“Not for much longer,” I said, then hung up. I turned my phone on silent and watched my child walk across the stage, smiling proudly.
Filing for divorce felt like ripping off a Band-Aid. It stung at first, but the relief afterward was worth it.
No. Respect is everything.
Jack tried one last time, sending me an email.
Subject: Let’s Be Civil Message: I don’t know why you’re doing this. We have history. A family. You don’t just throw that away. I still love you. Let’s talk before this goes too far.
I deleted it.
That night, I lay in my bed, in my house, with no one telling me what I owed them. No husband weighing me down. No in-laws claiming what wasn’t theirs.
Just silence and peace. I took a deep breath, feeling lighter than I had in years.
For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t someone’s wife.
I was me. And I was free.
