33 A Scumbag’s Late Conscience
The shrill sound of my phone ringing cut through my morning routine. Glancing at the screen, I braced myself as Tanya’s name flashed.
“How dare you?” Her voice exploded before I could speak. “Calling Alistair directly? Harassing him at work?”
I pulled the phone away from my ear, counting silently to three. “If asking my legal husband to sign divorce papers is harassment, then yes, I’m guilty.”
“He’s dealing with enough stress taking care of Ivy! You’re being selfish and cruel.”
The irony was almost laughable. “Tell Alistair to meet me at the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow at
nine. No more excuses.”
“You heartless-‘
”
“Goodbye, Tanya.” I hung up, cutting off what would surely be another tirade about my lack of
compassion.
My phone rang again immediately. This time, it was Alistair’s number. I considered ignoring it but decided against it. Better to get this over with.
“What now?” I answered flatly.
“Hazel.” His voice was soft, conciliatory. “I’m sorry about missing our appointment yesterday.”
“Save it. Just be there tomorrow.”
He sighed heavily. “I can’t. Something’s come up a business trip I can’t postpone. I’ll be away for
the next two weeks.”
The convenient timing made my blood boil. “How surprising. Another emergency just when we’re supposed to finalize our divorce.”
“It’s not like that.” His tone shifted to defensive. “This deal has been in the works for months.
The investors from Milan insist I come personally.”
“Bullshit.” My voice was steady despite my rage. “You’ve been avoiding this divorce for weeks. What are you playing at, Alistair?”
Silence stretched between us. Then: “I’ve been thinking, Hazel. Maybe we rushed into this
separation.”
I nearly choked. “Rushed? You canceled our wedding to marry my dying stepsister. What part of that was rushed?”
“I know how it looks, but-”
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33 A Scumbag’s Late Conscience
“It looks exactly like what it is,” I snapped. “You made your choice. Now face the consequences.”
He was quiet for a moment before changing tactics. “I want you to have the villa.”
The sudden offer caught me off guard. “What?”
“Our home. I’m signing it over to you. It’s the least I can do after… everything.”
I clutched the phone tighter. The marital home we’d purchased together–the one where all my savings were tied up. The one I couldn’t afford to keep alone.
“Why?” I asked, suspicious.
“Because I owe you that much.” His voice softened. “You put everything into that house, Hazel. Your money, your designs, your dreams. It should be yours.”
The unexpected gesture left me momentarily speechless. Despite all his cruelty, here was a flicker of the man I thought I’d known–the one who sometimes remembered my worth.
“This doesn’t change anything about the divorce,” I finally said.
“I know. It’s not meant to. It’s just… right.” He paused. “The papers will be delivered to you today. All you need to do is sign.”
I swallowed hard, fighting the confusing emotions his gesture stirred. “Fine. But I still expect to see you at the Civil Affairs Bureau as soon as you’re back.”
“Two weeks,” he promised. “I’ll be there.”
After hanging up, I sat on my couch, staring at nothing. Why this unexpected generosity? Was this guilt? Manipulation? Some twisted attempt to keep me emotionally tethered while he played house with Ivy?
My phone chimed with a text. Alistair again.
“I know it doesn’t fix what I broke between us, but I hope it helps you start fresh. Despite everything, I never wanted to see you struggle.”
I threw my phone aside, furious at how easily he could still affect me. Six years together meant he knew exactly which buttons to push–exactly how to appear caring while serving his own
interests.
The villa was worth a small fortune, but I wasn’t naive enough to believe this was purely altruistic. Alistair never gave without calculating the return. Was this to appease his guilt? To make himself look generous? Or was it just another way to delay the inevitable, keeping me tied to him through property and paperwork?
The more I thought about it, the clearer it became. This “gift” wasn’t about helping me–it was about helping himself feel less like the villain in our story.
By mid–afternoon, a courier arrived with the property transfer papers. Everything appeared
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33 A Scumbag’s Late Conscience
legitimate, with Alistair’s signature already in place. I read through each page carefully, looking for the catch, the hidden clause, the trick.
There wasn’t one.
The house would be mine free and clear. The one thing I’d feared losing in our separation was now securely mine.
I signed the documents but couldn’t shake the bitterness. This gesture didn’t erase his betrayal. It didn’t compensate for the humiliation of being replaced by my own stepsister. It didn’t heal the wounds of watching them wear my wedding attire or celebrate in the venue I’d chosen.
It was too little, too late–a scumbag’s late conscience trying to buy peace.
I called the Civil Affairs Bureau to reschedule our appointment for two weeks later. The clerk’s sympathetic tone only heightened my frustration. How many abandoned brides had she seen, waiting for husbands who never showed?
“I understand,” she said kindly. “The new appointment is set for July 15th at nine AM. Both parties must be present.”
“He’ll be there,” I said, more to convince myself than her.
After hanging up, I grabbed my jacket, needing to escape these walls and my circular thoughts. My phone buzzed with a text from Vera.
“Meeting canceled! Free for lunch? I’m craving that new fusion place on Maple Street.”
I texted back immediately: “Yes. Meet you there in 30.”
Vera was exactly what I needed–someone who saw Alistair clearly for who he was, someone who wouldn’t be swayed by grand gestures or smooth words.
As I grabbed my purse, my eyes fell on the signed property papers. The villa was mine, but freedom from Alistair remained frustratingly out of reach. Two more weeks of limbo. Two more weeks of being legally bound to a man who discarded me without hesitation.
But soon, I promised myself, stepping out into the sunshine. Soon I would be free of Alistair Everett and all the pain he represented. I just had to endure a little longer.
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