Divorce stories happy ending
They had been married for many years. There was no passion or excitement left between them, and he had grown tired of his wife. Especially since a young, lively girl had recently joined his workplace, he suddenly felt she was his second spring. He decided to divorce his wife. His wife seemed numb to it all and calmly agreed. They went to the civil affairs office together.
After completing the paperwork, they were now independent and free individuals. For some reason, he suddenly felt an emptiness. He looked at her and said, “It’s late. Shall we go have a bite to eat?”
“Okay, I heard about a new ‘Divorce Hotel’ that specializes in the last meal for divorcing couples. Shall we check it out?”
He nodded, and they quietly walked into the ‘Divorce Hotel.’
As soon as they sat down in a private room, a waitress came in. “What would you like to eat?”
He looked at her, “You order.” She shook her head, “I don’t go out often and don’t know much about these things. You order.”
“I’m sorry, sir and ma’am, but our hotel has a rule. The lady must order the gentleman’s favorite dishes, and the gentleman must order the lady’s favorite dishes. We call this ‘The Last Memory.'”
“Alright then.” She adjusted her hair. “Steamed fish, sautéed mushrooms, and wood ear salad. Remember, no onions or garlic. My husband… this gentleman doesn’t eat those.”
“And you, sir?” asked the waitress.
He was stunned. After so many years of marriage, he really didn’t know what his wife liked to eat. He opened his mouth but was at a loss. “Just these. Actually, we both like these dishes,” she quickly covered up.
The waitress smiled. “To be honest, all the gentlemen and ladies who come to our ‘Divorce Hotel’ for the last meal rarely have much appetite. So, why don’t we skip ‘The Last Memory’ and have the special drink we prepare for divorcing couples? It’s a choice no one refuses.”
They both nodded, “Let’s have the drinks.”
Soon, the waitress brought two drinks. One was a pale blue, full of ice chips; the other was a warm red, steaming.
“This meal is called ‘Half Fire, Half Ice.’ Enjoy.” The waitress left.
The room was silent. Neither knew what to say.
Knock knock! The waitress came back in with a tray holding a bright red rose. “Sir, do you remember the first time you gave this lady flowers? Now that everything is over, you can part as friends. Give her a rose for the last time.”
She shuddered, recalling when he first gave her flowers 20 years ago. They had just moved to this unfamiliar city, starting from scratch. During the day, they looked for jobs. At night, she ran a small stall at the night market, and he washed dishes to increase their income. They returned late to their small basement room. Life was hard but happy. On their first Valentine’s Day in the city, he bought her a red rose, and she cried with joy. Twenty years later, everything was going well, but they were separating. Tears filled her eyes, and she waved her hand, “No need.”
He remembered he hadn’t bought roses for five or six years. He waved his hand, “No, I want to buy it.”
The waitress tore the rose in half and threw the pieces into their drinks, where they dissolved.
“This is our third course, called ‘Beautiful Reflections.’ Enjoy. Let me know if you need anything.” She left.
“Shaoru, I…” He grabbed her hand, unable to speak.
Suddenly, the lights went out, and the room was pitch dark. Outside, alarms blared, and smoke wafted in.
“The hotel is on fire! Everyone, exit through the emergency route! Hurry!” Someone shouted outside. “Honey!” She threw herself into his arms, “I’m scared!”
“Don’t be afraid!” He held her tight, “Darling, I’m here. Let’s go, rush out!”
Outside, the lights were bright, and everything was in order.
The waitress came over, “Sorry for scaring you. There was no fire. The smoke was intentional, part of our fourth course, ‘Inner Choice.’ Please return to your room.”
He held her hand tightly. “Darling, the waitress is right. That was our true inner choice. Actually, we can’t live without each other. Let’s remarry tomorrow, okay?”
She bit her lip, “Do you really want to?”
“I do. I understand everything now. Tomorrow morning, let’s go remarry. Waitress, the bill please.” He called out.
The waitress came in, handing each of them an exquisite red bill. “This is your bill, and our final gift, called ‘Eternal Bill.’ Please keep it forever.”
He looked at the bill, and tears streamed down his face.
“What’s wrong?” She asked.
He handed her the bill, “I was wrong. I wronged you.”
She opened the bill and read: “A warm home, two diligent hands, a light waiting for you at three in the morning, four seasons of care for your health, meticulous concern, a smile from a sixty-year-old mother, taking care of the child from dawn to dusk, maintaining your dignity in every situation, cooking your favorite dishes, ten years of lost youth… this is your wife.”
“Honey, you’ve worked hard. I’ve been indifferent to you all these years too.” She handed him her bill. He opened it and read: “A man’s responsibility, burdens on his shoulders, late-night exhaustion, rushing about, unspoken grievances, weathered face, duties to relatives, ups and downs, an ordinary person with minor flaws, constant love for family and children… this is your husband.”
They embraced and cried loudly.
After settling the bill, they thanked the manager profusely and walked home hand in hand. Watching their happy backs, the manager smiled and nodded, “How wonderful. Our ‘Divorce Hotel’ has saved another family!”
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
