The Fish I Couldn’t Eat At Home, The Fish He Ate With Her Chapter 04

The Fish I Couldn’t Eat At Home, The Fish He Ate With Her Chapter 04

Julian was a professor at the university, and I was his wife. Under the university’s Spouse Hire Initiative, I had also been hired to work in academic administration at the same school.

After graduation, I had plenty of opportunities to join major companies.

But Julian had told me he didn’t want us to live apart.

He had worked hard to secure tenure so that I could join the same university as his spouse.

I loved him too much to say no.

So despite my father’s objections, I gave up every other opportunity for him.

I never imagined that everything I had sacrificed would end up looking like this.

By the time I reached the administration building, one of the administrators I knew spotted me.

She smiled and asked, “Vivian, you’re here this early to see Professor Cabot? Didn’t he tell you? He moved all of his morning classes and research meetings to the afternoon three months ago.”

I froze for a moment before nodding.

“He did.”

He hadn’t.

Just like always, Julian had told me he was going to teach.

In reality, he’d been getting up early every morning to go to the harbor and clean fish for Sierra.

The same man who once refused to get up early just to buy me a cup of coffee from the café downstairs had been waking up early every single day to gut fish for another woman.

How ridiculous.

Truly ridiculous.

I wasn’t laughing at him.

I was laughing at myself.

I walked into the head of HR’s office and placed my resignation letter on his desk.

He looked genuinely startled.

“Vivian? You’re resigning? Why? Does Professor Cabot know about this?”

I nodded with a smile.

“He knows exactly why.”

He still looked suspicious, but he eventually signed the approval paperwork.

When I returned home, someone was cooking in the kitchen.

A girl with red-rimmed eyes was sitting on the living room sofa.

Sierra.

The moment she saw me, she stood up.

“Vivian, hi. I’m…”

I raised a hand, stopping her.

I didn’t need to hear the rest.

I didn’t want to know why Julian had brought her home.

I turned toward the bedroom to pack my things.

“Vivian, wait.”

Julian’s voice stopped me.

I turned around.

He was standing there in an apron, looking every inch the devoted husband.

A pot of fish soup simmered behind him, filling the kitchen with a rich, savory aroma.

Three years.

In three years, he’d never cooked a single meal for me.

I smiled faintly, shook my head, and reached for the bedroom door.

He caught my arm.

His brow furrowed.

“I told Sierra about us.”

That surprised me.

I stopped and looked at him.

“Shouldn’t you have done that a long time ago?”

Julian looked uncomfortable.

Sierra lowered her head and walked over to me, tears streaming down her face.

“I’m sorry, Vivian. This is all my fault. I didn’t know you two were married. I caused Julian so much trouble. I… I already told him that we should break up. I won’t bother either of you anymore.”

I felt absolutely nothing.

I turned to Julian.

“Did you agree to the breakup?”

Julian choked on his words.

He clearly hadn’t expected me to ask that instead of being moved by Sierra’s sacrifice.

He coughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject.

Then he pulled both Sierra and me toward the dining table.

He looked at me.

“Your birthday present. I made the fish soup myself.”

I stared at the pot he’d placed on the table for a long time.

Then I ladled some into a bowl and took a sip.

It was delicious.

Really delicious.

It was just too late.

He smiled expectantly.

“Well? How is it, Vivian? Good, right? I told you, I…”

“Julian.”

I cut him off.

“I already signed the divorce papers. They’re on the table. Sign them when you have a chance. I’ll leave this house to you two.”

Julian’s face went rigid.

I sighed and stood up from the table.

Sierra’s face went pale.

She kept desperately gesturing toward Julian.

His expression turned furious.

He slammed his hand against the table.

“Vivian! Don’t push me too far! Don’t act like you’re the only one who’s been hurt. Sierra has it worse than you do!”

“Julian, stop,” Sierra said softly.

“No. I’m going to say it. She needs to understand that she can’t even spare a thought for anyone else!”

I stopped and turned around.

“Go ahead, Julian. What else have you got to say?”

His face twisted with anger.

“Sierra is pregnant with my child!”

My lips parted.

No words came out.

There was only a cold, piercing pain spreading through my chest.

But Julian wasn’t finished.

He continued angrily, “And yet Sierra chose to break up with me because she didn’t want to destroy our marriage! She decided to raise the baby on her own! She’s going to be a single mother. Do you have any idea how hard her life is going to be?”

His eyes were filled with disappointment.

“Vivian, even if I did something wrong, I’m still your husband. You’re my wife. Don’t you think you could try to understand me for once? Did you really have to make such a huge deal out of this?”

I stared at Sierra’s stomach.

For a moment, I couldn’t move.

Then I sighed inwardly.

I should have seen this coming.

The light disappeared from my eyes.

Softly, I said, “Then as of right now, I’m no longer your wife.”

I didn’t look back.

I ignored the furious shouting behind me and walked straight out the door.

I boarded the plane with nothing but my identification documents.

Everything else?

I left behind.