I was proud of what I was accomplishing, even though it felt like nobody I cared about supported me.
“You shouldn’t give up your career for charity work,” Mom said when I told her I’d left my job.
“Typical Simona.” My sister waved dismissively. “She’s always followed causes to avoid dealing with her own problems.”
Karl had nodded. “You nailed it, Lily.”
I let their words roll right over me. It wasn’t like I could magically become fertile, and at least I knew I was making a difference.
Slowly, Karl and I stopped talking about anything real. We were just two people sharing a roof and a refrigerator.
On my birthday, I walked into the house expecting the usual silence. Instead, I found candles. There were steaks on the plates and a bottle of expensive red wine.
I stood in the doorway. “You did all this?”
Karl smiled. It was a strange expression — not warm, but very focused. “Sit down, Simona. Happy birthday.”
Hope spiked in my chest so fast I felt dizzy. I thought, Maybe this is it. Maybe he finally sees me.
We ate in near silence. In the middle of dinner, he reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a long, white envelope.
“I didn’t want to ruin dinner, but this actually can’t wait,” he said.
“What is it, Karl?”
He leaned back. “I want a divorce.”
“What?”
“I’m in love with Lily, and she’s pregnant. With the child you could never give me.”
“Lily? My younger sister, Lily?”
Karl nodded. “We’ve gotten close over the last year or so… This isn’t something we meant to happen, but we just work together. You and I don’t have that.”
I let out a short, jagged laugh. “This is a cruel joke, Karl.”
“I’m not joking.”
He slid a thick blue folder across the table. Inside were neat, organized documents. There was a bright yellow tab marking one specific section.
“What is this?”
“Divorce papers. That tab is for the shelter land. It was bought while we were married. It’s a marital asset. We’ll need to liquidate it or transfer the title.”
“Transfer it where?”
“To me. My new family needs a place to live, Simona. Lily wants a fresh start, and that land is beautiful.”
I buried my head in my hands, unable to process what I was hearing.
He tapped a signature line. “If you sign now, we can avoid a nasty fight in court. It’s the practical thing to do.”
“But I won’t sign it.”
“I doubt that,” Karl replied with a thin, predatory smile. “Don’t cause problems. This will move faster if you just cooperate for once.”
“And if I don’t?”
His eyes hardened into flint. “Courts don’t favor sentimental projects, Simona. They favor property rights. You’ll lose anyway. Think about that.”
I couldn’t stay in the house after that.
I drove straight to the shelter. It was evening, and the building was quiet. I walked through the rows of kennels, touching wet noses.
“Hey, girl,” I whispered to Daisy, our oldest resident. “You’re not going anywhere. I promise.”
I lay down on the narrow bunk bed in my office, staring at the ceiling.
For Complete Cooking STEPS Please Head On Over To Next Page Or Open button (>) and don’t forget to SHARE with your Facebook friends.
