One Last Request

My husband is the director of a private hospital. During the three years of work, he would always find his "female best friend" with all kinds of excuses.

The first time he went, he bought me a new purse I had been longing for.

The second time he went, he credited one thousand dollars to the beauty salon I frequented.

Only after he gave his family member's spot for the hospital's retreat did I finally ask for my one-hundredth request.

He simply signed the form, thinking that it was some kind of order for a luxurious item.

"I've neglected you lately. Shall I take you to see the aurora after I come back this time?"

When he gracefully gave me that promise, I calmly smiled.

That was because he didn't know the last thing I asked him to sign was divorce papers.

As the candles I set up went out again and again, the passion inside of me died as well.

Then, my phone, which had been quiet for so long, started to ring. I picked it up. "I gave Kat the spot for this year's retreat that’s meant for a family member. If you want anything, call my assistant. And I won't be home tonight. Kat just moved into her new place, and she's having a hard time settling in..."

I looked at the cake on the table that was meant for our anniversary. The candle that was shaped like a 2 on the cake felt like a joke.

At the end of his call, as if Jason Smith felt guilty, he added, "I've neglected you lately, so once I'm done with this busy period, shall I take you to see the aurora?"

I hung up, and our home went completely silent. Even the air seemed to be mocking my marriage. What a failure all of this was.

It was at this time that Jason's assistant sent me a message on WhatsApp, asking in that familiar way what I wanted reimbursed this time and telling me to just name it.

I suddenly felt that everything was so pointless. Eating cake felt pointless. Buying luxuries felt pointless. A life like this felt so, so pointless.

-

The next day, I went straight to the private hospital to see Jason.

He was staring so hard at his computer that he did not even notice me walking in.

When I called his name softly, he quickly closed the page he had been looking at in a panic. It was a ticketing page for a popular boy band's tour. "Why are you here? If you needed something, you could have called."

We had dated for three years and been married for two, and this was only the third time I had ever come to his office. I did not complain about how strange he was acting, and I just handed him the papers in my hand. "I need your signature on a few documents. The holiday is coming up, and their office will