Brian groggily sat up from the bed.
Seeing me in the seductive nightgown, he instantly became more alert.
“Who are you?” he asked, his voice still thick with sleep.
I smirked disdainfully.
“Brother–in–law, I’m Lily. My sister went back to our hometown. Did you forget?”
Realizing who I was, Brian shuffled further away from me, but his eyes never left my body.
“Why did your sister leave so suddenly? Did something happen back home?”
As Brian reached for his phone, presumably to call Lily, the doorbell rang.
He hurried to answer the door, clearly annoyed.
“Lila, Caroline isn’t here. Maybe you can come back-”
Before he could finish, Lila shoved a document into his hands.
“Brian, Caroline asked me to give you this. She wants a divorce.”
Brian froze, utterly dumbfounded.
Taking advantage of his confusion, Lila pulled him aside.
“I don’t know what happened, but Caroline told me yesterday she wanted a divorce. She said she wanted to split everything early, so she wouldn’t have to live in fear. Remember that ten–million–dollar lottery ticket I mentioned before? After taxes, it’s eight million, and she said she’d split it with you.”
Catching Lila’s eye, I gasped in mock shock and interjected,
“Lila, my sister and brother–in–law get along so well. How could this happen? Maybe you should leave the papers here so they can talk it out.”
Lila sighed and reluctantly placed the divorce agreement on the table, her expression conflicted.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but Caroline seemed determined this time, almost like she’s afraid of something happening.”
After Lila left, Brian sat staring at the divorce agreement, his face tense as he repeatedly tried to call Lily, but to no
avail,
Suppressing my disgust, I leaned against Brian, pretending to comfort him.
“Brother–in–law, maybe my sister has her reasons. She even talked about giving you the lottery ticket last time.
Why would she suddenly want a divorce? And what does she mean by living in fear? That money belongs to both of
you.”
A flicker of doubt flashed across Brian’s face as he muttered under his breath,
“Could it be that she’s afraid of you regaining-”
He stopped mid–sentence when he realized I was staring at him intently.
“Afraid of what? I’ve been perfectly fine since the car accident. What’s there to fear?” I asked, feigning innocence.
With my subtle hints, Brian’s expression shifted, and the worry on his face slowly dissipated.
A look of realization dawned on him, and he murmured to himself with a hint of excitement,
“So that’s what this is about. If we divorce now, then later… we can be together openly.”
Watching him eagerly head to the bedroom to find a pen, I felt a wave of bitterness wash over me.
To Brian, our years of marriage were nothing but a shackle. The joy on his face at the thought of ending our relationship was a cruel confirmation of that.
As he was about to sign his name, I choked out,
‘Brother–in–law, are you really sure about this?”
He paused, glancing at the wedding photo on the table. After a moment of hesitation, he signed his name.
‘Caroline and I had happy moments together, but after marriage, life just became dull and boring. It’s time to end
it.”
[ let out a cold laugh.
‘Yes, ending it is for the best.”
That night, before going to bed, Brian Parker posted on WhatsApp:
“The thing I’ve been worrying about for so long is finally resolved.”
Immediately, I sent a message to Lily Eleanor:
“Sister, I just saw Brother–in–law grinning while holding a paper the size of a movie ticket. Is that the anniversary gift you hid for him last time?”
Chapte
Moments later, my phone started ringing. The caller ID showed it was Lily.
I placed the phone aside, letting it ring incessantly.
That night, I slept exceptionally well.
The Next Morning, Feigning urgency, I returned Lily’s call.
“Sister, what’s wrong? I wasn’t feeling well last night and fell asleep after taking some cold medicine.”
From the other end of the line came a tired voice–clearly, Lily had not had a restful night.
“Little sister, what did you mean last night? I’m about to board my flight. Tell me everything when I get back!”
“Alright, I’ll meet you at the airport,” I replied calmly.
