No Longer Waiting for You to Change

On Christmas Day, Dad shows up at my wife Sophia Walker's law firm, covered in snow. Clutching a crumpled land purchase contract, he stands awkwardly in front of her desk for a long time before finally gathering the courage to speak. "Sophia, I got scammed out of 30 thousand dollars in retirement savings when I bought a plot of land to be buried in. You're a lawyer. Could you take a look at the contract and see if there's any way I can get my money back?" Sophia specializes in contract disputes, but she doesn't even bother to glance at the document. Instead, she sweeps it off her desk and onto the floor. "You came to me over a 30-thousand-dollar scam involving a burial plot? I have actual clients waiting. I can't waste billable hours on this." Dad flinches at her words and hurriedly bends down to pick up the contract, apologizing over and over. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to bother you. I won't take up any more of your time. I'll figure something out myself." My heart aches at the sight. Then my gaze falls on the case files scattered across Sophia's desk. Right on top is a legal brief arguing for an acquittal in Ethan Cole's aggravated assault case. Ethan is her childhood sweetheart. He's gotten into a bar fight and broken three of a woman's ribs. Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Sophia has spent the entire night poring over legal statutes and drafting more than 30 pages of arguments in an attempt to get him acquitted. Yet when it comes to her father-in-law, she can't even be bothered to look at his contract. I watch Dad shuffle toward the door, his back hunched and his shoulders slumped. Taking a deep breath, I slowly slide the wedding ring off my left ring finger and place it on the corner of Sophia's desk. Chapter 1 The moment the ring touched the desk, my wife Sophia Walker's phone rang. Ethan Cole's name lit up the screen. He was her childhood sweetheart. The impatience on Sophia's face vanished instantly, replaced by a tenderness I rarely got to see. "Don't worry, Ethan. I'm handling your case personally. I'm already on the fifth draft of your defense. Everything's going to be fine." Her voice held a patience and tenderness she rarely showed me. Ethan's hearty laughter came through the phone, and Sophia smiled in response. Meanwhile, the wedding ring I'd placed on her desk sat right in front of her, yet she hadn't spared it a single glance. My dad, Edward Morgan, had no idea what was happening. All he saw was Sophia talking on the phone, and he seemed to think he'd interrupted something important. He cautiously stepped back, but the melting snow dripping from his umbrella had already left a small, dark stain on the expensive carpet. The moment he noticed it, panic flashed across his face. He hurriedly crouched down and tried to wipe the stain away with his sleeve, mumbling apologies as he scrubbed. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I've dirtied your carpet…" But the harder he rubbed, the bigger the stain seemed to grow. His eyes reddened with desperation. The sight of Dad crouched on the floor, frantically trying to clean up after himself, made my eyes sting. "Dad, stop. You don't have to do that." I crouched beside him and reached for his arm. He looked up at me with an apologetic, almost ingratiating smile. "It's my fault. I should've been more careful. Sophia's busy, and I shouldn't have bothered her. Don't argue with her over this, alright? She's a high-powered attorney. Of course she's got a lot on her plate." Then he reached inside his coat and pulled out a bag of homemade cookies. "I made these chocolate cookies for you. I know they're your favorite. Share some with Sophia when she has time, okay?" He pressed the cookies into my hands, then turned and left. I stood there holding the bag, which felt as heavy as lead. It felt as heavy as lead. … When I returned to the office after seeing Dad out, I found the door slightly ajar. The moment I pushed it open, I froze. Ethan had arrived while I was gone. He was sitting on Sophia's desk, wearing one of her suit jackets, his legs swinging carelessly over the edge. I recognized the jacket immediately. It was Sophia's spare, which she kept on a rack in the break room. She had never allowed anyone else to touch it. Once, while tidying up the break room for her, I'd accidentally brushed against the jacket. She'd frowned, sent it straight to the dry cleaner, and warned me never to touch her belongings again. After three years of marriage, I knew just how obsessive she was about cleanliness. Yet here was Ethan, lounging in her jacket and casually drinking from her glass of water, while Sophia showed no trace of displeasure. When she noticed me, her expression remained unchanged, as though nothing about the scene was unusual. Ethan, however, was the first to speak. He hopped off the desk and flashed me a shameless grin. "Blake, don't be mad at Sophia, okay? You know I've got a short fuse. I only broke that woman's ribs because I was standing up for a buddy. Sophia's been up for days working on my defense, trying to get me out of this mess." As he spoke, he sauntered over and draped an arm around Sophia's shoulders casually, as if he owned the place. "Besides, why don't we just let that