After finding condoms in my husband Jacob's passenger seat yet again, I wasn't angry anymore. I just silently helped him put them away. Jacob gave me a complicated look and volunteered an explanation. "Check for yourself. This box hasn't even been opened." I said nothing, closing my eyes and pretending to sleep. Half an hour later, he pulled up in front of a store and said to me: "Let's go buy a gift for your mom. We'll go back to your place together for Christmas to see her." My tears finally fell. My mom was dead. He still didn't know. "Iman? Are you listening to me?" Jacob's voice dropped several notes, full of oppressive force. My voice came out hoarse. "No need." No need to go back. Never need to go back again. But he misunderstood what I meant and leaned over to look at me. "Are you mad? "Just trust me, okay? Otherwise count them yourself." He opened the box as he spoke, dumping out all the condoms. His eyes were helpless yet indulgent, as if looking at an unreasonable child. I wiped my tears and looked over. "I'm really not mad." Jacob leaned over and hugged me, sighing. "And you say you're not mad. "Didn't you always want me to go back with you? "This Christmas I finally don't have any work obligations. "If we miss this chance, who knows when the next one will be." His palm gently soothed my back, just like before. But I numbly pushed him away and nodded. "Okay, then let's go." Before my mom died, she kept talking about how Jacob was too busy with work and hadn't been able to visit. If Jacob had time this Christmas, it would be good for him to pay his respects. After all, once we got divorced, there'd be no reason to ask him to go. But on Christmas day, Jacob didn't come home. As if I'd expected it all along, I calmly accepted the possibility that he might miss the flight. So I took a cab to the airport by myself. It wasn't until the plane started moving that he called me. "Sorry, something came up here that delayed me. "Can you change your ticket? How about we leave tonight instead?" I looked at the scenery retreating outside the window and swallowed my tears. "No need. I've already left." I didn't even bother asking him the reason. But Jacob volunteered an explanation. "It's really not because of Leah this time. "A project we'd already agreed on suddenly had some problems. I thought I could make it. "Iman, don't make a scene." I don't know where he heard that I was making a scene. I spoke calmly. "I know you're busy. You can come tomorrow." Waiting one more day didn't matter. That's all there was to it. Jacob breathed a sigh of relief. "Wait for me like a good girl. I'll cook for Mom when I get there. "She always said my cooking was good. It's probably been years since she's had it. "This time I absolutely—" "I'm tired. I want to sleep." I interrupted his fantasy, tears streaming down my face. I really wanted to scream it out loud. My mom can't eat it anymore! Where were you all this time! But I was tired. I didn't want to argue. Too many arguments. I'd argued myself into exhaustion. It was like I was a person without self-respect, shamelessly begging for his attention. As long as he came, as long as my mom could see him. It wouldn't be for nothing that my mom had raised him all those years. It wouldn't be for nothing that I'd brought him home back then, and for over a decade after, he'd eaten at my house every day. But I'd overestimated him after all.
Uncle Coleman saw that I'd come back alone again. His expression wasn't good. That evening, Aunt May tentatively asked: "Did you and Jacob have a fight? "Actually, when your mom was in the hospital, she noticed something too, but didn't bring it up because she was afraid you'd be hurt. "You should rein in your temper. With both parents gone, you only have your husband to rely on. "Having a child as soon as possible is what's most important right now." I listened quietly and told her Jacob would come tomorrow. I explained: "His company hasn't been doing well these past few years. He always has work obligations. "When my mom was in the hospital, he wanted to come too. Don't worry, we're fine." I didn't want the family to know I was planning to divorce. I was too lazy to deal with their attempts at reconciliation. But I didn't expect Jacob to break his promise again. In the morning, he told me he was on his way to the airport. May had prepared abundant ingredients early in the morning. "It's good he's coming. He didn't even show up at your mom's funeral. The whole village thought you'd been abandoned. "Now he can shut them up. "You should come back more often too. Come sit with us at home." May bustled about in the kitchen, chattering as she worked. But after making a whole table full of dishes, Jacob didn't answer any of my calls. "Let's eat first." I forced down my emotions and spoke, looking at them apologetically. May and Coleman exchanged glances and both nodded. "Okay, okay, let's eat first then." "I'll have your cousins come over too. We can't finish all this food ourselves anyway." "They can go up the mountain with you afterward." May spoke while busily preparing the tableware. Food left on the table for half an hour in winter had long since lost its warmth. I forced back my tears, smiling with difficulty. Coleman suddenly sat down next to me and ruffled my hair. "You've always had your own mind since you were little. Do whatever you want to do. "If your dad were here, he wouldn't bear to see you suffer like this. "This is always your home. You still have family here. Don't listen to May. People need to live freely." I smiled at Coleman and got up to go to the bathroom. I only came out after crying. Coleman and May were in the kitchen reheating the food when my phone rang. It was Jacob calling. "Leah's in the hospital, in surgery. "It's a matter of life and death. I can't just ignore her. "Iman, tomorrow. I'll come get you tomorrow. "And I'll bring Mom back to stay for a few days too." I numbly listened to his words, emotions churning in my chest. I didn't want to get angry. My mom always said: "Iman, don't always lose your temper. It's not worth it. "Let's just live our lives peacefully. "Turn a blind eye, and decades will pass. "Look at me—I had so many complaints about your dad before, but after he died, I only remember the good things." But Jacob was really bullying me too much! "You don't need to come anymore. When I get back, I need to talk to you about something." I said coldly and hung up. When Jacob called again, I declined it. His messages came through to my phone instead. [Don't be unreasonable. Just wait for me.] [If there was anyone else who could help, she wouldn't have called me.] [About last time, she wanted to apologize to you, but I didn't let her.] [Iman, you know your own temper. I was afraid you'd hit her again.] [Can't we just live our own lives well? Why throw a tantrum over small things?] [...] He sent many messages. I skimmed through a few. By then my cousins had returned. I turned off my phone and ignored Jacob. The meal was eaten with everyone lost in their own thoughts. When we went to my mom's grave, my cousins waited for me at a distance. I sat on the ground, looking at the person in the photo. Tears fell as I looked. I had so much to say, but couldn't speak. Only when leaving did I tell her: "I'm sorry. I lost the son-in-law you liked so much. You won't blame me, will you?" Just then the wind rose, as if fingers gently brushing across my face. I held back my tears and left down the mountain without looking back.
