Chase and I met on Christmas, we got married on Christmas, and today marks exactly seven years. But on this special day, he brought his high school sweetheart home for dinner. They walked in wearing matching outfits, looking like the perfect couple, while I stood there in my apron, looking like the hired help. "Babe, it's the holidays," Chase said, breezing past me. "The more the merrier, right?" Without waiting for an answer, he pulled Sierra to the table and sat her down. Chase, who usually has a memory like a steel trap, stared blankly at the cake that read "Happy 7th Anniversary." He had forgotten. Ever since Sierra came back into town, I’ve become invisible. I watched him take the wedding ring off my finger—claiming it was "too tight" on me anyway—and slide it onto Sierra's finger to show her the design. I looked at Chase. And I smiled. "Happy 7th Anniversary, Chase. I want a divorce." 01 "Hazel, what the hell was that? You're throwing away our marriage over a joke?" Chase had just dropped Sierra off at her place. The moment he walked back through the door, the accusations started flying. I didn't say a word. Just looking at his face made me sick. When I didn't respond, he assumed I was feeling guilty and doubled down. "We were having a nice holiday, but you had to be petty. You just had to make a scene. Now look—Christmas is ruined, and everyone is miserable." He conveniently forgot that he was the one who brought Sierra here. He was the one who forgot our anniversary. He was the one who brought a guest to our romantic dinner without asking. "I'm being petty?" I scoffed. "Do you hear yourself? It’s laughable." I finally snapped. I couldn't hold it in anymore. Chase flared up. "Laughable? You're the one being childish! You don't just throw the word 'divorce' around! You upset Sierra so much I had to spend half an hour apologizing to her. You need to call her and apologize, too." I let out a cold laugh. Why should I apologize? I cooked a full Christmas feast. I baked the cake. I cleaned the house. And I’m the one who needs to apologize? Seeing my reaction, Chase pulled the ring out of his pocket—the one I had handed to Sierra. His tone was nasty. "Take care of the things I give you. A wedding ring isn't something you just hand to a stranger." I didn't take it. I stared at the ring. It had always been a little tight on me, choking my finger. But on Sierra? It fit perfectly. When I didn't move, Chase frowned deeply. "Hazel! That’s enough!" "That's enough? Chase, do you even respect me? Who brings another woman home on their wedding anniversary?" I stood up, glaring at him. A flash of guilt crossed his face, but he buried it under defensiveness. "It's Christmas, Hazel. Sierra is all alone in the city. Inviting a friend over is normal! I didn't think you’d be so insecure." I looked at him and felt my heart turn to ash. A week ago, he left me stranded at a party to pick her up. He didn't notice then, and he doesn't notice now. The line between love and indifference is crystal clear. He cares about Sierra. Way more than he cares about the woman who has stood by him for seven years. And honestly? I don't want to do this anymore. 02 I didn't argue. I just reached out and brushed the collar of his grey wool coat. Chase looked confused. We were in the middle of a fight, and I was grooming him? He didn't pull away, though. I bought him this coat. The light grey fabric shows everything. Including the faint, red smudge I just found. Lipstick. Not my shade. Chase followed my gaze and saw it. His face fell. Once your heart completely breaks, you don't feel anger anymore. You feel a strange, detached calm. I gestured at the stain. "Next time you're fooling around, try to clean up better." "Excuse me? Why do you have to be so disgusting?" Chase exploded, pointing at the stain. "I brushed against her by accident! Is that a crime?" "It’s because it was an 'accident' that I'm pointing it out. I'm saving you the trouble of me asking questions later. Look, Chase, if you and Sierra are soulmates, go for it. But don't insult my intelligence." I kept my face blank. I’d heard the excuses before. I used to force myself to believe him. But tonight, my patience hit zero. His heart has tilted so far toward Sierra that he’s forgotten I’m his wife. Ever since she came back a year ago, everything changed. Sierra was his high school sweetheart. She went to Europe after graduation, and they drifted apart. Chase and I met in college. We fell in love, got married, built a life. Three years dating, seven married. That’s a decade. But Sierra has been back for one year, and she’s already torched ten years of history. People change. Betting on a man's loyalty is a losing game. The "Seven Year Itch" isn't just a saying. Chase always calls me petty. But he’s the jealous one. If I bump into a male friend and say hello, I get the third degree. But if I ask him who he’s texting? World War III. He screams about "privacy" and "personal space." The double standards are exhausting. He lets her eat takeout in his car and leave crumbs on his desk. But if I eat a cookie in the passenger seat, I get a lecture. Thinking about it made my blood run cold. Chase glared at me for a long time. Seeing that I wasn't going to back down or cry, he sighed, defeated. He reached out to hug me. "...Babe, can we please stop fighting?" 