Page 3
Story: Eight Years, No Us
Okay. Whatever.
He saw the look on my face and instantly spoke more softly. “I’ll bring you two back in a few days. I’ll make it up to you.”
I nodded and went upstairs without saying a word.
It didn’t matter anymore. The result would be the same no matter when I left. The damage was already done. No matter what he felt he could “make up,” I didn’t need it.
I packed quickly and silently, then took my daughter’s hand.
The door opened as we got there.
Tania walked in, pulling a bag behind her.
Albert ran up to her right away to take it from her. “Don’t wear yourself out. I told you I’d come get you. That’s too much to carry.”
But in the middle of the statement, he seemed to get it. He looked at me, nervous and on edge.
Tania noticed me and stopped, clearly shocked. “Ivan? What are you doing at Albert’s?”
Albert interrupted me before I could say anything. “She and her kid didn’t have anywhere to go, so I let them stay for a while.”
Did you feel bad?
He used to say that we were related in some way. Now we were charity cases who were homeless.
By now, I thought I was used to all of his excuses. But somehow, everyone still managed to stab a little deeper.
Then my daughter said, “Hello, Uncle Albert.” Her voice was pleasant and clear.
When she called him “Uncle,” Albert stopped.
“What… what did she just say?”
“Uncle Albert, thank you for looking after us these last few days.”
I couldn’t believe what my daughter was saying. She was proud of herself, even if her eyes were full of tears. She wouldn’t let them fall.
A marriage that was kept secret for eight years. Albert had never officially acknowledged our relationship.
I had stood by him, helped him develop his career from the bottom up, fought with him in court, and given birth to his child. He kept saying that he had to keep our marriage a secret for the sake of his job, though.
But what about our little girl? His own blood and flesh? He wouldn’t even let her call him “Dad.” He always told her to call him “Uncle.” But now she was finally calling him what he wanted.
“Mom, let’s stop bothering him.”
She pulled on my arm and attempted to drag me away.
I nodded, following her lead. We were planning to leave at some point. It didn’t matter that I left now. I had already given up on him.
We turned to walk, and I grasped her hand.
At that point, Albert unexpectedly came after us and blocked our way.
“You didn’t take your bags,” he remarked.
I didn’t even glance at him. “We don’t need it.”
There were too many memories in those bags. I let go of everything we used to be by leaving them behind.
“But shouldn’t Ginny at least take her things?” he questioned, looking at our daughter.
Without saying a word, she buried her head and huddled behind me.
I said in a chilly voice, “This is between me and my daughter. Don’t you think you’re getting too involved?”
He opened his lips to say something, but then he stopped. There was something illegible in his gaze. After a while, he produced a bank card out of his coat and gave it to our daughter. “Hey Ginny, if you’re staying somewhere else and need something, just buy it. Your birthday is the PIN.”
Then he turned to Tania, took a box of chocolates from her arms, and gave them to my daughter.
He said, “This is your favourite flavour.” “I wasn’t there for your birthday yesterday, so this is to make it up to you.”
He pushed the box into her hands before she could say no.
I noticed the small spark of happiness in her eyes. At that moment, I felt like I couldn’t do anything. She was only a kid. It didn’t take much to make her smile. She didn’t get why the adults were fighting. I couldn’t hold that against her.
She opened the box and quickly unwrapped a piece, putting it in her lips.
I smelt something I knew and hated: matcha.
The panic came right away.
“Spit it out! You can’t eat that!” I said, my voice full of horror.
Her smile stopped in the middle of a bite. I ran up to her and opened her lips, trying to get the chocolate out with my fingers.
Albert’s face got darker. “Ivan, what the hell are you doing?”
I was so angry that I scowled at him. “Matcha makes her break out in rashes all over her body!
His face changed right away, worry turning into remorse.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
My daughter finally realised what she had eaten and spit out the rest, crying the whole time. Her expression was blank now, and the glimmer of hope was gone.
She muttered something way too grown-up for her age when she looked at Albert. “It’s fine. You’re never around, so you wouldn’t know.”
She held my hand strongly. “Mommy, let’s go.”
I bent down and picked her up, my heart hurting.
She put her head on my chest and wouldn’t look at him again.
I took her in my arms and walked away.
I could feel Albert’s heavy, confused, and guilty gaze on me from behind.
But this time, neither of us turned around.
I quit the legal company after filling out the paperwork to resign.
I didn’t want to see Albert. I didn’t want to say goodbye. So I sent the divorce papers by mail. It would all be over once he viewed them and signed his name.
“Goodbye, Albert.” I hope you and the person you love are happy for the rest of your lives.
