Jonah showed up on time, and we hit the County Clerk's Office, wrapping up the divorce paperwork quickly.I did not even want the assets.However, he insisted on splitting everything down the middle, except he kept custody of Simon.Not that I asked for it—I had been on my own before and was ready to breeze through life solo."Stay a few more days at home, for Simon's sake. He needs time to adjust, he's just a kid."Walking out of the County Clerk's Office, Jonah gently grabbed my hand, his voice polite as ever.I glanced back at him. He was the quintessential gentleman, his noble upbringing shining through every polished word and gesture.For a decade, that's how he had been with me.Not once did I feel like we were ever husband and wife.However, with Tracy, it was a different story.I had caught them once, speeding down the highway, laughing wildly.He threw caution to the wind with her, pulling her into his arms for a fierce kiss, sharing street food, and talking like ol
I had finally made it to Wavecrest, a whole thousand kilometers from the hustle and bustle of Greenfield City. The ocean there was like a magnet to me—I could not get enough of it. That was my first real adventure, a stark contrast to the life I had led, boxed in by my parents' strict rules, mastering the piano, strategy games, and painting—everything a Harris family heiress should know. There was no junk food, no trips to the amusement park, no hanging out with classmates.However, I never fit that mold. I was not just some heiress. I was Amelia, a person craving her slice of freedom. The marriage did not change that, nor did Jonah, who never showed me the world beyond our city. When Simon came along, my world shrank even more.I had given thirty years to playing roles—wife, heiress. Then, it was time for me.I decided to check into a hotel on a whim, all set to kick off my shoes and relax. But first, I needed to heal. The miscarriage had worn me out, making me feel weak.The
That's when it hit me—that was a setup, a drama staged by Jonah and the teacher."Jonah, stop trying to mess with me like this," I said."We're divorced, remember?""Amelia..."He did not get to finish. I hung up.I was not so full of myself to think he missed me. He just missed having his 'nanny' around.However, time has a way of smoothing things over.That night, my old college roommate gave me a ring.After I tossed my cap at graduation, I cut ties with Jonah and never looked back.However, when I picked up the phone, her voice threw me for a loop. She asked, "How's your health?" and "Where are you hanging out these days?"It hit me—that was Jonah's doing. Again."Jonah, we're done. Over. Can you just not mess with my life anymore?" I could not keep the edge out of my voice.The roommate's voice on the other end fizzled out, leaving only Jonah's bitter tone."I just gotta know where you are. It'll help me sleep at night.”"Especially since you're still on the mend."
After a day of fun, night had fallen.In the past, I would be getting Simon ready for bed by then.Just as I thought of him, my phone rang. It was Simon, sobbing loudly."Mom, I had a nightmare. I'm really scared.”"Where are you? Please come and stay with me."Simon's always been on the timid side.When he was little, I was his constant bedtime companion. Even as he got older, he often begged me to stay with him.It became our routine.I paused, gripping my phone tighter, and finally said, "Simon, you've got to sleep on your own. You're a boy, you need to be brave."However, he just cried harder."I don't want to, I don't want to. Please, you have to come. I'm too scared.""Come on, you're a big kid now. Can't you manage to sleep alone?"I was getting pretty ticked off, so I tossed his words back at him.The line went dead silent except for the faintest hitch of a sob."Mom, I shouldn't have said those things to you."I was not in the mood to talk, so I just ended the c
Ugh, Wavecrest had been my home for way too many days, and it felt like Jonah and his crew had been on my case every single one of them.I swapped some cash and powered down my phone—no more interruptions.Then, I dove headfirst into some serious playtime and chill-out sessions.I hit the beach to soak up the sea breeze, lounged in bars sipping cool drinks, and rocked out at live concerts, all firsts for me. Today, I even booked a bungee jump. Strapped into the safety gear by the crew, Simon's voice suddenly cut through the air."Mom, you're like, super brave to do this."I spun around to see him being dragged along by Jonah.Jonah had ditched his usual suit for casual clothes. "Amelia, since when are you into bungee jumping?"How he found me, I had no clue.All I knew was I needed to get away from them—fast. I could not stand the sight of the father-son duo.Without a word, I leaped.They said bungee jumping was like flirting with death, and when I bounced back, it was like
In the end, I sent them away.From behind the floor-to-ceiling window, I watched the two of them, big and small, looking up at me with such forlorn expressions.I had said it before. They were just not used to life without me.They would get over it in time.The next day, I got the news: I had aced the interview.I prepared myself and got ready for work.As I stepped out, Jonah offered me a thermos."Haven't had breakfast, have you? I made this myself, give it a try."How odd. In all our ten years of marriage, he had never once cooked.Then, when we were apart, he decided to play chef for me."I'm planning to move in nearby with our son.”"We'll look after you, protect you."It sounded like the punchline to a bad joke.I did not even give his thermos a second look. I just walked away.After I got to the school, the principal showed me around, ensuring I knew my way around the campus. Then, with a formal nod, he said, "Amelia, Mr. Ellison has made it clear that we're to lo
