Husband In The Shadows - Chapter 11: Chapter 11

Nydia's face turned pale. She hadn't done anything technically wrong—but deep down, she knew. She'd been ignoring me for years.
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. There was nothing she could say.
She didn't even know me well enough anymore to guess where I might've gone. She felt completely lost.
Taking a deep breath, she pleaded, "Can you give me his contact info? I need to talk to him."
The judge shook his head. "I don't have it.
"If you really want to find him, you'll have to figure that out yourself.
"Emerson told me he doesn't want to see you in court. He hopes you'll just sign the papers."
Then he handed Nydia a pen.
One signature—and it'd be done. But even if Nydia didn't sign, the court could still rule in my favor.
Nydia's throat tightened. Her hand trembled as she held the pen.
The judge explained gently and added, "Given his determination and the evidence, this isn't going to go your way."
All the proof showed how her feelings for Jefferson had pushed me out of the marriage.
Nydia suddenly threw the pen down, refusing to sign. She was furious.
It was hard for her to accept that I had handled something as serious as a divorce in secret. She didn't know until the very end.
She started piecing it all together: the missing wedding photos, the vanishing couple items, my quiet detachment.
I'd stopped asking about her job or mentioning Jefferson, and I stopped caring.
She thought I'd just grown up. She thought that maybe I'd finally let things go.
It never crossed her mind that I'd leave.
That day, Nydia sat at home, totally out of it.
She ignored all her patients and calls, trying instead to reach me nonstop.
But no matter what she tried—texts, calls—there was no reply.
Nydia went to my company, asking my boss for my new contact info.
All he said was, "Emerson's resignation caught me off guard. He quit and left that same day. Looks like he had it all planned."
Nydia never thought finding me would be this hard.
She reached out to everyone I knew and even reported me missing.
But the police told her I was fine. I just didn't want to see her.
Out of options, Nydia finally sat down and wrote me a long email. She poured her heart out and waited.
After I left, I moved to Jaford City with nothing but my bags.
It was beautiful here, not far from my hometown. It was quiet and peaceful, the perfect place to start over and take care of my parents for a while.
I stayed with my parents for a few days, but I didn't mention the divorce.
Then I started job hunting. My resume was strong, so plenty of people reached out.
I just needed to choose the right one.
While checking work emails, I noticed a message from Nydia.
I hesitated, then opened it.
It was long, almost like one of her medical reports, page after page.
I couldn't help but scoff a little. It was just a matter of falling out of love and getting a divorce. I didn't see the point of that long, dramatic letter she wrote just to criticize me.
I figured she must be stewing at home. Probably furious.
She had always been the type who acted like she was kind to everyone, but when it came to a real connection, she was impossible to reach.
I felt great after finally getting away from her. I didn't feel like ruining it. So I closed the email without reading it.
Then I headed out for some street food and spent the rest of the day playing video games.
Later, I took my time walking through the old alleys that lined the neighborhood. Their quiet rhythm matched my pace. After a long hour, the mess in my heart started to settle down.
Life didn't stop for anyone. There was no point dragging the past with me.
The next day, thinking about Nydia's email and what the judge said about her refusing to sign, I finally replied.
[I don't want to see you in court. Just sign the papers. Let's stop wasting each other's time.]