Chapter 5

"You — you never change! You're completely unreasonable!"

"I'm taking Wendy to get checked out. Clean this place up. We'll talk when I get back."

That was all he managed to say before he picked Wendy up and carried her toward the door.

I got to my room before he could say anything else and shut his voice out.

My phone lit up with a new email notification. My application for the Antarctic biological research expedition had been approved.

At the same moment, my phone rang. A friend.

"So? Did you get in?"

"Yeah. I got in."

"Yes! We're going to see penguins in Antarctica together! I kept trying to get you to join the overseas research team before and you always said no. What a waste of your talent. What finally changed your mind?"

I laughed at myself a little.

Seven years of marriage, and I'd almost forgotten that I used to be a serious biologist. A good one.

Back in college, I had a strong record — several opportunities to work abroad came my way, but I turned them all down for Ethan's sake, every time.

In his eyes, I was always just a spoiled, stubborn girl with no real substance.

He never saw my work. Never acknowledged what I was capable of.

I used to tell myself he was just too busy. Now I understood the truth: he just didn't love me enough to look.

"Tell me everything when we meet up. See you at the airport tomorrow."

I hung up and bought a seat on the same flight as my friend.

Then I stopped by a law office and had a divorce agreement drawn up.

I hadn't even had a chance to bring it to Ethan before his call came in.

"Where are you? Come to my office. We need to talk."

I took a cab to his building. He was already sitting behind his desk with a document in front of him — a divorce agreement.

"Jess, this weekend is Wendy's birthday. The things you said about her — calling her what you called her in public — it's affected her life."

"People in the neighborhood look at her differently now. You've done real damage to her emotionally."

"I've decided to have a small ceremony on her birthday. A symbolic wedding, just to counter the rumors."

"After one month, I'll end it, and we'll remarry. You'll always be my real wife. That will never change."

I nearly laughed out loud. He'd just saved me the trouble.

I picked up the pen and signed without a second thought.

Out of guilt, maybe, he'd been generous with the asset division.

My decisiveness made his own hand hesitate over the signature line.

"Jess... you've changed so much lately."

"I haven't given you enough attention. I know that. Once this is settled, let's go to the Maldives — just the two of us before the baby comes. You used to always say you wanted to go."

Before I could respond, his phone rang again.

"Ethan, the dress just arrived and I don't know how to put it on. Can you come help me?"

"I'll be right there, sweetheart."

He paused at the door and looked back at me.

"One month, Jess. Wait for me."

I said nothing.

He signed the paper and left in a hurry.

I went home, packed everything that mattered to me into a single suitcase, and headed straight for the airport.

Inside the terminal, my friend Lisa spotted me and waved from across the crowd.

The plane lifted into the air, and everything below it fell away.

Ethan. I'm done waiting.