whole 30 thousand dollars thing with your dad go? No need to bother my friend with something like that, right?" Sophia swatted his hand away, but there was no real annoyance in her voice. "You really have no idea how strong you are, do you? If you get yourself into trouble again, don't expect me to bail you out next time." Then she turned to me, and every trace of warmth vanished from her face. She pointed at the wedding ring on her desk, frowning. "Put your ring back on. Stop pulling these childish stunts every time you don't get your way." Chapter 2 Before I could say a word, Sophia grabbed her car keys and said, "Let's go. The victim has agreed to settle out of court, so I'll take you to meet her. Try to cooperate and watch your attitude." As Ethan passed me, he deliberately bumped his shoulder against mine. It wasn't a hard hit, just a calculated little provocation delivered with casual contempt. He glanced back at me with a smug grin that said, "I'm this close to your wife. What are you going to do about it?" Then the two of them walked out of the office side by side, as if I weren't even there. I went to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the street below. Sophia walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for Ethan. He even raised a hand to shield her head from the top of the door, then offered her his other hand to help her into the car. Only after she was comfortably seated did he close the door and walk around to the driver's seat. The whole routine looked so natural, as though he'd done it countless times before. In our three years of marriage, Sophia had never once let me drive her car, claiming I'd scratch it. She'd never even bothered to pick me up from work on a rainy day. I turned away from the window and lowered my gaze to the wedding ring on the desk. Three years ago, Sophia had bought it with what little money she'd earned as an intern. It was nothing more than a simple gold band, but back then, I'd treasured it as a symbol of our love. I walked over, picked it up, and tossed it straight into the trash can. It landed with a dull thud. Just like that, three years of marriage came to an end. I took a deep breath and opened my banking app. Dad had lost 30 thousand dollars to a scam, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him that Sophia had refused to help. I knew he'd only blame himself for bothering his daughter-in-law and feel guilty about the whole thing. So I decided to transfer the money from our joint account to him and tell him I'd managed to recover his losses. That account held the emergency fund I'd been saving for Dad's heart surgery. He'd always had heart problems, and although he kept insisting he was fine, I knew better. The preion bottles in his desk drawer seemed to multiply every time I visited. For three whole years, I'd set aside part of my income every month and deposited it into that account, determined to make sure he'd have the money he needed when the time came. But when I logged in, the balance was zero. I stared at the screen in disbelief and refreshed the page three times. Nothing changed. With a sinking feeling in my stomach, I opened the transaction history. Just half an hour earlier, the entire balance of 500 thousand dollars had been transferred in a single transaction to someone named Ethan Cole. I bit down hard on my lip, my hands trembling as I called Sophia. "What is it?" she answered impatiently. "Where's the money in our account?" I demanded. Sophia let out a cold snort. "The victim is demanding 500 thousand dollars in compensation before she'll agree to settle the case. Ethan doesn't have that kind of money lying around, so I'm lending it to him." My whole body went rigid. "Sophia, you know damn well that money was for my dad's heart surgery!" Just then, Ethan's voice rang out in the background. "Sophia, don't fight with your husband because of me! I'll take responsibility for what I did. If I have to go to prison, so be it! Just don't let him get upset because of me!" "What nonsense are you talking about?" After snapping at Ethan, Sophia turned her attention back to me, her voice growing cold. "Blake Morgan, why can't you be more understanding like Ethan? Does your dad really need surgery this very second? Can't it wait a few days? Is delaying it really going to kill him? But if Ethan goes to prison, his entire life will be ruined!" I could hardly believe what I was hearing. "You transferred half a million dollars to him without a second thought. Yet when my dad came to you for help after being scammed out of 30 thousand dollars, you wouldn't even look at his contract because you couldn't bill him for your time!" There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, followed by a cold laugh. "Are you seriously keeping score with me? "Blake, if you think you're being treated unfairly, I can start paying you by the minute for all the housework you do, too." Her voice dripped with mockery. "I can afford to pay my stay-at-home husband for his services, you know." Then she hung up. I closed my eyes, and tears finally fell. But beneath the pain, something inside me had gone completely cold. Whatever love I had left for Sophia died in that moment. I didn't bother calling her back. Instead, I dialed another number. "Hey, Jack. I need your