My Husband Chose His Ex-Wife Every Time, So I Chose Divorce

The moment my husband's ex-wife sent him a message, he'd reply in a heartbeat.

At first it only happened during the day.

Later, even when we were being intimate at night, he'd get up the instant one of her messages came in.

I couldn't hold back my anger anymore.

Max Stephens, if you care about her this much, why don't you just go live with her instead.

He didn't even lift his head.

Only after he set the phone down did he look at me, frowning.

"She's out of town right now and things aren't easy for her, so she only asks me when something comes up. Don't throw a childish tantrum."

He promised me over and over that he'd never do it again.

But the very next second, his phone rang again.

He glanced at it once, his face filled with worry, and hurried out.

That was her ringtone. His ex-wife's alone.

Watching him walk away, I was suddenly exhausted.

01

Late in the night, the mattress beside me dipped, and Max pulled me into his arms.

I checked my phone. It was already past midnight.

He tucked his chin against my forehead the way he always did and murmured,

"Ivy forgot to walk her dog, and she's afraid it can't hold it much longer."

"She's out of town, so she asked me to go walk it for her."

"I figured, if I can help, I should. You won't be upset, right?"

But he said that same line every time.

Last month, a storm broke out one night.

And because of one phone call from Ivy Larson, Max drove out into the downpour to pick her up.

I tried to keep him there.

"Max, can you not go tonight? I'm scared"

I hadn't finished before he cut me off.

"Ivy just got back from out of town, and it's pouring this hard."

"She's a woman on her own. I can't leave her like that."

"Be good, okay? I'll come straight back to you the moment I've picked her up!"

But he forgot the one thing I feared most was thunder.

That night I curled up alone under the covers, my face drained of color, and rode out the lightning and the storm.

And just last week, we'd made plans to have dinner with my parents.

We'd both already gotten to the restaurant.

Then one phone call from Ivy Larson, and he turned and walked out.

He left me and my parents sitting there, and the look on their faces went sour.

Afterward, he explained it to me.

"Ivy's away on a business trip and couldn't stop worrying about her place."

"I know how her plants need to be cared for, so she asked me to water them for her."

It took him a lot of time and effort to smooth things over with me and my parents.

Listening to his even breathing beside me, I opened his phone and went into his messages with Ivy Larson.

Right then, the newest message popped up on the screen.

Max, thank god I have you. I wouldn't know what to do otherwise!

Your wife won't be upset, will she? Please don't let me be the reason you two fight.

I kept scrolling up through the history.

Only then did I realize their chats had never once stopped in ten years.

Even after he and I married in the third year, their messages grew less frequent, but they never broke off.

Even on our wedding day, Max posted something online, and his ex-wife liked it.

And their chats only grew more and more frequent.

Small things, like not understanding an instruction manual. Big things, like asking him to go check on her parents.

And Max, without a single exception, said yes to all of it.

Looking at those messages, I was suddenly exhausted.

02

The next morning I woke early to a knock at the door.

Years of muscle memory took over, and without thinking I reached out to shove Max awake so he'd get up and answer it.

But the space beside me had long gone cold.

When I got up and came out, I saw Max wheeling Ivy's suitcase inside.

He offered an explanation.

"Ivy forgot her key, so she'll just make do here for now."

"We'll call a locksmith to open her door tomorrow."

I was about to argue when Ivy cut in first.

"I've already seen you in photos. You're even prettier in person."

"I'll just stay one night. You don't mind, do you?"

The next moment, Max thoughtfully took her luggage from her.

"She's very easygoing. She won't mind."

"Just settle in and stay. We'll figure something out tomorrow."

At that, Ivy's eyes brightened.

Right then her stomach growled, and she rubbed her head, a little embarrassed.

"I rushed to catch my ride and forgot to eat."

"You two haven't eaten either, right? Then let's all go out and grab a bite!"

I watched them coldly and said nothing.

I just got myself ready and went out to find somewhere to eat.

And then, on the food street, I ran into Max and Ivy, who had followed along.

