I Ask to Leave with Nothing

Ben Carter's phone screen lit up. It was a photo sent by Shirley Shield. In the photo, the two were hugging by the hotel pool. Shirley was wearing a bikini, smiling like a flower. I stared at the photo, my fingertips turning cold. After twelve years of marriage, it was the first time I saw him smile like that. The phone vibrated again, a new message came in. "Ella, let's get a divorce. Shirley and I love each other." I took a deep breath and deleted the message. When I walked into the living room, my parents were sitting on the sofa. "Ella, did Ben Carter bully you?" Mom held my hand, her voice trembling. Dad kept his head down, smoking, smoke rings drifting across his deeply wrinkled face. "Dad, Mom," I said, my voice as calm as a still pond, "I've made up my mind—I'm leaving the marriage with nothing." Mom suddenly stood up, the chair legs scraping harshly against the floor. "What did you say?!" Her voice cracked sharply. "When he started the company, it was your dad who sold the old house to raise the startup money! You're leaving with nothing?" At that moment, my mother-in-law, Fiona Clark, came out of the kitchen. She held a brown paper bag in her hand and pushed it toward me. "Ella, don't be stupid." She sighed, "Ben Carter signed an agreement before the marriage—if he cheats, he leaves the marriage with nothing. Here's the original copy." In the corner of the sofa, our son Gavin looked up. He had just started eighth grade, still with a hint of childishness in his eyes. "Mom, Dad is the one at fault. He's the one who should leave with nothing." He clenched his fists. "I'm with you, not him." I took the agreement, my fingertips brushing over the name 'Ben Carter.' Then, right in front of everyone, she tore it into pieces. "What are you all talking about?" I smiled and picked up a torn piece of paper. "Ben Carter is a good man. If he cheated, it's because I wasn't good enough." "The family property should all go to him—that's only fair." The living room suddenly fell silent. Only the clock on the wall ticked away. Gavin Carter was the first to react; he rushed up to me. "Mom, are you afraid the judge will give me to Dad?" His eyes were red with urgency. "I'm already fourteen. I can choose for myself! I choose you!" I raised my hand and slapped him across the face. The sharp sound echoed through the living room. Gavin covered his face, staring at me in disbelief. "How can you talk to your dad like that?" I raised my voice, my throat tightening. "That's your own father! Say another word like that and I'll break your legs!" Fiona stepped forward and grabbed my arm. Her fingers were cold, carrying a faint smell of cooking oil.