Besties' Divorce Brigade
As soon as I picked up, he berated me.
Molly Grant, are you out of your mind? Lying to me about a fire at home, and having Rachel lie to my brother about your miscarriage? Do you take us as your puppets?
I told you, Yvonne's cat almost fell from the rooftop. Luckily, I led the team and arrived in time, or the kitten would have died!
"It's bad enough that you lack compassion, but you even tried to stop my brother from treating the cat! Did you have to be jealous and competitive at a time like this?"
"Don't use our wedding anniversary as an excuse. The kitten only has one life. Don't you understand priorities?"
As I heard his criticism, I could only feel the irony.
Today was our third wedding anniversary. I had planned to go out and celebrate with my husband, but I was locked in by his first love, Yvonne Chapman.
For some reason, a fire broke out upstairs. Terrified, I called my husband repeatedly.
But he kept hanging up, only responding with a brief text message.
"I'm on duty. What's up?"
Trembling, I sent him a voice message, "Honey, there's a fire upstairs. Yvonne locked me in and I can't get out. Please come save me. My stomach doesn't feel right."
I was coughing from the smoke, and my belly kept aching.
After a long time, I finally got his reply, "Text me. No time to listen to you ramble."
With one hand on my belly, I struggled to type with the other. Before I finished, another message had been sent over by him.
"Yvonne's cat is stuck on the roof, waiting for my rescue. Can you stop bothering me if nothing important happens?"
"I'm a fire captain, not a babysitter. I don't have time to wait on you hand and foot."
Looking at my half-typed message, I felt nothing but irony.
His wife and child were about to perish in a fire, yet he was busy saving his first love's cat.
I thought I was going to die in the fire, but my best friend Rachel got someone to break down the door and rescue me.
Unfortunately, the baby couldn't be saved.
On the phone, my husband's voice kept coming through.
"Also, stop inciting Rachel to fight with my brother. Just because you can't manage your own marriage, you want to drag others down with you?"
Rachel, furious, snatched my phone and yelled at Ethan, "Ethan, there was a fire in your building! Molly was locked inside and almost burned to death. Your child is gone! If you're a real man, get over here right now!"
Ethan paused for a few seconds, then said sarcastically, "Only Molly's stupid brain could come up with such a melodramatic excuse! She just wants to trick me into keeping her company, right? Dream on!"
Before Rachel could retort, Ethan hung up.
Rachel cried in anger, looking at me with sympathy and rage in her eyes.
Just as she was about to call Ethan back, her phone rang. It was her husband, Brandon Shaw.
"Rachel, even unreasonable behavior has its limits! So what if I'm treating Yvonne's cat? I've told you, there's nothing between me and Yvonne!"
"How dare you incite my sister-in-law to lie and curse her child to death? How could you do such a thing? You've really disappointed me!"
"Don't think you can scare me with divorce. I won't fall for your tricks. If you want to divorce, go ahead!"
Rachel didn't let him finish and smashed her phone.
"The two brothers are both fucking idiots."
I held Rachel's hand, weakly comforting her, "Rachel, let it go. We've already decided to divorce anyway."
Rachel sat down deflated, tears streaming down her face.
"Molly, I'm heartbroken for you. You've been looking forward to the baby's safe arrival all this time..."
I smiled bitterly. "Maybe... even God thinks it's time for me to let go."
On TV, they were broadcasting positive news.
On the screen, Yvonne was wearing a foreign-style dress, holding her cat, and looking admiringly at my husband and Rachel's husband.
A reporter was interviewing her, and Yvonne flashed a sweet smile.
"I'm truly grateful to Captain Shaw for bravely saving my cat today, and to Dr. Shaw for helping treat my cat. I don't know what I would have done without them!"
"So, Miss Chapman, have you thought about how to thank them?" the reporter asked.
Yvonne smiled. "Why don't I let my cat consider them as its fathers? It's because of them that my cat has a new lease on life!"
Ethan and Brandon, dressed in a firefighter uniform and doctor's white coat respectively, nodded in agreement.
