Let's Get a Divorce

“Investment project?” Eulalia’s eyebrows knitted together. She thought, if her dad, Sawyer Clearwater, really had a knack for business, grandpa wouldn’t have handed the Clearwater Corporation over to her.

“Just wire me the money, I need it ASAP,” he said.

Eulalia retorted, “I can give you the money, but you gotta send me the deets on this investment project first.”

Sawyerwas fuming. What kind of dad gets bossed around by his daughter? He cussed her out over the phone, calling her a waste of space and saying she should’ve never been born. After a few harsh words, he played the victim card.

Eulalia was used to his hot-and-cold routine. She coolly replied, “Got anything else to say? I’m swamped. If not, I’m hanging up.”

“Wait, wait! I’ll show you!” Sawyer hurriedly stopped her, afraid she might change her mind and his golden goose would fly away.

After hanging up, Eulalia sat by her computer. Soon enough, she received the documents from Sawyer. She forwarded them to her assistant and asked her to print them out and bring her a cup of coffee.

As she was flipping through the documents, a steaming cup of coffee was placed on her desk. The rich aroma wafted through the air. Eulalia took a sip. It was top-notch Blue Mountain coffee, but dang, it was bitter.

She had a sweet tooth and couldn’t stand anything bitter. She used to pop a sugar cube whenever she had to take medicine. Now, she had to rely on this bitter coffee to keep her going.

She put the coffee down and continued to go through the documents.

Sawyer was investing in real estate. The project seemed legit with plans, certificates, and a seemingly reliable team... Eulalia hadn’t been looking for half an hour when Sawyer called again, nagging for the money.

Her assistant knocked on the door. Eulalia, multitasking, motioned for her to come in while still on the phone.

The assistant said, ”Ms. Clearwater, Dr. Blackwell is downstairs looking for you.”

Why was Orion here? Eulalia was taken aback and quickly told her dad, “Got it,” and hung up.

“Ask him to come up, and get someone to bring tea,” she instructed her assistant.

While her assistant went to fetch Orion, Eulalia transferred 2 million yen to Sawyer Clearwater’s account.

She stared at her phone, but not a peep of thanks came from her dad. She gave a self-deprecating laugh and tossed her phone on the desk.

"Ms. Clearwater, Dr. Blackwell is here.”

The office door was open. When Orion walked in, she waved her assistant away.

“Have a seat over here,” Eulalia said, leading him to the seating area by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

As soon as Orion entered, he smelled the strong coffee. He frowned, “Why are you still drinking coffee?”

“Am I not supposed to?” Eulalia pushed a cup of tea towards him and casually asked, “What brings you here today?”

Orion sat down and said, “Seems like you’ve forgotten what I told you last night.”

Eulalia froze for a moment, then sank back into the couch, looking like a scolded child.

“You have to come to the hospital with me today, no matter what.”

Eulalia didn’t look at him.

She was staring at a withered plant next to her and murmured, “What for?”

“A thorough check-up, to figure out a treatment plan, and get you admitted,” he replied.

Orion studied Eulalia closely. He hadn’t seen her in just a month, and she looked like a shadow of her former self. He couldn’t imagine how she, who used to be terrified of needles, was dealing with the pain of stomach cancer.

Eulalia shook her head, strands of hair falling over her eyes, hiding her emotions. ”Orion, my illness is like this plant. The roots are rotten. No amount of care can save it.”

"Eula, how do you know if you don’t try? You can work day and night, and you spent four years bending over backward for a guy who didn’t love you. Why can’t you spend a little time on your own health?” Orion felt it was such a waste. She was not even 24.

She should be healthy, happy, full of life, enjoying the best years. Not stuck in a loveless marriage, buried in work, and enduring the agony of cancer.

Orion moved closer and gently patted her head like he used to. “Medical science has come a long way. As long as you don’t give up and undergo treatment and surgery, there’s a chance…” He stopped mid-sentence as he noticed her eyes welling up with tears.

Eulalia’s hand was caressing the withered leaves. She whispered, “Then tell me, what are the odds of the surgery being successful? 50%? 20%? Or a measly 0.1%?”

Orion pressed his lips together, unable to find words.

“Forget it,” Eulalia forced a smile, her lips cracked. “Don’t bother. That sliver of hope is better off not given.”

She understood what Orion meant. Who doesn’t want to live? To have a healthy body? But she had never heard of anyone in the late stages of stomach cancer making it...

Eulalia clenched her hand, and the withered leaf crumbled, falling to the floor through her fingers.

Eulalia’s eyes were as dead as a doornail, like there was no will to live in them. This freaked Orion out. “Come on, Eula, isn’t there anything you want in life?”