I walked away, fast and sure, with no intention of looking back. I landed a new job, free from Jonah's shadow. I was going to teach high school language, and the kids warmed up to me immediately on my first day. It felt incredible, like I had finally discovered my purpose. I was doing what I loved on my terms.After wrapping up the last class of the day, I packed my things and headed out, only to stop short at the sight of my mom waiting by the school gates. She had always been tough, wanting me to soar high and be adored by everyone.She pushed me hard to get good grades, a good figure, and good habits. It was too much, sometimes. I resented her for it, for the pressure that once drove me into depression. However, I climbed out of that dark place myself and was not about to return."Amelia."Her voice was different this time, missing the usual bossy tone when she called my name. It was careful, almost like she was walking on eggshells.I led her to our usual café spot and
[Bonus Scene 1]:Back in Greenfield City, Jonah was hit with a fever that knocked him out cold.In his feverish state, he dreamt of his high school glory days when he was the guy every girl crushed on, the one with a locker full of love notes.All those notes read the same, cookie-cutter sweet nothings—all except for one, nameless and simple.It read: [Just liking you is enough.]That note had Jonah puzzled for ages.What was she thinking? Who was she?He had to find out.After what felt like forever, he stumbled upon Tracy.The name scribbled in her workbook matched the handwriting of that mysterious note."Tracy caught Jonah's gaze fixed on the workbook, and with a playful grin, she teased, 'I wrote that name in my best love-letter script. Pretty cool?'"Jonah's head snapped up, and he whipped out an anonymous love letter. "Did you send this?" Tracy's heart skipped a beat—it was not her doing. However, she had been crushing on Jonah forever, with his movie-star looks a
[Bonus Scene 1]:Back in Greenfield City, Jonah was hit with a fever that knocked him out cold.In his feverish state, he dreamt of his high school glory days when he was the guy every girl crushed on, the one with a locker full of love notes.All those notes read the same, cookie-cutter sweet nothings—all except for one, nameless and simple.It read: [Just liking you is enough.]That note had Jonah puzzled for ages.What was she thinking? Who was she?He had to find out.After what felt like forever, he stumbled upon Tracy.The name scribbled in her workbook matched the handwriting of that mysterious note."Tracy caught Jonah's gaze fixed on the workbook, and with a playful grin, she teased, 'I wrote that name in my best love-letter script. Pretty cool?'"Jonah's head snapped up, and he whipped out an anonymous love letter. "Did you send this?" Tracy's heart skipped a beat—it was not her doing. However, she had been crushing on Jonah forever, with his movie-star looks a
I walked away, fast and sure, with no intention of looking back. I landed a new job, free from Jonah's shadow. I was going to teach high school language, and the kids warmed up to me immediately on my first day. It felt incredible, like I had finally discovered my purpose. I was doing what I loved on my terms.After wrapping up the last class of the day, I packed my things and headed out, only to stop short at the sight of my mom waiting by the school gates. She had always been tough, wanting me to soar high and be adored by everyone.She pushed me hard to get good grades, a good figure, and good habits. It was too much, sometimes. I resented her for it, for the pressure that once drove me into depression. However, I climbed out of that dark place myself and was not about to return."Amelia."Her voice was different this time, missing the usual bossy tone when she called my name. It was careful, almost like she was walking on eggshells.I led her to our usual café spot and
In the end, I sent them away.From behind the floor-to-ceiling window, I watched the two of them, big and small, looking up at me with such forlorn expressions.I had said it before. They were just not used to life without me.They would get over it in time.The next day, I got the news: I had aced the interview.I prepared myself and got ready for work.As I stepped out, Jonah offered me a thermos."Haven't had breakfast, have you? I made this myself, give it a try."How odd. In all our ten years of marriage, he had never once cooked.Then, when we were apart, he decided to play chef for me."I'm planning to move in nearby with our son.”"We'll look after you, protect you."It sounded like the punchline to a bad joke.I did not even give his thermos a second look. I just walked away.After I got to the school, the principal showed me around, ensuring I knew my way around the campus. Then, with a formal nod, he said, "Amelia, Mr. Ellison has made it clear that we're to lo
