Divorced After the Crash

When I had a miscarriage after a car accident, Liam Lennick was picking up his ex-girlfriend’s child. Seeing me bleeding profusely on the ground, he merely covered the little girl’s eyes, saying with utter disgust, “Lexi, don’t look. It’s absolutely filthy.” That night, a thunderstorm raged. His ex-girlfriend cried on the phone, and he didn’t hesitate to drive to her house. The next day, I signed the divorce papers and called my lawyer. “I’m certain about the divorce. Let’s proceed with the asset division.” 1 “Liam, I’m scared…” A woman’s faint sobs drifted from the balcony. Liam Lennick lit a cigarette, his handsome brows furrowed. Even with the storm raging outside, he preferred to stand on the cold, damp balcony, talking to another woman on the phone. “Just wait, don’t be afraid, I’ll be there soon.” He quickly hung up, stubbing out the cigarette. Coming in from the balcony, he saw me lying weakly in bed. He said coldly, “Audrey, stop faking it. The doctor said you only have a few scrapes, why are you pretending to be dead?” I lowered my eyes, my fingers curling weakly. Yes, my legs had scrapes. But the miscarriage, that was a child truly lost. I had only half-finished speaking on the phone when he impatiently cut me off. “Anyway, it’s fine as long as you’re okay. I’m still driving.” From the other end of the line, a girl’s cheerful voice could be heard asking, “Uncle Liam, is this mousse cake for Mom?” Before the man could answer, he hung up with a series of beeps. The words, “I had a miscarriage,” remained stuck in my throat, unspoken. Mousse cake, it must be very sweet. This morning, when I found the customized mousse cake on the table, I naively thought it was a gift from him to end our months-long cold war. But he just slapped my hand away. “Who told you to touch it? This is for a friend.” It wasn’t for me. It was for that “friend.” And who could that friend be, if not his divorced ex-girlfriend? When we first started dating, he knew I loved mousse cake. He would insist on buying from the most expensive shop in the city every day. After almost a month, I finally got tired of it and asked him to stop. He dotingly licked the cream from the corner of my mouth, pinching my cheek. “I have money to buy it, are you afraid of getting fat? I’ll love you even if you weigh 200 pounds.” Five years into our marriage, I rarely ate sweets, only to maintain my figure, so he wouldn’t change his mind. But if he didn’t love me anymore, would he care if I got fat? Now, let alone mousse cake, he would find it too much effort even to brew me a bowl of medicine. My thoughts returned to the present. Liam’s tone was still impatient. “Also, Lexi is just a child. You were bleeding so much. What if she saw it and got scared?” I endured the pain in my lower abdomen, a faint smile on my lips. “Yes, it’s a shame you’re not Lexi’s father, otherwise you’d probably want to kick me a couple more times.” Liam walked to my bedside. He forcefully swiped the bowl off my nightstand. The bowl shattered on the floor, spilling the medicine the doctor prescribed for my miscarriage. He suppressed his anger. “Audrey, don’t push your luck.” I continued to smile at him, saying coolly, “Mr. Lennick, aren’t you leaving?” Liam paused, surprised. “What?” “The thunder is so loud, your friend must be truly terrified.” The anger on Liam’s face flickered. Finally, he gave a sinister laugh. “Audrey, if you weren’t injured, I’d rip your mouth off.” I didn’t respond. But as he opened the door to leave, he coldly added, “Don’t wait up for me tonight. Just close the windows tightly when it thunders.” Yes, I used to be afraid of thunder too. Hiding in his arms would only lead to him pushing me away and calling me melodramatic. Yet, on this stormy night, Lisa Harris would receive his tender, whispered comfort. 