The Open Minded Divorce

For the company's retreat, I had a custom suit made. It was designed to perfectly complement the dress my wife, Autumn Rivers, was wearing.

But on the day of the retreat, Autumn showed up in a matching couple's outfit with her old flame.

A friend joked nearby. Your wife must be in love again.

I lowered my eyes and gave a faint smile. Inside, however, I felt completely cold.

Autumn noticed my gaze on the two of them. Instead of feeling guilty, she snapped at me to be more open-minded.

I nodded in agreement. Then, I turned around and drafted the divorce papers.

To me, the ultimate form of being open-minded was setting her free.

1.

Autumn didn't scream when I handed her the divorce settlement.

She kept a faint smile on her lips. She flipped through the clauses like she was reading a casual magazine.

"Xander, are you done with this tantrum? If you are, let's go home."

Her dismissive tone almost made my heart stop. I felt a sharp, stabbing pain in my chest.

I forced myself to keep a calm voice. "What home? You're wearing a couple's outfit with him. Is there even a place for me in that house?"

Autumn's brow furrowed in annoyance.

"Xander Sterling, can you stop making a scene in public? Do you want the entire staff to know about this nonsense?"

She stepped closer, her eyes cold. "You promised to be more understanding. Who are you trying to impress with this attitude?"

I looked into her eyes and saw nothing but indifference. I let out a cold laugh.

She had changed. I should have seen it a long time ago.

Autumn and I had been together for seven years. We weren't just lovers; we were partners who built this empire together.

Yet, after seven years in the same company, very few employees even knew we were married.

But her old flame, Caleb Montgomery, had only been here for seven months.

On his very first day, Autumn publicly announced they were childhood sweethearts. She was terrified he might feel unwelcome.

Tonight, she wore matching clothes with him in front of everyone. She knew exactly what people would say. She knew how much it would hurt me.

But she did it anyway. Her favoritism was loud and clear.

I decided I wouldn't stand in her way anymore.

"I won't embarrass the CEO any longer. I'm leaving."

I turned to walk away. But Caleb's sudden movement caught the attention of the employees playing games nearby.

"Mr. Sterling, wait! Is there a misunderstanding?"

I looked back. Caleb stood next to Autumn, looking frantic.

"CEO Rivers, does Mr. Sterling misunderstand our relationship? Could you please explain it to him?"

He looked like he was on the verge of tears. "My mother is in the hospital. I can't afford to lose this job..."

Everyone in the company knew Autumn had put a million dollars into his medical account. Yet, his act triggered the crowd's protective instincts.

The office gossip queens huddled together. They started whispering loud enough for me to hear.

"Who cares if he's a partner? He's just a lapdog who follows our CEO around."

"Exactly. He thinks he can bully people just because he's been here since the start."

The insults got nastier. I clenched my jaw, wanting to put them in their place.

I took a step forward. Autumn saw my movement and immediately waved the gossipers away.

"That's enough. Stop the chatter. They're drawing prizes on stage. Go get your bonuses."

The women gave me one last smug look before heading inside.

I froze. I didn't yell like I used to. I just squeezed my fists until they trembled.

2.

Caleb and Autumn stood side by side. Caleb had the audacity to smirk at me.

Anger surged through my veins. I couldn't help but snap.

"Caleb, you really have thick skin. It's a waste you aren't in Hollywood. You'd win an Oscar for this performance."

As soon as I spoke, Caleb looked down. His voice was barely a whisper.

"Mr. Sterling, do you still hate me that much? I'll pay back my mother's medical bills..."

Before I could react, Autumn's voice cut through the air like a knife.

"Xander! I gave him that money as a gift. If you have a problem with it, keep it to yourself!"

She ended the conversation right there. I felt like I was suffocating.

I turned and walked out of the venue. Once outside, I ripped off my custom suit jacket and threw it into a trash can.