The next day I boarded a plane back to Los Angeles. On the plane, the divorce agreement the lawyer I'd hired had drafted also arrived on my phone. I looked it over carefully and had them revise a few small details. I didn't want his company. I had other plans. But I wanted all the cash and properties in our names. The value was also in the eight figures. What I didn't expect was running into Jacob at the airport. We stared at each other. Standing beside him was Leah, who'd supposedly been in surgery just yesterday. Apparently it wasn't a life-or-death surgery after all. After all, she could get out of bed the next day, even wearing beautiful makeup. Leah's eyes were red with anxiety as she rushed to speak. "Don't blame him. I'm the one who rushed him to come find you, aren't I? "Of course I know wives are more important than friends. "When I called him, I thought he didn't have plans for the holiday and could help out. "I didn't expect him to hide the fact that he was going to your place because he was worried about me. I'm really sorry. "You won't blame him, will you?" Jacob snapped out of it and instinctively moved Leah behind him. I'd hit Leah before. Since then, he'd never let me have direct contact with her. At this moment, Jacob spoke in a heavy voice. "This is my fault. Don't take it out on her." The scene before me made me think of the phrase "mutual devotion." I nodded and looked at Leah. "Since you're here too, why don't you come sit at our place?" She looked completely shocked. Jacob's brow furrowed. I looked at Jacob teasingly. "Didn't you say there's nothing between you two? "If you're just friends, you don't even dare bring her home?" I walked ahead. Jacob followed behind with Leah. "Don't talk with so much hostility. It sounds terrible. "She's just a young, innocent woman. After you scared her last time, how would she dare come to our house?" I stopped and looked past him at Leah. Our eyes met. Leah suddenly smiled, a hint of provocation in her eyes. "Since Iman invited me, of course I'll go." I looked at Jacob again. "Be a man. That bitch is braver than you." As soon as we got home, I went to the study. I printed out the divorce agreement, bound it, and went to the living room to hand it to Jacob. "Take a look. If there are no problems, sign it. "You can take your things and leave with her today. "The company had my mom's initial investment of two hundred thousand. I don't want it. "But all marital assets and properties are mine. Except for the company, give me everything else." I finished in one breath. Jacob's expression went from shock to anger. "What the hell is wrong with you? "Does your mom know about this? "You went through all this trouble just to say this? Even tantrums have limits." I lowered my eyes and spoke flatly. "I've already informed her. "What mother doesn't want her child to be happy? "She was good to you because she wanted you to be good to me. No matter how much she liked you, how could she value you over her own child? "So you don't need to worry about what she thinks." At this point, I glanced at Leah. Her smile couldn't be suppressed. She looked at Jacob with determined confidence. I smiled and continued speaking to Jacob. "Now that things between us have come to this, you don't think my mom would still be nice to you, do you?" Jacob grew angrier. "What did you tell her? "How many times do I have to say it? Nothing happened between Leah and me!" I threw the divorce agreement in his face and spoke flatly. "Does something only count as happening if you've slept together? "Who did you adjust the passenger seat for? "Our wedding anniversary, my birthday, my mom's birthday... "Which special occasion this year didn't you spend with her? "Did all her relatives and friends die? "Does she need you, an irrelevant married man, to accompany her for a minor surgery? "Jacob, we're all smart people. Don't treat people like fools, okay?" My tone started out calm, but by the end my voice was trembling. But Jacob said coldly, repeating, "I will not divorce you!" He added, "If we divorce, your mom will be heartbroken!" I instinctively shouted: "My mom is dead! How could she be heartbroken?"
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "NovelMaster" app ? search for "406595", and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster