I Watched My Mother Kneel For His Family, Then I Ended His Chapter 05

I Watched My Mother Kneel For His Family, Then I Ended His Chapter 05

Dillen started calling me at three in the afternoon.

I watched his name flash across the screen over and over.

First call, ignored.

Second call, ignored.

By the twelfth call, he switched to texting.

Dillen: [Elva, I’ve got a huge bouquet for you. Why aren’t you and your mother back yet?]

Dillen: [Babe, where are you? I’m worried when you don’t pick up.]

Dillen: [Elva, something came up at the company. Did you misunderstand something? Can we talk in

person?]

His tone was still gentle.

Still relying on the same playbook he had used for five years.

By six in the evening, the tone changed.

Dillen: [Elva, what the hell are you doing? Do you have any idea what happens if you pull those licenses?}

Dillen: [Call me back right now!]

Then his father Rowley Guzman took over.

He called three times. I didn’t pick up once.

By eight at night, my phone showed forty-seven missed calls.

Thirty-one from Dillen, nine from Rowley, two from Frederica, and five from other people at the company.

I didn’t reply to a single one.

Celia sat nearby working on documents, glancing at me occasionally.

“When are you going to talk to him?”

I checked the time.

“Tomorrow. Let him sweat through the night.”

“He might file a missing person report tonight.”

“He won’t find me. The room is under your name.”

“What if he tracks your car?”

It’s parked in your company’s underground garage.”

Celia nodded, asking no further questions

At nine the next morning, I called Dillen myself.

He picked up on the first ring.

“Elva! Where are you? Are you okay? I’ve been looking for you all night!”

“Dillen.”

He went quiet instantly.

“You’ve received the divorce papers, I assume?”

“…Elva, let’s just calm down and talk…”

“I am calm. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been this calm in my life.”

“Read the agreement. I’ve laid out my terms. I don’t want anything-the house, the cars, the money-all yours. I’m only taking my design patents.”

Silence fell over the line for a few seconds.

Then he let out a laugh.

It was faint, tinged with sheer disbelief.

“Elva… you’re not actually serious, are you?”

“Sign it, and I’ll reinstate the licenses.”

“Refuse, and you’ll have to answer for the losses yourself.”

Silence again.

His breathing grew heavy.

“I’m not signing.”

His voice dropped low, stripped of its usual gentle demeanor.

“Elva, I’m not divorcing you. Let’s talk this through.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Tell me where you are!”

I finally found a game that can help mother and daughter renovate a broken house.

I hung up.

Then I set his number to Do Not Disturb.

When I put the phone down, I noticed my hands weren’t trembling anymore.

It was strange.

After five years as Mrs. Guzman, I could finally breathe.