We arrived at Velmora City Hall quicker than I expected. The white stone steps gleamed under the morning sun, and I walked straight in, heels clicking against marble, my heart oddly calm.
Fred was already there, flanked by his bodyguards as if he were some king about to execute judgment. His blue eyes met mine and instantly darkened into a frown.
Once upon a time, that look would have broken me. Once upon a time, I thought I loved this man more than my own breath. Maybe I did. Maybe if he hadn't destroyed me, I'd still be standing here hoping for his approval. But not anymore.
"Brother Fred, please have mercy on my sister," Mirabelle gushed, rushing to his side like the dutiful angel she pretended to be, fingers clutching his arm as tears glistened in her eyes.
The old Maeve would have fallen for her act, maybe even cried and thanked her for defending me. But I knew better now. Mirabelle's sweet face was just a mask.
Fred finally opened his mouth, his voice dripping with self-righteous pain. "How could you, Maeve? After everything I've done for you, this is how you repay me? You betray me?"
I almost laughed. His tone was that of a disappointed parent, not a man who'd ever cherished me.
He shoved a stack of papers at me. "Here are divorce papers. Sign them, so we can end this madness."
The old me would have dropped to the floor, begged him to forgive me, and humiliated myself in front of everyone. But that Maeve was long dead.
I didn't want the deed of the past repeating again.
"Whatever happened last night was a mistake, Mr Orchard," I said evenly. Then I tilted my head and added, "But it was also your fault, Mr. Orchard."
His frown deepened, his pride pricked.
"If you weren't so busy playing knight in shining armor for Mirabelle last night," I continued, "you might have noticed when I was dragged away."
Mirabelle snatched her hand back from him, her perfect act faltering.
Fred sneered, his voice rising. "You're a grown woman, Maeve. Don't you dare shift your shame onto me. You made your choices. Own them!"
"Mirabelle is your younger sister, she's like a sister to me. How can you be jealous of her?" He added.
I let his words slide right off me. "I am your wife, Fred. Your first responsibility. If you can't protect me, then I see no reason to keep this farce going either."
His eyes widened like I had slapped him. Even Mirabelle froze, her mask slipping into shock. Did they really think I would crawl back and beg to be his wife again?
That would be over my dead body.
"Maeve, what are you saying?" Mirabelle rushed to my side, tugging at my arm with fake concern, but her eyes gleamed like she had already won. Fine. She could have him.
"You're in the wrong sister. Apologize quickly and save your marriage." Mira whispered next to me.
I faced Fred directly. "I've been unfaithful, Fred Orchard. I don't deserve you." She smiled.
"That's what I mean." She whispered again. "No if you'd just kneel before him, everything will be settled." She added but my next words caught her off guard.
'So I accept this divorce."
I reached for the papers but Fred hesitated, his pride screaming against it, but finally handed them over.
Mirabelle gasped, "Maeve, don't do this! Are you still drunk? How can you betray Brother Fred like this?"
"You're the one wrong here, yet you dare be so arrogant."
Fred cut her off, puffing his chest. "Let her be. Just know this, Maeve, once you sign those papers, it's over. Don't come crawling back later, begging me for another chance."
I smirked, enjoying the crack in his perfect mask. "Don't worry, Mr. Orchard. I wouldn't dream of it."
I signed the papers with a steady hand, then we walked into Civil Affairs to make it official. The law imposed a one-month mandatory waiting period, which meant we were technically divorced but still tied together. Divorced in name, bound in practice.
"Maeve, please," Mirabelle whispered as we stepped out, clinging to my sleeve. "Think about this again. You love Brother Fred more than anything in this world. How can you leave him?"
I rolled my eyes. "If you love him so much, Mira, you can have him. I don't want him anymore."
I didn't look back as I strode toward my car.
Back home, I scrubbed myself raw under steaming water, as if soap and scalding heat could erase his touch, his scent, the memory of his skin on mine. No matter how hard I tried, he clung to me like poison.
I wanted to know who he truly was. I needed to know. But before anything else, I had to get tested. For STDs, for sanity, for the strength to keep standing tall.