Kate lowered her eyes.
“So…” Michael handed her the folder. “This is a divorce agreement I had drawn up. Take a look. The terms are very generous. The house is yours, and I’ll give you another $100,000 in compensation. I’ll take the two kids. After all, I have a stable job and income, and I can give them a better life and education.”
Kate took the folder but didn’t open it. She had known this day would come. She just didn’t expect it to be just a few days before New Year’s.
“Who is she?” she asked, her voice calm.
Michael was taken aback for a moment. “What woman?”
“The woman who made you decide to divorce,” Kate raised her head and looked straight at him. “Jessica, or someone else I don’t know about?”
Michael’s face changed slightly. “That’s not important. The important thing is that we have no feelings for each other anymore. Continuing to be together will only hurt both of us. Kate, you’re still young. With the money and the house, you can start a new life.”
Such familiar lines. Kate could almost recite them from memory. On TV, in movies, and in real life, when men want a divorce, they always use this set of excuses “for your own good,” to “set you free,” to “let you start a new life.”
“Do the kids know?” she asked.
“Not yet. I wanted to talk to you first and then tell them slowly,” Michael said, his tone softening. “Kate, I know this is hard for you, but it’s better to make a clean break. We should both pursue true happiness.”
Kate opened the divorce agreement and quickly scanned it. The terms were indeed generous. The house was worth about $500,000, plus $100,000 in cash. For a stay–at–home mom who hadn’t worked in twelve years, it was, on the surface, more than generous.
Custody of the children would go to Michael, with visitation rights for her twice a month and the option to have them stay with her for a period during the summer. Alimony was a one–time payment, with no further entanglement.
It was very clean, very neat, very much in Michael’s style.
“Do your parents know?” Kate asked.
“I’ll explain it to them,” Michael said. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything bad about you. I’ll just say we grew apart and separated amicably.”
Kate nodded and picked up the pen from the nightstand.
“Aren’t you going to think about it?” he asked.“Think about what?” Kate looked at him. “Think about how to win back a man who no longer loves me? Think about how to maintain a marriage that is already over?”Michael was speechless.Kate signed her name on the agreement, her handwriting neat and clear.“Michael, I have only one request,” she said. “Through the New Year’s holiday, we’ll still act as usual in front of the kids. After the holidays, we’ll tell them and go through the procedures. I don’t want the children’s holiday to be unhappy.”
Michael was visibly relieved. “Of course, of course. That’s what I was thinking too.”
“Also,” Kate added, “during this period, please continue to live at home. We can sleep in separate rooms, but don’t act abnormally in front of the children.”
“Okay, I promise.”
Kate handed the signed agreement back to him.
“Then that’s it. You should get some rest. We still have to go to your parents’ house on New Year’s Day.”
Michael stood there with the agreement in his hand, as if he wanted to say something else, but Kate had already turned around and started straightening the duvet, a clear gesture of dismissal. He ultimately said nothing and left the room.
After the door closed, Kate stood still for a long time. Then she walked to the closet, opened the bottom drawer, and took out the black journal. She turned to a new page and wrote:
“December 29, 2025. He proposed a divorce. I signed. The plan is in motion. The countdown begins.”
After writing, she put the journal back in its place, turned off the light, and got into bed. In the darkness, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.
For three years, this was the day she had been waiting for.
On December 31st, New Year’s Eve, Kate started bustling about early in the morning, putting out festive decorations, chilling champagne, and preparing the ingredients for the evening’s dinner. Outside, the American flag on the neighbor’s porch stirred in the winter wind, a small reminder that this was just another holiday season in a typical U.S. neighborhood.
As they had agreed, Michael was more attentive than usual. When he was helping to hang some fairy lights in the family room, he even took the initiative to talk to her.
“The left side is a little crooked, a little higher,” Kate said, directing Michael to adjust the position of the lights.
Their hands accidentally touched and he recoiled as if he had been electrocuted. Kate, on the other hand, looked completely natural.
“Okay, that’s good,” she said.
The children were playing a board game in the family room, their laughter crisp. The lively sounds of the neighbors’ celebrations also drifted over from the cul-de-sac. The entire subdivision was filled with a festive atmosphere.
“Mom, Grandma’s on the phone!” Mia ran over holding Kate’s cell.
Kate took the phone. “Mom, happy New Year’s Eve. We’ll be over tomorrow afternoon. Yes, we’re having dinner at our place tonight. You guys just come over. Okay, drive safe.”
After hanging up, she glanced at Michael. He was looking at his phone again, his brows slightly furrowed, his fingers typing quickly. It wasn’t hard to guess that he was explaining to that woman why he couldn’t spend New Year’s Eve with her.
Kate turned and went back to the kitchen to continue preparing the ingredients. The knife rose and fell on the cutting board, making a rhythmic sound. In her mind, she was silently taking stock. The accounting certification exam was in a month. She had already sent her résumé to three companies. She had saved $15,000 in a secret account, all squirrelled away little by little from the household expenses over the years.
