Divorce As We Know It Chapter 3
"This had better be important, Darien," were the words he was met with some three weeks after he had last talked to her. The divorce papers had been drafted, printed and sent. There were, in fact, two different legal papers: one speaking for an absolute divorce and the other for a no-fault divorce. Trista could pick and choose; he'd signed both of them. But there was a problem –
"I know our divorce is not important to you, and that you will brush it off by excusing yourself since more important matters are waiting, but I would like you to be aware that this issue is important to me! That you don't give a flying shit about what is important to me, but this call is being recorded and, well, you had better cooperate."
"Darien, I care very much about things that are important to you," was the reply.
"Yeah, you have been so eager to contact me about the divorce papers these past two weeks," he added sarcastically. Then he went on rather annoyed; "Why haven't you signed them yet?"
"Honey, I don't want a divorce," she stated.
"Come again?" he asked in a flat voice. "And why is that?"
"I should be asking you why you want a divorce, Dear, but sure I will answer your question: because I think our marriage is wonderful. I do not want to be separated from you…" was the very collected answer.
"What you mean is that our marriage is very convenient for you, and that you don't want to compromise your carrier," he commented rather annoyed.
"Why are you trying to antagonise me, Darien?" Trista questioned soberly. "I understand that you are going through some sort of phase akin to a midlife crisis, and I'm ready to forgive you and give you some time on your own to think and figure yourself out –"
Darien sighed. He rolled his eyes, lent back on his chair and loosened his tie.
"Cut the crap, Trista, I know you!" he said as he raked a hand through his hair. "I know being married is good for your carrier ambitions and image. Hard working, married, independent female – that is what you are going for. But I don't love you anymore, and I want out!"
"But I love you… You can't make decisions based only on yourself. We are two in a marriage and we have to compromise. Every couple has problems sometimes and I'm willing to go to a marriage counsellor with you when I get back."
"Trista, I don't remember which side of the bed you sleep on, I don't remember the colour of your eyes, or your hair. I'm beginning to forget what you look like. What's more, I don't feel bad about it, and I can't wait until the day that I can walk past you on my way to work and see you as just one of a thousand people in the crowd; that is how dead you are to me.
"So why, for what its worth, would you want to stay married to me? – Wait, don't tell me! I know it: because it looks good and reliable, it shows off your success. Well, I'm not having that! I will fight for my freedom."
"What a wonderful little speech, Dear," was the response. "You break my heart, but I know you can't mean a word of it."
"Trista, sign the papers, will you," Darien rounded off rather tired and frustrated. "I'm telling you, the more of my time you waste, the less generous I will become. I would hate to have to go to court over this."
Darien hung up.