I stared at her for a long moment before finally shaking my head:
"Won't."
Her expression instantly relaxed.

"Time's tight. Every minute counts. Bubba might be gone forever. It's a life!"
"Your birthday happens every year. It's no big deal. We'll do it another day."
I met her gaze directly, expressionless: "Don't bother, Scarlett Davis. Let's get a divorce."
As the words landed, Scarlett's brow furrowed. She snapped:
"Can't you be the bigger person?"
It was her most frequent line.

But what exactly constituted being the "bigger person"?
"Why always make things difficult? Liam means no harm. He's not trying to take me from you. Why ruin this important moment with divorce threats? It's just a birthday! They happen every year. We can celebrate anytime."
She spoke righteously, dismissively.
Seeing her like this, I felt confusion, then relief.

I finally understood the value of cutting losses.
After scolding me, she sped off.
I looked at the empty seat, ate the entire steak alone, wiped my mouth, and took a cab home.
Scarlett didn't return all night. I didn't call to ask where she was. Surprisingly, shecalled methe next evening.
But unexpectedly, she came home the next night. With Liam.
Liam saw me and immediately put on an apologetic face:
"Jason, please don't be mad. Scarlett was just trying to cheer me up with the whole 'public relationship' thing."
"And yesterday, I didn't mean to take her away. Bubba is our adopted fur baby. The kid was missing; how could Mom not come? My apologies."
He was subtly telling me where Scarlett's priorities lay.
He was more important than her own pet.
I wasn't even worth his cat.
He wanted me to lose it, get jealous, start a huge fight with Scarlett?
Ending with me groveling to make peace while he watched and laughed.
He'd played this game many times.
Seeing him upset, Scarlett looked pained: "Don't be sad. It's bad for you."
Liam laid it on thicker: "If it weren't for me, Jason wouldn't be so upset he left home."
Seeing me "ungrateful," Scarlett's face hardened with impatience:
"Listen, I'm pregnant. But don't get the wrong idea! It's yours, not Liam's."
"He loves kids, though. I'm keeping it. He'll raise the baby."
"Stop standing there. Go make us some soup."
I laughed bitterly at her sheer audacity, pulling out my phone and tossing it to her.
Her eyes landed on the screen. Seeing the photos, her face visibly paled.
I pulled a medical report from my bag – a vasectomy I'd gotten secretly the year we married, all because she once said she didn't want kids.
Scarlett glanced at it and slammed her hand on the table.
The first photo showed them entering a hotel room together late at night. The second was the vasectomy confirmation.
"How dare you! Getting a vasectomy behind my back?"
Liam stood behind Scarlett, smirking triumphantly at me, but his voice was falsely concerned:
"Jason must have had a lapse in judgment, Scarlett. Forgive him this once?"
"At least Scarlett's pregnant! Even if it's not yours, Jason, you can love it like your own!"
Watching Liam carefully help Scarlett to the couch, his face radiating smugness without a shred of guilt...
I just found it absurd. This woman was no longer worth clinging to for the sake of past investment.