Ex-Wife Moving Wife Giving Birth? Congratulations, You’re Single Now novel Chapter 7

Chapter 7

When I got to my parents‘ house, everything felt different.

My mom saw me standing at the door with the baby in my arms, and tears immediately started streaming down her face.

“Elena, what happened-“.

“Mom, I’m home.”

She didn’t ask any more questions, just took the baby from my arms and ushered me inside.

My dad was sitting on the couch, the newspaper forgotten in his lap as he looked at me, his brow furrowing with concern.

‘Where’s Charles?”

“Dad, I think… we’re getting divorced.”

My dad was quiet for a moment, then nodded slowly.

“Whatever you need from me, just say the word.”

[ froze, tears threatening to spill over.

I’d expected them to try to talk me out of it, to say things like “every couple fights” or “think about the baby, maybe you should try to make it work.”

But they didn’t.

My mom placed the baby in a crib she’d already set up in the guest room, one she’d bought months ago “just in case you ever need to come stay with us.”

Then she walked over and pulled me into a hug.

‘My sweet girl. I’m so sorry you’ve been going through this.”

That one sentence broke me.

I cried. Hard. Ugly crying.

All the hurt from the past fifteen days, all the resentment I’d swallowed down over the past three years, it all came pouring out in that moment.

My mom just held me, rubbing my back, not saying a word.

When I finally stopped, she handed me a glass of water.

Chapter 7

“Drink this. Then tell us everything.”

So I did. I told them about Charles taking three days off to help Vivian move, about my incision getting infected and having to be hospitalized, about the bank transfers, the Uber ride history, the Valentine’s Day photo.

By the time I finished, my mom’s face was pale with anger, and my dad slammed his newspaper down on the coffee table.

“That bastard!”

‘Dad-”

‘I knew that guy was no good from the start. But you insisted on marrying him!”

‘…”

‘So what now? Divorce. You’re getting a divorce. No question.”

looked at my dad’s furious face and couldn’t help but smile a little.

Don’t worry, Dad. I already have a lawyer.”

My dad paused, then nodded approvingly.

Good. Good.”

If you need money, I’ll cover it.”

I don’t need it. I have savings.”

And that was true. Over the past three years of marriage, I’d been quietly setting money aside. Every month, I’d give Charles

art of my paycheck and deposit the rest into my own account.

Mary didn’t know about it. Charles didn’t know about it.

‘d saved fifty thousand dollars.

hat was my safety net.

hat night, just after I’d gotten the baby to sleep, Charles called.

didn’t pick up.

le called again.

still didn’t pick up.

The third time, I answered.

What.”

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Chapter 7

Elena, you can’t do this.”

Do what?”

Leave without saying anything. Take the baby-”

I went to my parents‘ house. Is that illegal?”

Taking my baby to my parents‘ house. Is that illegal?”

You-”

Charles, what gives you the right to question me?”

le went silent.

You said you were sorry. You said you’d change.” My voice was calm, almost detached. “But you know what? You say that very time. Every single time I bring up a problem, you apologize, you promise to do better. And then what?”

[—”

And then nothing changes.”

This time is different-”

You say that every time too.”

Elena!” His voice rose, frustration bleeding through. “Can’t you just give me one chance?!”

A chance?” I let out a cold, bitter laugh. “I’ve given you countless chances. When I was pregnant and I tried to talk to you bout Vivian, you said I was being paranoid. When I was in labor, you took three days of paternity leave and spent it helping er move. When my incision got infected and I was hospitalized, you visited once. For ten minutes.”

That-”

Charles, tell me. What does a ‘chance‘ even mean to you?”

He had no answer.

Have you ever stopped to think about why I don’t want to give you another chance?”

‘Because I’m tired.” My voice softened, almost to a whisper. “I’m just so tired.”

‘Elena-”

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Chapter 7

“Charles, if only one person is trying in a marriage, then the marriage doesn’t mean anything.”

“I’m trying too-”

“Where is your effort going?”

He had no response.

“It’s going to your ex–wife.” I spoke slowly, enunciating every word. “Your time, your money, your energy, it all goes to her. What do I get? ‘My mom is there for you.‘ ‘You’re being too sensitive.‘ ‘I’m just helping out.“”

“Those were… small things-“.

“To you, they were small.” I cut him off. “To me, every single one of them was a knife.”

Silence on the other end of the line. Long, heavy silence.

‘Elena… I really do know I was wrong.”

‘I know you do.”

‘Then-”

‘But knowing you were wrong and actually being able to change are two different things.”

‘I can change-”

‘No, you can’t.” I took a deep breath. “Charles, you’ve never thought there was anything wrong with helping Vivian. You just hink I’m overreacting. You’re only apologizing now because I’m leaving, and you’re panicking.”

That’s not-”

‘Isn’t it? You know the truth.”

He went silent again.

waited. Ten seconds. Twenty seconds. Thirty seconds.

‘My lawyer will be in contact.”

hung up.

This time, I didn’t turn off my phone.

But he didn’t call back.