Chapter 3

Douglas, however, scoffed coldly and turned to walk back into the bedroom.

Before he forcefully slammed the door shut, a sentence leaked out from inside:

"She's completely crazy, utterly unreasonable."

The next afternoon, just after I'd finished giving the children their snacks, my phone vibrated in my apron pocket.

It was a friend request notification: "Alice, it's Aurora. I wanted to talk."

I hesitated for a few seconds, then accepted.

She quickly sent her first message.

Aurora: Alice, don't misunderstand Douglas and me. We're just chat buddies.

I didn't reply. She sent another.

Aurora: I don't know why he would send me your chats. Maybe he just sees me as a friend.

Aurora: Men, you know, most of them just like to talk big.

Aurora: Douglas told me he really likes your innocence, even if you're a bit dull and unromantic.

Aurora: Honestly, I'm quite envious of you. Your qualities are pretty average, but you still managed to marry such an excellent man.

I stood by the classroom's back door. The children were napping, and the air conditioner vent hummed softly.

I typed.

Me: Are you messaging me just to say all this?

Aurora replied instantly.

Aurora: No, not really. I just wanted to explain everything clearly. Please don't argue with him because of me. His project is very crucial right now, and his emotions can't be affected.

Me: And what standing do you have to manage my husband's emotions?

Me: Also, if my qualities are average and I married an excellent man, why can't you? Is it because you're even worse than me?

There was a half-minute pause from the other side. The chat window continuously showed "typing..."

After a long time of typing, there was no message.

I put my phone back in my pocket and continued covering the children with their blankets.

At 6 PM, I went home.

The door opened, and Douglas was sitting on the living room sofa, looking down at his phone.

His first words when he looked up were: "Did you insult Aurora?"

I placed my bag on the entryway cabinet. "She added me first."

Douglas stood up.

"She was just kindly trying to explain things to you, worried about our relationship changing. And you took it out on her? How can you be so ungrateful?"

I changed my shoes and closed the shoe cabinet door. "She came to show off to me."

Douglas walked up to me.

"Alice, can you stop treating every woman like an enemy? Aurora isn't the type of person you're describing."

I looked up at him.

"How do you know she isn't? Have you slept with her? Are you that familiar with her?"

He suddenly choked, then his face filled with anger.

"Go look in a mirror at that face of yours. You're truly spiteful and venomous."

My lips curved into a slight smile.

"That's right. After all, I have no friends, I'm unworldly, an aesthetic disaster, and simple-minded. Most importantly, I'm the woman you 'settled for' during your low point."

Douglas's face changed. "How much did you actually go through?"

"Enough to make me sick for the rest of my life."

He took a step forward. "Did you screenshot everything? Delete the screenshots."

I stepped back, my back hitting the door panel.

My phone was in my bag, and my bag was on the entryway cabinet, within his reach.

I picked up my bag first, hugging it to my chest. "What are you afraid of?"

Douglas lowered his voice. "I don't want things to get blown out of proportion."

"You weren't afraid of things getting blown out of proportion when you forwarded them?"

"I told you, it was just casual talk between friends."

To this point, he still used the same excuse.

I didn't want to say anything more to him.

Opening my bag, I pulled out the divorce papers I'd printed at lunch.

I handed them to him. "Sign them."

Douglas looked down. "Divorce papers?"

"Yes."