She was quiet. Then she asked, "Are you seeing someone? " "No. Are you sure? " I looked at her. Why would that matter? I don't know.
It doesn't. A week later, Alice moved into a furnished apartment across town. I helped her move the larger pieces of furniture because I wasn't interested in creating unnecessary hostility. When she carried the last box to her car, she stopped beside me. Peter, I waited.
I never wanted us to become enemies. Neither did I. She looked down at the box in her hands. I still care about you. I believe you.
She looked up. But you're not changing your mind. No. She nodded slowly. Then she drove away.
The divorce moved faster than either of us expected. There were a few disagreements over the house and some investments, but nothing became a war. I agreed to a fair division. Alice didn't get punished for leaving me, and I didn't try to punish her for finding someone else. That wasn't what I wanted.
I wanted my life back. During that period, I heard almost nothing about Alice. The only updates came through mutual friends. One of them was Graham Miller, a friend we'd both known for years. He called me one evening.
You doing okay? I'm fine. How's the divorce going? Almost finished. There was a pause.
Then Graham said, "I heard Alice and Thomas are serious. " I leaned back in my chair. "Good for them. You don't want to know anything else? " "No. " He laughed quietly. "You really don't? " "No. That was the truth. " But two weeks later, Graham called again.
This time, his voice sounded different. Peter, I probably shouldn't be telling you this. Then don't. He paused. I think they're having problems.
I said nothing. Apparently, Thomas has been staying out late. Alice thinks he's hiding something. That's between them. That's all you're going to say?
Yes. Graham laughed. You're different. No. I looked out the office window at the traffic below.
I'm just done. five months after Alice first told me about the other man, the divorce was finalized. She signed the final documents. So did I. 15 years of marriage ended with a few signatures and a judge's approval. When I walked out of the courthouse, I expected to feel something bigger.
Anger, relief, sadness. Instead, I felt calm. My phone rang before I reached my car. It was Graham. Congratulations, he said.
I smiled. Thanks. Where are you going? I opened my car door. Back to work.
And that was exactly what I did. The first few months after the divorce were quieter than I expected. I moved into a smaller place closer to my office and stopped thinking about what Alice was doing. There was no reason to know. She had chosen Thomas.
I had accepted the decision. That should have been the end of it. My company was busy, so I threw myself into work. We were expanding into another market, and I spent more time visiting clients and working with my managers. I also started doing things I hadn't done in years.
I joined a gym. I started playing golf again. I traveled on weekends whenever I had the time. None of it was an attempt to make Alice jealous. She wasn't watching.