My lawyer, following my instructions, kept my location confidential. “Mr. Smith, I’m handling
the divorce proceedings. Since you’re
contesting the divorce, we’ll proceed through. the courts. However, the evidence against you
is substantial. Litigation will not be favorable.”
John hung up before he could finish. His mind
was racing. He had to find me.
But I was already on a plane to Switzerland. It
was time to chase my own dreams.
Professor Schmidt was waiting for me at the airport. He hugged me warmly. “Amelia! What a
surprise! What about your… boyfriend? You two
were so inseparable. I figured you’d have a
<
family by now.”
I hesitated. I had wanted children. John had always said he was too busy, even if I offered to be a stay–at–home mom. He’d even accused me of lacking ambition, of not caring about my career. Now, I realized he probably didn’t want kids with me.
“We’re divorced,” I said quietly.
The professor’s smile faltered. He sighed. “Such a shame. But look at it this way, Amelia. You have your whole life ahead of you. You’ll find someone who’s right for you.”
I shook my head. My marriage had taken
everything I had. I doubted I’d ever risk my heart
again. He changed the subject, filling me in on
his current research projects. It was exactly the
kind of work I’d always dreamed of doing.
At the institute, I changed into my lab coat,
eager to start. Professor Schmidt stopped me.
“Amelia, you just got off a plane! There’s no
rush. I’ve invited some of the team to dinner
tonight. A little welcome party.”
That evening, I discovered that “some of the
<
team” meant one person: David, a senior
researcher just a couple of years older than me. He was easygoing and funny. We discovered we
shared a lot of the same interests. I found
myself relaxing for the first time in months.
As we left the restaurant, I looked up and saw
John standing across the street, under a tree.
For a moment, I thought I was hallucinating.
Chapter 6
I couldn’t see his expression clearly in the shadows. “Looks like you have company,”
David said. “I’ll leave you to it. See you at the
institute tomorrow.” He waved goodbye and
headed towards the bus stop with Professor
Schmidt.
I stood there, frozen. It was over between John
and me. We had nothing to say to each other.
He ran across the street, his hair disheveled in
the wind, his eyes red–rimmed. “Amelia, come
home with me. Let’s start over. I don’t need the
company. My career means nothing compared
to you. We’ll have a baby. I’ll stay home and
take care of you both.” He reached for my
<
hand, but I stepped back.
I knew he wasn’t offering this out of love. His
reputation was ruined. His company was facing bankruptcy. He had nothing left to lose.
“There’s no ‘us‘ anymore, John. You made your choices. I gave you chances.”
“But can’t I have a chance to make mistakes?
I’m not perfect! Why won’t you give me another chance?”
A chance? I looked at his tearful face. Five years of marriage, and he’d never truly seen me as his partner. Now he wanted another chance? His phone rang. It was Sarah. He glanced at me nervously and hesitated before silencing the call. He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. “She probably needs you. Go back home, John. And don’t come looking for me again.”
A bus pulled up. I climbed aboard, glancing back to see John hail a cab and disappear into the night.
I threw myself into my work. The new rocket
project, though initiated in the US, was still in
I threw myself into my work. The new rocket project, though initiated in the US, was still in
its conceptual phase. I shared my designs and research with my new colleagues. We made rapid progress.
Six months later, I returned to the US for a
conference with Professor Schmidt. That’s
when I learned what had happened to John. His company had gone bankrupt. He was drowning
in debt. Sarah had been convicted of fraud and
sentenced to five years in prison. By the time
she got out, everything would have changed. She’d have no career left. John had fought the
divorce, but the court had ruled in my favor,
citing his infidelity.
This was the life I wanted. I looked up at the
sky. The sun was shining. My future, finally, was
bright.