"Sure, I'd be happy to."
"Me too!"
The scene was filled with joy, and everyone applauded, offering their blessings.
In the hospital, my best friend and I watched the TV, feeling the chill of our surroundings.
In the news comments, people were praising and sending their blessings.
"Society needs this kind of positivity. Our firefighters and doctors are truly great!"
"I have cats too, and I know how important they are to their owners!"
"They match well with the cat owner! It's like heroes saving a damsel in distress. The cat is like a modern-day Cupid!"
Rachel sarcastically muttered, "Yeah, so great! A firefighter who doesn't put out fires but rescues cats, and a renowned doctor who doesn't save people but plays veterinarian."
I forced a pale smile. "Well, Yvonne is their first love. Her cat's life is more important than Ethan's own son's..."
Rachel took a deep breath, hugged me, and patted my back encouragingly. "It's just a divorce, what's there to hold onto? Let these scumbags stay with that bitch. We deserve better!"
I nodded, patting her back as well. "We'll be fine."
I arranged for a courier to deliver the divorce papers to Ethan's workplace. He was very dedicated to his job and rarely came home, even taking only one day off for our wedding.
I thought he would contact me after seeing the papers.
Instead, I only received his call late at night.
"Yvonne's cat lost a patch of skin on its tail. I've taken leave from work, and we're planning to take it to the neighboring city for a skin graft surgery. We'll be back in three days."
I replied calmly, "Alright, then we'll proceed with the divorce paperwork in three days."
Ethan was clearly stunned, taking a while to respond, his tone full of impatience.
"Molly, why are you acting like those ignorant women, always talking about divorce?"
"I'm already very busy, and now I'm even trying to appease you, giving you a way out. Can't you stop making a fuss?"
"I didn't even make a big deal about you sending the divorce papers to my workplace. What more do you want? Don't you know not to air our dirty laundry in public?"
He grew increasingly agitated, starting to blame me for embarrassing him at work.
I guess he only remembered to call me because someone at work told him about the divorce papers.
Just as I was about to speak, I heard Yvonne's voice on the other end of the line.
"Ethan, I've finished my shower. Can you hand me the towel?"
I glanced at my phone. It was 3:30 AM.
Ethan clearly panicked for a moment, hurriedly explaining, "Molly, it's not what you think. Yvonne and I are just..."
I interrupted him flatly, "Three days from now, 8 AM, at the Civil Affairs Bureau."
"Rachel and Brandon will be finalizing their divorce that day too. Don't be late, we're all busy."
Ethan's anger flared up again. "Molly, can you stop being so childish?"
"Are you just jealous of others' happiness? Do you know that your fake miscarriage today caused Rachel to want to divorce my brother? It's bad enough that you bothered me with a false fire alarm, but my brother is a doctor who needs to treat patients and save lives, and you're wasting public resources with your antics!"
"I'm so disappointed in you, pulling these stunts again and again. What are you planning to do next?"
Finally, he sighed as if exhausted, "Please, I'm begging you, do something good for the baby in your belly."
"Sometimes I really wonder if things would be easier without this child."
How dare he mention the child!
I felt so sorry for my baby, tears rolling down my cheeks, but my voice remained calm.
"Don't be late. After we're done with the paperwork, I need to arrange the baby's funeral."
The word "funeral" struck a nerve with Ethan.
He couldn't help but curse at me, "Molly, you're beyond help! That's my child, a human life, and you're cursing it like this! You don't deserve to be a mother!"
"Can't you learn from Yvonne? She can't even sleep because her cat lost a patch of skin on its tail, while you're cursing your own child!"
Ethan angrily hung up the phone.
I lay on the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling.
I knew I couldn't compare to Yvonne's cat, and neither could the child in my womb.
I remember the day I found out I was pregnant and wanted to share the joy with my husband. I went to his workplace.
I thought he was out on a mission, but it turned out Yvonne had brought her cat to him, saying her cat was about to give birth and she didn't know what to do.
Ethan and several team members were helping her cat deliver.
