Chapter 4

None of that mattered anymore. Wendy let out a self-deprecating laugh and mechanically stuffed the peanuts into her mouth. The rich, nutty flavor mixed with the faint saltiness of her tears spread across her tongue. It was so bitter it nearly took her breath away. When James and Ethan got home, the house was still dark. No matter how late they came back before, Wendy would always leave a small lamp in the living room for them. Yet, that night, it was pitch black. With a frown, James turned on the light, glancing toward the second floor. Zelda quickly came downstairs to hold the nearly-asleep Ethan. She hesitated for a moment before looking toward James. After hesitating for a while, she finally said, "Mr. Frank, Mrs. Frank isn't back yet. Maybe you should call and check on her." "She's not home?" James looked a little surprised. "No, she hasn't been back since last night. Mrs. Frank has never done something like this before…" Zelda sighed lightly. She had seen Wendy's pain with her own eyes. But as a mere housekeeper, she knew it wasn't her place to speak. Ethan, still half-asleep, rubbed his sleepy eyes and muttered, "Daddy, is Mommy not coming back anymore? That's great! Can we get Auntie Jenna to live with us starting tomorrow?" "Bring Ethan to bed." James spoke in a low voice, then walked out and got into his car. In the car, he called Wendy. "You're still at the hospital?" "Yes." She sounded tired. James waited, expecting an explanation. However, Wendy said nothing else, and the silence irked him. "You were just on a night shift last night." "So?" Since Wendy had been asleep earlier, her voice was still soft with drowsiness. Yet, her words came out far sharper than usual. She said, "I left the divorce agreements on the vanity. If you've signed them, just send me a copy through a courier. I'm staying at the hospital for a few days." "Divorce agreements?" James sounded stunned. "What are you throwing a tantrum about now?" "You know I would never use divorce as a threat," Wendy replied calmly. "James, this marriage was a mistake from the start. I won't get in the way of you and Jenna anymore. You can have Ethan. I only want the money I earned myself." James finally understood what was happening, and his tone turned impatient. "Wendy, are you really that petty? What's wrong with Ethan being close to his aunt? Jenna and I have a normal relationship. "Last night was just a celebration dinner for her getting a new job. What's there to be upset about? Why are you always so dirty-minded? Why can't you just accept her?" It was the same words all over again. Wendy couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. "Think whatever you want." Then, she ended the call without waiting for his reply. It felt like all the blood had drained from her body. She leaned quietly against the headboard, the chill in her chest spreading to every corner of her limbs. Her phone buzzed again and again with messages from James. "Come home once you're done with this nonsense. Don't you think it's humiliating to stay at the hospital? Don't go looking for trouble with Jenna again, or I won't let you off, you hear me?" Wendy didn't reply to a single one. James stared at the screen, his expression growing darker. Then, he hit the gas and drove home. Sure enough, he found the divorce agreements wedged in the crevice behind the vanity. Wendy's signature at the end was neat and deliberate, so it was definitely not done in a fit of rage. But why? Wasn't she the one who had schemed so hard to marry him in the first place? … The next morning, Ethan woke up and ran to Wendy's room to look for her. When he saw no one there, he ran to James. "Daddy, Mommy's not here. She's not coming back anymore, right? Can we bring Auntie Jenna here to live with us?" There was an unmistakable joy in his voice. "I'm calling Auntie Jenna right now. The annoying lady is finally gone!" As he spoke, he turned on his smartwatch. "Eat your breakfast." With furrowed brows, James shot him a look. "Daddy…" Ethan said nervously. When James saw Ethan shrink back nervously, he pursed his lips and softened a little. "Just eat. You've got school soon. We'll talk about Auntie Jenna after." "Okay!" Ethan cheered and dug happily into his food. Zelda, who had been cleaning nearby, couldn't help but shake her head. She felt deeply sorry for Wendy. ... Meanwhile, Wendy had barely slept after being woken up by James' call the night before. She headed to work exhausted only to run into her parents at the hospital entrance. When they saw the dark circles under her eyes, they immediately assumed she had another fight with James over Jenna. Mary sighed and began, "Wendy, I thought you'd understand after what I told you yesterday. Why are you still being so stubborn? You've had James for six years, so why can't you just give him back to Jenna?" Chris chimed in with a stern tone, "Your mother is right. If you hadn't gotten pregnant back then, they wouldn't have… Besides, you should know by now that James' heart isn't with you. What's the point in clinging to him?" Wendy looked at her "well-meaning" parents with cold eyes and felt a sharp ache in her chest. She leaned lightly against the wall for balance, lips trembling from suppressed anger. "Dad, Mom, are you saying it was my fault that Jenna and James didn't end up together? Don't you remember? She ran off to another guy, got pregnant, and went abroad to have an abortion. Do you—" "Shut your mouth!" Chris cut her off sharply. After he glanced around to make sure no one had overheard, he stepped closer, his face stormy. "How could you slander your sister like that? She's never even been married!" The panicked Mary snapped, "Exactly! Wendy, a woman's reputation is everything. If you still see us as your parents, you'll keep this to yourself. Otherwise—" "Otherwise, what?" Wendy's voice was cold as she fought back the sting in her eyes. She couldn't understand. Jenna and her were both their daughters. How could they be so blatantly biased? Mary realized she'd gone too far and backed down a little. "Wendy, for our sake, can't you just let James go and give him back to Jenna?" Wendy's lip was bitten raw, the taste of blood flooding her mouth. Having been up all night and skipped breakfast, she was starting to feel dizzy. "You can rest easy. I've already asked James for a divorce," Wendy said. "Really?" Chris and Mary's eyes lit up, but they still sounded doubtful. "Wendy, you're not lying to us, are you? You…" Wendy didn't want to hear another word from them. She fought off waves of dizziness and walked away while supporting herself against the wall, her knuckles turning white from how tightly she clung to it. When did her life start falling apart like this? She just couldn't make sense of any of this. "Dr. Sanders, are you okay?" A passing nurse rushed over to steady her. "You look awful. Is it low blood sugar?" Without waiting for a reply, the nurse handed her a piece of chocolate. "Here, eat this. It might help." "Thank you…" Wendy said in a hoarse voice, her hand tightening around the small piece of chocolate. She couldn't understand how a passing nurse could tell she was unwell at a single glance, yet her own parents, who were doctors with over thirty years of experience, couldn't.