After Divorce, Her Career Soars

"Professor, I've made up my mind. I'm divorcing Danny Sinclair and returning to the lab to join the Lily of the Valley Project."

Ella Grey ended the call with her former mentor and tossed the rag into the trash bin.

While Danny was being interviewed by the reporter, Ella stood on the stool and wiped the living room window.

“She’s just a housewife. Normally, she stays at home—cooking and tidying up.”

"Helping me with my work? Fortunately, there's nothing she can do for me. After all, our educational levels are different. I’m a postdoc and she’s only a master’s graduate. But I’ll admit, in our daily life, she does keep the house in perfect order.”

"There's no need to interview her. She wouldn’t have anything valuable to say anyway.”

When Ella caught the reporter's gaze, she gave him an awkward smile and went back to the kitchen.

It seemed the reporter wanted to say something, but Danny had pulled him down to sit.

After a long while, the reporter asked his final question. “Who do you consider the woman who has helped you the most in your life?”

Danny was taken aback for a moment before slowly replying, "Sarah Palmer. She is the one who helps me the most. She’s an outstanding person—someone I’ve always admired. Her accomplishments in botany have impressed me deeply and she’s helped me a great deal.”

When Ella heard his answer, her hand, which was chopping the vegetables, froze and she accidentally cut her finger.

She looked at her bleeding finger and slowly placed her hand under the faucet to rinse it.

Shortly after the reporters left, Danny slipped on his coat and called out to the kitchen, “Don’t wait for me. I am not eating dinner tonight; cause I’m heading out to the lab.”

Bang!

The door slammed shut. She turned off the faucet and fished a Band-Aid from her pocket.

After placing the last dishes on the table, Ella called John Sinclair, her son.

After the call connected and before Ella could say anything, the person on the other end snapped, "Mom, I'm going to Aunt Sarah for tutoring. Since you don't understand anything, don't make things worse."

When a busy tone sounded from the phone, Ella knew the meal she had cooked would go to waste again.

She turned on the TV, scooped a bowl of spaghetti and ate alone again.

Halfway through the meal, she heard a "a "knock, knock" sound at the door. She hurried over and saw it was her next-door neighbor, Martha Duncan.

Martha pressed a box of cherries into her hands, then peered behind her. “Your husband isn't home again? Has he gone to the lab?"

A flicker of bitterness flashed in Ella's eyes when she nodded.

"Oh, your husband is an honest type. He's been going back and forth between home and the lab for years. Do you remember Janet Quin's husband? Our upstairs neighbor? You have no idea …."

After thinking for a while, Ella remembered that such a person really existed, so she asked, “What happened? Did something go wrong with them?”

Martha leaned closer and whispered, "Last month, he got caught dancing with a woman in a public square. And I heard that yesterday, he was caught sleeping with the same woman at the woman's house."

Ella's eyes widened in shock.

Martha chuckled. "Count yourselves lucky, okay? At least your husband only runs to the lab, not messing around, right?"

After exchanging a few words, she finally left. As Ella looked at her retreating back, she sighed. Is it staying faithful enough to maintain a marriage?

After the door closed, once again, she was all alone in the house.

Everyone said she was blessed to have married such a wonderful husband. Danny was a renowned expert in botany and held immense prestige in academic circles. Over the years, many of his research projects earned him patents.

Everyone envied her. They all said that all she needed to do was stay home and do household chores. She did not have to worry about money.

But what no one knew was that years ago, only one direct doctoral admission spot available and a top-tier university had specifically named her as its candidate.

However, when she saw the disappointment on Danny’s face, she gave it up willingly and let him have it instead.

For twenty years, she had been supporting him silently, so he did not have to worry about anything outside of his academic pursuits.

Over the years, Ella had rarely felt any regret. She was sure that Danny always appreciated all the sacrifices she had made.

But just now, after she heard what he had said, she experienced the kind of regret she had never felt before.

A sudden knock broke her thoughts. Thinking that it was Danny, she hurried over to open the door.

But the person standing there was the reporter from earlier. He handed her a box.

“You’re Dr. Sinclair's wife, right? Could you please give this master tape to him? Just have him give me feedback tonight.”

She nodded. Before the reporter could leave, she stopped him. Her eyes locked with his as she said, "My name is Ella. Ella Grey."

I'm not just Dr. Sinclair's wife. She added silently in her heart.

The reporter paused and a trace of puzzlement appeared in his eyes.

After she covered the dishes on the table, Ella took the master tape and hailed a taxi to the lab. Then she headed to Danny's office.

She knew the direction to his office very well. After all, whenever Danny had a project, he would be too busy to eat. So she would cook for him every day and quickly deliver it.

Seeing that the door was slightly open, she was ready to open it. But the moment she looked through it, she froze.