When I approached, Yvonne saw me and deliberately agitated her cat.
Her cat suddenly lunged at me, leaving a long, deep scratch on my arm.
"Oh no! Are you okay? My cat is about to give birth, and she's afraid of strangers. She must have thought you were going to hurt her, and that's why she scratched you."
Yvonne acted innocent, and I was dumbfounded.
It wasn't until Ethan scolded me that I snapped out of it.
"What are you doing here? If you're so clumsy, don't come meddling. Are you satisfied with getting scratched?"
I ignored his tone and nervously grabbed him, saying helplessly, "Honey, I'm pregnant. What should we do?"
Being scratched by a cat while pregnant really scared me.
When Ethan's team members heard this, they all became very concerned. They started helping me treat the wound, washing it with soapy water for a long time.
Seeing everyone gathered around me, Yvonne couldn't stand it and exclaimed, "Oh no! My cat is having a difficult labor! Ethan, what should we do? I can't lose her!"
Ethan took a deep breath, looked at me irritably, and then said, "You should quickly take a taxi to the hospital for a vaccine. I can't leave here."
A female team member volunteered to accompany me, but Ethan refused.
"You're still on duty and might need to respond to an emergency at any time. She just has a small scratch on her arm. She can go to the hospital alone for a shot, it's no big deal."
Although the woman didn't agree, she had to listen to my husband. But she was still kind enough to hail a taxi for me, even paid for it, and comforted me for quite a while.
While I was queuing alone at the hospital for the shot, I saw Yvonne's social media post.
The photo showed Ethan focused on helping her cat give birth.
The caption read: "You're always by my side during every important moment of my life!"
Holding my payment receipt, and looking at the patients who all had someone accompanying them, I felt overwhelmed by loneliness and grievance.
In the end, due to an allergy, I couldn't get the rabies vaccine.
Perhaps from that moment, this child was destined not to be born safely.
Three days later, we met Ethan and Brandon at the Civil Affairs Bureau.
They came with Yvonne, who was holding her cat in her arms.
When Ethan and Brandon saw my best friend and I dressed all in black, their faces darkened.
I had just undergone an abortion, and my body was weak. Rachel had wrapped me in several layers of clothing, so it wasn't obvious at a glance that my child was gone.
Rachel and I didn't want to waste any time, so we turned to enter the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Ethan grabbed my arm and took a deep breath. "Molly, for the sake of the child in your belly, stop being stubborn. Apologize to Yvonne, and we'll forget about your unreasonable behavior."
I was terrifyingly calm. "Ethan, even if you and Yvonne knelt down and kowtowed to me, I wouldn't forgive you!"
Ethan had thought he was giving me a way out, expecting me to take it and let the matter drop. He never imagined I'd want him and Yvonne to kneel and apologize.
Yvonne spoke with a pitiful tone, "Ethan, let it go. It's all my fault. If she wants me to kneel, I'll just..."
As Yvonne made to kneel, Ethan and Brandon each grabbed one of her arms, steadying her.
Ethan glared at me. "Molly, don't go too far!"
Brandon also frowned at Rachel with disapproval. "Rachel, pregnant women are prone to irrational thoughts. Not only are you failing to comfort her, but you're also stirring up trouble. Can't you be a little kinder?"
Rachel and I exchanged a glance, seeing the pain and determination in each other's eyes.
I said, "Let's get a divorce. I'm tired."
Rachel said, "Whoever doesn't get divorced today will be labeled as a scumbag."
When we came out of the Civil Affairs Bureau, the four of us were holding divorce certificates.
My best friend and I let out a deep sigh. This terrible marriage wasn't worth keeping anyway.
I was weak and stumbled, nearly falling.
Ethan instinctively moved to protect my belly, but the once-swollen abdomen was now flat.
Rachel stepped forward and pushed Ethan away. "Don't touch her!"
Ethan froze for a few seconds, then looked at me in shock, his voice trembling.
"Honey, your belly..."
Brandon was also stunned. "Molly, your child..."
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