time, and when he finally spoke, his voice was low, almost defensive.

“I’ll pay it back.”

“Pay it back?” I laughed, a hollow, bitter sound. “With what? The three thousand dollars we saved when I downgraded to a shared hospital room?”

He didn’t say anything.

‘You made me switch from a private room to a shared ward to save money. You said we’d use that money for the baby’s formula. And then you turned around and gave your ex–wife fifty thousand dollars?”

‘That’s different!”

‘How is it different?”

‘She’s alone-”

‘I’m alone too!” I was almost shouting now, my voice cracking. “I just had a C–section! My incision got infected! I almost needed mergency surgery! Where were you when I needed you? You were helping your ex–wife move!”

My mom was there-”

Your mom?” I let out a cold, sharp laugh. “Your mom said I was being dramatic. Your mom said my incision was fine. Your nom said Vivian was up cooking three days after her C–section!”

1-”

Charles, ask yourself this. In this entire marriage, have you ever actually treated me like your wife?”

He was silent for a long time, and when he finally spoke, his voice was quieter, almost hesitant.

‘We… we should talk about this at home.”

‘Don’t bother coming home.”

‘What?”

Chapter 5

“I said don’t come home. Stay at your mom’s place. Or stay at the office. Or-” I paused, my voice turning ice–cold. “Stay at your ex–wife’s. Whatever works for you.”

“Elena! What the hell is wrong with you?!”

I hung up. Turned off my phone. Lay back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, tears sliding down my face.

But this time, they weren’t tears of sadness or frustration.

They were tears of relief.

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