Thin Walls

Chapter 19

It'd been years since I'd last set foot in my husband's office. I'd never needed to be here and now that I did enter the veterinary clinic, Will immediately knew something was off.

"Regina, is everything alright?"

"No," I replied. "Is Robin around?"

"He's just about to finish with Mrs. French's dog, but lucky for you, he's got a break right after," he said. He looked a tad nervous, but I didn't know why. I wasn't that intimidating. "Robin didn't look very well today. Is he okay?"

"If he is, I'll make sure he won't be in just a few minutes," I said and my smile probably threw Will off guard. "There's been some problems that I need to discuss with him. He's not going to enjoy it, I assume."

Will swallowed, but chuckled nervously. I took off my coat and sat down on a chair that, along with three other chairs, was supposed to form the waiting room. It was a modern-looking clinic, with white walls and abstract paintings that looked like animals, only if you stared long enough at them.

It was always quite calm in the waiting room, but in a relaxing way. I prepared what I was going to say in my head, though I was sure I would lose all control over my vocabulary once I was with Robin. I was downright pissed.

Maybe it was not right to disturb him when he was at work, but if I had to stay put with this pent up anger all day, it would only get worse.

I had to wait for about twenty minutes, until I finally heard a door open. Robin and a woman I vaguely recognized from walking around town exited the room and my husband's eye caught me.

He wanted to pretend as though he hadn't seen me, but I got up and forced a smile. "I thought you'd call," Robin said. I followed him into his office and slammed the door shut.

"Yes, well, things have developed and I figured a face to face conversation was necessary," I said and straightened my posture. I held my coat in my arms and pursed my lips together. "I want a divorce and I want it now."

Though we'd already discussed this last night, Robin still seemed to take it hard. He tried grabbing my hand from behind his desk, but I abruptly moved it away.

"Whatever is bothering you, we can work it out."

"Oh, no," I said and shook my head. "For one simple reason: I don't want to. If someone I'm married to has any issues with me or our marriage, I want them to come to me. I don't want them going behind my back and threaten my friends, commanding them to cut off any contact with me. Have you completely lost your mind, Robin?" My voice was low and he was most definitely intimidated by me.

"No, you don't get to do this," Robin said, evidently becoming furious. "You've been sleeping around with other people, with women," he said, as though the gender truly mattered, "without a care in the world. You ruined our marriage and you had the audacity to blame me?! No, I tell you when our marriage is over and I'm not done with you yet."

His desperateness had something sweet, something vulnerable, but I smirked slightly. "Sadly for you, we live in the 21st century. If one wants a divorce, the other can't do so much but agree. And right now, I want a divorce, which leaves little left for you to do."

I left his examination room and shut the door loudly. Will looked up, startled, and I was certain he'd been able to hear our raised voices. I didn't care though. He'd probably already known about Robin's and my rough patch.

A brief smile appeared on my lips, before I left the vet. Though the process would be easier if Robin agreed to the divorce, I was ready to sign some papers.

~~~~~

There was a minimum wait-list for sixty days, once you filed a divorce in Maine, but Robin refusing to sign it would probably elongate the process.