Ugh, Wavecrest had been my home for way too many days, and it felt like Jonah and his crew had been on my case every single one of them.I swapped some cash and powered down my phone—no more interruptions.Then, I dove headfirst into some serious playtime and chill-out sessions.I hit the beach to soak up the sea breeze, lounged in bars sipping cool drinks, and rocked out at live concerts, all firsts for me. Today, I even booked a bungee jump. Strapped into the safety gear by the crew, Simon's voice suddenly cut through the air."Mom, you're like, super brave to do this."I spun around to see him being dragged along by Jonah.Jonah had ditched his usual suit for casual clothes. "Amelia, since when are you into bungee jumping?"How he found me, I had no clue.All I knew was I needed to get away from them—fast. I could not stand the sight of the father-son duo.Without a word, I leaped.They said bungee jumping was like flirting with death, and when I bounced back, it was like
After a day of fun, night had fallen.In the past, I would be getting Simon ready for bed by then.Just as I thought of him, my phone rang. It was Simon, sobbing loudly."Mom, I had a nightmare. I'm really scared.”"Where are you? Please come and stay with me."Simon's always been on the timid side.When he was little, I was his constant bedtime companion. Even as he got older, he often begged me to stay with him.It became our routine.I paused, gripping my phone tighter, and finally said, "Simon, you've got to sleep on your own. You're a boy, you need to be brave."However, he just cried harder."I don't want to, I don't want to. Please, you have to come. I'm too scared.""Come on, you're a big kid now. Can't you manage to sleep alone?"I was getting pretty ticked off, so I tossed his words back at him.The line went dead silent except for the faintest hitch of a sob."Mom, I shouldn't have said those things to you."I was not in the mood to talk, so I just ended the c
That's when it hit me—that was a setup, a drama staged by Jonah and the teacher."Jonah, stop trying to mess with me like this," I said."We're divorced, remember?""Amelia..."He did not get to finish. I hung up.I was not so full of myself to think he missed me. He just missed having his 'nanny' around.However, time has a way of smoothing things over.That night, my old college roommate gave me a ring.After I tossed my cap at graduation, I cut ties with Jonah and never looked back.However, when I picked up the phone, her voice threw me for a loop. She asked, "How's your health?" and "Where are you hanging out these days?"It hit me—that was Jonah's doing. Again."Jonah, we're done. Over. Can you just not mess with my life anymore?" I could not keep the edge out of my voice.The roommate's voice on the other end fizzled out, leaving only Jonah's bitter tone."I just gotta know where you are. It'll help me sleep at night.”"Especially since you're still on the mend."
I had finally made it to Wavecrest, a whole thousand kilometers from the hustle and bustle of Greenfield City. The ocean there was like a magnet to me—I could not get enough of it. That was my first real adventure, a stark contrast to the life I had led, boxed in by my parents' strict rules, mastering the piano, strategy games, and painting—everything a Harris family heiress should know. There was no junk food, no trips to the amusement park, no hanging out with classmates.However, I never fit that mold. I was not just some heiress. I was Amelia, a person craving her slice of freedom. The marriage did not change that, nor did Jonah, who never showed me the world beyond our city. When Simon came along, my world shrank even more.I had given thirty years to playing roles—wife, heiress. Then, it was time for me.I decided to check into a hotel on a whim, all set to kick off my shoes and relax. But first, I needed to heal. The miscarriage had worn me out, making me feel weak.The
Jonah showed up on time, and we hit the County Clerk's Office, wrapping up the divorce paperwork quickly.I did not even want the assets.However, he insisted on splitting everything down the middle, except he kept custody of Simon.Not that I asked for it—I had been on my own before and was ready to breeze through life solo."Stay a few more days at home, for Simon's sake. He needs time to adjust, he's just a kid."Walking out of the County Clerk's Office, Jonah gently grabbed my hand, his voice polite as ever.I glanced back at him. He was the quintessential gentleman, his noble upbringing shining through every polished word and gesture.For a decade, that's how he had been with me.Not once did I feel like we were ever husband and wife.However, with Tracy, it was a different story.I had caught them once, speeding down the highway, laughing wildly.He threw caution to the wind with her, pulling her into his arms for a fierce kiss, sharing street food, and talking like ol
Jonah and Simon stared at me, their eyes wide with shock."Mom, you're so out of the loop. If you leave Dad and me, where would you even go?" Simon asked, his gaze unfeeling.He had not shown a shred of concern for me, just like his dad, always ready to point fingers."Amelia, enough with the drama. There's a limit to how much you can freak out," Jonah said, his brow furrowed and his deep eyes flashing with annoyance."Jonah, for the last time, I'm telling you, I want a divorce," I said, my voice firm.I was always the quiet, dutiful wife, asking Jonah for money keeping the house in order.I never dared to snap at them; I was always there to cater to their every need.Then, I found out that Jonah had been to see Tracy.I knew because I found a strawberry hair clip in his coat, the very one he had given Tracy as a love token years ago."Did you see Tracy?" I asked him."It's none of your business, Amelia. Just do what you're supposed to," he replied, his voice devoid of warmth