Chapter 1: Discord

The living room lights flickered on, the sudden brightness making Bella squint. Instinctively, she glanced at the clock on the wall—it was ten. Turning her head towards the entrance, she saw Calvin changing his shoes. Languidly, she asked, “Working late again today?”

“Mhm,” Calvin replied nonchalantly. Bella redirected her gaze back to the television. Calvin was a workaholic, working overtime at least three days a week, a routine she had grown accustomed to. Typically, he would take a shower at this time and then seclude himself in the study to continue his grand endeavors. However, today was different.

Calvin picked up the remote from the coffee table, turned off the TV, and then sat down on the single-seater sofa to her left, loosening his tie with a hint of lethargy. “I need to discuss something with you.”

Bella looked at him in confusion. Discuss something with her? That was rare. In their three years of marriage, he had always had only one thing to say about domestic matters—“Whatever you decide.” And now he wanted to discuss something? She tried to think of what it could be. Their parents' birthdays? No. Planning a trip for their anniversary? Their anniversary was still far off. If it wasn't one of those two things, she was at a loss. “What is it?”

Calvin stared at her for a long moment before finally speaking. “Let’s get a divorce.”

Bella froze, bewildered. What did he say? Divorce? Was he delirious from working too much? “Calvin, have you lost your mind? Why would we get a divorce out of the blue?” Her eyes widened, and her voice trembled, “Is... is there someone else?!” She knew it; so much for being a workaholic. It must be an affair. What else could make him work overtime almost every day?

“No!” Calvin’s reply was firm and decisive. Compared to her agitation, he remained as nonchalant as ever. “I’m just tired of this life.”

“Tired? What do you mean tired? Tired of what? Tired of the house’s decor or tired of the car you’re driving?” Bella’s body tensed with anger. He was tired of working late?

Calvin calmly stated, “Tired of you.”

Bella was struck as if by lightning, stunned by his direct and ruthless attack on her feelings. After all, they had been married for three years, and he showed not a hint of compassion. It took her a while to find her voice, gritting her teeth, “You say there’s no one else, yet you won’t admit it until you’re caught red-handed, huh?”

“I told you, there’s no affair. Believe it or not, that’s up to you.”

Bella stared at him, turmoil swirling inside her. Their marriage was the result of their mothers’ friendship; the two women, best friends themselves, constantly talked about marrying their children off to each other, and so this marriage came to be. Calvin was always indifferent, a cold man who listened to his mother. She, initially dazzled by his looks and later finding him boring yet unable to resist her own vanity, married him. Three years into their marriage, they had scarcely developed much affection for each other, but that didn’t mean she was indifferent to potential infidelity. At that moment, she almost wanted to grab him by the collar and demand to know who the other woman was.

Calvin continued, “Clear your schedule for the weekend. We need to make a trip back home.” A divorce was a significant matter that needed to be communicated to both sets of parents.

Bella’s chest heaved with suppressed rage, provoked by his clinical tone, “I’m not going! I won’t divorce! They won’t agree to it!” Especially the two mothers; how could they allow the golden couple they envisioned to split?

Calvin paused, then simply said, “I’ll go back alone.”

Bella snorted, eager to see how he would explain himself. Would he tell his mother he had grown tired of the wife she had chosen for him? She was sure his ultimate submission would be as a dutiful son. Just you wait and see.

As the weekend approached, Bella changed her mind at the last moment and accompanied Calvin home in silence. Calvin, a man of few words, and Bella, despite being talkative, could hardly find common ground, leading to barely a few sentences exchanged between them each week. Bella sighed, thinking Calvin would be content with the marriage arranged by their mothers, only to shock her with a divorce proposal just as she thought their lives were set in stone. She couldn’t imagine what kind of seductress could lure away such an iceberg, making him defy his mother’s wishes.

The car slowly entered the somewhat old neighborhood where Calvin's parents lived, joined today by her parents for the discussion. Glancing at the composed man beside her, Bella wondered if he had gotten someone pregnant. What else could explain his confidence? What could be more impactful than the prospect of a golden grandchild? With this thought, she flared up, “Calvin, did you get that seductress pregnant?”

Calvin didn’t even look at her as he flatly denied, “I have not had an affair.”

“A one-night stand?”

Finally looking her straight in the eye, he stated, “I’m just tired of you.”