I had hoped she would be happy to see us in matching outfits. I thought she might finally go public with our marriage.

Looking back, my little plan was pathetic.

My friend, Quentin Brooks, followed me out. He offered me a cigarette.

I almost said, "Autumn doesn't like it when I smoke."

But I swallowed the words. I took the cigarette and lit it.

I inhaled the smoke and let it out slowly. "I looked pretty ridiculous today, didn't I?"

Quentin leaned against the wall, squinting at me. I expected comfort, but he was blunt.

"Yeah. You did."

I blinked, then laughed bitterly.

"Your custom pink Humvee arrived at the dealership," he added. "Are you still giving it to her?"

I leaned against a streetlamp. Autumn was beautiful, but she loved rugged, tough cars.

She usually rode in executive SUVs to maintain her CEO image. We had a few off-roaders in the garage, but she rarely touched them.

Six months ago, I took her car for service. She saw a modified pink Humvee and fell in love instantly.

The dealer said it belonged to a rich socialite who had it custom-built by a legendary designer.

I spent three months tracking that designer down. It took another three months to finish the build.

It was finally ready. I was going to take her to pick it up after the party.

I had imagined her excited face a thousand times. I was ready for her to finally praise me.

I smiled mockingly at myself. "It's yours, Quentin."

Quentin stared at me in shock. "You spent a fortune and months of effort on this. You're just giving it to me?"

"Yeah."

I took one last drag and headed for the parking garage. As I started the engine, Autumn appeared and pounded on the window.

I rolled it down slightly. "Is there something else?"

Autumn looked furious. "Xander, where do you think you're going? Because of what you said, Caleb almost got bullied. Get back there and apologize to him!"

I fought the urge to get out of the car. Instead, I sneered.

"You can try to drag me there, or you can stay here and scream at the wind.

"Oh, by the way, I'll email you the digital copy of the divorce papers. Sign them, or I'll see you in court."

I rolled up the window and floored it.

In the rearview mirror, I saw her chasing the car for a few steps. Her face was twisted with rage, her mouth moving as she screamed insults at me.

3.

On the drive, I called my lawyer.

I told him to rewrite the entire agreement. Especially the part about the company shares.

Rivers Group was something Autumn and I built together. Every success the company had was the result of our shared labor.

I was willing to overlook the fact that I worked way more hours than she did in the early days.

But the assets had to be split fifty-fifty. I wasn't going to let her take a single cent more than she deserved.

My lawyer sounded relieved. He told me I was finally coming to my senses.

I was too restless to go home, so I drove to the coast. Autumn kept calling, but I ignored every single one.

When I finally pulled into the driveway at ten p.m., the house was dark.

The retreat had ended hours ago. I didn't need to guess where she was.

I parked the car and walked to a nearby convenience store to buy some bourbon.

I sat on a stone bench outside our gates, drinking under the moonlight.

When I was sufficiently buzzed, I saw a figure approaching. It was Autumn.

My brain was a fog. I almost called out "Honey," but then I saw Caleb right behind her.

I snapped back to reality. "Wow. Bringing him home already? Are you kicking me out tonight?"

They had both changed clothes.

I chuckled. "New outfits? You two must have had a very productive evening."

Autumn stopped in front of me. She rubbed her temples.

"Xander, that's enough! You threw a fit today because of those clothes.

"Caleb and I changed. You have no reason to keep acting like this."

I looked at Caleb. He was wearing expensive designer streetwear and a white gold bracelet worth at least twenty grand.

I smirked. "Caleb, your salary must be amazing. That outfit alone is worth a small car."

Caleb turned pale and looked at Autumn for help.

Autumn gave him a reassuring look, then turned her cold gaze back to me.

"I bought it for him. Do you have a problem with that?"

I smiled, thinking about my closet full of cheap suits. Not a single one cost as much as Caleb's hoodie.

"Me? Have an opinion? I wouldn't dream of it."

