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.

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

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

and responded

15:21

caught up in her own emotions, didn’t realize she was speaking to a

remembered how she came home earlier, arm in arm with him, smiling and teasing,

dangled the possibility in front of him, and just when he showed a hint of interest, she’d

accidentally brushed against him, he

silently beside her. Estrella, like a kitten,

the crux, Jason couldn’t make out the words, but he knew they weren’t good.

“Jason.”

“Here.”

pulled the

night was serene. The glow from the bedside lamp was a rare warmth in the room as Jason’s thoughts drifted to

you’re worse

all this, or the Nelson family, would

he ever raised his hand to a woman. He’d never imagined that he could ever come to

was too painful to dwell on. Jason switched off the small bedside lamp and

morning, as Estrella woke up, Jason was

to leave, Estrella, still groggy, muttered, “Jason, we need to make up for last week.” She had intended to