Chapter 2 Mrs. Stanley Isn't For Me

I had just gotten out of the shower in my hotel room when my phone started blowing up.

The first call was from Jared's assistant, Zayn Larson.

"Mrs. Stanley, could you please come home? Mr. Stanley isn't fully recovered from his injury, and you acting like this..."

"Zayn." I cut him off. "From now on, call me Kathy, or Ms. Quinn. 'Mrs. Stanley' isn't a title I deserve."

I hung up. It rang again immediately.

This time, it was an encrypted line.

I answered, and Jared's voice came through, angrier than before. "Kathy, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Divorcing you." I answered as I dried my hair. "I thought I made myself pretty clear."

"Do you have any idea how many reporters are outside right now? What you're doing will ruin my career!"

Would I ruin his career?

I stopped drying my hair.

"Jared, how did you get that gunshot wound in your leg?"

"I was saving someone..."

"You violated operational discipline and left the safe zone without authorization." My voice was flat, like a machine. "The medical report said if the bullet had been 0.1 inch to the left, you'd be paralyzed from the neck down."

I could hear his ragged breathing on the other end.

"And," I continued, "I have the audio. All of it. The communications between you and Bailee in the thirty seconds before you left the safe zone."

A dead silence followed, as if the whole world had stopped spinning.

"Wanna hear it?" I asked, sitting on the edge of the bed, my tone casual, like I was discussing the weather. "'Don't be scared, Bailee, I'm coming for you.' 'I won't let you get hurt.' And my personal favorite-'Once this is over, I'll tell Kathy everything.'"

"Kathy..."

"What? Ringing a bell now?"

Jared's voice began to tremble. "Those... those were just words... I just acted impulsively... "

"Impulsively" I let out a hollow laugh. "Jared, do you even know what professionalism means? I was in the command center. I had to listen to that crap and still calmly translate the rescue orders for you."

"I..." Jared trailed off, lost for words.

I stood up and walked to the window. "The whole world thinks you're a hero. While you were basking in all that glory, did it ever cross your mind what would happen to your 'hero' status if this recording got out?"

The city lights glittered outside, but I felt nothing but cold inside.

"Kathy, please. Let's just talk. Okay?" For the first time, there was a hint of pleading in his voice. "I messed up, I admit it. But..."

"But what? You love her?"

"No... "

"Then what? But she needs you? But she's more fragile than I am?" I turned and faced the mirror, staring at the stranger reflected back at me. "Or is it that being with her makes you feel more like a man?"

Every word hit its mark, sharp as a knife.

"Kathy, just let me explain..."

"Save it." I yanked the curtains shut. "Tomorrow, I'm going to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I'm formally applying for the lead interpreter position at the G20 Summit."

"What?"

"I want the whole world to see what true professional integrity looks like."

I hung up and then blocked all his contact information.

The phone screen went dark, and I was alone in the room.

I sat on the edge of the bed and suddenly remembered our wedding night three years ago.

That night, Jared had a video call with Bailee in his study until dawn.

I waited in the living room all night, still in my wedding dress.

When morning came, he walked out and just said, "Sorry, Bailee's situation was really urgent."

Back then, I was naïve enough to believe it was just work.

Looking back, it was ridiculous.