Regret After I Walked Away

The day Arthur and I got divorced was entirely ordinary.

It was an afternoon as unremarkable as any other.

We were having tea, while Arthur kept his head down, absorbed in his phone, replying to messages.

We sat so close to each other, yet it felt as though there were an insurmountable gulf between us.

I said, “Let’s get divorced.”

“Okay.”

He blurted it out without hesitation.

Without even looking up, he scribbled his signature on the divorce papers.

Years ago, he was just as eager on our marriage certificate.

When it came to dividing assets, he handed me the house we were living in, saying, “I’m afraid you won’t have anywhere to stay.”

I didn’t refuse.

Who would reject extra money?

On the day we went to file for divorce, we both felt a wave of relief.

After everything was finalized, Arthur still had the audacity to ask, as though we were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years,

“Bella Carver, if you ever need anything, you can always come to me.”

“Okay.”

I waved my hand, bidding him farewell.

But as I turned, I ran straight into Clara.

She was walking in high heels, a bright, dazzling smile on her face, and she waved at me.

I gave a soft “Hmm” in response and quickened my pace to leave.

As I got into my car, I could still hear Clara’s voice.

“Congratulations, Arthur, you're finally free.”

I was free too.

My freedom? It was to help others—infinitely more fulfilling and passionate than being trapped in a marriage that only hurt us both.

It may have seemed like we parted ways gracefully, but the truth is, the past few years had been an absolute mess.

At the peak of our fights, we hated each other so much that we could have ripped out each other’s throats.

The reasons for our arguments were endless—my busy career that left me no time for him, his dance partner.

Arthur’s dance partner, Clara, had just been transferred back from Kaldira City.

The moment I laid eyes on Clara, I knew Arthur was lost.

She looked just like his late first love.

And sure enough, before long, I kept hearing Clara’s name from Arthur.

Whenever he spoke of her, there was always a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

In his words, Clara was beautiful, graceful, independent, generous, and an exceptional dancer.

But after all those years of being together, he had never once praised or recognized me in the same way.

Before long, rumors about them began to circulate.

They were seen entering and leaving together several times, caught by the media.

Arthur never officially announced our divorce to the public.

Everyone assumed he was still single.

The sparks of romance between two single people were something the public found delightful.

So, they quickly became a couple with their own nickname—Lord Arthur & Lady Clara.

I cried. I screamed.

But all he did was look at me like I was insane.

“Is this really about those ridiculous rumors online? Are you seriously causing a scene over this?”

“Clara is my dance partner. If you’re going to make this public, are you trying to ruin her or me?”

“If Clara gets kicked out of the troupe because of you, forget about keeping your job at the hospital.”

In that moment, I was stunned.

He was threatening me.

Threatening to use my most beloved career against me—for someone else.

But it was Arthur who once held me and said,

“My wife is the top surgeon. Of course I’m proud of her.”

That night, I packed my things and listed the house online for sale.

That crazy bastard sent me a lengthy message, thousands of words long.

I glanced at it.

The first line read: “Why are you so obedient now? Why aren’t you begging me to stay…”

I couldn’t bear to read any more, so I turned off my phone.

Did he really think I’d still be devoted to him after all this?

Once the news of our divorce spread, a lot of people came to offer their condolences.