Divorce Papers Signed Over a Spicy Meal

My name is Nina Brown. I've been married to Julian Hayes for seven years, ever since I left Sorrin for Capin. We can never eat the same meal. I love spicy food, but the second he smells spice, he slams his fork down. I made a spicy fish stew at home once. He smashed his plate and fork and gave me the cold shoulder for a month. After that, I quit making spicy food and learn to live on thin soup and bland food. Every day, for seven years, until my birthday. That day, I finish buying groceries and head home. Suddenly, the smell from a spicy stew shop stops me in my tracks. That is when I see Julian sitting beside a young woman. A pot of bright red chili stew sits in front of them. He's sweating from the heat, swallowing the food she feeds him like he's done it a hundred times. His lips are already swollen, but he still looks like he's enjoying it. I stand outside the glass window and breathe in the chili in the air. For the first time, it makes my stomach turn. It's not that he can't handle spicy food. He just won't eat it for me. Chapter 1 Julian Hayes got home while I was adding slices of meat to the pot. The base was one Mom had mailed from Sorrin—beef chili, extra hot. For the past seven years, because Julian wouldn't eat spice, I'd kept those packs at the back of my cabinet. I always left them until they expired, then threw them out. That day, I suddenly found myself craving a taste. As soon as Julian pushed the door open and smelled the spice, his expression darkened. "Didn't I say I don't eat spice? Dump it. The smell makes me sick," he complained. In our seven years of marriage, he always said that chili turned his stomach. When Mom sent me ribs from home, he would glance at them and say that there was chili on them. Then, he'd drop them in the trash. I made a spicy fish stew once. He smelled it. That night, every pot and plate in the house was replaced. I thought he hated chili through and through. And so, I bent to his taste for seven years. It was only that day, when I happened to see him at the stew shop with another woman, that I understood. He didn't hate spice. He just hated eating it with me. I picked up a slice of meat and put it on my plate, as if I hadn't heard him. Julian frowned. "Nina, did you hear me?" he asked. I didn't look up. "Today's my birthday," I said simply. Last year, when I blew out the candles, I made a wish. "I hope next year on my birthday, Julian will let me eat a spicy stew at home." He looked disgusted, but he still agreed. Later I made it easier on him and changed the wish. "I hope that next year on my birthday, Julian will spend the whole day with me." That day was the day that wish was supposed to come true. But he didn't stay. He wouldn't even let me have any of the spicy stew. The thought of last year made me laugh. Then the chili stung, and tears ran. Julian seemed to remember what happened last year, too. The anger had faded from his face, replaced by guilt. That was when the phone rang. A young woman's voice came through. "Jules, I saw an extra-spicy barbecue place that looks good. Let's go now, okay?" The woman sounded sweet and confident. She didn't sound afraid of being refused. Julian didn't refuse her. He didn't even hesitate, turning at once. "Wait for me. I'm on my way," he told her. At the door, he looked back and urged me, "Clean up when you're done, and spray some extra air freshener." In our seven years of marriage, this was the first time he'd allowed me to eat spicy food at home. It was only so he could run off to another woman. The last bit of warmth in me went cold, bit by bit. I watched him leave, then I picked up my phone and called the lawyer. My voice was so calm that it sounded strange even to me. "You can start the divorce papers I mentioned tonight." I ate the stew until midnight. Julian still wasn't back. He updated his feed with a photo. "When I eat with you, even the night wind feels warm." The picture was of a woman feeding him a skewer. Under it, a mutual friend commented, "Jules, I thought you didn't eat spice. Did Nina finally change your mind?" Julian replied, "A man has to switch up his tastes sometimes." "Switch up his tastes." I read the words aloud and found them funny. We had dated for three years. I crossed half the country from Sorrin to Capin for him, yet he never once thought about changing his tastes. Chapter 2 In our seven years of marriage, I prepared every meal to suit his bland palate. Even the chili jar in the kitchen had gathered dust. He never thought about switching up his tastes. Now, with one simple remark, he had an excuse for his affair. I opened the photo and saved it. When I refreshed the page, the post was gone. He must have finally remembered to hide it from me. I opened our chat, ready to type, "Stop hiding it. I've already seen it." But then when I looked closer, the last message between us was still from the day before yesterday. I'd forwarded a link to a new spicy stew shop and said, "I miss the taste of home so much." He had replied with only a single word—"Disgusting". Then this afternoon, he'd eaten it with that woman. I stared at the screen and couldn't help but laugh. I was laughing at myself. I left home and spent ten years of my life for this. The phone buzzed. My mother, Aubrey Smith, called me. She asked, "Nina, did you eat the smoked ribs I sent? Were they good? She continued, "You can't get such flavors in Capin. I sent another batch. It'll arrive tomorrow. Cook it for yourself. Stop eating bland food just for him." She went on and on. After a while, she added softly, "If you're not happy, come home. I'll cook for you." My eyes stung. I swallowed the ache in my throat and said, "Yes." My fingers quietly dug into my palm. When the call ended, I called Julian and asked him when he'd be home. His voice came back hoarse from the spice. "Go to bed. I'm out with a friend. Don't wait up," he replied. Then, a woman's voice rose behind him. "Jules, try this spicy seafood. I had the owner make it extra spicy." "Coming," he said before hanging up on me. I put the phone down and looked at the bowl on the table. It had already gone cold and set. Mom was right. I really should go home. I got up early the next morning. I packed up my belongings, then