The divorce agreement came through quickly. Silas practically handed over half of his assets to me. Along with that, he included 10% of the company’s shares.
I didn’t refuse. I accepted it outright. I wouldn’t turn my back on money since it felt like his way of compensating us for everything.
The next time I saw Silas was at the entrance of the civil affairs office. He looked utterly exhausted, his once pristine suit now rumpled and disheveled. “I sent Lily and her daughter abroad. I really have nothing to do with them anymore,” he said.
I didn’t know what he thought saying that would accomplish. Did he think it would turn back time?
Seeing my lack of response, he pressed on, “Do we really have to do this?” His voice was low, laced with a faint plea.
I took a deep breath and looked at him. “Yes. This is a relief for both of us. Or you can think of it as letting me go.”
He lowered his gaze, remaining silent for a moment, before finally nodding.
We entered the civil affairs office. The process of finalizing the divorce was quicker than I had expected. It felt as if our entire history had been reduced to a thin piece of paper–easily torn, leaving no connection behind.
Silas stared at the names on the divorce certificate, pain flickering in his eyes. Lifting his gaze to me, his voice rasped, “If you ever need me, no matter when, I’ll be there.”
Wind
I nodded without replying. We both knew that day would probably never come.
As we stepped out of the civil affairs office, the sunlight was blinding. I squinted against its brightness.
Silas stood beside me, hesitating as if he wanted to say something. In the end, he didn’t. He turned and walked away, his figure exuding a profound loneliness.
Back home, Yael was still sound asleep. I quietly approached his bed, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on his forehead.
