30 Days Till I Divorce My Husband

Chapter 13

For some reason, Jason felt like those words were aimed at him, like she was telegraphing her own feelings in a roundabout way. She was trying to say that she’d put in the effort, she’d been committed, and if he was even considering a divorce, he better be ready for Estrella to take the gloves off and fight tooth and nail for what she deserved.

“Ms. Estrella, I get the logic, but I just can’t swallow it. He just dusts off his hands after the divorce and marries some young thing in the blink of an eye. And me? What about all my years of youth, and everything I’ve done for this family, and for him?” she raged over the phone. “Am I supposed to go find myself some young stud now?”

Estrella replied with a chuckle, “Why not? Jo, you can snag a young one too.”

The woman on the other end of the line burst into laughter, “Ms. Estrella, you’re a breath of fresh air, a real comfort. I love talking to you.”

Estrella quipped back, “I’m just picking up tips from your experiences, Jo.”

Jason’s expression darkened. It seemed Estrella was using these divorce cases as

-practice, hustling to build an empire for some young gun in her future.

“Ms. Estrella, you’re young, and you don’t understand. Me and my husband, we met in our twenties, back when he was…”

The woman on the phone was ready to pour her heart out, and Estrella listened intently, feeling a crick in her neck, so she sprawled on the bed with the phone clutched to her ear. Lying down, she covered the mouthpiece and whispered to Jason, “Client’s going through a tough divorce. I need to comfort her.”

Jason gave her a nonchalant look and went back to his book.

The client talked and talked, from how she met her husband thirty years ago, to how she supported him through their struggles, their children, and everything.

This went on from early evening until nearly midnight, and Estrella dozed off unknowingly on the bed while the middle-aged woman kept on about her hardships.

driven to the brink of madness. At that moment, he profoundly appreciated Estrella’s stoicism and brevity. Otherwise, he felt he might actually

struck twelve, and the woman finally took a deep breath, “Ms. Estrella, thank you for listening all night. It’s late, and you

phone and responded with a flat “Hmm.

15:21

emotions, didn’t realize she was speaking to a man and after a few more words with Jason, finally ended

phone aside, staring at Estrella who had fallen asleep on the bed. He remembered how she came home earlier, arm

at the thought. Every time she dangled the possibility in front of him, and just when he showed a hint of

when Estrella’s leg accidentally brushed against him,

lights and laid down silently beside her. Estrella, like a

crux, Jason couldn’t make out the words,

“Jason.”

“Here.”

softly and pulled the blanket over her.

the bedside lamp was a rare warmth in

you’re worse than

would we have even

time he ever raised his hand to a woman. He’d

to dwell on. Jason switched off

morning, as Estrella woke up, Jason was already dressed

we need to make up for last week.” She had intended to get down to business the previous night but somehow had