Her Tiny Hand Chose My Freedom

It's my daughter, Clementine Hartman's first time smashing cake and we hold a big birthday party for her.

Somehow, she digs out a thong belonging to Nancy Ortega, my husband's female best friend, from the giftbox he has prepared.

Everyone is stunned, to say the least. Nancy lets out a soft gasp before blinking at me innocently.

"Sorry, this is my fault! Shawn and I traded underwear just for fun some time ago, and I forgot to take it away. Please don't take this matter to heart, Karina."

I do my best to suppress my rage and pretend that nothing has happened for Clementine's sake.

But suddenly Clementine picks up a document.

Thinking that it's a present prepared by the elderly members in the family for Clementine, I glance at it before putting it away.

Unexpectedly, Nancy bursts out laughing.

"Karina, is money all you care about? Did you seriously accept that document without going through it? Don't tell me you seriously think a property deed is wrapped up in that document!"

Then, Nancy picks out a few pieces of paper from the pile before tossing them to me.

Only then do I make out the details. It turns out that Clementine has actually grabbed a copy of the divorce agreement meant for me and Shawn Hartman.

I stare at Shawn in disbelief. "Is this what you really want? A divorce?"

Shawn looks perplexed at first, but he still shields Nancy behind him out of instinct.

"Nancy's just pulling a prank. Don't take it to heart. She's just joking around."

But Nancy sticks her head out from behind Shawn and adds, "Joking around? Shawn, don't tell me you've lost your courage to divorce Karina!"

All the guests fall silent at her words. They all turn to look at me.

After a while, I don't react by crying or kicking up a fuss. Instead, I drop my signature on the divorce agreement while everyone else stares at me in shock.

"Fine. Let's get divorced."

After all, it is my daughter's gift.

Shawn Hartman's expression changed instantly when he saw me sign the divorce papers without hesitation.

"Karina Decker, are you crazy? Those divorce papers were just something Nancy accidentally slipped in. It's not real."

"Accidentally? Are you saying you accidentally drafted the divorce papers and then accidentally signed them?" I lowered my head and let out a bitter laugh. "Shawn, do you take me for a fool?"

"Oh, come on, Karina, is it really that big of a deal? Those divorce papers were just a silly dare Shawn lost. We were all just messing around. If it bothers you that much, how about I tear it up for you? I promise that Shawn won't say a single word against you."

With a look that conveyed her annoyance, Nancy Ortega reached over to grab the papers on the table.

Shawn frowned and said, "It was just a joke. If you're going to be this sensitive about it, I'll just tear up the divorce papers right now, okay?"

"Enough!"

I could tell from his tone that he thought I was being unreasonable, and I finally couldn't hold back anymore. All the hurt I'd been bottling up just burst out.

"A joke! It's always a joke!"

When Nancy had deliberately flushed my wedding ring down the toilet and cut my wedding dress to shreds, Shawn had also said that she was just joking.

Later, when I was pregnant, she purposely poured water on the floor, causing me to slip and go into premature labor. But Shawn had simply said that Nancy didn't mean to do that.

While I was out of the house, Nancy put a dead rat under my daughter, Clementine Hartman's blanket, scaring her so badly that she came down with a high fever that wouldn't break. And Shawn still said that Nancy was just joking around.

Even now, with Clementine's one-year-old birthday party completely ruined, he was still saying that Nancy was only playing a joke on me.

I stared into his eyes and asked emphatically, "What if I slipped poison into her wine today, and then also said it was just a joke?"

The moment the words left my mouth, Shawn knocked the wine glass from Nancy's hand just as it reached her lips.

With a sharp crash, shards of glass flew everywhere, cutting my ankle. Blood seeped out, but all I could see on Shawn's face was concern for Nancy.

Suddenly, it all felt utterly pointless.

I shoved the divorce papers into Shawn's hands, then picked up Clementine and turned to leave.

"I'll be waiting for you at the courthouse tomorrow."

At the entrance, Shawn rushed after me and grabbed my arm.

"What are you even angry about? You know perfectly well Nancy's always been this careless. It's just how she is."

When I didn't reply, he softened his tone with a resigned air. "Alright, alright. I'll tell her to be more careful from now on, okay?"

Even at this moment, he still hadn't realized that I was truly exhausted and genuinely wanted a divorce.

"Today is Clementine's first birthday party. Do you really have to make things this ugly?"

"Oh, so you do know that today is Clementine's first birthday party, and not your wedding with Nancy?"

I laughed bitterly inside.

It was clearly Clementine's birthday party, yet he had let Nancy tamper with the gifts. We were clearly the ones who were married, yet he showed up with her in matching couple outfits.

"Shawn, to anyone who doesn't know us, it would look like the two of you are a couple, and I'm the outsider."

I stared at him, trying to find even a flicker of guilt or remorse in his eyes. Unfortunately, there was none.

Instead, he just said dismissively, "Nancy and I grew up together like two peas in a pod. We're just friends. You're not seriously jealous of her, are you?"

"Friend?" I fixed my gaze on the red marks on his neck that he'd claimed were mosquito bites and sneered. "You know perfectly well in your heart whether or not the two of you have done anything shameful!"

"Hey! I came here out of the goodness of my heart to attend Clementine's birthday party, yet you dare insult me?"

Behind me, Nancy and her group had come chasing out at some point without me noticing.

She turned to Shawn and asked, "Shawn, are you just going to stand there and let her ruin my reputation? How am I supposed ever to get married after this? Forget it. If she can't handle a little fun, then maybe we just shouldn't see each other anymore."

As she spoke, she blocked Shawn's number right in front of me.

"That way Karina won't have any reason to go around spreading rumors that I'm trying to seduce you."