I continued, “That’s why divorce is our best option. Once we’re divorced, Jill can marry you and get her citizenship. Neil won’t lose his father too. He can’t grow up without one, right?” Shawn stubbornly said, “I only wanted to fake the divorce. Why are you-”
“But I want it to be real,” I interrupted bluntly. Pack your things and leave if you have the time.”
He wanted to say something else, but I didn’t give him the chance. I said, “Don’t forget that there are surveillance cameras in the living room, Shawn. Hurry up and sign the papers if you don’t want anything to happen to Neil.”
He didn’t expect me to threaten him with Neil. He parted his lips, but the words didn’t come. Ultimately, he made an excuse to flee.
I wasn’t the slightest bit sad to see him leave. In fact, I was annoyed by his refusal to leave me aloné.
Shawn didn’t show up before me for the next few days, seemingly avoiding me. I didn’t seek him out, either. Instead, I packed everything and cleaned the apartment. Then, I contacted a realtor and had it put up for sale.
Unexpectedly, Shawn returned the day after I put up the place for sale. He looked at the
luggage everywhere, his expression baffled. “What do you mean by this, Jolene? Why have you packed my things up?”
I gave him an odd look. “We’re about to get divorced. Why should I keep your things in my apartment? Don’t worry–I’ve thrown out everything that you don’t like.”
He said, “I’m not divorcing you! I was wrong to change Neil’s name without your knowledge, but I only wanted to help. You won’t blame me, right? You’ve always been considerate of me, haven’t you?”
His tone became increasingly diffident toward the end of his sentence. When he ended, he was barely audible.
