After My Husband Asked for RemarriageChapter 1

During my post-abortion checkup, Adrian once again made an excuse to suddenly leave. This had become a familiar occurrence, so I was used to it. I had to admit that I was stung with a sense of abandonment at first, but slowly, I no longer cared.

I took the medicine after the checkup and went back by myself. As I made my way home, I could not shake the feeling of loneliness that seemed to echo within me.

I opened Twitter once I arrived, and saw someone named Lovely One tagged Adrian in a post. It read, [Just had a sore throat, but he insisted on dragging me to the hospital and has been accompanying me since. After all this time, you're still the best!]

I did not bother to ask Adrian why he kept lying to me, nor did I lose my temper like I used to. Looking back, I should have felt betrayed and confronted him, but it just felt like another exhausting chore, another hurdle in a race I no longer cared to win.

Later, he took this Lovely One to the company's team building event, and I received intimate photos of them. Was I angry? No.

On a different occasion, I ran into him holding Lovely One's child on the street, looking like a family of three. I had to admit that I was surprised to find myself smiling calmly and said, "The child needs a father figure. You should spend more time with them, Adrian."

Adrian, however, grabbed me in a panic and asked anxiously, "Madeline, why don't you care at all?"

Part 1

I had a miscarriage because someone accidentally collided with me on my way home from work. Today was the second month after my abortion surgery, so Adrian accompanied me for a checkup.

I did not stop him as he left in a hurry after making an excuse. No longer did I cling to him, pleading for his company as I once did.

Watching Adrian's back as he slowly walked away, an unexpected wave of detachment washed over me. I suddenly realized that his presence or absence held little effect over my emotions. I did not seem to be that sad anymore when he was not around.

A nurse called my name, and I quietly accepted the test results before gathering my things and heading home. Not long after, I received a message from Adrian, which read, [Madeline, you can go home on your own, can't you? I still have things to do.]

In the past, I would have refused desperately and replied with something like, [But I need you to come get me.]