2 The next day, when I arrived at the office, the atmosphere was strangely odd. As I went to get coffee, I overheard two young women whispering in the breakroom: “Mr. Lennick is too much. He berated and fired the assistant Ms. Lennick assigned, then brought someone else in.” “Yeah, Ms. Lennick’s protégé had excellent qualifications and capabilities. He was definitely better than that woman who can’t even use Excel.” “I heard that woman is divorced with a child, but she’s Mr. Lennick’s ex-girlfriend, so she didn’t even need an interview to start work.” “Ex-girlfriend? Even an ex-girlfriend shouldn’t be like that! Business is business, personal is personal. Ms. Lennick and Mr. Lennick have been married for five years, and she’s never been as shameless as that woman!” My hand, holding the cup, suddenly lost its grip. The cup clattered to the floor with a thud. It didn’t shatter, but the coffee spilled everywhere, filling the air with its bitter aroma. “Ms. Lennick!” The two interns finally noticed me, their faces sheepish. Their eyes, however, betrayed pity and sympathy for me. In that moment, I felt a faint ache in my abdomen again. I smiled softly, waving them off. “I’m fine. You two go back to work.” Back at my desk, I opened my alt account on social media. Lisa Harris had posted a side profile of a man, clearly looking serious at work. The caption read: “First day working with the big boss, made a small mistake but got spoiled by him! Thanks, big boss!” Liam Lennick replied below: “Work hard, and there’ll be a reward after work.” I casually ‘liked’ the post. Right after, Liam called. I answered. “Audrey, there’s a small issue with Mr. Miller’s client. Go handle it.” My tone was flat. “Isn’t Charles supposed to handle client relations? Did he mess up?” His voice on the other end was slightly annoyed. “Why so many questions? Charles was as dense as a brick, so I fired him. He dropped his work halfway and left, so aren’t you supposed to clean up his mess?” I scoffed. Whose mess was I cleaning up, exactly? More like cleaning up that woman’s mess. My heart felt heavy. I almost impulsively wanted to run into his office and confront him, but the thought of seeing that woman in his office filled me with irritation. I replied calmly. “Liam, I don’t feel well. I want to go home.” He paused. He probably hadn’t expected a strong woman like me, who would stay at her desk even with a fever or stomach ache, to say she wasn’t feeling well and wanted to go home. He let out a cold snort. “It’s just a minor car accident, a few scrapes. Still being melodramatic! Don’t you want that big contract from Mr. Miller?” I softly hummed. “No, I don’t. Money isn’t as important as my health.” “Audrey!” I hung up. At the same moment, Liam angrily kicked open his office door. I had already packed my bag and was ready to leave. Liam strode to my desk, questioning coldly, “Did I give you permission to leave?” “Mr. Lennick, I’m also a director. Why can’t I leave when I’m not feeling well?” Suddenly, numerous eyes focused on us. Liam felt his pride wounded. He pulled me into his office. From a corner, a woman’s surprised gasp. “Mr. Lennick, what’s wrong?” I looked at Lisa Harris, forcefully pulling my hand free from Liam’s grip. Liam’s voice softened. “Lisa, please step outside for a moment. I need to speak with Director Lennick.” Lisa’s eyes darted between us. She slowly walked to Liam’s side, clinging to his arm like a delicate bird. “Oh, Liam, don’t be angry! If Director Lennick has a work problem, we can solve it later! If she’s not feeling well, just let her go home and rest. The company won’t be without people if she’s gone…” Liam’s expression softened considerably at her sweet voice. Ignoring my presence, he playfully flicked Lisa’s nose. “You, you’re just too soft-hearted.” Then, turning to me, his face hardened again. “Since Assistant Harris is making excuses for you, then get out.” On the way home, I bought a mousse cake. Sitting in the car, I ate the cake bite by bite. The cake was indeed sweet, slowly neutralizing the bitterness in my heart. It turned out that the cake I bought for myself was just as sweet. But it was a truth I only understood now. 3 When I returned home, it was already late. Liam still wasn't back. My mother, however, called. Her voice was as warm as ever. "Audrey, how are you and your husband doing these days?" I looked at the document in my hand, momentarily speechless. It was a divorce agreement. Her voice on the other end was still filled with warmth. "I wonder if you two will come visit us for the holidays this