While helping my son with his homework, I mispronounced a line from a famous poem. My husband, Leo, corrected me. "It's 'The charge of the Light Brigade,' not 'The change of the Light Brigade,'" he said. And for that, I asked for a divorce. Leo stared at me, bewildered. "Over a single word?" I was about to nod when words began to scroll across my vision, like a live-stream chat. **【Here we go! This is the part where the shrewish side character makes a huge deal over nothing and tries to divorce the ML!】** **【I feel so bad for the ML. The pronunciation was officially changed like a hundred years ago. What's wrong with him correcting her?】** **【Tbh, we should thank her. If she wasn't so crazy, the ML would never realize how cool and understanding the FL is and they wouldn't get their happy ending.】** **【LMAO, she has no idea. She thinks she's just throwing a little tantrum, but she's actually handing her husband over to someone else. Later, she'll be on her knees, begging him to come back, but it'll be too late. Even her own son won't want her anymore!】** I froze, and my eyes instinctively darted to my son, Noah. His brow was furrowed in a look of pure disdain. "Auntie Evelyn said that anyone who doesn't know how to say that is basically illiterate," he said, his little voice full of scorn. "Mom, you can't get mad at Dad just because you're an idiot." So, the chat was right. The "female lead" had already infiltrated our lives, and I hadn't even noticed. I turned and started packing a bag. "Yes," I said, my voice cold. "Over a single word." 1 The love letters Leo wrote to me in college? I left them. The anniversary gifts he'd given me over the years? I left them. The matching couple's sweatshirts we bought when we were just kids? I left them, too. I packed only what was absolutely necessary, all of it fitting into a single carry-on suitcase. When I wheeled my bag out of the bedroom, the warm, yellow light of the living room was still on. Leo was half-turned toward me, the other half of his body cloaked in shadow. He was slouched on the couch, his laptop open in front of him. He was in a meeting. But there were only two people in the video call. Him, and the "Auntie Evelyn" my son had just mentioned. Her real name was Evelyn Shaw. She was wearing a silk robe, a thin cigarette perched between her elegant fingers. Her voice was cool and detached. "Let's just stick to the plan for the project. Now that we're done with business, shall we talk about something personal?" she said, taking a drag. "Noah just called me. He said he wanted me to help him with his homework. What's going on? Where's your wife?" As Leo was answering her, I was rolling my suitcase toward the front door. He suddenly laughed, a short, sharp sound. He caught my eye, a flicker of defiance in his gaze. "She says she's divorcing me," he said, a smirk playing on his lips. "Because I corrected her pronunciation of a word." I opened the door, my voice calm. "I'm leaving, Leo." "Fine," he said. "When do you want to go to the courthouse?" "Tomorrow. 2:30 PM. I'll meet you there." I gently closed the door, shutting out the look of sudden shock on his face. The chat in my head immediately exploded. **【??? What's happening? Why isn't she following the script? Shouldn't she be throwing a massive fit right now?】** **【Come on, do your job! We need you to be a crazy, irrational shrew to make our FL look good! Go back in there and start a fight!】** **【You guys are so naive. Don't you see what she's doing? She only packed a tiny suitcase. She left all the important stuff behind. She thinks she's coming back. It's just a little manipulation tactic.】** **【I'll bet you ten bucks she's back in three days, tail between her legs.】** **【I'll bet you she doesn't even last the night!】** I closed my eyes, my hand gripping the handle of my suitcase so tightly my knuckles turned white. They didn't know. I didn't take those "important" things with me, not because I thought I would be back. But because they weren't important to me anymore. 2 To win me over in college, Leo wrote me 99 love letters. I hadn't been interested in dating. I wanted to go to grad school, to work in my professor's lab, to dedicate my life to research. But he was persistent. He showered me with all the romantic gestures a girl could dream of. For a small-town girl who had spent her whole life with her nose in a book, it was a whole new world. Fireworks over the Disney castle. Stargazing from a boat in the middle of the ocean. A private serenade in the desert at sunset. I turned him down, again and again, but he just smiled. "I can wait, Amelia. Whenever you're ready, I'll be here." In the end, I gave in. Those were the three happiest years of my life. I, who had never cared for such things, even bought us matching outfits. He would pretend to complain about my taste, but he would wear them with a proud grin. "This way," he'd say, "the whole world knows you're mine." Everyone thought we were the perfect couple. The "nerdy but beautiful" valedictorian and the "rich, handsome" campus heartthrob. "If you two don't make it," they'd say, "I'll never believe in love again." So, when he proposed after graduation, I said yes. Saying yes meant giving up my dream of a PhD, moving to a new city with him, and starting over. I did it without hesitation. I found a job, and my work ethic quickly got me promoted to department manager. For the first few years of our marriage, he would always surprise me with a thoughtful anniversary gift. I thought I had it all. Love, a successful career... I thought I had found a new kind of fulfillment. Until I found out I was pregnant. Leo was ecstatic. He picked me up and spun me around, but when he saw the look on my face, his smile faded. "I know this is a bad time for your career," he said, his voice quiet. "If you don't want to... it's okay." He tried to smile, but as he turned away, I heard a small, choked sigh. I lay awake all night. The next morning, I packed away all the anniversary gifts, the love letters, the matching sweatshirts. Along with them, I packed away my youthful ambitions. A year later, after a long and difficult labor, our son, Noah, was born. And my life became completely tied to my family. I traded my power suits and high heels for sweatpants and