It wasn’t a fortune, but it was much better than three years ago. Three years ago, she could do nothing but cry and beg.
At noon, her in–laws arrived.
Michael’s father was a retired history professor, and his mother was a homemaker— a typical traditional American family. They were quite satisfied with Kate, mainly because she managed the household well and had given them a grandson and a granddaughter.
“Catherine, you’ve worked so hard making all this food,” her mother–in–law said politely, though her eyes were critically scanning every corner of the living room.
“It’s my pleasure,” Kate said with a smile, pouring coffee. “Dad, Mom, have some coffee.”
“Where’s Michael?” her father–in–law asked.
“He’s in his office dealing with work. He’ll be out in a minute,” Kate said.
As she spoke, Michael came out, putting on a gentle and filial mask.
“Dad, Mom, you’re here. Was the traffic bad on the way?”
The family sat in the living room and chatted. The topics were nothing more than the children’s school, work, and recent news about relatives. Kate served drinks and snacks on the side, interjecting a few words from time to time, playing the role of the perfect daughter–in–law.
She noticed that her mother–in–law was wearing a new bracelet, a very nice one.
“Mom, that bracelet is beautiful. Is it new?” Kate asked casually.
A smug smile appeared on her mother–in–law’s face. “Michael bought it. He said it’s from Tiffany’s. I don’t really know.”
Michael quickly chimed in. “I saw it on a business trip last time and thought it would suit Mom, so I bought it.”
Kate smiled and nodded, but in her heart, she was calculating. That bracelet must have cost at least a few thousand dollars. Michael had never bought her such expensive jewelry. For her last birthday, he had given her a sweater from Kohl’s, bought on sale online.
She said nothing and continued to peel apples and arrange the fruit platter.
The New Year’s Eve dinner was very sumptuous, with a full table of dishes. Kate made prime rib, scalloped potatoes, roasted asparagus, and a large salad. Michael opened a bottle of red wine and poured a little for everyone.
“Here’s to a happy new year for our whole family, good health, and all the best,” he said, raising his glass.
Everyone clinked glasses and said, “Cheers.”
Kate looked at this scene and suddenly felt it was absurd. This family was clearly falling apart; just two days ago, this man had handed her a divorce agreement, and now they were sitting together for a reunion dinner.
But she smiled very naturally, serving her in–laws, cutting up food for the children, and topping off Michael’s wine glass. Her acting was superb, flawless.
After dinner, Michael played chess with his father, and her mother–in–law watched the New Year’s Eve specials on TV. On the screen, the countdown celebrations in Times Square filled the room with light. Kate cleaned up the kitchen. The sound of the dishwasher masked the laughter and conversation in the living room.
She stood alone at the sink, wiping down the counters.
“Mom, I’ll help you,” Mia ran in.
“No need. Go watch TV with Grandma,” Kate said, patting her daughter’s head.
“I want to stay with Mom.” Mia leaned against the counter. “Mom, you made so much food today. Are you tired?”
“Not tired,” Kate said. “As long as you’re happy, Mom is not tired.”
This was half true. She was tired, but she hadn’t known what true happiness was for a long time.
After cleaning up the kitchen, Kate cut some fruit and brought it out. Her mother–in–law was talking about her niece.
“She’s divorced and has a child. It’s so hard,” her mother–in–law sighed. “I tell you, women shouldn’t get divorced easily. It’s always the woman who suffers.”
This was clearly directed at Kate.
In the traditional view, a divorced woman is a failure, especially a housewife with no job.
“You’re right, Mom,” Kate agreed. “So women should have their own careers and not rely entirely on men.”
Her mother–in–law was taken aback, not expecting her to say that. Michael also glanced at her, his expression complicated.
“Catherine has a point,” her father–in–law interjected. “But taking care of the family is also an important job.”
Kate smiled and didn’t say any more. She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost 11:30 p.m.— time for the countdown.
“I’ll get the champagne ready,” she said, standing up.
“I’ll help you,” Michael also stood up and followed her into the kitchen.
With the door closed, only the two of them were left in the small space.
“What Mom said just now, don’t take it to heart,” Michael said in a low voice.
“I won’t,” Kate said as she started getting out the glasses. “She’s right. It’s not easy for a divorced woman.”
Michael was silent for a moment. “Kate, I know I’ve made mistakes, but feelings can’t be forced.”
“I understand.” Kate arranged the glasses on a tray. “You don’t have to explain. I understand everything.”
Her calmness made Michael uneasy. The crying, nagging, and bargaining he had expected never happened. Kate was as calm as if she had been prepared to accept all of this long ago.
“After the holidays, I’ll go through the procedures as soon as possible,” he said. “I won’t give you less money or the house.”
“Okay,” Kate said. “You go be with your parents. I can handle it here.”
Michael stood there for a few seconds and finally went out.
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