Ivy’s POV

“Ivy? What is this?!” Adam’s voice echoed from outside the house, full of anger and disbelief. I could feel the vibration of his voice to my bones. However, this time, his anger didn’t scare me.

“Open the door, Ivy! You’re so childish!” His tone changed, more pleading, but still sounded loud and forceful. I knew he was trying to control his emotions, but I could feel his frustration hidden behind those words. He knocked on the door hard, the sound shaking the windows of the house.

“Listen to me first, Calista and I have nothing to do with each other. I just took her to the hospital because I felt sorry for her.” His explanation sounded rushed, like someone trying to defend themselves. However, the explanation felt bland, not enough to convince me. The lie was too obvious. There was a pause, his breathing sounded heavy, showing his nervousness.

I ignored his statement. I remained silent, letting the silence be the answer to all the drama he created. It wasn't because I was stubborn, but because I needed time to calm down and process everything that had happened. My emotions were mixed: anger, sadness, and disappointment, but above all, there was relief. Relief that I finally dared to take this step.

After a moment of silence, Adam’s voice changed. His banging stopped. It was replaced by a long sigh, indicating fatigue and defeat. I could picture him standing in front of the door, his body slumped, his strength drained.

“Oh, alright. How long can you live without me, you weird woman.” The sarcastic and dismissive tone was clear in his voice, but this time, it sounded softer, more fragile. Like a child who had just been scolded. The phrase “Weird woman” pierced me, reminding me of his indifference all this time. But this time, his words no longer hurt me. I had passed that point.

There was a longer silence this time, punctuated by small sounds, like the sound of something falling and banging. I imagined him tidying up his belongings that I had prepared in front of the door. Belongings that had been silent witnesses to our empty marriage.

Then, the sound of footsteps fading away, getting fainter and fainter. The sound of the car door opening and closing. The sound of the car engine starting and then disappearing into the distance.

And I knew, he was really gone.

Then, calmly, I took my phone and pressed the record button. “Adam,” I said, my voice clear and firm, “This is our last recording. Goodbye.” I ended the recording and placed the phone on the table.

The sound of the bedroom door lock turning became the end of the last chapter in my life with Adam. And for the first time in five years, I felt truly free.

***

The next day, I deliberately took a day off from my job as a doctor. Again, for the first time in five years, I wanted to take a vacation to pamper myself. This was a gift for myself after going through the painful storm of marriage. First, I would go to the salon, have lunch at a nice restaurant, and then go shopping. I wanted to feel the freedom I had been holding back again.

My long hair, always neat, was now cut to my shoulders, with layers that gave a fresher and more modern look. Now my face and appearance looked younger and more energetic. After leaving the salon, with light steps, I stopped by the luxurious restaurant I had been eyeing for a long time. I ordered all the best food recommended by the restaurant; seafood platter, truffle pasta, and dessert souffle. I wanted to pamper my tongue with the flavors I had been craving for so long.

“Ivy?!” A familiar voice made me look up. A handsome man stood near my table, his eyes full of surprise and happiness.

“Dylan? Is that you? How are you?” I replied after knowing who was greeting me. The handsome and dashing man was Dylan Ridd, my childhood friend and neighbor in the housing complex where my family lived. Time seemed to stop for a moment, memories of the past emerged.

“Long time no see, you haven’t changed at all,” he complimented, looking at me happily. His smile was sincere and warm, melting away the slight awkwardness that had appeared.

“Where have you been, why did you suddenly disappear and never come home again?” His question was soft, but I felt a sense of concern behind his words.

I paused for a moment, remembering the difficult times I had been through. “Ah. I’m sorry, am I interrupting your meal?” he asked, noticing the pile of food in front of me. I instinctively shook my head.

“Who are you having lunch with? Your husband? If so… I’d better leave,” Dylan said again. There was a faint look of disappointment on his face, showing his hopes that may have been extinguished replaced by an awkward attitude.

“No, I’m alone, do you want to join?” I asked, inviting him. I wanted to share my happiness today with someone who cared, and someone I had been wanting to meet for a long time.

Dylan’s eyes lit up with joy, he seemed to disbelieve my words. Only, I’m sure he thought my food was too much for me to eat alone. Although finally he sat down in front of me. The atmosphere of our lunch became more cheerful.

