“Babe! I-I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to!” Tiana’s voice shook. “I was scared you’d go too far and someone would die…”

Then, she said, “I-I already called 911!”

As I blacked out, I was probably wearing a bitter smile.

See? That was my loving wife, trying to protect her childhood crush and smashed a vase over my head, her husband, to protect him.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital bed. My skull throbbed like it had split in two.

“Chaz, don’t move. You just got more than a dozen stitches…” said a familiar voice.

I shut my eyes and let out a dry laugh. “Did you sign the divorce papers? Once I’m discharged, we’ll go to City Hall and file.”

Tiana’s sobbing cut off. “You’re still thinking about divorce?”

She stared at me, stunned, tears dripping onto the back of my hand. “Charles, I love you. The second I saw you were hurt, I called an ambulance. What’s gotten into you?”

I couldn’t help the cold laugh. “You love me? So you smashed a porcelain vase to my head?”

If that was love, I would rather she loved another man.

My question caught her off guard and quickly defended herself.

“Charles, I was panicking! You looked possessed, you were choking Eddie so hard you terrified us.”

“You know Eddie's and my families have been neighbors for decades. Eddie and I grew up together—like, diapers-on kind of childhood.”

“He was trying to help, to talk us down. How could you say those things about him?”

“Enough,” I cut her off, icy. “Explain all you want; I’m not listening. What I care about is that: we’re divorcing.”

Even my eavesdropping in-laws traded baffled looks at my response. They hadn’t expected me to be this resolute, so the couldn't stay silent. My in-laws finally walked into the room.

My father-in-law said, trying to take my side at first, “Chuck, you’re not usually this cold. Be honest—did Tiana do something that upset you? Tell me and I’ll set her straight.”

Before I could answer, he shifted gears. “Or is there someone else? We’re both men here—don’t let some temptress cloud your judgment and ruin your life.”

Meanwhile, my mother-in-law’s patience wore thin. She chimed in from the side, “Every couple fights. You argue at night and make up by morning. Don’t be so dramatic.”

“A man should have a little backbone. If you bring up divorce every time things get hard, how are you supposed to build a life together?”

Tiana was more patient than usual. She held my hand and asked softly, “Babe, what’s really going on? Tell me and we’ll fix it together. You’re this determined to leave… are you… Did something happened to you? Something you couldn't tell?”

Her careful, anxious eyes trembled. More tears fell. “No matter what you’re facing, I won’t abandon you. You don’t have to be afraid of dragging me down.”

I looked at her without expression.

All these years together, the moment she cried, I always caved. Whatever she asked for, I agreed to.

When she wanted to clear out a room and turn it into an art studio—I said yes...

Outside her art studio, Tiana had a sign taped to the door:

"Charles and dogs not allowed."

I didn’t think much of it at the time, but I was done pretending I didn’t care.

“There’s nothing left to say, Tiana. I don’t love you anymore," I said flatly.

“What… what did you say?” Tiana flinched like I’d just smacked her. I could even see her lashes trembled.

“Charles, I gave birth to your child and now you say you don’t love me? Is your empathy dead?” Her shoulders shook uncontrollably as she cried.

My father-in-law, let out a sharp, irritated huff. “Well, Charles, you’re the one asking for this. If you go through with this divorce, don’t expect to walk away with a dime. You’ll leave with nothing.”

I didn’t respond. I just closed my eyes.

My silence only enraged them further. They helped the crying, broken Tiana to her feet and stormed toward the door.

“Stop wasting your tears on a man like him. Let’s go.”

They were clearly fuming, unable to make sense of it all—how a seemingly normal marriage had crumbled into something so bitter.

A few days later, my buddy Alex showed up at the hospital after hearing I’d been injured.

“Charles, what the hell happened to you, man?”

Alex had already heard the rumors. Everyone had.

Tiana smashing a vase over my head to protect her childhood crush—yeah, that one even made it to the local trending newsfeed.

Now, I was a walking meme, the butt of every joke online.

Alex looked at the bandages on my head and took a deep breath. “I thought you and your wife were the golden couple. How’d it end up like this?”

I stayed quiet for a long time before finally speaking. “Have you ever seen the David statue?”

Alex blinked. “You mean the naked one? In Rome? That David?”

“Yeah.”

He waited for me to go on.

“There’s one in Tiana’s art studio too.”

“No way. That’s gotta be a fake.” Alex blinked again, confused—and then let out a laugh.

“It is,” I said quickly. “But here’s the thing. It moves.”

