"Stop ruining your real relationship for me. You know what? Your right hand is correct. Just do what you really want."
"I'm not worth it, right? You should find someone better."
"I sent you the divorce papers. Don't forget to sign them as soon as possible."
I broke free and walked out. My arm burned where his fingers had been, but my legs were steady. The suitcase wheels clattered against the flagstone path, and behind me, his voice followed like a threat he didn't know how to make good on.
"Stay, or I won't take you back when you come crawling!"
Come back? Not a chance. Honestly, I should have been thanking him. This had made me realize I'd be better off without the Valente name, the Valente house, and every poisoned thing that came with both.
When I got home, my parents were waiting in the front room. The lamps were on, the curtains drawn. My father sat in his chair by the window with the stillness of a man who'd already heard the worst and was deciding what to do about it. My mother's eyes were red. She'd been crying.