help with a divorce case." Jack Turner had been my college roommate and the second-ranked student in our law school class. I'd graduated at the top of the class, with him right behind me. Now, he was the most sought-after and expensive divorce attorney in the business. And I was the fool who'd given up everything for this marriage three years ago. Chapter 3 That evening, the moment I opened the front door, the overpowering smell of men's cologne hit me. Snack wrappers were scattered across the couch, and a pair of men's underwear hung brazenly from the floor lamp. Ethan sat cross-legged on the rug, playing video games, while Sophia lounged beside him with a glass of red wine in her hand. "What the hell is he doing here?" I asked, fixing Sophia with a cold stare. She answered as casually as if there was nothing unusual about the situation. "The victim took the money but still refuses to settle. I'm worried they might try to retaliate before the trial, so I told Ethan he could stay here for a couple of days. We have plenty of room, and he's practically family." I pointed at the underwear hanging from the lamp. "Tell him to clean up his own mess." Ethan tossed his controller aside and rolled his eyes before replying in a mocking tone, "Oh, come on, Blake. I'm just a laid-back guy. Unlike you, I guess I have better things to do than spend all day wiping down tables and sweeping floors. What's the harm in tidying up after me while you're at it?" With that, he grabbed another pair of underwear from the couch and deliberately flung it at Sophia. It smacked her right in the face. Ethan burst out laughing. "Hey, buddy! Hold on to that for me!" Sophia didn't even flinch. She simply brushed the underwear away and shook her head with an amused, almost helpless smile, as though Ethan's behavior were nothing more than an endearing quirk. Ethan winked at me. "Don't take it personally, Blake. This is just how we joke around." Then he leaned back and added, "You used to intern at a law firm, didn't you? You should know how things are in our line of work. We don't make a big deal out of gender. We're all just one of the guys." Sophia's smile faded as she turned to me, a hint of disdain creeping into her eyes. "Blake, you're always so stiff and clueless. Ethan was just joking around. Who do you think you're giving attitude to?" She rose to her feet and looked down at me condescendingly. "Besides, what can you even do these days besides a little housework?" Without waiting for a response, she turned and headed into the study. Ethan immediately jumped up and followed her. "Sophia, wait up! Let's go over my case." A moment later, their laughter drifted out of the study, carrying easily through the house. I stood alone in the living room, staring at the mess around me, momentarily lost in a daze. Back in college, I'd been the top student in our law school class, while Sophia had ranked third. She'd been the one to pursue me, saving me seats in the library, waiting in line for me at the cafeteria, and showing up with an umbrella whenever it rained. "Blake, you're the smartest guy I've ever met," she'd told me more than once. During our final year, I received an offer from one of the country's top law firms. It was the kind of opportunity most law students could only dream of, but Sophia told me her own firm was still getting off the ground and that she needed someone to hold down the fort at home. So I gave up my promising career and traded the courtroom for the kitchen. I took care of her ailing father and handled everything else around the house so she could devote herself to building her practice. Now she'd made a name for herself, and all she saw when she looked at me was a man who did nothing but housework. I took a deep breath and blinked back my tears. Since I'd already decided to divorce her, there was no reason to stay any longer. I might as well start packing and move out. But as I passed the coffee table, my foot caught on something. I glanced down, and my breath caught in my throat. At the bottom of the trash can lay several small objects, all cut into tiny pieces. They were the little festive sachets Dad had sewn by hand. His stitches were tight and meticulous, but his eyesight had been failing, and he'd spent an entire afternoon making them. He'd told me they would bring us good luck and little moments of joy, then insisted I hang them in the living room. I clenched the scraps of fabric in my fist, trembling with anger from head to toe. Then I stormed toward the study and kicked the door open, interrupting their playful banter. "Who cut up the sachets?" Sophia frowned at me. "They were just a few cheap trinkets. So what if they're ruined? Why are you making such a big deal out of it?" Ethan stuck out his tongue in an exaggeratedly apologetic gesture. "Sorry, Blake. They looked so tacky I thought they must've been some cheap freebies you'd picked up at the grocery store. I was bored, so I grabbed a pair of scissors and started cutting them up for fun." I glared at him, digging my fingernails into my palms. "My dad made those by hand!" Sophia stood up and stepped in front of Ethan, her face clouded with impatience. "That's enough! They're just a few lousy sachets. Is this really worth getting so worked up over? Ethan didn't do it on purpose." She