“Oh yes, I’m sorry for the loss of your parents.” His voice became softer, showing deep empathy.

I nodded, remembering the memory of the tragic accident that took my parents. Since then, I had never returned to my childhood home. The memory was too painful, so I had to live at my grandmother’s house. Unfortunately, my grandmother also passed away. I lived alone until finally I became dependent on Adam’s presence. All this time, my love for him was one-sided, I was the one who was oblivious and strange.

“Your house… don’t you want to visit it?” Dylan’s question pulled me out of the shadows of the past and the present I had just experienced.

I pondered and thought for a moment, then said, “I plan to go home tomorrow.”

“Wow, really?!” Dylan’s smile widened, showing his happiness at my decision. Maybe going back to my childhood home wasn’t just about visiting a building, but also about starting a new chapter in my life.

The fork I was holding felt heavy, like an unbearable burden. As a group of men entered the restaurant, my eyes widened. I knew them all, especially him, Adam, my ex-husband who was still legally my husband. I tried to hide my face, but Dylan, sitting across from me, looked confused by my behavior.

“Who?” he whispered, his gaze probing. I didn’t answer, just shook my head slightly. Damn! They chose a table right behind me, as if they were deliberately trying to make me feel pressured.

“Haha, so where do you live now, buddy?” Travis’s voice sounded loud, interrupting our conversation. I tried to focus on the food, but my ears couldn’t avoid their conversation.

“Is that Ivy’s house?” Tommy asked.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Adam replied, his voice cold, “We were married, she already had a house. So why would I buy her another house?”

My chest felt tight. His words pierced me like sharp thorns. I tried to hold back the tears threatening to flow, but a sense of inferiority overwhelmed me.

Ivy Pov

“I suggest you persuade Ivy,” Travis said.

“Yes! I agree, don’t lose a naive and foolish woman like her,” Tommy chimed in, Adam’s friend who always acted disgustingly.

“Hmm, Tommy’s right. Having a beautiful wife, a brilliant career, and a lot of money is every man’s dream. Plus, she’s naive, innocent, kind, and forgiving. She even always allows you to go on vacation anywhere without suspecting what you’re doing.”

“Haha, yeah. She’s so naive,” Tommy replied, laughing loudly. “She’s easy to fool,” he added.

I remained silent, unable to hold back the tears flowing down my cheeks. Dylan looked at me with a concerned look, “Sorry Ivy, is he… they…”

I nodded, wiping away my tears. I knew Dylan could guess.

“Do you need me to take care of it?” Dylan asked, his voice trembling slightly. Maybe he was angry too and felt my sadness at their insults?

“Don’t,” I stopped him, my voice trembling, “I want to hear more of their opinions about me.”

“Are you sure?” Dylan asked, worried. I nodded with a slight smile, to reassure him.

I wanted to know how low they rated me. I wanted to feel the pain they inflicted on me. I wanted to know how far they would insult me. Right now, I wanted to hear more of their cruel words, so I could see how strong I could withstand them.

“Oh yeah, your brother’s ex-fiancee? Why can she come and cling to you again?” Travis asked, sounding curious.

His brother’s ex-fiancee? Who did Travis mean? Was it Calista, Andi’s ex-fiancee? My brother-in-law?

“Yes, because Andi doesn’t want to meet her, let alone see her again. So… now she’s clinging to me,” Adam explained.

“Haha… Calista is indeed beautiful. I think you guys were close before,” Tommy chimed in.

“Maybe now. Didn’t you also have a crush on Calista before? Unfortunately, she chose to be with your brother, a wealthy and rich man.” Travis replied. “But why did Andi finally dump a woman as beautiful as that?” he continued asking.

Adam fell silent. For a moment, the three of them were silent. And I listened more intently, I was also very curious about their next conversation, and about the woman named Calista.

I don’t know where the courage came from, Dylan, the cold man, suddenly grabbed my hand and stroked it, making me surprised and look at him. His black hair, slightly long, was neatly combed back, revealing his strong jawline and prominent nose. His dark eyes, usually cold and unreadable, now seemed soft as he looked at me. “If you can’t take it anymore… please tell me.” I smiled and nodded.