The whole way, Ivy chattered eagerly, pointing out the good places to eat.

Max answered her now and then, and the way he looked at her carried a hint of indulgence.

I trailed behind them like part of the scenery.

Breathing in the greasy smell of the food street, I glanced at Max without meaning to.

Wanting to see whether he'd remember that today was our wedding anniversary.

But his eyes held nothing but Ivy.

Then Ivy picked a noodle place and sat down.

Max followed close behind her.

I couldn't stop myself.

"Max, do you remember what day it is today?"

He stared at me, blank for a few seconds, then it clicked, and he leaned close to my ear.

"I remember now. Today's our anniversary. Perfect, we can spend it together right here."

"Ivy just got back today. Let's not spoil her mood."

Then he ordered an extra chicken drumstick for me.

Seeing that, I said nothing more.

By then the noodles we'd ordered were being brought out.

Max smoothly set the bowl with no cilantro down in front of Ivy.

My hand, half reached out, hung in the air.

He'd forgotten. I don't eat cilantro either.

When Max saw that I still hadn't moved, he set a bowl in front of me too, but it was heaped with cilantro.

My appetite vanished on the spot, and I put my chopsticks down.

"I'm not eating."

Hearing that, a flicker of irritation crossed Max's face.

"Charity, don't throw a tantrum on me here."

"At home I'll indulge you however you want, but we're out in public now. Don't make me lose face."

I met his eyes, refusing to back down.

Then he suddenly remembered I don't eat cilantro, and picked all of it out.

But the noodles had already gone cold.

On the way back, Max passed an accessories stall and bought two gifts.

Seeing that, some of the anger in my chest eased.

He turned around and handed me one.

The other, he gave to Ivy.

03

That was when the message came through: both sets of parents had booked a private room to celebrate our wedding anniversary for us.

I didn't want to throw their kindness back at them, so I went on my own.

When my mother-in-law saw me arrive alone, she asked, puzzled,

"Charity, why isn't Max here with you?"

I didn't want her to worry, so I made up something on the spot.

"Mom, he's got work today. He might not be able to make it."

At that, her face fell a little, but she didn't press.

Then someone knocked at the door.

Max pushed it open, with Ivy right behind him.

He said, a touch apologetic,

"Sorry I'm late. I had to pick Ivy up from the airport."

The moment she saw Ivy, my mother-in-law rushed over and pulled her into a hug, eyes brimming with tears.

"Ivy, it's been so long. Don't tell me you've stopped thinking of me as family?"

Ivy shook her head, then held out the bag of apples in her hand.

"It's not like that. You've always been family to me."

"I saw someone selling apples on the way over. I know how much you love them, so I got some."

My mother-in-law took the apples and heaped praise on her.

"Ivy, you're the one with a good heart. Not like some people."

And with that, she wiped at her eyes.

But that wasn't how she'd treated me when we first met.

She'd always found fault with everything I did.

"You can't measure up to Ivy in a single way. I have no idea what my son ever saw in you!"

Later, when I went to their place for the holidays, she mentioned her shoulder was hurting.

I scrimped and saved for a whole month to buy her a shoulder-and-neck massager.

She still picked at me over it.

"What did you waste money on this thing for?"

"Money's hard to come by these days. You don't even know how to save a penny!"

I thought she was worried about how hard we worked for our money, and I even talked her around.

Yet here she was, moved to tears over one bag of apples Ivy brought.

So her sharp tongue was only ever aimed at me.

Maybe, in her heart, she had never once counted me as her daughter-in-law.

At those words, my parents' faces changed all at once.

My mother was the first to lose her patience, and she rounded on him.

"What's that supposed to mean? Where does that leave my daughter?"

My mother-in-law froze for a second, then scrambled to smooth things over.

"Now, don't be upset. I speak before I think sometimes."

"You know how sentimental Max is. He probably just hasn't quite let go yet."

Her little speech left me laughing in disbelief.

"If he still hasn't let go, then why did he marry me?"