pulled out her phone and opened a shopping app, as though she could settle the matter with a few taps on the screen. "How about a Rolex? Would a three-thousand-dollar watch make up for it? I'll buy one tomorrow to make it up to your dad." Chapter 4 "This isn't about the money." My voice was hoarse as I struggled to keep my emotions in check. "It's about the thought behind it. My dad can barely see, and he pricked his fingers several times while sewing those sachets." "Blake." Sophia cut me off, a hint of disdain in her eyes. "Your dad runs a little roadside stall. That's hardly respectable work to begin with. Stop bringing these cheap trinkets home. What will people think?" I stared at the woman who had promised Dad three years ago that she would always cherish me. When we'd gotten married, Dad had suggested holding the ceremony in his hometown. Sophia had brushed him off, claiming she was too busy with work at the law firm. But I'd noticed the frown on her face and the unmistakable flash of disgust in her eyes. She thought my hometown was too far away, the countryside too dirty, and Dad's relatives too low-class for her to associate with. That fleeting frown had lodged in my heart like a thorn, festering there for three long years. Back then, I swallowed my hurt and kept my mouth shut. But not this time. This time, I was going to pull that thorn out once and for all and take Sophia down with it. When Sophia realized I wasn't going to respond, she grabbed her car keys and turned to Ethan. "Come on. Let's go grab some late-night snacks." I sank onto the couch and began piecing together the scraps of fabric scattered across the coffee table, fitting them together one fragment at a time like a puzzle that could never be solved. Just then, my phone rang. "Am I speaking with a family member of Mr. Edward Morgan? He's been brought to the hospital and is currently unconscious. He needs emergency surgery. Please come to the hospital immediately." My mind went blank. A deafening roar drowned out everything around me. "What happened to my dad? He was fine just this afternoon." "Our preliminary diagnosis indicates an acute cardiac episode triggered by a fall. According to witnesses, he went to confront a salesperson this afternoon and was pushed down a flight of steps. We've issued a notice that he's in critical condition. Please get here as soon as possible." So Dad had gone after the scammer to demand his money back, all because he hadn't wanted to burden me with his problems. My hands trembled so violently that I could barely hold on to my phone. "I'm coming. I'll be there right away." The moment I hung up, I grabbed my wallet and bolted out the door. … At the hospital's payment counter, a nurse urged me to hurry. "You need to pay eight thousand dollars upfront! The patient's condition is critical, and he needs emergency surgery immediately." I pulled out my bank card and tried to pay, but the transaction was declined. I didn't have enough money in my account. With trembling hands, I called Sophia. She rejected my call twice. It wasn't until my third attempt that she finally answered. "What do you want now?" Her voice was thick with drunkenness. Loud music blared in the background, and someone shouted, "Come on, Sophia! You have to do a toast with Ethan!" Then Ethan's voice rang out above the noise. "Sophia, are you drinking or not?" Pain twisted through my chest, but I had no time to confront her about any of it. Swallowing my hurt, I pleaded, "Sophia, my dad needs emergency surgery right now! Please, just transfer eight thousand dollars back to me from the 500 thousand dollars. I'm begging you!" Silence fell on the other end for two seconds. Then Sophia let out a mocking laugh. "Blake, are you so desperate for my attention that you'd make up a story about your own dad being on the brink of death?" "Ethan has his trial tomorrow. I brought him out to relax, and you just had to ruin the evening, didn't you? If you really need money, I'll ask accounting to transfer 20 thousand dollars to you tomorrow." Before I could say another word, she hung up. I stood there frozen, consumed by despair. I could feel my legs giving way. Just then, a pair of strong hands caught my arm and steadied me. It was Jack. "Blake, take a breath. I'll cover your dad's surgery costs for now." The moment he said those words, all the emotions I'd been desperately holding back that night came crashing down at once. Once I'd managed to calm down a little, Jack pulled a document from his bag and handed it to me. "Blake, I looked into Ethan's case file. Do you know who that so-called rich girl is, the one whose ribs he broke at the bar?" His jaw tightened with anger. "Her name is Linda Mitchell. She's the same scammer who sold your dad that burial plot and cheated him out of 30 thousand dollars!" I froze, struggling to process what I'd just heard. Before I could make sense of it all, my phone vibrated again. This time, the call was from the local police station. "Hello, is this Mr. Blake Morgan, a family member of Edward Morgan?" "Yes, this is Blake." "Our investigation indicates that Linda Mitchell was the person who pushed your father down the steps this afternoon." I felt my blood run cold. "Ms. Sophia Walker is here at the station, requesting Linda's release on bail."