Chapter 8 Let's Never Meet Again

Just as Annabelle was about to refuse, Samuel cut her off. "Annabelle, don't make me say it twice." The words she had been about to say were instantly swallowed. Facing the Feltons' mocking eyes, she couldn't bring herself to reject him in the end. Elise wheeled her from table to table, making her toast every single person. Even the younger ones expected her to humble herself before them. She barely had time to swallow each drink before Elise would hand her the next one. Annabelle's stomach burned, and her bladder felt like it was about to burst. She repeatedly tried to interrupt Elise and quietly said she needed to use the restroom, but Elise either ignored her or brushed it off as if she hadn't heard. When the toasts were finally over, Elise wheeled her back to Samuel's side. Annabelle felt dizzy the moment she sat down. She didn't even rest for a full second before she began turning her wheelchair toward the restroom, only to realize it was stuck. The wheels wouldn't budge at all. She looked toward Elise, who was now mingling and drinking with the guests. Her eyes dimmed in realization. Annabelle took a deep breath and tapped Samuel on the shoulder. He looked over in confusion, but before she could say anything, Elise walked over with a glass of wine. "Sam, I don't recognize half the people here. Can you introduce them to me?" She grabbed Samuel's arm and walked off with him. The family dinner was already halfway done, and most people had started catching up with each other. Everyone who passed by Annabelle was pulled away by Elise with some excuse. Perhaps it was the alcohol, or maybe she had just given up, but Annabelle stopped calling for help. Her head pounded as she leaned back in her chair. She didn't even realize she had lost control of her bladder until Lucas shouted, "Ew! What's that smell? This wicked woman peed herself! How disgusting!" The loud voice snapped Annabelle awake. A crowd quickly gathered around, and none of them bothered to hide the disdain in their eyes. As she shifted slightly in her seat, she finally felt the wetness underneath her. Her body stiffened. Shame crashed over her in a suffocating wave. She lowered her head as far as it would go, but her clenched fists and trembling lashes betrayed her helplessness. The children nearby kept laughing and jeering. Annabelle gripped the wheelchair tightly and tried with all her strength to wheel away, but the chair still wouldn't budge. Panic started to take over. She tried to avoid the burning stares around her, but there was no escape. She braced herself with both arms and tried to stand. The moment her lifeless legs touched the floor, she collapsed like a broken doll. Luckily, someone caught her just before she hit the ground. Annabelle didn't care who it was. She clung tightly to the person's shoulder and pleaded, "Please, just get me out of here." The man said nothing. He simply scooped her up and carried her straight to the staff lounge before leaving again. There, she found a change of clothes left for her. Tears instantly poured down her face, and her shoulders shook with silent sobs. Just as her cries echoed through the small room, the door was kicked open with force. Samuel stormed in with a dark expression on his face. "Annabelle! I can't believe you already found someone new. Who is he? Tell me! You haven't even divorced me yet, and you're already cheating. You really are something else!" Annabelle had been so startled by the loud crash of the door that she forgot to cry. When she finally registered Samuel's words, her eyes widened with disbelief. She had just gone through the most humiliating moment of her life. She wet herself in front of everyone and had to be quietly helped away by a kind staff member just to save herself some dignity. Even in this state, Samuel still chose to believe the worst of her. How could he think that way? He had known her for 15 years. How could he think she would do something like that? Annabelle felt utterly numb. The calm mask she had worn shattered, revealing nothing but deep disappointment and barely restrained fury. "Samuel! You accused me without even asking. Do you even know what Elise—" Before she could finish, Samuel slammed his hands down and furiously said, "Seriously? You're still bringing Elise up right now? Are you trying to say she told you to sneak off and meet some guy behind my back during a family dinner?" Annabelle stared at him, unable to believe this was the man she had loved for 15 years. Her grip tightened around the clothes in her lap. She closed her eyes and nodded. "Fine. I met someone new. Let's get a divorce." The veins on Samuel's arms popped as he clenched his fists. He was seething. "You said it. Don't come crying to me later." Annabelle took a deep breath, swallowing the lump in her throat. She reached behind her for the bag that had never left her side and pulled out a document. "I won't. I'll never regret it. Sign it." Samuel looked down at the divorce papers she handed him. For a moment, he hesitated. A flicker of panic passed through him. But in the next second, he convinced himself this was just some emotional game to get his attention or to compete with Elise. He snatched the document from her hands. After scanning it briefly, his face twisted into a mocking smirk. The words "property notarized" pushed his fury over the edge. He didn't even bother to read the rest. Just to prove how little he cared, he scribbled his signature down without hesitation, then flung the papers back at her. After pacing a few steps, he swung the door open. "See you at the courthouse tomorrow." Annabelle didn't say a word, and Samuel took her silence as agreement. Only she knew there was no tomorrow for them. She had already planned to leave with Lexi tonight. That divorce certificate no longer mattered. She didn't go home after that. She changed into fresh clothes, and Lexi took her straight to the airport. On the way there, she blocked every possible way Samuel could ever contact her again. She left behind only one final scheduled message. "Samuel, if my love ever made you feel guilty, then I take it back. I'm just glad the child is yours and Elise's. Otherwise, I might not have had the heart to walk away. Thank you for the 15 years you've given me. I wish myself happiness. Let's never meet again."