Author's Notes:
This story is submitted on Alphapolis. The first chapter is slightly shorter than the others.
We got married when we were students. The first year of marriage:
「Yuuri-chan, I want you to be a housewife. You don't have to get a job. I want you to make delicious meals and wait for me to come home.」
The second year of marriage:
「Sorry, I'm going to have dinner before coming home.」
The third year of marriage:
「I'm busy with work. Children? We're still young, we can have one later.」
The fourth year of marriage:
「Can you take care of this child for a bit? She's the baby of one of my subordinates at work.」
The fifth year of marriage:
「She couldn't get her child into a nursery school. Can you help her out?」
The sixth year of marriage:
「Children? Yeah, maybe someday. You're too busy taking care of her child, aren't you?」
The seventh year of marriage:
「Aren't you free all day anyway? You're a housewife. She's doing her best as a single mother.」
The eighth year of marriage:
「You want to work? You haven't worked all this time, what can you even do?」
The ninth year of marriage:
「She's having my kid, so let's have a divorce. What, consolation money? Even though all you did was freeload at my home for close to ten years? Don't kid me.」
*anger*
「I can get a job and have a life myself! Just watch! Divorce? I'll stamp those divorce papers once I live on my own without your pity money! You're the one who refused to give consolation money anyway! 」
Then right after, I rushed off to Hello Work.
「I'm sorry, please help me look for a job!」
「Welcome to the West Helena branch of the Adventurer's Guild.」
Eh?
Did Hello Work recently revamp themselves to be more game-like for young people?
「May I see your registration card?」
Huh?
「U-um, this is my first time looking for a job, so I haven't registered…」
Was I supposed to fill out some forms and register before doing this?
It was as though I had walked into a game. I looked at the girl sitting at the counter made of wood and stone.
The girl was beautiful, with lovely blonde hair and a finely chiseled western look.
「Well then, this means that you don't have any cards with you, correct? 」
「Cards?」
I didn't have a credit card nor a cash card.
That was correct. I didn't have a single card on me made under my name.
I… Just what have I been doing throughout the past ten years? I polished my skills as a cook, looked after the child of the person my husband cheated on me with…. Ahh, I wondered if the children were fine. They are innocent. I just hoped they will find happiness.
Divorce… Okay. I better become independent and stamp those divorce papers for those kids' sake.
「In that case, we'll process a card for you, so could you please open up your status page?」
Status page? Was she asking to see my resume? I didn't bring one.
The lady at the counter smiled sweetly at the troubled me.
「Ah, please don't worry. The guild has a duty of confidentiality for personal information, and all information is restricted by magic. None of the information on your status page will be leaked to the public.」
Magic?
「Please place your hand on this piece of paper and say status open.」
My husband has reprimanded me many times for not knowing the ways of the world, but he might have been right.
Hello Work was not like this ten years ago, when I first went to look for a job as a student.
「Status open.」
I looked around nervously as I placed my hand on the paper and did as I was told.
Then, a small game-like screen appeared in front of my eyes. There were various words and numbers written on it.
What was written on the screen appeared on the paper I had my hand on.
Oh my gosh, that's amazing. It's just like magic.
「Ah!」
The lady raised her voice slightly.
「Oh man, this is terrible. She's on the same level as a five year old child.」
A tall tough-looking man in his thirties appeared behind the lady.
He looked at me like he saw a disappointing child after peeking at my paper.
「Even if you say you want to work, there's no job we can recommend you to.」
Eh?
「U-um, I'm, well, in some trouble! I really need to find some work.」
「Hmm. Listen, young lady. If you really need a job, you should look around the merchant's guild, not here. Your speech and manners seem to be alright, so you can probably find a job at a respectable manor somewhere.」
Young lady?
I wasn't young enough to be called that anymore. I already hit my thirties. Maybe he was making fun of me because my status implied I was no better than a five-year-old?
「A job at a manor? 」
「Mhm, that's right. You can do things like cleaning and laundry. If you can cook, then you can prepare meals too.」
Cleaning, laundry, cooking…
「I don't want to do that!」
I said, unintentionally.
Author’s Notes:
Thank you for reading.