03 "It's a holiday. I lost my temper, okay? I was wrong. Can we drop it?" I stood stiffly in his arms. My chin rested right on that lipstick stain on his collar. Chase didn't notice my resistance. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I’m sorry I forgot the anniversary. Work has been insane. I was just worried about a friend, but I swear, Sierra and I aren't like that." I inhaled. Underneath his usual cologne, there was a sweet, floral scent. Her perfume. He kept talking. "Yeah, we had a thing when we were kids. But we’re adults now. I’m over thirty, Hazel. I’m not that immature. Can’t you just trust me?" Then, the tone shift. The gaslighting. "Besides, were you being rational today? You took off your ring, handed it to a guest, and demanded a divorce. You humiliated me in my own home. Do you blame me for getting mad?" I pulled away from him. I knew exactly what this was. "Right," I said, my voice flat. Chase relaxed, thinking he had won. He took my hand gently. "Sierra is an old friend. She won't hold a grudge. Let’s take her to lunch tomorrow, clear the air. You can buy her a little gift, apologize, and we can move on." I didn't answer. The audacity was breathtaking. He thought my silence was agreement. He leaned in to kiss me. I turned my head. His lips hit my cheek. His face darkened instantly. Before he could snap at me, his phone rang. He pulled it out. I saw the screen clearly. Sierra. As if to prove he had nothing to hide, he answered it on speaker right in front of me. Sierra's voice, dripping with helpless distress, filled the room. "Chase? Are you home? I... I hate to bother you, but my fuse box just sparked and there’s a weird smell. I'm really scared. Can you come over?" I smirked. Classic. Chase’s face went pale. "I'll be right there." He hung up and looked at me, guilt flashing in his eyes. "Hazel, look, I just need to go check. It could be an electrical fire. Safety first." He didn't wait for my permission. He just left. Slam. The door closed. And so did my heart. Once again, when forced to choose, he chose her. I watched from the window as his car sped out of the driveway. I opened my laptop, downloaded a divorce agreement template, and filled it out. I sent a copy to a lawyer friend for a quick review. I was just about to email it to Chase when my phone rang. It was him. "Hazel! What the hell is wrong with you?!" I frowned. "What now?" "Don't play dumb! Did you call Sierra while I was driving over here? You are vicious! Two-faced!" "Chase, what are you talking about?" "She’s threatening to kill herself, Hazel! Because of you!" 04 "What? Suicide? Why would she..." My confusion was drowned out by his screaming. "Shut up! I never should have trusted you. You never change, Hazel. Sierra’s call log shows your name right before I got here. Don't lie to me!" "You toxic, jealous... I never should have married you. How can you be so heartless? You know she’s fragile!" He didn't let me get a word in. He hung up on me. When I tried to call back, he sent me straight to voicemail. I sat there, stunned. Tears pricked my eyes, hot and angry. Seven years of devotion, and he doesn't believe a word I say. He trusts her blindly. Once the crying started, it wouldn't stop. But eventually, the tears ran dry. I booked a train ticket out of town for the next morning. I was done. I wasn't going to explain myself. It was such a clumsy, obvious lie, but Chase was the only idiot falling for it. If he had an ounce of trust in me, he’d check the number. He’d ask me calmly. But he didn't. He just attacked. I didn't sleep that night. Around 2 AM, I saw a post on Sierra’s social media. A picture of the night sky, two silhouettes. I recognized Chase’s posture instantly. Caption: Thankful for the one who stays. I blocked them both. I finally fell asleep as the sun came up. My dreams were a montage of every fight Chase and I ever had. I woke up at 9 AM, printed the divorce papers, and packed my bag. When I walked into the living room, Chase was standing there. He looked awful. "Where were you?" he barked. I ignored him. He grabbed my arm and started dragging me toward the door. "I booked a table. You're coming with me to apologize, and we are ending this drama right now." "Let go of me! Chase, stop!" I tried to shake him off, but his grip was iron. He dragged me all the way down to the car before releasing my bruised wrist. "Get in. You agreed to this last night. Stop being difficult." I rubbed my wrist, took a breath, and pulled the papers out of my purse. I slapped them against his chest. "Chase. I want a divorce."
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