After giving birth, my wife suffered from severe depression.

Every night, she had to sleep curled up inside the closet. Even after more than six months, she still refused to sleep in bed with me.

One night, I gently carried her out of the closet while she was asleep and laid her back in bed.

She woke up crying uncontrollably. The next day, she had a depressive episode and had to be hospitalized.

From then on, I became even more cautious. I didn’t dare touch her again. So, every night, I simply let her sleep in the closet.

Until our son’s first birthday—she stepped out of the closet, stretching as usual.

I looked at her rosy, fuller face… and filed for divorce.

Everyone in the room stared at me in disbelief.

My father-in-law’s face darkened. “You want a divorce just because my daughter slept in the closet?”

She gave you a child. She’s been suffering ever since. She can’t even rest in a real bed. She’s endured so much… and you still want to leave her?” My mother-in-law’s eyes brimmed with tears.

I stayed silent, but I didn’t change my mind.

My wife, Yessenia Stroud, looked at me with tear-filled eyes. “Jackson… I carried your son for nine months. Of course I ended up with postpartum depression.

“You don’t understand me—fine. But now you’re divorcing me just because I slept in the closet? Is that really it?”

I met her gaze, expressionless and pointed at the closet. “If that’s what you call home, then go live in it.

——

I’ll see you at the courthouse tomorrow. Ten a.m.”

I turned my wheelchair and started to leave the party. However, my brother-in-law, Yestin, stepped in and grabbed me by the collar.

“Jackson, explain yourself!” he snapped.

His grip tightened. I could barely breathe. “We’re both men, I know what this is really about.”

He clenched his jaw, eyes blazing. “It’s about that one little thing in bed, isn’t it? Yessenia nearly died giving birth to your child. Have you even looked at her body lately?

“That belly you used to love, now it’s covered in stretch marks. She gained thirty pounds carrying your son. Her body changed and now you’re disgusted? Where were you when she needed you?”

Yestin’s words were harsh and unfiltered. Everyone in the room turned to me with sharp, disapproving eyes.

To them, I was nothing more than a heartless husband filing for divorce because his wife’s body had changed after childbirth.

My reputation had been ruined since this moment. Anyone who mentioned my name would curse me.

Just as I was about to speak in my defense, my father-in-law slammed his wine glass down on the table. “Jackson, a man who truly loves his wife will only thrive with her by his side.

Every woman goes through changes during childbirth. If this is really why you're divorcing my daughter, then I have no respect for you.”

My mother-in-law scoffed. “Men… always thinking with what's in their pants! It’s been over a year since my daughter gave birth and she still hasn’t fully recovered.

“Can’t you show some compassion? She’s your wife, not some concubine from the past and definitely not a tool for you to take out your frustrations on!”

I said nothing.

Yessenia broke down in tears. “Jackson… you heartless man. Is this really the reason you want a divorce? Because I spent a year sleeping in the closet… and not in your bed?”

“Jackson, is this all you ever think about?”

Yessenia’s voice cracked, raw with frustration.

“Our son has been with us for a year. How many times have you changed his diaper? Do you even know how often he drinks formula? Do you care at all?”

The room went quiet, then the judgment came, swift and sharp.

“You walk around acting like some respectable man, but you can’t even handle basic fatherhood. Pathetic.”

“He made such a fuss about wanting a son, like he had some kingdom to pass down. Now look, he won’t even lift a finger for his own kid.”

“No wonder Yessenia is depressed. If I had a husband like that, I’d lose the will to live too.”

I raised my head slowly, eyes scanning each of them before letting out a cold laugh. “Say whatever you want. Yessenia, tomorrow morning, we're getting a divorce.”

“So you admit it?” Yestin lunged forward, fist pulled back. “You bastard. You don’t deserve her. I should beat the crap out of you!”

I didn’t move. Just stared at him.

“Stop!” Yessenia’s scream cut through the tension.

She rushed forward, shielding me with her arms. “He was in a car accident not long ago. He can’t fight back. If you hurt him… it would break my heart!”

The fist froze in mid-air.

Then, Yestin's smile turned bleak. "Jackson, did you see how much Yessenia loves you? The moment she saw someone about to hit you, she rushed over without thinking. It was instinct.

"You're in a wheelchair now and still, she never once looked down on you. So what right do you have to complain?

"I'm asking you one last time, are you really sure you want a divorce?"

“Divorce.” I turned to Yessenia, my expression flat.

