Chapter 0002

"We have arrived at the place, sir," the driver politely announced. He gently tapped Ethan on the shoulder and extended his hand, requesting the transport fee.

Ethan had been thinking about the memories of his beloved grandmother. He remembered the day she shielded him from the rain so he wouldn't get wet. He remembered the day she endured hunger to ensure he had enough to eat.

He remembered the day she collected a loan so he could pay for his school fees, the day she was evicted from her apartment due to unpaid debts. He remembered the time she begged on the streets, asking people for money. He remembered the day she gave him all her savings so he could further his education.

Now, he has become a successful person but the woman who did all these for him is no more. She's dead; The woman who sponsored his education is no more.

Ethan breathed in and out. He was already lost in thought. The driver however was worried and confused about what was going on. He tapped Ethan on the shoulder the second time.

"Could you please give me my money so I can leave?" the driver asked Ethan, gazing at his eyes.

" I'm sorry, driver. I was just thinking about something important" Ethan replied as he took out the money from his pocket.

Ethan gave him his money and got out of the taxi. As he got near the door of the house, he remembered the recent local news he had seen before coming; the news about his wife's affair.

"My wife is having an affair with another man? She didn't even say that she's married. What has given her the gut?" he mused to himself, smiling.

Ethan brought out his phone from his front pocket and put it in his trousers. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

He discovered that the door was opened. Then, he entered the house.

He found Tina seated on the couch, eating snacks.

"Ethan! Where have you been? And why haven't you called me for three whole days?" Tina asked angrily.

Ethan gazed at her and calmly responded, "I was with my grandmother."

The mention of his grandmother made Tina calm. She asked, "Is your grandmother well? How has she been? It's been a while since I last saw her. Where is she?"

Ethan, however, didn't let her continue as he interrupted, saying, "Stop pretending to care. You've never shown any real concern for her. Besides, She's already dead. So, please, stop pretending."

"Dead? How? When?" Tina asked, falling on the couch. She's shocked.

The snack in her hand fell to the floor as she asked angrily, "Why didn't you tell me, Ethan? Why are you doing this? The woman passed away, and you didn't inform me. Why? When did she die?"

Ethan somberly replied, "She passed away three days ago, Tina."

Tina was taken aback to hear that it had been three days already. Anger laced her words as she questioned Ethan, "Ethan, it's been three days, and you didn't tell me. Why are you doing this, Ethan?"

Looking at her with an evil eye, Ethan shot back, "Didn't I call you the day she died? I called you repeatedly, and you answered once, claiming to be busy before hanging up. Or is that not what you did that day?"

"I...I didn't know that's the reason you called that day. I misinterpreted your intentions and thought you were just pulling my legs. I didn't know you were serious," Tina replied, her voice breaking.

Ethan looked at Tina and hissed. He brought out his phone and smiled.

Then, he said, "Stop pretending, Tina. Do you think I don't know about it?"

He unlocked his phone and showed her the photo he had seen earlier.

"Isn't this you with another man? That's the day I called you to let you know that Grandma wanted to see you. But you ignored it all because you were busy with another man. Is this not the reason you missed Grandma's last time?"

Ethan paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, "You never even mentioned that you were married. All because of this man, right? What a pity!!!"

Tina smiled as if all the accusations were false

"Where did you come across this photo? I'm not having an affair with him, Ethan. This man is Steven James and he's one of my customers. There's nothing wrong with providing good customer service. We're just friends, and he's offering a good offer," she explained.

"Is that why you rested your head on his chest? Is that part of your customer service?" Ethan said. "You're doing all this, and you're a married woman. What a shame!"

Tina defended herself, saying, "These are just baseless rumors. I'm not having an affair with another man."

Ethan started humming. He began moving from right to left. Suddenly, he stopped humming as his eyes came in contact with some papers placed on the table.

He moved closer to them and looked at the bold, underlined words at the top of the first page.

"Divorce Agreement or what's written here?" he asked rhetorically.

Tina cleared her throat and folded her hands. She had been wanting a divorce and had been working towards it.

The divorce papers had been in Tina's possession for days, and she had been awaiting the moment when Ethan would discover them. Now, he had seen them.

As Ethan's attention was fixed on the papers, Tina wondered, "Now that his grandmother has passed away, what should I do or say next? If only he would sign his part of the papers and let this relationship come to an end."

Ethan smiled faintly. Without reading it carefully, he took his pen out of his pocket and signed his part of the divorce papers.

He placed his pen back in his pocket and threw the papers to Tina. Then, he sat down on the couch.

"Our relationship has ended now, and there's nothing left between the two of us," he declared, with a smile on his face.