sneakers. I gave up my monthly manicures and my biannual hair appointments. I became a full-time housewife. I didn't realize how much I had changed until one night, Leo came home drunk. He wrapped his arms around me in bed, his hands slipping under my pajama shirt. As I leaned in to kiss him, he suddenly pulled back, sobered by the contact. In the darkness, he blurted out, "Amelia... have you gained weight?" He was right. I didn't have time for the gym anymore. I was always rushing to take care of Noah, grabbing whatever food was quickest and easiest. My metabolism had slowed down. The pounds had crept on. When I sat down, I had three rolls of fat on my stomach. I wasn't the dazzling Amelia he had fallen in love with anymore. I didn't say anything. Leo got out of bed and went to the balcony. In the moonlight, I saw him light a cigarette. He was thinking of someone else. "I'll transfer you some money," he said, his back to me. "Go buy yourself some nice clothes tomorrow. Evelyn was telling me about the new Chanel collection. You should get out of the house more. You can't just wear pajamas all the time." That was the first time I had ever heard him mention her name. But I didn't think anything of it. Until tonight. 3 Taking care of Noah took up all of my time. I trusted Leo completely, so I never asked him about his work. So, it was from the live-stream chat that I learned about Evelyn Shaw. She had been brought in as a new executive at his company three months ago. At first, no one liked her, including Leo. But in ten days, she had won everyone over. They all called her "Evelyn," and said she was not only beautiful, but brilliant. A true "boss lady." I looked at my reflection in the mirror. 150 pounds, wearing an old t-shirt and shorts, my skin dull, my hair dry. It was no surprise that Leo would end up with Evelyn. He was always drawn to bright, shining people. And me? I had been worn down by life, until all that was left was a dull numbness. I had almost forgotten... I used to be a bright, shining person, too. I called my old professor. We hadn't parted on the best of terms when I left. I had a backup plan, just in case. But to my surprise, he was thrilled to hear from me. "Amelia, it's not too late. It's never too late." I took a deep breath. "Okay, professor. I'll book a flight and come see you as soon as I can." After I hung up, the chat went wild. **【Is she kidding? She's a stay-at-home mom who's been out of the loop for years. She thinks she can just waltz back into academia? Is she crazy, or am I?】** **【You guys don't get it. She's just jealous of our Evelyn. She sees a powerful, beautiful woman who's a threat, and now she's trying to 'improve' herself.】** **【LMAO, I can't. Does she really think she can compete with our FL? She's just a pathetic, washed-up side character.】** **【She should just go beg the ML for forgiveness now. Maybe she still has a chance.】** **【Too late! Don't you remember? Evelyn was comforting him all last night. He's already falling for her! He even brought her a homemade sandwich this morning!】** My hand tightened on the doorknob. I remembered, a long time ago, Leo, who couldn't cook to save his life, had learned to make sandwiches for me. "If you like them," he had said, "I'll make them for you forever. Only for you." But then, at some point, he stopped. He said he was too busy in the mornings. But one time, when I pressed him, the truth slipped out. "Amelia, can't you just eat less? Sandwiches are full of carbs, you know." His disgust... it had been there all along, and I had been too blind to see it. I had let him treat me like that for so long. Was this really the Amelia I wanted to be? 4 Before I went to the courthouse, I got my hair done. The chat was merciless. **【LMAO, what did I tell you? She's getting all dolled up to go beg the ML for forgiveness.】** **【Ugh, so pathetic. Couldn't even last 24 hours.】** **【No wonder the ML fell out of love with her. Who could love such a desperate, clingy woman?】** ... I ignored them and arrived at the courthouse at 2:30 PM, right on time. Leo was ten minutes late. A sleek, black Lincoln pulled up to the curb, and the window rolled down. Evelyn was at the wheel. She looked me up and down, a smirk on her lips. "Hello, Ms. Davis." Leo got out of the passenger seat. "Sorry, the meeting ran long," he said. "Another private meeting for two?" I asked with a smile. He frowned. "Amelia, you don't have to be so aggressive. Evelyn is a dual major, with a law degree. Since we're getting a divorce, it's important to discuss the division of assets, and..." He glanced at the back seat. "Noah's custody." The chat saw my hesitation. **【Here we go. The son is her whole life. She'll never give him up.】** **【Too bad the son already loves our Evelyn more. Who would want a poor, ugly, washed-up mom when you could have a beautiful, cool stepmom?】** Even with my "god's-eye view," I wasn't completely immune to their words. Noah was seven years old. I had poured my entire life into him for seven years. He was the precious treasure I had almost died to bring into this world. I couldn't just give him up. But just as I was about to speak, Noah, who had been hiding behind Leo, peeked out at me. "Dad, Mom can't even say 'Light Brigade' right. How is she supposed to teach me anything?" My heart clenched. All my hesitation vanished. I let out a short, sharp laugh and walked into the courthouse. "You can have him. I don't want him." 5 As we were signing the papers, the clerk gave us the standard speech. "Are you two sure about this? Divorce is a major life decision. You shouldn't do it just because you're angry." Leo leaned back in his chair, a smirk on his face. "Did you hear that, Amelia? It's just one word. Don't be so petty. You've spent the last seven years revolving your life around Noah. Are you sure you can live without him?" His tone was so condescending. Even here, in this drab government office, with the divorce papers right in front of him, he still thought this was just a game, just a tantrum I was throwing. It was then that I realized how long we had been together. So long that not only had I lost myself, but he had forgotten who I used to be. Without a moment's hesitation, I signed my name.
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