My voice shook as I said it, and no amount of willpower could push down the bitterness rising in my chest.
Silence on the other end. Then a quiet laugh. "Well. I never thought the devoted Mrs. Delgado would say those words to another man."
"There's one week left in the divorce cooling-off period. Don't worry. I don't love him anymore."
I hung up and stared at the two torn halves of my marriage certificate in my hands. My heart felt like it was being carved apart piece by piece. The shredded red booklet slipped from my fingers and fluttered to the floor.
Three weeks ago, I'd finally conceived Bertram's third child.
Zara Delgado came to me directly and told me to leave.
"Bertram's status is special. You're not worthy of him. There's enough money on this card to keep you comfortable for the rest of your life. Have the baby and get out. You've already killed two of them. Don't kill a third."
I looked at the bank card she'd tossed at me, and the memory of my first two babies, born without ever drawing a single breath, cut through me like a blade.
Ten years ago, Bertram Delgado, a man notorious for his indifference to women, fell for me at first sight.
To win me over, he quietly studied my habits and preferences. When I came down with a fever, he sat at my bedside for three days and three nights without leaving.
To thank him, I agreed to go with him to a college reunion. On the way there, the brakes failed.
He pulled me into his arms on instinct. The impact shattered several of his ribs.
In that moment, the wall I'd built around my heart, the one I thought nothing could ever break, came crashing down.
After that, we fell together naturally.
Once we were married, he spoiled me until I became the "princess" everyone in our circle talked about. He taught himself the difference between foundation shades just so he could pick the perfect one for me. When I hit a wall with my studies, he whisked me away on trips to clear my head. When I felt lost in my career, he was there with encouragement and unwavering support.
Because of all that, I never once doubted what we had.
Remembering this, I looked Zara dead in the eye, laughed coldly, and snapped that card in half with my bare hands.
"You've got it wrong. I never loved cold numbers on a screen. And Bertram would never let me walk away from our child."