Chapter 10

I couldn't stay there for another second.

After having the gift I'd chosen for Sarah wrapped, I left the store directly.

Unexpectedly, that evening I received a call from Alex.

“Jade, did you sell our house?”

His incredulous voice carried a hint of sluggish drunkenness.

I knew he was drunk. In the past, when he drank for business, his tone was always like this.

But I didn't know what he was doing now.

He had just splurged on Tiffany during the day, so why would he come home to *our* "home" completely wasted at night?

But I no longer wanted to guess at his emotions.

My tone turned cold.

“Yes, the house is mine now. How I handle it is none of your business, is it?”

Alex was silent for a moment on the other end of the line, then asked again,

“Where are you living now? I want to see you.”

I remained silent, then refused again.

“There’s no need. We’ll see each other naturally in a few days when we finalize the divorce.”

With that, I was about to hang up.

But Alex’s voice came urgently through the phone—

“Jade, I regret it! I don’t think Tiffany and I are that suitable. Can we… not get divorced?”

My heart skipped a beat, but I knew clearly it was just a casual remark from a drunk man.

“Alex, you’re drunk.”

“No, I’m not!”

Alex’s emotions became agitated.

“Jade, I know what I’m saying sounds a bit thick-skinned, but please don’t hang up. At least just listen to me for a bit, okay? I really have no one else to talk to.”

This was the first time Alex had ever shown me such a vulnerable side.

But it was all because of another woman.

I asked him hoarsely,

“What do you want to say?”

Alex’s voice was raspy.

“Do you know? I liked Tiffany because she was young and vibrant, she adored and relied on me. Her whole world revolved around me. That’s something entirely different from you.”

I had nothing to say.

Yes, I was a doctor, and I was busy every day.

But I had foolishly believed that our independent careers, balanced with our leisure time spent together, was the ideal state for our marriage. A mutual understanding.

But the truth was, he had grown tired of me long ago.

I managed a bitter smile.

“But from the very beginning, didn’t you know what kind of person I was?”

The other end of the line fell silent.

I took a moment to compose myself before saying,

“But all that’s in the past. In five days, you’ll finally be with Tiffany, the woman you love. Don’t worry, I won’t stand in your way.”

However, these words didn't seem to make Alex happy.

He sighed on the phone, then changed the subject.

“But after Tiffany and I actually started living together, I realized she only knows how to have fun, not how to run a household.”

“When I had a stomachache, I just asked her to get me a glass of water and some medicine, and she said I was treating her like a maid!”

“She can’t cook, and she never cleans the house. Every day I come home from work, not only do I have to clean up after her, but I can’t even get a cup of hot water!”

Alex’s long-suppressed emotions poured out like a flood.

I was somewhat surprised.

This Alex seemed a completely different person from the mature, steady man I remembered.

Before our marriage fell apart, our interactions were extremely harmonious; arguments were almost nonexistent.

Now, it seemed that perhaps it was only because he didn't love me that he could remain so emotionally stable.

I suppressed the endless bitter ache rising in my heart and offered a practical suggestion.

“Those are minor issues. You can hire a housekeeper to solve them.”