Chapter 9
Queenie’s agitation grew with each passing thought, though outwardly, she maintained an air of selfless consideration for Joseph.
Joseph, for once, didn’t heed her. He even patted her hand reassuringly, saying, “It’s no big deal. It’s just a small birthday gift. You haven’t forgotten, have you? I told you that Winona would present you with an apology gift, and if you weren’t satisfied, I’d continue to keep her at arm’s length until you were. What do you think? Is this gift to your liking?”
Upon hearing that, the guests in the audience invariably looked up, turning their attention toward the stage. Although their social circle had always been small, some of them had married wives whose reputations were less than stellar. Yet, no matter how badly their wives behaved, they would still protect their dignity in public. After all, one should never air one’s dirty laundry.
Thus, this was the first time they had seen a husband like Joseph openly present his wife’s apology gift to another woman.
The cameraman, being particularly astute, immediately adjusted the camera to focus on the gift box in Joseph’s hand.
Joseph slowly opened the gift box, and with every inch it opened, the onlookers held their breath until the contents were fully revealed. The camera instantly broadcast its startling content, which was a divorce certificate bearing the official stamp of the courthouse.
The entire assembly was plunged into a stunned clamor.
Joseph’s hand froze mid–air, and the smile on his face instantly vanished, replaced by a mask of disbelief. It was actually a divorce certificate that bore the courthouse’s official seal, signifying that it was already legally binding. It suddenly dawned on him that Winona had officially divorced him.
Upon seeing the divorce certificate projected on the big screen, a handful of his buddies cheered from the audience and hurried onto the stage to congratulate him.
“Congratulations, Joseph! You’re finally free from that living nightmare!”
“You’re finally rid of that bitch, Joseph!”
“I’m calling dibs on being your best man when you and Queenie finally tie the knot!”
They excitedly jostled him while simultaneously pulling the remaining contents out of the gift box.
“Oh! There’s even an abortion medical report!”
“It’s a good thing that that bitch had the decency to abort the child. You won’t have to fork out money to raise a bastard in the future, Joseph!”
Having said that, they all burst out laughing.
Joseph remained unfazed by the surrounding jubilation. A deafening hum filled his ears as if all sound had drained from the world. The mere mention of abortion” felt like a vice tightening around his heart, leaving him gasping for air in agony.
“W–What are you talking about?” Joseph whispered, his voice trembling so much that he was barely audible even to himself. He then repeated, “Who had an abortion?”
His friends, mistaking his agitation for elation, hurriedly shoved the abortion medical report, bearing Winona’s name, into his hands.
“It’s Winona, of course! You’d better take a good look at this, Joseph!”
“You’re finally free from her grasp–once and for all!”
“Congratulations, Joseph!”
Although the others were cheering wildly, Joseph’s hearing began to fade. His vision blurred, and his surroundings began to spin. He found it hard to believe that Winona had an abortion. He wondered if she truly didn’t want their baby anymore.
He couldn’t understand how this had happened. That child had been something they had waited for over five years. Winona had prayed fervently and resorted to every folk remedy, suffering relentlessly for half a decade for this child. He had even contributed, offering prayers and performing acts of charity, all to welcome their offspring. Why had she chosen to abort their child, then?
“It can’t be true… It’s absolutely impossible…” Joseph murmured, his voice sounding so faint that it was barely a whisper.
He kept seeing flashes of Winona in his mind, her eyes sparkling with joy as she tenderly stroked her belly. It was clear that she had been looking forward to the baby’s arrival, so he found it hard to believe that she actually had the heart to abort it.