Bella felt her frustration explode, feeling as if her heart had been shoved to the outer ring roads. Couldn’t he stop stabbing her so mercilessly? No other woman involved, just plainly tired of her! She cursed under her breath, slammed the car door upon exiting, and thought determinedly: Divorce? Over my dead body!

Calvin’s and Bella’s mothers were best friends, making both families quite close, often gathering for meals and entertainment. They assumed today was another casual gathering until Bella entered with a scowl, making the atmosphere tense. Before anyone could ask what was wrong, Calvin followed inside, gathered everyone, and bluntly announced, “Mom, Dad, Bella and I are getting a divorce.”

Bella huffed and turned away as the four parents exchanged bewildered looks, shocked by the sudden news. Divorce? Why now? There had been no signs of discord or quarrels. Calvin’s mother was the first to react, anxiously inquiring, “Why? Everything seemed fine. Do you have someone else?”

Bella’s mother immediately tensed, eyeing her son-in-law. He was indeed attractive, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he had caught the attention of others. Could he really not resist?

“No,” Calvin responded, easing Bella’s mother's worry slightly. If it wasn’t for another person, perhaps things weren’t beyond salvage. Young people can be impulsive, after all. Calvin’s mother, however, remained skeptical. “If there’s no one else, why divorce?” Regardless of whether he had someone or not, she would not agree to a divorce. No woman could compare to the one she had chosen for her son.

Bella watched him, curious about the reason he would give. Directly stating he was tired of her? She doubted Calvin’s mother would let him off easily. Calvin remained calm, his eyes scanning the elders before deliberately stating, “Sexual incompatibility.”

Silence engulfed the room

as the parents sat dumbfounded, their minds racing. Sexual incompatibility? They had expected him to cite irreconcilable differences, a reason they could counter with their wealth of experience. But this reason left them speechless. Were they expected to give advice on such intimate matters?

Bella was equally stunned. Sexual incompatibility? What nonsense was he spouting? How would their parents interpret this? Did they suspect him of being impotent or her of being frigid? Wait, by bringing up incompatibility, was he insinuating that she was the issue?

Calvin had plunged the knife too deeply. First, he openly admitted his weariness of her, and now, he implied to their parents she was frigid. The subtext seemed to be: Look, she's frigid. For the sake of my future happiness, I have no choice but to divorce. With these thoughts, she stood up furiously, “Calvin! Explain yourself! What do you mean by incompatibility? Where is the incompatibility? Don’t blame me for your own shortcomings!”

Seeing Bella on the verge of a breakdown, her mother quickly intervened, trying to smooth things over, “Bella, calm down. This issue... this issue…” How could one discuss such matters openly? Bella’s mother struggled to find words, finally suggesting, “You two should try to work it out at home.”

Calvin’s mother quickly agreed, “Yes, yes, there’s no need to divorce over something like this. Uh… perhaps watch some videos, learn, and everything will be fine…” She blushed at her own words.

Calvin gave a noncommittal response, his expectations met. Other reasons might be refuted, but not this one. As for Bella, convincing her to divorce was not a difficult task. With his objective achieved, he stood up, “I have to get back to work.”

Calvin’s mother paused, taken aback by his swift departure. She had prepared a feast. Considering the awkward atmosphere, it was probably for the best he left, yet she couldn’t help but advise, “Take care of your health…” The implication being, don’t overwork yourself, especially now.

“Mhm,” Calvin nodded, insisting his mother not see him out, and left. Bella grabbed her purse from the sofa and followed him out, fuming, “Since we’re so incompatible, we should go home and work it out, right?” Jerk! She wouldn’t let this go until everything was cleared up.

Calvin silently stepped aside to let her pass first, following her out and only speaking in the elevator, “You can set the terms for the divorce.”

“Calvin! How much do you despise me? To lie about sexual incompatibility just to get a divorce! Jerk! What are they supposed to think?”

Calvin remained silent, knowing such suspicions were inevitable but also believing they wouldn’t spread the word. Bella couldn’t stand his silence, yelling, “Say something!”

“If you know it’s just an excuse, why get angry?”

“After what you said, they’ll naturally assume it’s my fault! I’m already the victim in your divorce proposal; why should I also take the blame for you?”

The elevator dinged open, and Calvin turned to her, slowly asking, “Do you think we’re compatible?”

Bella paused, caught off guard. Were they incompatible?