"Do you really think our family's an easy mark? Something you can squeeze whenever you please?"

My parents were shaking with anger too. In an instant they were on their feet and heading for the door.

Watching it happen, a flicker of panic crossed Max's eyes.

"Charity, hurry, help me explain it to your parents."

Right then, Ivy suddenly started wiping at her tears.

"Max, this is all my fault. I should never have come and stirred everything up."

"If it weren't for me, none of you would have ended up fighting like this."

Max couldn't stand to see her looking so wronged, and he rushed to comfort her.

"Ivy, it's not your fault. Don't read too much into it"

I didn't look at them again. I went after my parents.

04

When I came out, Mom was sitting on the bench, wiping her eyes.

Dad sat beside her, trying to comfort her, but his own eyes were red too.

The moment Mom saw me, she pulled my hand into hers, her face full of pain.

"Charity, you've been suffering all this time. Why didn't you tell us?"

"If we hadn't come out to eat today, we'd never have known this is how they treat you at home!"

I swallowed the bitterness in my eyes and forced a smile.

"It's fine, Mom. I'm going to divorce him soon."

Mom stared at me for a long time, dazed.

"Charity, have you really thought this through?"

I gave them a solemn nod.

"When I go back in, I'll make it clear to them."

"As long as you've thought it through. We'll be waiting for you at home."

Only after I'd put them in a cab and sent them off did I turn and go back inside.

The table was already crowded with dish after dish.

There was the whole roasted fish I don't like.

There was the cold salad I'm allergic to.

The noise of me coming in did nothing to disturb the warmth between them.

Max was carefully picking the bones out of the fish for Ivy, then setting the piece into her bowl.

Ivy thanked him sweetly.

"Max, I can't believe you still remember I don't like fish bones."

Max didn't even lift his head. He spoke to me.

"Waitress, we don't need you here. If there's nothing else, you can go."

"Don't disturb our family meal. I'll call you if we need anything."

Marion, on the other hand, stiffened when she saw me.

She quickly shot Max a warning look, but he paid no attention.

Watching the ease and closeness between them, I cut in.

"Max, I'm the outsider here. I shouldn't have come to disturb you."

At the sound of my voice, his head snapped around.

Then he stood at once and pulled out a chair for me.

"It's not like that, honey. I thought you were the waitress."

"I didn't know you'd come back. I thought you'd gone straight home."

He knew perfectly well I'd left angry, and still he hadn't cared enough to come after me, to say one soft word.

He knew all of it, and played dumb anyway.

It took me seven years to see this man clearly. A little laughable, really.

Just then a waitress came in carrying an iron pot.

"Excuse me, coming through, this is very hot."

I was about to step aside when someone shoved me, and my arm slammed straight into the iron pot.

Then Ivy suddenly shrieked.

"Max, I think my hand got burned, it hurts so much!"

Max's attention was on her in an instant.

A few drops of soup had splashed from the pot onto her finger, leaving a small red, swollen patch.

And I was in too much pain to make a single sound.

I looked to Max for help, hoping he would take me to the hospital.

But without a moment's hesitation he swept Ivy up into his arms and rushed for the door.

As he passed me, a flicker of disgust crossed his eyes.

"Charity, what are you doing sitting on the floor playing the victim? You're not even hurt!"

"Get up on your own. Don't make a spectacle of yourself."

He looked right past the large red welt on my hand, his eyes only on Ivy and her tiny burn.

Marion came over and helped me up, accidentally brushing against my wound.

I couldn't help hissing.

She pushed up my sleeve and found that my arm was already swollen and red, blisters rising on the skin.

I pushed her away and got up, staggering, and went to the hospital on my own.

Second-degree burns. I nearly lost the use of the whole hand.

After it was bandaged, I went home and quietly waited for Max to come back.

It was the middle of the night before Max finally dragged himself home, exhaustion all over his face.

When he saw me, surprise flickered in his eyes.

"Charity, you're still up this late?"

I said nothing.

I only held out the divorce papers, already signed, in front of him.