went to the lawyer's office to pick up the divorce papers. As I passed Julian's company, I ran into him and that woman. When Julian saw me, he stopped walking. "Nina, what are you doing here?" he asked. I was about to say that I was only passing through and would be gone in a minute. But the woman stepped in front of me first and smiled. She said, "So, you're his wife. I'm Jules'... I'm Mr. Hayes' assistant, Fiona Stewart. It's nice to meet you. Shall we eat together?" She tipped her head at Julian and suggested, "The Sorrin place we always go to?" "He doesn't eat spice," I said. The words left my mouth before I could stop them. Julian's fingers tightened as his expression shifted. Fiona glanced at me. Her expression was hard to read. Then she smiled. "That was before," she said. The words were light but suffocating. My chest tightened. Indeed, that was before. Now, Julian not only ate spicy food—he loved it. I followed them to the restaurant in silence. When they ordered, Fiona took the menu. She pointed at chili chicken and said that Julian loved chicken. It seemed that he ordered it the most often. I remembered going back to Sorrin for the holidays. Mom's best dish was chili chicken. Back then, he would always pick out the chicken and only eat the peanuts. He said that the heat numbed his tongue, and that it tasted awful. Now, he was smiling and nodding, saying that this one was cooked just right. Fiona ordered spicy fish stew too, then tipped her head at him and smiled. "Last time, your lips got so swollen from the spice. Yet, you still forced yourself to say it was good just so you could eat the same food as me," she said. Julian glanced at me from the corner of his eye and said in a low voice, "That was to accommodate you." They went back and forth. I sat across from them like a stranger sharing their table. Fiona suddenly pushed the menu toward me. "Order something you like," she said. I was about to speak when Julian cut in. "She'll eat anything. Don't worry about her. Get her a…" He stalled as his finger hovered over the menu. His brows furrowed. "What do you even like?" he asked. I lowered my gaze and stirred the tea in front of me. Steam curled upward, blurring my vision. "I like spice…" I said quietly. "Two mild dishes," Julian said. He closed the menu and told the waiter, "She eats bland food." He never looked at me once. Chapter 3 Fiona only touched the crescent necklace she was wearing and laughed. The sound was light, yet it still hit hard. I stood up. "I don't like bland food. I like spice," I said. Julian froze for a second. Then he looked at me, startled. I didn't look at him. Instead, I picked up my bag. "You two eat. I have something to do, so I'm leaving." Then I paused and looked at him. "Come home tonight. I have something to tell you," I told them. It was time to tell him about the divorce papers. I packed all afternoon, boxing things and sending parcels out. While I was at it, I found a DVD from ten years ago. When I played it, a video from that same time appeared on the screen. Young Julian sat at a roadside stall in Sorrin. A bowl of noodles piled with chili sat in front of him. He ate, sweat beading on his forehead from the heat. I wiped his face with a tissue, scolding him and aching for him at the same time. "You idiot. You can't take the heat, and you still have to show off." Julian wiped his mouth, and he smiled brightly. "I can't help it. I'm going to marry a Sorrin wife," he said proudly. "Besides, your cooking is that spicy. How am I supposed to spend a lifetime with you if I don't train myself?" He sucked in a breath and pushed the bowl toward me. "Try a bite. It smells amazing!" Even the air smelled like chili. It messed up his hair, and something in me went soft. I let the video loop for a long time. I was still staring at it when Julian came home. He stepped in and pulled off his jacket. Then, he saw the DVD in my hands and froze. "Why did you dig this out?" he asked. He didn't even put the jacket down. He walked over in a few steps, a melancholic smile on his face. "This is from ten years ago, right? We had just started dating…" He stopped halfway when his eyes landed on the screen. On it, 20-year-old him was smiling, saying he'd eat spice with me for life. Julian swallowed hard. In that second, he seemed to remember something. I didn't know if it was the awkward lunch or the man he used to be. After a short silence, he pulled a jewelry box from his pocket. "Happy birthday. I should've given this to you yesterday, but I forgot," he said. I took the box, surprised. Even now, he'd remembered a birthday gift? Then, I opened it and saw the same necklace Fiona had been wearing. My heart went cold. What was this? Charity? I said nothing. I just looked at him. Julian sounded uneasy. "Fiona told me to buy it. She said it's the latest fashion and that young people love it. "Don't overthink lunch… She's like a friend to me. We've been together for ten years. Don't you trust me?" Yes. Ten years had passed. How many decades did one get in life? Ten years ago, I left Sorrin for Capin for him without looking back. Ten years later, also because of him, I decided to walk out of the marriage that'd trapped me. I looked down at the necklace. Julian put an arm around me. "There's a company banquet next week. The boss favors happily married men. Nina, play your part well that night. Whether I get the promotion depends on it," he said, staring at me hopefully. I smiled bitterly to myself. Even this thoughtless gift already had a price tag on it. "Got it," I said, nodding calmly and closing the box. "You… You agree?" He hadn't expected me to answer so fast. His surprise was obvious. Then, he relaxed and reached out to hug me. "Honey, you're the best. I've waited ten years for this chance. When I get the promotion, I'll make it up to you. "You wanted stew, right? Spicy or not, I'll eat it with you." Tears glistened at the corners of his eyes. For a while, he looked like the man who'd loved me ten years ago. I only smiled. My voice was light as I took the divorce papers from my bag and held them out. "You misunderstood. I only said I heard you. I didn't say I'd actually go to the banquet. Your business has nothing to do with me, Julian. Let's get a divorce."