Love Disperses With the Wind

My husband's latest lover is a dab hand at making coffee. I'm curious, so I go to her coffee shop to try a cup. When I get home, my husband grips my neck tightly as he warns, "Stay away from her." I'm reminded of how he did the same thing to my betrothed at the time before snatching me away. "Do you like her that much?" I laugh and watch as Ray Prunier loses control. I guess I'll give him what he wants, then. Chapter 1 My husband, Ray Prunier, repeatedly had affairs, but I never cared about them. I pretended as though they weren't happening, and together, we continued to act like a loving couple in front of others. Back then, I had to beg my father to allow us to get married. Thus, I refused to allow my marriage to fail. No matter how heartbroken I was, I could only hide under the covers and cry by myself. Thankfully, Ray's affairs were all casual, so they never threatened our marriage. However, this girl was different. I knew this because I had glimpsed a part of a divorce agreement when I brought Ray some coffee. Ray was awakened by my movements, took the mug from my hand, and had a small sip. He complained, "It's too bitter. Please don't bring me coffee anymore." I didn't remember leaving the study, but I recalled how my trembling hands had betrayed my emotions. Afterward, I immediately called someone to look into Ray's most recent girl. I found out that he often visited one specific coffee shop. Ever since he became successful, his tastes had grown increasingly particular. So now, he only drank coffee made from hand-grounded beans. It was as if he was trying to shake off his former image of a poor young man. It was to the extent that Ray didn't even glance at cheap little shops anymore. Because of this, I doubted if I was in the right place as I stared at the shop before me. I carefully compared it with the photo my assistant had sent. It was a budget-friendly and quaint place tucked away in the college district. The girl in question cheerfully greeted me when I walked in. Her smile was as bright as the sun. My heart jolted upon seeing her—it was no wonder Ray had an affair with her. "I'm not sure what to order. Could you recommend something to me?" I asked her. I watched as the girl skillfully made something and added ice to it. Then, she handed me the drink and said, "I hope you enjoy it." I found a seat by the window before cautiously sipping the coffee. It was too sweet—the saccharine flavor overwhelmed my taste buds. Chapter 2 I abandoned the drink after taking only a sip from it. After leaving behind a tip, I left the shop. Ray came home drunk that night. He reeked so strongly of alcohol that I had to pinch my nose. With a glass of water in my hand, I walked around his side of the bed to mine. "Take a shower. I can't sleep when you stink so badly," I admonished him. I didn't know when it started, but my relationship with Ray was now estranged. We had been married for seven years. Now, the passion we once felt for each other had faded, leaving only disgust behind. Ray turned over and deliberately rubbed his stank onto me. Angered, I slapped him. Then, I said, "I went to a coffee shop today. It was near our old college. I never noticed it before—" He cut off the rest of my words by grabbing my throat. "You went to see her?" he questioned. I instantly knew who Ray was referring to. In the past, I had always ignored his transgressions and been unconcerned about them. But this time, I didn't. "That's right. That little vixen is seducing my husband. Can't I teach her a lesson?" I shot back harshly. I felt him gradually squeezing my throat at my deliberate words. Ray's tone was threatening as he said, "I'm warning you, leave her alone." I laughed at this. Tears stung the corner of my eyes as I cackled on. I could feel my lungs running out of oxygen, and my eyes started to roll backward. Ray released his grip just as I was about to lose consciousness. I collapsed close to the edge of the bed, coughing for a long time. He had left a hideous handprint on my neck. "She is my bottom line, Claire Fort. I will make life difficult for you and your family if you dare mess with her," Ray warned. Then, he slammed the door on the way out. I sat pensively on the bed. In my near-death moment, I only thought of one thing—Ray would actually kill me because of that girl. Chapter 3 The girl's name was Nadia Rivera. She was a student who lived in the college district. Nadia was still studying, but her family wasn't well-off. Because of this, she worked part-time at the coffee shop near her college every day. Three months ago, Ray started frequenting the coffee shop for his coffee. Sometimes, he would even