Chapter 2

The next day, in the courthouse parking lot, Howard sat in his Maybach, tapping the steering wheel lightly with his left hand. "Howard, you and Meg have been married for a year now. You should hurry up and have a child," came an old woman's voice from the phone. Howard's expression softened. He looked slightly helpless, but patient. "We're still young, Grandma. There's no rush. You should focus on your health, and as for Grandpa, he—" "No rush? How can we not be anxious?" Bethany Tate interrupted sharply. "Your grandfather may be better now, but we're both old. Who knows when we'll close our eyes for good?" "Grandma…" Bethany's voice turned stern. "Don't try to change the subject. I've heard the rumors as well. You mustn't mistreat Meg." Howard fell silent for a moment before hearing Bethany's voice again. "Do you hear me?" she asked. He rubbed his brow, answering, "Yes, Grandma." After a few more words, Howard ended the call. His fingers resumed their tapping as his gaze drifted toward the courthouse. He pressed his lips together and opened his WhatsApp. His finger bypassed the contact for a certain floral designer saved as "My Love" and scrolled down to open the chat with "Megan". The last message was a reminder of their morning meeting in the courthouse to finalize their divorce. However, there was no sign of Megan. Frowning slightly, he sent her a message. "Where are you?" The next moment, a knock on the window drew Howard's attention to Megan's face, which was a little pale. She opened the door, got into the passenger seat, and glanced his way, noting that he was still wearing the clothes she had picked out for him yesterday. For years, she had taken care of everything for him, from the smallest details like his cologne and ties to his tailored shirts and suits. "Why are you so late?" he asked. Megan withdrew her gaze. "I'm not late, though." She just wasn't doing what she did before—arriving far too early, foolishly waiting on his every word. Howard's tapping stopped, his brows furrowing as he turned to her. She looked rather pale, likely due to the lack of sleep following last night's talk about divorce. But that wasn't anything serious. "Grandma just called me," Howard said as he looked away. "Don't tell her or Grandpa about our divorce. They're too old to handle that kind of shock." Megan didn't agree right away. Instead, she asked, "What did she say?" "She urged us to have children." Howard's eyes narrowed just a fraction, a look of impatience surfacing. Silence stretched between them. Then Megan let out a soft laugh. Howard's left hand clenched into a fist as he stared silently out the window. He had once wondered what their child would look like and when it would be born. In moments of intimacy, he had caressed her belly and whispered, "Meg, when will you have my child?" But she never got pregnant, which was fine. They were going to remarry in half a year, so it wouldn't be too late to try for a baby once they were together again. But Alyssa only had six months left to live. Outside the car, people came and went. After about three seconds of silence, Megan said, "Howie, I'd like to ask you one last time. Do you want to go through with this divorce?" He was truly mad now. "Are you thinking of backing out now?" He thought of Alyssa, who was still waiting for him at home. Seeing that he was firm on his decision, Megan said nothing more. She simply pulled out a document and handed it to him. Howard frowned as he accepted it. It was a property settlement agreement. "Since we're divorcing, let's make things clear between us. Of all the Larson family assets, I'll only take what's mine. As for any money we've earned before the divorce is finalized, we'll each keep our own." As Megan spoke, she took out a pen and placed it on the side. "If you don't have any issues with this, then sign it." Howard's frown deepened as he read. The terms were simple, and she wasn't asking for much; her signature was already there. He didn't understand her intent. This was supposed to be a fake divorce. What was the point of the agreement? Alyssa merely had six months left. Even as he accompanied Alyssa through her final days, Megan would still play his wife in front of his grandparents. In his mind, Megan would only ever be with him and no one else, and she barely had boundaries. He had grown tired of her before and deliberately made her do degrading things. Yet, she had never refused. She would even show him that she had done what he wanted, her face lit up with a bright smile. "Howie, look. I did it. Did I do a good job?" Megan was a very submissive marriage partner. He had proven that over seven years. If not for Alyssa, his marriage would've continued in its dull, predictable way. But… At that moment, the image of Alyssa's face—pitiful yet unyielding as she coughed up blood—flashed in his mind. The memory was so painful he could barely breathe. He turned to the window. Reflected there was Megan's blank expression. Was she trying to threaten him? After all, she had once fabricated messages to accuse Alyssa. She clearly hated Alyssa. He found her actions laughable. Howard picked up the pen and signed. He wouldn't be threatened by anyone. Once both copies were signed, Megan took hers, and they both got out of the car. They took a number and waited for their turn to submit the documents and the divorce petition form. After collecting the stamped copies of the form, they walked out of the courthouse, knowing they would return after a waiting period to pick up their divorce certificates. Outside, the sun was high. Warm light touched Megan's skin. Howard watched the people around them. It was easy to tell who was marrying and who was divorcing. Just then, a couple came out hand in hand. The woman was beaming. Howard vaguely recalled that a year ago, when they came to register their marriage, Megan's face had worn the same smile. He glanced at her now; her expression was flat, showing neither joy nor sorrow. "During the time we're divorced, I'll still send money to your account. Don't tell Grandpa and Grandma about this." Without waiting for her reply, he walked away. She watched his car disappear around the corner. Not long after, the cab she had requested arrived. The two cars drove in opposite directions—one toward Alyssa's Floral Studio and the other toward Acreport Hospital. … When Howard opened the door to the studio, Alyssa's smile greeted him. He held out his copy of the divorce petition. "It's done," he announced. "She didn't make much of a fuss." … Meanwhile, Megan walked toward the gynecology department, a number slip clutched in her hand. After she sat down, her doctor and best friend, Selena Lowe, drew the curtain. "Meg, are you really going to terminate the pregnancy?" Selene asked worriedly. "I thought you always wanted to get pregnant. You even asked me to help you improve your health before." Megan placed her stamped copy of the divorce petition form on the side table. "Yes," she said calmly. "I'm doing this. I don't want it anymore."