Watching him help Annie leave, I took a deep breath, then turned and walked into the outpatient department.
Although Dwayne never cared for me, he was always there for the children.
On every prenatal check-up day, no matter how much Annie cried or caused trouble, Dwayne would always show up by my side, fulfilling his so-called fatherly duty.
But it was only for the check-ups. He never wanted to be around at any other time.
Because Annie told him that the more a pregnant woman is pampered, the more pretentious she becomes.
And what Dwayne hated most were pretentious women.
I had once thought that this was his true nature, but now it seemed his dislike was reserved only for me.
Eight years had passed.
It was long enough to replace every cell in a person's body and transform them into someone entirely different.
In the end, my children and I were nothing more than relics of the past.
So before I left, I wanted to give Dwayne an unforgettable surprise.
I found all of Annie’s social media profiles and saved every piece of her and Dwayne’s shared life, using it as leverage for our divorce.
Once I finished, I blocked Annie and did the same to Dwayne.
My world seemed to have pressed the pause button at that moment.
The day before I was set to board my flight, I received a call from an unknown number.
It was Annie on the other end, and her tone was so sweet that it made it impossible to feel angry:
"Tricia, tomorrow is my housewarming. Are you free to come and join us?"
I knew Annie’s call was meant to provoke me. On such an important day for her, Dwayne would undoubtedly be there.
Sure enough, Annie started showing off in the next sentence:
"Recently, Mr. Doyle has been personally buying furniture for me. He stays at my house when he’s too busy. You won’t mind, right?"
"I always say a woman needs capital—whether it’s a career or youth. Without either, no one will care, even if she runs away."
If I had heard these words before, I would have rushed over and slapped Annie twice.
But now, her provocations no longer stirred anything in my heart.
Another whisper of intimacy came through the phone, and Annie intentionally inserted my name between her breaths.
Dwayne couldn't help but sneer and said with disgust, "You still think you’re a young girl, playing these childish games of running away from home. You have no shame."