He saw the look on my face and instantly spoke more softly. “I’ll bring you two back in a few days. I’ll make it up to you.”
I nodded and went upstairs without saying a word.
It didn’t matter anymore. The result would be the same no matter when I left. The damage was already done. No matter what he felt he could “make up,” I didn’t need it.
I packed quickly and silently, then took my daughter’s hand.
The door opened as we got there.
Tania walked in, pulling a bag behind her.
Albert ran up to her right away to take it from her. “Don’t wear yourself out. I told you I’d come get you. That’s too much to carry.”
But in the middle of the statement, he seemed to get it. He looked at me, nervous and on edge.
Tania noticed me and stopped, clearly shocked. “Ivan? What are you doing at Albert’s?”
Albert interrupted me before I could say anything. “She and her kid didn’t have anywhere to go, so I let them stay for a while.”
Did you feel bad?
He used to say that we were related in some way. Now we were charity cases who were homeless.
By now, I thought I was used to all of his excuses. But somehow, everyone still managed to stab a little deeper.
Then my daughter said, “Hello, Uncle Albert.” Her voice was pleasant and clear.
When she called him “Uncle,” Albert stopped.
“What… what did she just say?”
“Uncle Albert, thank you for looking after us these last few days.”
I couldn’t believe what my daughter was saying. She was proud of herself, even if her eyes were full of tears. She wouldn’t let them fall.
A marriage that was kept secret for eight years. Albert had never officially acknowledged our relationship.
I had stood by him, helped him develop his career from the bottom up, fought with him in court, and given birth to his child. He kept saying that he had to keep our marriage a secret for the sake of his job, though.
But what about our little girl? His own blood and flesh? He wouldn’t even let her call him “Dad.” He always told her to call him “Uncle.” But now she was finally calling him what he wanted.
“Mom, let’s stop bothering him.”
She pulled on my arm and attempted to drag me away.
I nodded, following her lead. We were planning to leave at some point. It didn’t matter that I left now. I had already given up on him.
We turned to walk, and I grasped her hand.
At that point, Albert unexpectedly came after us and blocked our way.
“You didn’t take your bags,” he remarked.
I didn’t even glance at him. “We don’t need it.”
There were too many memories in those bags. I let go of everything we used to be by leaving them behind.
“But shouldn’t Ginny at least take her things?” he questioned, looking at our daughter.
Without saying a word, she buried her head and huddled behind me.
I said in a chilly voice, “This is between me and my daughter. Don’t you think you’re getting too involved?”
He opened his lips to say something, but then he stopped. There was something illegible in his gaze. After a while, he produced a bank card out of his coat and gave it to our daughter. “Hey Ginny, if you’re staying somewhere else and need something, just buy it. Your birthday is the PIN.”
Then he turned to Tania, took a box of chocolates from her arms, and gave them to my daughter.
He said, “This is your favourite flavour.” “I wasn’t there for your birthday yesterday, so this is to make it up to you.”
He pushed the box into her hands before she could say no.
I noticed the small spark of happiness in her eyes. At that moment, I felt like I couldn’t do anything. She was only a kid. It didn’t take much to make her smile. She didn’t get why the adults were fighting. I couldn’t hold that against her.
She opened the box and quickly unwrapped a piece, putting it in her lips.
I smelt something I knew and hated: matcha.
The panic came right away.
“Spit it out! You can’t eat that!” I said, my voice full of horror.
Her smile stopped in the middle of a bite. I ran up to her and opened her lips, trying to get the chocolate out with my fingers.
Albert’s face got darker. “Ivan, what the hell are you doing?”
I was so angry that I scowled at him. “Matcha makes her break out in rashes all over her body!
His face changed right away, worry turning into remorse.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
My daughter finally realised what she had eaten and spit out the rest, crying the whole time. Her expression was blank now, and the glimmer of hope was gone.
She muttered something way too grown-up for her age when she looked at Albert. “It’s fine. You’re never around, so you wouldn’t know.”
She held my hand strongly. “Mommy, let’s go.”
I bent down and picked her up, my heart hurting.
She put her head on my chest and wouldn’t look at him again.
I took her in my arms and walked away.
I could feel Albert’s heavy, confused, and guilty gaze on me from behind.
But this time, neither of us turned around.
I quit the legal company after filling out the paperwork to resign.
I didn’t want to see Albert. I didn’t want to say goodbye. So I sent the divorce papers by mail. It would all be over once he viewed them and signed his name.
“Goodbye, Albert.” I hope you and the person you love are happy for the rest of your lives.