Tears welled in her eyes as she grabbed my arm and whispered, “Jackson… I know I’ve neglected you this past year. It’s my fault. I’ll make it right. I’ll change, I promise.”

I sneered and shoved her hand away. “Save the act. Just get out of my sight. Divorce is happening, whether you like it or not.”

I turned my wheelchair, ready to leave. Then suddenly, someone dropped to their knees in front of me.

Yessenia, sobbing, shoved her hand into the spokes of my wheelchair. If I rolled forward, she’d be hurt.

I frowned. “Move your hand.”

She shook her head through her tears. “Jackson, I’m begging you. Please, can’t we just talk? Don’t do this here, in front of everyone... My family will worry.”

"You’re upset about me sleeping in the closet every night?" Yessenia cried, her voice trembling with emotion. "Fine, if you don’t like it, I’ll sleep with you! I’ll sleep in your bed from now on, even if I can’t fall asleep..."

After her tearful promise, the crowd around us began pointing and whispering.

"Such a coward."

"He’s making a fuss over something so small. Whoever marries him is doomed."

"Poor Yessenia. Look at what she puts up with. If the kid wasn’t so young, they’d be divorced by now."

To them, I was already the villain. Judging by their eyes, they looked ready to skin me alive.

I sneered. “Then why don’t you tell them, tell everyone, why you’re really sleeping in the closet?”

Yessenia froze. Panic flickered in her eyes, only to disappear a moment later.

My mother-in-law stepped up, scoffing. “Didn’t I explain this already? Yessenia has postpartum depression. That little closet makes her feel safe and calm. She just wants a quiet, enclosed space. And you think that’s something to pick a fight over?”

Yestin finally lost it. “She already said she’d stop sleeping in the closet! She’s trying! What more do you want?”

I didn’t bother to respond to either of them.

Instead, I said coldly, “I want divorce.”

My in-laws, who had stayed quiet until now, stiffened. Just as they were about to speak, a knock came at the door.

Three slow, deliberate knocks. “Anyone home?”

Yestin gave me a sharp look, then rushed to answer it.

Standing there was our next-door neighbor—Connor Xenon. Towering at 6'6", handsome and polite, he held a bag of candy in one hand and a sack of bread in the other.

Sensing the tension in the room, he paused, then stepped inside carefully.

“Uh, my wife just found out she’s pregnant,” he said, offering a small smile. “We ended up with way too much candy and bread, so I thought I’d share some with the neighbors. Y’know, spread a little happiness.”

As he spoke, Connor’s gaze finally landed on Yessenia.

She lowered her head in silence. I wasn’t sure if it was just my imagination, but a faint blush crept across her face.

Too bad no one else seemed to notice.

My father-in-law and mother-in-law’s expressions softened a little as they accepted the candy and bread from him.

“Thank you so much! Not many neighbors would think of us like this,” they said gratefully.

But Connor made no move to leave. He glanced around, then cautiously asked, “Did you guys have a fight?”

“Divorce!” Yestin snapped, shooting a glare at me.

Connor flinched. “Ouch!”

Then he quickly walked over to try and mediate. “Come on, buddy, couples should try to understand each other. You can’t just get divorced over a disagreement.”

He gave me an earnest look. “My wife’s only a few months pregnant and she’s already in so much pain she can’t sleep at night. I’m up all night too, massaging her back just so she can rest. But that’s what a man’s supposed to do because he loves his wife.”

Everyone turned to Connor with admiration.

“That’s a real man. He knows how to take care of his wife,” someone murmured.

My mother-in-law snorted coldly. “I wish my son-in-law was like that. Too bad he’s just a petty man.”

Tears welled in Yessenia’s eyes as she took another step toward me. “Jackson, I’m not asking you to be some perfect husband like the neighbor. I just want peace. Our son is nearly a year old. Do you really want him growing up without a father?”

I shoved her hand away, sneering. “Don’t touch me. Since when is your son going to be without a father?”

I looked her dead in the eye. “Go ahead, divorce me. You can take him to whoever actually made him.”

Her breath caught. For a moment, she just stood there, silent and stunned.

Then her family lost it.

“Jackson, you monster! How dare you say that now?”

“You don’t deserve to be called a man!”

Yestin’s expression turned murderous. He charged over, grabbed my collar and yanked me up from the wheelchair.

“Break one leg and suddenly you think you’re safe?” he hissed. “Keep talking like that and I swear I’ll break the other one too!”

I didn’t flinch. “Do it. Nothing changes. I’m still getting that divorce.”