Divorce with Him Chapter 1

In my third year married to Collin, I learned I couldn’t have children—a permanent, irreversible defect. Grief consumed me, but Collin suggested adoption.

At the agency, we met a sweet, well-behaved girl. I adored her instantly. But on signing day, I noticed a tiny birthmark on her hand. "I don’t want her," I said.

Collin insisted, "We’re adopting her."

"Then I want a divorce."

Shocked silence filled the room.

"Over a birthmark?" Collin asked, disbelieving.

"Yes. It’s ugly."

His mother snapped, "You’re the problem! You can’t have kids, and now you’re rejecting her over a mark a doctor could remove?"

Collin pleaded, "We’ll get it removed. She’s lovely—is this worth the drama?"

I laughed bitterly. "After we divorce, adopt her. Adopt as many as you want. I won’t care."

* * *

Collin looked at me, his face a mask of bewilderment. "Lily! What the hell is going on? You're throwing our marriage away for a child you've met twice? What did she do to upset you? This is insane."

I locked eyes with him, my voice devoid of all emotion. "It's her or me. Choose."

He looked at me as if I were a stranger. Shock radiated from him. "She's just a child, Lily. A little girl who's already been abandoned once. How can you be so cruel? She can't help her birthmark."

"Fine," I cut him off. "Divorce it is."

The color drained from Collin’s face.

I said nothing more. The air in the agency turned to ice. The staff exchanged nervous glances until the director finally broke the silence.

"Mrs. Hayes," she began gently, "Rosie is the sweetest child we have. She never makes a fuss, and she’s always helping the other children. We've had other potential families, but she never seemed to connect with them. She really took a liking to you."

My father-in-law tried to play peacemaker. "Lily, dear, she seems like a wonderful kid. And with modern medicine, if that mark bothers you, it’s an easy fix."

I remained silent, my resolve hardening with every word they spoke.

Collin moved closer, his hand reaching for mine, his touch hesitant. "Can we please just go home and talk about this?" His voice was thick with a plea, a raw, wounded sound I'd rarely heard.

I snatched my hand away, leaving him no room for hope. "There's nothing to talk about. I'll have my lawyer draft the papers. Make sure you're ready to sign them."

His mother gasped, her eyes wide with fury. "How dare you? You've been married into our family for three years without a single sign of a baby, and now we know why. We try to find a solution, and you throw it in our faces." She jabbed a finger at me. "I never knew you were such a petty, vindictive woman. Are you trying to make sure the Hayes family line dies out?"

She started dredging up the past, her voice rising with every grievance. "Remember all those times you wanted a midnight snack? My son got up to cook for you, no matter how late, without a single complaint. You loved that one bakery downtown, so he stood in line for an hour every single day to buy you a cake. Do you have a heart? We have treated you so well, and all I want is a grandchild. What good are you if you can't even give me that?"

She clutched her chest, her words painting me as an ungrateful monster.

I grabbed my purse to leave. Just then, the little girl, Rosie, stepped toward me, her eyes wide and hopeful. "Mommy," she whispered.

A wave of revulsion washed over me. I pushed her away.

Collin's sister, Pathy, caught her before she fell. "Lily! She's just a child! So you don't like her birthmark, but did you have to push her?" she scolded. "Why are you taking your anger out on her? All she wants is a family. What did she do wrong by calling you 'Mommy'?"

I shot her a cold glance. "You can let her call you that."

Pathy's face went pale, and she started stammering. "What are you talking about, Lily? This is the child you and my brother were adopting."

"And you know it's our adoption, so why are you so involved?"

My retort silenced her. She bit her lip, unable to respond.

"Enough!" Collin's voice trembled. "Honey, please, can we just talk about this in private? I’ve already told everyone we were doing this today. Just sign the papers, for me. Please. Give me that much. You can scream at me all you want when we get home."

"No," I said flatly. "Sign the divorce papers."

I turned to walk away. Behind me, there was a heavy thud.

Collin had fallen to his knees in front of everyone.