sit there the whole day and not go to the office. "Do you like her that much? So much so that you're willing to choke me to death over her?" I murmured to myself. I recalled how Ray had once done the same for me but to someone else. He had threatened, "She's my wife now, so stay away from her." Ray and I had met in college. At the time, he was still a broke college student who had to work three jobs a day just to get by. He used to be a campus errand boy and had spilled the coffee I ordered all over me. I didn't make a fuss back then. It was just a piece of clothing, after all. I could have someone buy a new one for me within 10 minutes. Ray had flushed red from embarrassment as he apologized to me. The next day, he returned the dress I had been wearing. It had smelled strongly of laundry detergent. He carefully avoided my fingers when handing it back to me, and his clumsiness was adorable. I found Ray interesting and asked him to buy me coffee once he got his salary. Back then, I had pretended to have mature tastes and ordered an iced long black coffee. The drink was so bitter that it made me scrunch up my face. Later, Ray secretly added double shots of milk and sugar. "Ugh, too sweet," he had commented after. We were young and bashful back then and would blush just from whispering to each other. But now… I examined myself in the mirror. My hair was disheveled, and the red handprint mark on my neck looked horrifying. Afterward, I spent hours rummaging around the house for the first aid kit. However, I couldn't find it. In the past, Ray would frantically carry me to the bed if I had accidentally bumped into the table. Then, he would quickly fetch band-aids and anti-inflammatory cream. I was curled up on the bathroom floor when my phone vibrated—it was a text from Ray. It read, "Let's get a divorce." The message included a divorce agreement stating that the house and car would be mine—he was leaving everything behind for Nadia. Putting on a turtleneck sweater, I hailed a cab to his office. It was the first time I had visited him there. The receptionist asked if I had an appointment. "No, just tell Ray Prunier that his wife is downstairs," I stated. The receptionist sneered at this. "That's not how you climb the ladder, miss. We've all seen Mr. Prunier's wife. You'd better run along before I call security," she said derisively. My hands balled into fists as the image of Nadia's bright, smiling face flashed in my mind. Chapter 4 I was about to take my phone out to call Ray when a voice spoke up behind me. "Good morning!" It was Nadia. She was wearing an overall skirt, and her hair was tied in a high ponytail. For a moment, it was like I was looking at the college version of myself. I watched as she greeted everyone while smiling brightly. "Good morning, Mrs. Prunier," the receptionist greeted Nadia with a slight bow of her head. She emphasized the greeting while looking at me scornfully. "I've brought coffee—it's my treat. I even made it myself," Nadia announced. "Thank you, Mrs. Prunier. Our CEO is truly lucky to have you. You're not only beautiful but talented, too—unlike some women these days who are only delusional." The receptionist complimented her while snidely taking a jab at me. Nadia lowered her head shyly at this. Then, she skipped onto the elevator. Meanwhile, I was left standing there awkwardly. I called Ray several times, but the calls were all immediately rejected. Hence, I texted him, "Come downstairs and invite me up if you want to preserve her reputation." My hands were shaking uncontrollably. Tears had already started flowing down my face. All these years, I had tried to pretend that I didn't care about Ray's affairs. I kept thinking to myself that the affairs didn't mean anything. I also told myself that these girls were all passing fancies and that I was the one he loved. Shortly after I sent the text, Ray's assistant came downstairs and escorted me up. I spotted Nadia as we neared Ray's office. Her skirt fluttered gently, and she clung to Ray while throwing a tantrum. When she noticed me coming, Nadia quickly straightened herself up. She said to Ray, "I should let you get back to work." Then, she made her way to the door. When I spotted the emerald pendant resting against Nadia's chest, I unconsciously reached out and stopped her. It was the same one I had gotten for Ray when he had fallen seriously ill. I had to climb a mountain and beg for it. I opened my mouth to speak, but it felt as though there was cotton stuffed down my throat—I couldn't make a sound. Ray narrowed his eyes at me from behind Nadia. "Is there a problem?" he silently warned me. Snapping back to reality, I released her arm. "Sorry—that's