My Husband’s Countdown Dropped When She Smiled At Him Chapter 06

My Husband’s Countdown Dropped When She Smiled At Him Chapter 06

That morning’s scene ended with security escorting Owen out of the building.

He stood outside for a long time, watching until I disappeared from sight.

The next few days were quiet.

Maya hooked me up with a lawyer. We were getting ready to go the litigation route, since Owen refused to sign.

He was blowing up my phone like a madman. Dozens of texts a day.

[Nora, I passed your favorite flower shop today. Got you some peonies.]

[I cleaned the whole apartment. When are you coming home?]

[Are you really done with me?]

I didn’t answer a single one.

All that attention I used to treasure just looked ridiculous now.

Friday afternoon.

I left work early. Planned to pick up some groceries near Maya’s place.

As soon as I stepped out of the office building, a familiar black sedan was waiting at the curb.

The window rolled down. Owen sat in the driver’s seat, looking wrecked.

“Nora. Get in. We need to talk.”

He didn’t lunge at me like last time.

His voice was just tired. Begging.

I ignored him and headed for the subway.

He pushed the door open and ran after me.

“Nora!”

He stepped in front of me.

“Ten minutes.”

“We talk, and if you still want a divorce after that, I’ll sign.”

I stopped and looked at him.

“Fine. Ten minutes.”

We sat down at a Common Grounds Cafe on the corner.

Owen ordered a warm milk. My usual. Pushed it toward me.

“Your stomach’s sensitive. You shouldn’t drink cold stuff.”

He was trying to remind me of the good times, using little details.

I didn’t touch the milk.

“Talk.”

Owen looked at my cold face.

His hands twisted together under the table.

“Paige… I fired her.”

He took a deep breath, like he’d just made some huge, noble decision.

“I didn’t make her pay for all the damage either. I just let her go.”

He looked at me with this desperate, hopeful expression. Like a dog waiting for a treat.

“Now there’s nothing between us.”

“Come home with me. Please?”

I looked at him.

At the number above his head. The one that had shot up to [412 days] just because he fired Paige.

It was insane.

“Owen. Do you really think getting rid of Paige fixes everything?”

Owen blinked.

“Doesn’t it? Isn’t that why you’re upset?”

I shook my head.

“It’s not because of her.”

“It’s because of you.”

I picked up the warm milk, feeling the heat seep into my fingertips.

“You’re always pitying her. Feeling sorry for her. You think she’s a young woman all alone in the world, working so hard, so you open her door for her, lend her your jacket, drive to her place in the middle of the night to bring her keys.”

“Every time your heart goes soft for her, do you ever think about the fact that you’re also someone’s husband?”

Owen cut me off, desperate.

“It was just sympathy! I don’t love her!”

“I know.”

I looked right into his eyes.

“You don’t love her. You just love that feeling of being the hero. Of being needed.”

“You use your ‘goodness’ to prop up your perfect image.”

“And you stomp me down in the process. Make me look like some jealous, unreasonable bitch.”

Owen’s face went white.

Like I’d slapped him in public. His lips trembled.

“That’s… that’s not true.”

“Yes, it is.”

I set the cup down.

“Remember the fourteenth of last month? We ran into her in that storm.”

“You said she was cold. Gave her my blanket. Forgot our anniversary.”

“Remember last Wednesday? I had a hundred-and-three fever. You left me alone all night because she got locked out in a towel.”

With every sentence, Owen’s face crumbled a little more.

“Every one of your ‘easy’ favors, every drop of your sympathy, was another crack in what I felt for you.”

“Your kindness is cheap, Owen.”

“Whoever looks the most pitiful, you give your heart to. I don’t want cheap love.”

I stood up and checked my watch.

“Time’s up.”

“Don’t forget to sign.”

I turned and walked out of the cafe.

Behind me, I heard glass shatter.

I didn’t look back.