year. I've prepared so many of your favorite dishes!" "And also, when will you give me a grandson or granddaughter? Your father and I are so bored staying at home all day. How wonderful it would be to have a grandchild..." Suddenly, my nose stung. Neither a grandson nor a granddaughter. The child's father would rather save another woman's child than his own. It was that child's misfortune not to come into this world. But perhaps it was for the best; if he came into this world, he would have to compete with other children for his father. Better not to come at all. "Mom, if I get a divorce, will you blame me?" Mom was silent for a long while. Finally, she asked cautiously, "Did you two argue? Spouses fight, but they always make up..." "No, there's no turning back this time. Mom, will you blame me?" Mom sighed deeply. "I won't blame you. All I want is for you to be happy. If you're not happy, what's the point of being married?" I laughed then. Tears streamed down my cheeks, wetting the dimples formed by my smile. "Okay." I signed the divorce agreement and called my lawyer. "I've decided to divorce. Let's proceed with property division." As soon as I hung up, Liam called again. "Audrey, I've been drinking. I can't drive. Come pick me up!" He bossed me around as if I were his personal assistant. Just bear with it a little longer, Audrey. From the other end of the line, there was another sickly sweet female voice. "Liam, it's all your fault! Lexi hasn't been picked up yet. She must be so scared..." Liam apologized to her, then said to me coldly, "Pick up Lexi on your way. It's on your route anyway." I softly said okay. At the school gate, I picked up Lisa Harris’s child. She sat in the passenger seat, expressionless, too mature for a child. “You’re Uncle Liam’s wife, aren’t you?” Lexi asked, feigning casualness. I smiled, counter-questioning, “Why, do you want to be Uncle Liam’s child?” The underlying meaning: Do you want Lisa Harris to be my husband’s wife? Lexi choked for a moment. I lightly tapped the steering wheel. “Kid, you’re not as smart as your mother. At least your mother is better at pretending to be dumb, and men just love to depend on their dumb women.” Lexi looked a bit embarrassed and raised her voice. “So what? Uncle Liam likes my mom!” I narrowed my eyes. “Kids are just naive. Liking someone doesn’t put food on the table.” I thought of the divorce agreement, where the property division was crystal clear. If we divorced, I wouldn’t lose out. On the contrary, Liam would lose both wealth and people. Lexi pouted, annoyed for the entire ride. I didn’t bother arguing with a child and had her wait in the lobby outside the private room. Just as I reached the door of the private room, I heard Lisa Harris’s sweet, soft voice. “Liam, you have a sensitive stomach, drink less…” Liam’s voice was deep and hoarse, a lazy, drunken chuckle. “What, you’re worried about me? Kiss me, and I’ll stop drinking.” Liam had Lisa sit on his lap. Seeing her shyness, he laughed and leaned in to kiss her lips. The two lingered for a long time before finally separating. I pushed the door open, startling both of them. Liam’s face was annoyed, but he didn’t push Lisa, who was still nestled against his chest, away. The private room was dimly lit. I placed the divorce agreement on the table in front of him. “A small company project. Just sign it.” Liam was somewhat drunk, his handsome brows tightly furrowed. He took the pen from my hand, signed it casually without even looking. “So annoying. Couldn’t you have waited until tomorrow at the office for me to sign it?” As I was leaving, Lisa called out to me. “Thank you, Director Lennick, for picking up Lexi for me. Usually, Liam… Mr. Lennick helps with pickups and drop-offs, but today he had to discuss business, so I troubled you.” Her words sounded like a wife thanking her subordinate for helping with her child. Lisa knew I was Liam Lennick’s wife, yet she deliberately spoke with such subtle malice. But my heart was already calm. From this moment on, I was no longer Liam Lennick’s wife. I was free. “Ms. Harris, I hope you enjoy the trash someone else didn’t want.” I pretended not to see her ashen face and turned to leave.