“The food will be wasted, do you want it wrapped?”

“Haha…” My laughter erupted instantly, causing Adam and his friends to turn towards us. Luckily they didn’t recognize me, because I was sitting with my back to them.

The phrase “do you want it wrapped?” — I never thought that little remark would always make me laugh out loud.

I quickly closed my mouth at the same time as Dylan, who ducked his head while holding back laughter at my behavior, while giving me a sign that the men behind us were still watching us.

“Strange couple. Laughing like that, maybe they think it’s good.” Tommy sounded sarcastic towards us.

“Okay, okay, don’t mind them,” Travis replied. “Oh yeah, so how’s it going now? Are you living with Calista?” he continued asking.

“Hmm, she’s staying at my apartment. So she’s the one staying with me, not me staying with her.” Adam’s answer sounded defensive, it was clear that he was still maintaining his pride.

My eyebrows raised. Tommy and Travis were right, I was a naive and foolish woman. How could I not know that the husband I had married for five years actually had an apartment?

“Okay, forgive me. Shouldn’t you be happy? Finally, you can reunite with your first love?” Travis asked again.

When I heard it, I even shook my head. How stupid I was for trusting my husband too much. He used to say that I was his first love, until his attitude changed before our first wedding anniversary.

“Come on, don’t be sad. You should be happy, Travis is right. Now you have two beautiful women you can sleep with whenever you want and who you can fool forever.”

Hearing Tommy’s words, my blood boiled. I should have immediately confronted them, but I held back because I was ashamed of Dylan. I was ashamed because he saw my weakness in front of him. “Let’s just go,” I invited Dylan. He nodded in agreement.

I don’t know what happened, Tommy and Travis watched as I stood up. Unfortunately, the outer that I took off and put behind my chair got caught on the chair of the man sitting behind me—Adam, the man whose face I didn’t want to see.

“Oh, sorry,” Adam said, standing up and intending to move his chair. But he froze as he looked at my face. He paid more attention as I tried to duck down, to hide my face.

“Honey? What are you doing…” His sentence was cut off when he saw Dylan. The man calmly stood beside me. His tall and sturdy posture highlighted his aura of leadership. Tommy and Travis were also startled. They may have realized that I heard their words.

"Dylan Ridd?!" Adam exclaimed in surprise. Dylan remained calm, as if he already knew Adam.

"Mr. Ridd, what are you doing here?" Tommy asked, his personality suddenly changing.

"Having lunch? Is something wrong?" Dylan replied nonchalantly.

"Ah, I mean... this place isn't appropriate for you to visit."

"Oh really? So this place is only suitable for you guys?" Dylan mocked, making me hold back laughter at his stiff and serious demeanor.

"No... not like that, Mr. Ridd..."

"Oh yes, after thinking about it... this place is indeed suitable for talking about women casually, isn't it?" Dylan glanced at Adam who was confused.

"Forgive me, Honey... I went to your house this morning. But you..."

"Weren't there?" I interrupted.

"Yes, and I decided to let you think things over first. But... Why are you with Mr. Ridd?" Adam asked, his gaze slightly strange. Anxiety was clearly evident on his face, his brow furrowed, and his hands clenched faintly. Was he jealous of me and Dylan? How is that possible!

"Hmm, the story is simple. Didn't you know the answer last night?" I asked, looking at Adam who was slumped in defeat. His face was pale, and his lips trembled slightly.

"But just now, when you were talking about me... it seems my decision is becoming more solidified."

"What do you mean? What decision?" Adam asked, curious. His voice was barely audible, as if something was choking him.

"To divorce you. Get ready to meet my lawyer." That was my final sentence. I saw Adam stumble slightly, as if the world in front of him was collapsing. His eyes widened, and his jaw tightened. He was silent for a moment, only able to look at me with an empty expression that pierced my heart. Then, he shook his head slowly, as if he couldn't believe what had just happened. His shoulders slumped, and his entire body seemed to lose strength. I left immediately, followed by Dylan behind me, leaving Adam frozen in place, with an empty and regretful gaze. The other two men, Tommy and Travis, could only watch the scene with shocked and disbelieving looks.