Beyond the Divorce

Another Mrs. Murphy

I had only visited Tanum Corporation once when they first relocated to Galar Tower. Matthew took me there, and we rented an entire floor, which gave me a sense of accomplishment.

That day, he held me as we stood by the floor-to-ceiling window in his office and said affectionately, “Thank you for helping me and changing my life. Believe me, my love. It won’t be long before I give this building to you.”

I chuckled at his words. Now, he was about to tear it all apart.

When I entered the building, the young and attractive receptionist asked me which floor I was going to and who I was looking for. When I mentioned Matthew’s name, she gave me a quick once-over and said with a smile, “I’m sorry, madam. Mr. Murphy is not in. He went out with his wife.”

My head buzzed when I heard that. Although I had mentally prepared myself for it, her answer still shocked me. I tightened my grip around my handbag, but my voice turned somewhat sharp despite my efforts to control my emotions. “What did you say? Are you sure?”

She looked at me in puzzlement and replied, “Why, yes. You asked for Mr. Matthew Murphy of Tanum Corporation from the 10th floor, right? He left early this morning with his wife.”

Her certainty sent shivers down my spine. I felt tempted to ask who Matthew’s wife was. If another woman was his wife, who am I?

However, I held myself back and clenched my teeth. Then I turned and left Galar Tower. I wanted to leave with dignity and hoped the receptionist had made a mistake. That way, Matthew’s pride would be intact as well.

Ultimately, I called Johnson Link from Tanum Corporation’s marketing department to reconfirm what I just heard. My hands shook, but I calmed myself before asking, “Hey, John, is Matthew done with his meeting? I’ve been trying to call him, but he’s not picking up. I’m starting to get a little worried.”

Johnson was one of the high-ranking executives at Tanum Corporation, so he would know if there was a meeting. Upon hearing my question, he seemed a little puzzled. “Meeting? There’s no meeting today, Mrs. Murphy. Mr. Murphy is out.”

“Oh,” was all I managed to say before hanging up.

At that moment, a sense of powerlessness washed over me. My tense nerves collapsed, and I felt my knees buckle. It was like all my energy had dissipated, leaving me drained. My hand that held the phone shook uncontrollably.

I couldn’t even muster the courage to call Matthew and ask where he was. Was there even a need to ask? Even if I did, he would just lie to me again. I no longer knew how to trust anything he would say.

He shamelessly paraded around Galar Tower with another woman, making everyone believe the other woman was his wife. That woman could freely enter and exit, step into the company I had built independently, and enjoy privileges that should have been mine.

I felt lost as I stood on the street among the crowd, and he was nowhere in sight. He resembled sand, slipping through my fingers. The more I tried to grasp him, the faster he slipped away. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

After thinking things through, I found out who this “Mrs. Murphy” really was.

With that idea in mind, I gathered the strength to move my trembling legs and hailed a cab. Once I reached home, I went to the nearby market and bought many of Matthew’s favorite dishes. I even picked out some pineapples that Ava loved.

I was going to wait for him to come home.

As I busied myself with chores, I thought about my next step.

I always thought time passed too quickly, but this time was different as it seemed to drag on endlessly. When evening arrived, I gathered my courage to call Matthew and ask where he was before telling him to pick Ava up.

He readily agreed.