Chapter 7
Once I had made up my mind, it was difficult to make me change it.
After that, Walter just stood outside the building, waiting for me. He ignored the whispers and stares, insisting he did not want a divorce.
However, his words were pointless then. He had made his choice to betray.
He should have seen that coming; I had given him plenty of chances.
I was done forgiving.
For a whole month, Walter stood his ground down there. Every time, he would trail behind me, full of regrets, pleading for me to come back.
He was like an annoying fly, and his presence quickly made me a topic of conversation.
James caught on to Walter’s antics and printed out a mountain of divorce papers for me.
Every time we crossed paths, anyone who knew him would shove a copy in his hands.
The professor did not want our team’s progress to suffer because of that drama, but Walter stuck to us like glue.
Because of that, we got up and moved to a different lab near the school.
On our first day at the new place, Walter was nowhere to be seen. He did not leave a single word, but he still had not agreed to the divorce.
Walter went back to his company issues, and my phone’s messenger group was buzzing with daily updates on the soap opera.
[Ms. Porter got an earful today! I couldn’t help but laugh.]
[Ms. Porter got demoted and took a pay cut!]
For several days, Walter caused Janet nothing but distress.
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Chapter 7
I was completely engrossed in the project I was working on, lost in my experiments.
Starting this new chapter in my life filled me with joy.
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In just four short months, we made a significant breakthrough in our research, and my professor gave me the green light to take a well–deserved break.
I went with James, my senior, to all sorts of places I had never had the chance to visit
before.
We explored the local culture and customs, soaking up the leisurely pace of life abroad.
A year flew by, and our research was ready to make its debut. I had become the lead
researcher, right after James.
Except for the occasional run–in with Walter, I was living my dream life.
In the past 18 months, I had lost count of how many divorce papers I had sent and handed to him directly.
He, on the other hand, seemed clueless, always apologizing and begging for another chance.
I had been doing my best to ignore him, but then out of the blue, my parents got in touch.
Walter had gone to them, trying to use them to pressure me.
They had nearly given him a piece of their mind years ago when I almost gave up my career for him. This time, they sent him packing with a few choice words.
I was eager to get that divorce finished.
So, I went ahead and filed for divorce directly with the court.
This time, the court did not hesitate to grant my request.
For the press conference, I flew back home with my professor and James.
Seeing how far I had come in my career, my parents could not hide their pride.
Chapter 7
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“You look like you’ve been in good hands with James. Knowing he’s there for you puts us at
ease,” they told me.
I turned to James, puzzled about when he had found the time to get to know my parents.
“James, when did you meet my parents?” I asked.
James just scratched his head, glanced at my parents, then back at me.
“I met them when you graduated,” he stuttered.
I burst into laughter, surprised to see ‘Mr. Confident‘ turning tomato red.
That was when I found out why Walter never came looking for me. He had had a huge fight
with Janet, who used her pregnancy to climb the social ladder.
He wanted her to end it, but she went live with the drama instead.
The company’s stock tanked, and his partners bailed.
The bad press made their products stick to the shelves like glue, and the breach of contract fees alone were a financial nightmare.
Walter, once a rising star, saw his world crumble in a day, ending with a showdown with Janet at the office.
The baby was lost, and some guy claimed he was the real dad and demanded Walter pay up.
That landed Walter behind bars for three years.
Without its leader, the company was a goner.
Janet? She took off with what was left of Walter’s cash.
The next time I saw him was at our big reveal for the lab’s latest invention.
I was on stage, hyping up our new gadget.
When I wrapped up, I caught a glimpse of Walter outside, sweeping the hotel hallways.
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Chapter 7
Our eyes locked, and he stepped back. Just like that, he was gone.
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I smiled to myself and headed over to James and my parents, who were waiting for me.
The past was just that–the past.
It’s all about looking ahead–that’s what counts.
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