When he had stopped crying and regained some composure, Laoise slowly pushed him away. With a look of absolute finality, she told him, "I didn't want a divorce at first. I was afraid of letting you and Josephine win. But I can't keep going. Infidelity isn't just the fault of the other woman. The man who can't control his urges is even more to blame. I can't just hate her and go on living a peaceful life with you. I can't do it. I find you repulsive, and I hate you for failing me. There is nothing left between us, Percy. Let's divorce."
Laoise had thought divorce was just between two people. But as she entered the mediation phase, people constantly intruded upon her failing marriage, solemnly telling her that she shouldn't go through with it. Overnight, it seemed everyone was attacking her decision, but she remained firm because she was exhausted. During this time, only one person expressed a clear stance, agreeing with and even encouraging her to divorce Percy without hesitation—it was her mother-in-law. Percy's mother had never liked her as a daughter-in-law to begin with.
A few days later, Laoise and Percy went together to pick up their divorce certificate. Percy tried one last time to ask her to stay, but Laoise simply smiled and shook her head. He knew then that she was truly never looking back.
The house and car were premarital assets bought by Percy's family, so legally they belonged to him. Percy wanted to leave the car with Laoise, but she refused. There was some money in their savings, and Percy wanted to give it all to her, but she only took her rightful half.
The division of assets was simple. Laoise went home, packed a single small suitcase, and moved out.
As she prepared to step out the door, she didn't dare look back. She was afraid she might regret accepting the divorce papers. She feared she couldn't bear to leave the small house she had lived in for over six years, and she was terrified that she wouldn't be able to let go of the countless memories shared with Percy within those walls.
When Percy escorted her downstairs, he still couldn't stop himself from reaching out to stop her.
"Do you have anywhere to go?" he asked, his voice almost a plea. "Maybe you should just stay at the house for a while." It was as if he couldn't stand to watch her walk out of his life.
She gave him a small smile. "How would that work. We have no relationship anymore. I can't exactly haunt your house forever, can I?"
"But where will you go?" he asked. "What are you going to do now?"
"I'm going back to my mother's place in the countryside for a bit," Laoise replied. "I'll figure out the rest later."
He looked as though he wanted to say more, but finally managed, "If your family gives you a hard time, just come back here."
Laoise offered a polite thank you. That single, formal phrase pushed them apart, turning them into strangers in each other's lives.
"Percy, thank you," Laoise said. "Even after the divorce, you've been kind to me, even sharing the money. The sky is getting dark. You should head back inside."
She hailed a taxi, loaded her luggage, and turned to give Percy a smiling wave.
"Goodbye," she said.
Stepping out of each other's lives, they were now free to pursue their own paths.
Laoise had assumed that the period from preparing for the divorce to finalizing it would be the most difficult time of her life. She thought once she cleared that hurdle, everything would improve.
She was wrong.
The days following the divorce were the true challenge.
Every day, besides having to digest the lingering sorrow of having no home and no husband like a chronic illness, she had to deal with the attitudes of her parents and siblings. Eventually, their behavior became so taxing that she couldn't even find the energy to grieve for her lost marriage.
Previously, with Percy supporting her, she didn't have to work. But that was no longer an option. She had to find a job. She had to learn how to earn a living.
However, after years of being a housewife, she knew how to cook, clean, and watch movies, but she had long since fallen behind the rest of society. She struggled with basic spreadsheets and documents. She had no idea what she could actually do to earn money.
By chance, through a friend she met in a movie forum, she joined a group chat. In the group, a man named Mr. Lewis mentioned he had a new business opportunity. Several people immediately asked if he could lead them toward a fortune.
Mr. Lewis was generous, replying that if they hit it off, he certainly could. He invited anyone interested to add him on Facebook to talk privately.
Laoise hesitated. A week later, her doubts began to fade. Several group members claimed they had spoken with Mr. Lewis and found the project promising. They had invested some money, and the interest was paid weekly. Mr. Lewis had sent the first week's profits right on time.
They posted screenshots of their earnings in the group.
Seeing interest rates several times higher than what the bank offered, Laoise felt tempted. She added Mr. Lewis's Facebook account.
She asked how much she could invest. He asked how much she had available.
Wary, Laoise didn't give him a direct answer.
Mr. Lewis sent a voice message. "Tell you what, I'm on a business trip in New York right now, staying at the Vertex Hotel. If it's convenient, come see me. We can talk in the lobby café. It's better to get the information directly. By the way, the coffee at the Vertex is excellent."
When she heard the name Vertex, Laoise paused. She felt as though this hotel had become a recurring theme in her life lately.
She thought for a moment. If Mr. Lewis could afford to stay at the Vertex, his financial standing must be solid. In New York, anyone staying at five-star luxury landmarks like the Vertex or the SkyNet was usually someone of importance.
With nothing but time on her hands, Laoise decided to meet him.
The next morning, she took a bus from the countryside to the New York station and then caught a taxi to the Vertex. After a tiring journey, she arrived just after 2:00 PM, right on time for her meeting.