He Made Every Choice for Twenty Years Then I Chose Divorce Chapter 08

He Made Every Choice for Twenty Years Then I Chose Divorce Chapter 08

I invited Ethan for coffee. He sat across from me, grateful, and pushed a sugar packet toward me.

I smiled. “I take it black.”

His hand froze mid-air. “But you used to-”

He stopped awkwardly. I took a sip. Black coffee is bitter but clean-no syrup or cream to weigh it.

down.

But Ethan always bought lattes for me and Maya, because Maya had gagged at her first iced Americano. I’d said I liked it, and Ethan laughed, saying Maya couldn’t handle it so I was just faking.

But I actually loved it. All those years, what I liked didn’t matter. I set the cup down. “Ethan, I don’

forgive you. Because I was so damn hurt-and maybe you never even fealized how long you’ve been bulldozing me.”

He stared at his coffee, then downed it in one gulp. It must have been bitter-his eyes squeezed out a few tears. “Celia, it’s only been a month, and you’re so different.”

I shook my head. “Maybe I’ve always been like this. You just never listened. You never saw me as a

person.”

He gave a dry, self-mocking laugh. “So no chance at all? Even if I say I’ll change?”

I nodded firmly. “No.” A long silence. Then he whispered, “Okay. I’ll go back.”

I felt relieved. I stood and said, “Safe flight.” As I passed, his fingers brushed my sleeve. “Celia… if you ever get tired, come home.”

I didn’t answer. I kept walking. The door chime jingled. Derek, who’d been pretending to read a newspaper nearby, scurried over. “Did you poison his coffee? He looks half dead.”

I rolled my eyes. I glanced back at Ethan, hunched and still. Then I turned to Derek. “Let’s go. I’m hungry.”

He perked up. “What do you want?”

“Pho? You liked it last time.”

“Not today.”

“Then what?”

I thought. “I don’t know.”

He smiled. “Perfect-we’ll walk till you see something you want.”

That sounded like a damn good plan. My step lightened. Making your own choices is addictive. Just thinking about it made the future feel wide open.