“He’s just a kid, Elaine. Why stoop to his level?” he said, shaking his head like I was the one in the wrong. Then he added, “Besides, it’s partly your fault for not standing firm.”
That was the moment something inside me broke. I looked at him, his smug, dismissive face, and felt my last shred of respect for him disappear. In that instant, I saw the real David—the one I’d been too blind to notice before.
I didn’t even hesitate. I grabbed my phone and texted my mom:
[Mom, you were right. I’ll listen to you. I’m not keeping this child.]
——
Fast forward to the second year of our marriage. David suggested we spend New Year’s in his hometown in Texas.
“Babe,” he said, “we went to your place last year. Can we go to mine this time? My mom’s getting older, and she’s not used to living in the city. Plus, I want to introduce you to my relatives. We’ve been married for so long and haven’t visited yet.”
I never imagined that trip would be the final nail in the coffin of our marriage.
It all started with Cindy. Again.
She had her eye on my anniversary perfume—the one David had given me.