The Years Between Signing and Seeing novel Chapter 33

The next second, Jamie was steadying Chloe by the arm, rushing her toward the street. When they were a few yards away, he paused and threw a final, icy sentence over his shoulder. “City Hall. Three o’clock.”

Suzie stood frozen, watching them get into a car and drive away. Slowly, the smile on her face faded. Every ounce of concern Jamie showed for Chloe was another knife twisting in her heart.

Her hand came to rest on her lower abdomen. After a moment, she whispered to herself, “Baby, I’m so sorry I couldn’t give you a proper family. I hope you won’t blame me for this someday.”

Blinking back tears, Suzie walked until she found a small diner down the road, the sun beating down on her shoulders. She ordered a soup and a side of toast, forcing herself to eat for the baby.

***

The appointed time arrived quickly.

As Suzie got off the bus and walked toward the City Hall building, she spotted the conspicuous Bentley parked out front. She glanced at it briefly before heading straight into the lobby.

Inside, the line at the divorce processing window was as long as ever. Even in the crowd, with sunglasses and a mask obscuring his face, Suzie instantly recognized Jamie, who exuded an air of nobility that he couldn’t hide.

She was about to find a seat when she saw him beckon to her with a flick of his finger. After a moment’s hesitation, she walked over. He patted the empty chair beside him. “Sit.”

Suzie slowly sat down. After a long, soul-searching afternoon, her emotions had settled into a state of calm resignation.

Jamie didn't speak. They sat in silence, much like most of the other couples waiting to dissolve their marriages, as if there was nothing left between them worth saying. How many people who once swore eternal love now faced each other with a bitterness that could never be resolved?

Half an hour passed like that. When their number was called, Suzie stood up naturally.

But suddenly, Jamie reached out from behind and grabbed her hand. “If you change your mind, right now… we don’t have to do this.”

Suzie’s heart skipped a beat, but only for a second. She turned back to him, a serene smile on her face. “It’s over, Jamie.”

Suzie took it and immediately opened it. Inside were a credit card and a stack of documents outlining a settlement far beyond what the agreement required. For an ordinary person, it was more money than she could even wrap her head around.

A mocking smile touched Suzie’s lips. She was used to being poor; she had no interest in this kind of money. “Thank you for your generosity. I came into this with nothing, and that’s how I’ll leave. I don't want to owe you anything, Jamie. Goodbye.”

With that, Suzie took the stack of documents and the card and threw them straight at his face.

Jamie didn’t move. His sorrowful gaze followed her through the fluttering papers as they drifted to the ground.

Suzie glanced at the scratch marks the papers had left on his face, then turned and walked away without looking back.

From the driver's seat, Aaron watched in the rearview mirror as Jamie’s expression turned to ice.