“I do want something.” Eulalia’s eyes glazed over for a moment, and her face turned cold as ice. She covered her eyes with her hand, feeling the wetness of her tears. She realized she was crying.

"Orion, what haven’t I had in my life? Money, power, even the guy I’ve been head over heels for all these years is right by my side.” She had everything she wanted within arm’s reach, but it was like trying to catch smoke with her bare hands.

Eulalia didn’t want to talk about it anymore. She turned back to her computer and continued working on her files. Orion’s visit and pep talk didn’t make a dent. It was like Eulalia had locked herself in a dark, cramped room and thrown away the key.

“Does Percival know you’re sick?”

“He doesn’t, and I don’t want him to.” Sick or not, she was still the proud Eulalia, who would never play the pity card. Besides, even if Percival knew, he might not give a damn. At most, he’d be bummed that his personal blood bank was going out of service.

Orion was silent, then let out a sigh. He took out two bottles of medicine from his bag and placed them on the coffee table – one was a strong painkiller, the other was for cancer.

“Lay off the coffee, take your meds, and don’t skip meals…”

After rattling off a list of things she should be careful about, Orion took a deep breath and left.

Hearing the door close, Eulalia looked at the two bottles on the coffee table, then checked her phone for messages. Nothing but work stuff.

…

Percival hadn’t been home in two weeks. Eulalia started shedding her old habits – no more leaving the light on for him, no more cooking dinner waiting for him to come home. But she couldn’t kick the habit of checking her phone late at night.

She thought she could cut him out of her life in one fell swoop, but her feelings for him were like a poison, seeping into her heart and bones. She didn’t realize how deep it ran until it was like a giant tree blocking out the sun. To get rid of it, she’d have to rip it out by the roots, and that thought alone was heart-wrenching.

Eulalia scrolled through her contacts, and there was only Percival. She called him.

She called three times, and no answer. That was par for the course, so she wasn’t too bummed, just numb.

Eulalia kept calling, more persistent than she’d ever been since they got married.

“Beep… beep…” The fourth call rang for what felt like ages. Maybe he got fed up, because Percival finally picked up.

“What do you want?”

Percival’s voice was as cold as her hands.

Not talking for seventeen days had its perks – at least she was composed. She didn’t break down crying.

Her voice was a bit hoarse, “Can you come home this weekend?”

“What, you can’t go two weeks without me and now you’re desperate for my attention? How pathetic are you, Eulalia?”

Eulalia froze.

Being the one who fell in love first, and hardest, meant she was always at a disadvantage. Especially since Percival never loved her back. She felt lower than dirt.

Eulalia kept her cool, “I have something really important to talk to you about. Something you’ve always wanted. Are you sure you don’t want to come back?”

Percival didn’t respond, but she could hear background noise through the phone. She could make out Evadne’s voice, sweet as honey. She couldn’t hear what she was saying, but she heard Percival’s deep voice say, “Go to sleep, I’ll watch over you.”

Did she leave a window open? Why did she suddenly feel so cold?

Eulalia felt like she couldn’t breathe, like a fish out of water, gasping for air. She clutched her chest, and a groan escaped her lips. She felt a sharp pain in her stomach and tasted blood in her throat.

The phone went quiet. Percival finally said, “What is it?”

Eulalia swallowed the blood in her mouth and tried to sound casual, ”Percival, if I told you I was dying, would you feel even a tiny bit sorry for me?”

“Heh.” Percival scoffed, his voice icy. “What’s this new act you’re putting on, Eulalia? I know your body inside out. What could you possibly be sick with? Are you going crazy? Or is it just your delusions?”

Eulalia felt like her heart had been ripped out. The pain was unbearable. What did he know about her body? How ridiculous. Maybe her worn-out look meant nothing to Percival. Maybe she really was crazy. Only a lunatic would pine over someone for sixteen years.

Before Eulalia could say anything, Evadne’s voice came through, "Parcy, Eulalia misses you. Just go home and see her."

Eulalia heard it loud and clear. She felt sick to her stomach. How stupid was she to ask such a humiliating question, and have Percival’s lover pity her and tell him to go home?

It hit her. Percival had been having a blast with Evadne for the past two weeks. He didn’t give a rat’s ass about her.

Eulalia thought about the past four years and laughed bitterly. Her laugh didn’t reach her eyes; it was cold and hollow.

She didn’t even realize when the call ended. She was still holding the phone, her hand stiff. The screen was already black.

Eulalia took a deep breath. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. She wiped it with her hand, her hand covered in blood. It felt sticky and uncomfortable, but she didn’t care. She clutched her phone and sent Percival a text.

“Let’s get a divorce.”