a beautiful pendant," I said to her. "Thank you," Nadia replied. Chapter 5 "It seems you didn't take yesterday's warning seriously," Ray stated darkly. Now that Nadia had left, his expression had reverted to the cold and unapproachable one I was used to seeing. He turned, grabbed a document, and tossed it at me. As I skimmed through it, I realized it was a project my father's company was working on. "I meant what I said, Claire. Your father could be left with nothing but the clothes on his back if I wanted it so. How long do you think you can continue living like a pampered princess when that happens?" Ray added threateningly. I licked my dry lips. It turned out he had always resented me all these years. Years ago, Ray and I confronted my father to tell him about our relationship. The old man was furious. Dad had refused to allow me to marry Ray because Ray had nothing back then. However, Ray had even gone on his knees at the time. He had also stubbornly refused to let go of my hand and endured it all as Dad humiliated him. But today, Ray threw a divorce agreement at my face. It reminded me of when Dad had thrown a wad of cash in his. It seemed karma had made its way to me, and it was now my turn to experience such humiliation—but did it really have to be this way? Ray merely needed to tell me he didn't love me anymore, and I wouldn't have made him stay. When I picked up the divorce agreement, I couldn't help chuckling mirthlessly when I saw he had already signed it. It seemed he genuinely loved Nadia. "Can I ask you a question?" I said to him. I looked up from the agreement and back at him. Taking in his pretentious appearance, I asked, "What do you like about her?" Ray didn't answer. Our seven years of marriage ended in silence. … Ray brought Nadia along to city hall on the day we were to collect our divorce certificate. "Is this to save the trouble of making a second trip?" I couldn't help asking sardonically. Ray hid Nadia behind him like a mother hen protecting a chick. "I'm sorry, Claire. I didn't know you and Ray were married," Nadia apologized. "I definitely wouldn't have come between you two if I had known, but you've seen how unhappy Ray was in your marriage. And now that you've divorced him amicably, I hope you can be happy for us." The words coming out of her pretty mouth made me want to die. "I hope you don't mind, but I would like to invite you to our wedding," she added as she handed me an invitation. I wordlessly looked at Ray, hoping to glimpse a sliver of the old him—the one that used to love me. However, his gaze was focused entirely on the blushing Nadia, so much so that he wouldn't even spare me a glance. I couldn't believe they were already handing out wedding invitations when our divorce certificate was still hot off the press. Chapter 6 Ray and Nadia's extravagant wedding was even featured on the news. He was smiling adoringly while holding a white-gown Nadia, which made me think back to our wedding day. Ray and I hadn't had any guests—it had just been us, holding hands. It had seemed so sad and lonely. Yet, I had felt like I was the happiest person in the world. I had already packed up all my things and booked a flight out of the country. As for the villa he had left to me in the divorce, I had already listed it for sale on a real estate platform, too. I called Ray one last time before boarding my plane. "I've put the house up for sale. If there's anything you want, remember to pick it up—" "No need, just throw it all away," he cut me off. Ray's reply was curt, and he ended the call before I could say anything else. Did he hate me so much that he didn't even want to hear my voice? I was about to block Ray's number when a text from him came through. "Hey, do you have a death wish?" it read. Then, his next text sent chills down my spine and spiked my heart with fear. "Who gave you permission to reveal the secrets of our marriage? Can't you at least come up with a more subtle way to get your revenge?" I immediately tapped the news notification on my phone, and sure enough, the latest headline was about Ray's extramarital affairs and that his new wife was one of his mistresses. I called Ray. When he finally answered, I immediately said, "I didn't—" However, he interrupted me again. "Don't think you'll get to live in peace now that you've done this. Do you think I'm still the same person you and your father used to bully?" I didn't even think to hang up before frantically hailing a cab and rushing to my childhood home. "Dad! Where are you?" I yelled once I arrived. I collapsed by the door, sobbing as my heart raced. I didn't know what crazy thing Ray might do now that he had been triggered.