Chapter 5 - THE PAPERS HE NEVER EXPECTED
Daniel received the divorce petition on a Tuesday afternoon.
He was sitting in his Columbus office when a courier delivered the envelope.
He opened it between meetings.
Then stared.
PETITION FOR DIVORCE
Petitioner: Joanna Mercer.
Respondent: Daniel Mercer.
He read the first page twice.
Then called her.
She answered calmly.
“Hello?”
“What is this?”
Joanna closed her eyes.
“Divorce papers.”
“I can see that.”
“Then why are you asking?”
Daniel stood.
“Joanna, we haven't even talked about this.”
She almost laughed.
“We've talked about nothing else for eight months.”
“You can't just decide to end our marriage.”
She was silent for a moment.
Then said:
“Daniel, you decided to leave it.”
“That was different.”
“How?”
“I needed space.”
“And I needed a husband.”
He rubbed his forehead.
“Joanna—”
“No.”
Her voice trembled.
“I waited for you to call. I waited for you to visit. I waited for you to remember the children.”
Daniel stared at the papers.
“I've been sending money.”
“Sometimes.”
“I've been working.”
“So have I.”
He looked toward the window.
“Are you seeing someone?”
Joanna went completely still.
Then she laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
But because the question was so painfully revealing.
“That's what you want to know?”
“Answer me.”
“No, Daniel. I'm not seeing anyone.”
He exhaled.
“Then why the rush?”
Joanna closed her eyes.
“Because I don't want to spend another year waiting for a man who already left.”
She ended the call.
Daniel stood in his office holding the papers.
For the first time, he realized Joanna might actually be serious.
May you like
But even then, he believed she would change her mind.
She always had before.