I looked at Caleb seriously. "Since the CEO is so generous, I should give you a gift too. Want to know what it is?"

Caleb looked suspicious. "What?"

I glanced at Autumn. "My wife. You can have her."

4.

The conversation ended in a disaster.

Autumn led Caleb into the villa and slammed the door in my face.

The night wasn't freezing, but sleeping outside after drinking was a guaranteed way to get sick.

Autumn didn't care if I lived or died. I wondered why I had spent years being so good to her.

I stared at the closed door. A man and a woman alone inside.

In the past, I would have stormed in to claim my territory. Now, I almost hoped they would do something scandalous right in front of me.

It would make the divorce settlement much easier.

Loving Autumn had only left me covered in scars. I realized that counting money was much more satisfying than chasing love.

Once I sobered up a bit, I stumbled back inside.

I was hoping to catch them in the act, but Autumn was alone in the master bedroom.

I went to the living room to crash on the sofa.

The noise must have woken her up. She came out, looking sleepy. "Why aren't you in bed?"

I stayed lying down. "Waiting to catch a cheater in the middle of the night."

Autumn's face darkened. She looked like she was about to explode.

I just closed my eyes. After a while, I heard her go into the kitchen.

I felt the sofa sink beside me. I opened my eyes and saw her holding a glass.

"Drink this. It's honey water for the hangover."

Her voice was cold, but I saw a hint of concern in her eyes.

I looked away. I didn't want her cheap pity.

I would never forget when Caleb got drunk after a business meeting. She stayed by his side all night, taking care of him.

Back when we were supposedly in love, I once drank so much for a deal that I ended up with a stomach bleed.

She didn't stay the night. She just hired a nurse and went back to work.

"Xander, I know I've been busy and maybe ignored you a bit," she sighed. "But can you be mature? Don't pick fights over tiny things."

Tiny things?

My wife was playing house with another man. How was I supposed to be "understanding"?

"Come to the bedroom," she whispered. "Tomorrow is a day off. I'll take you out and buy you a gift, okay?"

She leaned in to kiss me. I turned my head away.

"Fine," I muttered.

I was definitely getting a divorce. But I wanted to see what kind of gift a woman who never bought me anything would choose.

5.

Caleb was still there the next morning. He was in the kitchen making breakfast.

"It was too late to send him home after shopping yesterday," Autumn explained. "So I let him stay in the guest room."

I just nodded. I didn't care anymore.

After breakfast, Caleb tried to follow us, but Autumn actually turned him down for once.

"Caleb, you go ahead. I'll call an Uber for you."

I waited by the door while they said their goodbyes. It was almost lunchtime by the time he left.

Autumn took me straight to a luxury boutique. She didn't help me pick anything. She just sat on the plush sofa and pointed at the racks.

"Pick whatever you want, Xander. My treat."

I picked out two of the most expensive suits and went into the fitting room.

When I came out, Autumn was gone.

The sales associate smiled at me. "Mr. Sterling, the CEO asked me to tell you she had an emergency. You can just charge everything to her account."

I nodded and handed over the suits. "I'll take these."

As the girl processed the payment, her eyes widened.

"Mr. Sterling, your wife is so generous. Her loyalty points are enough to buy our entire limited-edition collection."

I looked at the screen. I felt a cold laugh bubble up.

There were over six hundred thousand points. One point for every dollar spent.

The history went back two years. This store only sold men's clothing.

I had never received a single gift from her. It was obvious who she had been buying for all this time.

I called her. She picked up after a few rings. "Xander, I'm so sorry. Caleb's mom suddenlyD"

"Autumn," I cut her off. "Come home right now. Sign the papers."

She paused, then snapped. "Xander! What is wrong with you now?"

"I want a divorce, Autumn!"

I kicked a nearby clothing rack. The sound of metal hitting the floor echoed through the phone.

There was silence. Then her voice went flat. "Fine. If that's what you want."

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