"Huh?" Alex’s face froze. "What do you..."

He didn’t finish the sentence forming on his lips, but he understood what I was trying to say.

***

Two weeks passed.

After I was discharged, Tiana greeted me at home in lingerie she hadn’t worn in years. Her perfume filled the room. I could tell her get ups were intentional

“Chaz,” she cooed, brushing up against me, “I know I’ve been distant lately. So, tell me. Whatever you didn’t like, I’ll change.”

Her voice turned sugary sweet. She was acting like a kitten all of a sudden. I knew this act well, it was how she’d always tried to win me over.

But the moment I thought about that studio she never let me into—I instantly felt sick.

“Chaz…” She wrapped her arms around me from behind and kissed the back of my neck. “For all the neglect I've done, I’ll make up to you—ah!”

I’d shoved her off me, hard. She hit the floor with a thud.

Startled by my sudden aggression, Tiana finally lost it.

“Playing hard to get, Charles? I’ve apologized. I’ve tried to make it up to you. What the hell else do you want?!”

I looked at her flushed face. I couldn’t tell if she was flushed from anger—or from someone else’s touch.

“I’m not playing any games here. I've told you what I want: a divorce,” I spoke with disinterest.

Tiana froze. Even then, she kept begging, desperately trying to change my mind.

“Charles, have you already forgotten the vows you made at our wedding? You said no matter what happened, you’d always be by my side. It’s only been a few years—how could you change so fast?”

“Our daughter is just a few months old. How can you walk away now and let her grow up without a father? How can your heart be this cold, Charles?”

Tiana’s eyes were bloodshot and fat tears rolled down her cheeks. “If we get divorced, what am I supposed to do? What about our daughter?”

I let out a cold laugh, staring at her with no interest. “Not my problem.”

Her expression collapsed in heartbreak. She bit her lip and hissed through her teeth, “Fine. If you’re really this heartless… Maybe I’ll just take our daughter and end it all.”

Then, right in front of me, she picked up the baby and ran toward the balcony.

I didn’t move.

I knew she was bluffing. She wasn’t going to jump. She’d once told someone else—she and the baby couldn’t live without someone.

And that someone was never me.

Sure enough, she just stood there on the balcony, frozen and awkward, holding the baby while the rain poured down.

“Charles, why are you so cruel?!” she yelled. “You want a divorce? Fine! Let’s get it over with!”

Soaked by the storm, she stormed back inside, clutching the baby to her chest.

Moments later, the door was kicked open.

Eddie barged in while shouting from the moment he entered. “Charles, you’re a real piece of work. Have you forgotten what she did for you after your car accident?

"You were in a coma for weeks. It was Tia who stayed by your side every single day, taking care of you like a saint.”

“And now you’re divorcing her? Do you even have shame?”

Eddie knew I had a reputation for loyalty and integrity. He thought my silence meant I was second-guessing myself—remembering the past.

He thought I’d back down, but I stared at him instead.

“If she were the one in a coma, I’d have taken care of her, too,” I said. “But that doesn’t change the fact—I still want a divorce.”

***

Three days later, Tiana finally signed the divorce papers—furious, but she signed them.

She gave me a condition: I leave the marriage with nothing.

At that, I laughed dryly. “On what grounds? You’re the one who crossed the line. If anyone should be walking away with nothing, it’s you.”

My mother-in-law’s chest heaved with rage. She stormed up and jabbed a finger in my face.

“You’ve got some nerve saying that. What the hell did my daughter even do? All she did was paint! You’re a greedy, disgusting man. What’s next—gonna ask for the bride price back too?”

My father-in-law’s face turned red with fury. “You ungrateful bastard. Don’t forget who gave you everything you have today. You were a nobody when we met you—flat broke!”

“And now look at you—sitting pretty, turning your back on my daughter, cheating on her and then daring to demand she leaves with nothing? You want the press to come see how ridiculous this is?!”

That’s when my best buddy Alex finally spoke up from behind me. “You’re all missing something. Chaz isn’t that kind of guy. There’s more to this than you know.”

But I couldn’t be bothered to explain anymore. “If Tiana won’t leave the marriage empty-handed, fine. Then we’ll see each other in court.”

I walked away. Upon reaching the door, the nanny hurried after me, holding my daughter in her arms.

“Mr. Owen,” she pleaded, “she’s still your own flesh and blood. Please, don't be so heartless... You’re not even paying child support—are you really going to leave them with nothing?”

I didn’t say a word. Didn’t even glance back.

Just walked past her and out the door.