The Final Chapter of an Eighteen-Year Marriage

"Eighteen years. I've finally made it to the end," my mother-in-law said with a smile, holding her teacup as she spoke to Lu Jingshen. I stood at the study door, holding a plate of freshly cut fruit. She hadn't seen me. Or perhaps she had seen me and simply pretended not to. "That's right," I said, setting the plate on the coffee table. My voice was calm and clear. "I've finally made it to the end, too." My mother-in-law's smile froze. She set down her teacup, looking at me as if she'd seen something impossible. Lu Jingshen looked up at me, his expression complicated. I sat down across from him, composed. "I've read the divorce agreement. It's fine." "You