With that, he tore the papers in half and stormed out, leaving me standing in the suffocating silence of our shared home.
***
I didn’t understand why Brian refused to let go. Maybe it was still about his promise to my father. He was a good man, but he wasn’t a good husband. And now, four years later, his true love had returned. I wasn’t blind to it. I wasn’t naive. I didn’t need him anymore.
Determined to end this sham of a marriage, I returned to our home to pack my things and leave. But as I opened the door, I was greeted by a sight that sent my blood boiling.
Kate.
She was standing in the kitchen, wearing my pajamas and holding a spatula like she was the lady of the house. She turned to me with a casual smile, utterly unbothered by my presence.
“You must be Elise,” she said, pushing her chest out in a display of confidence. “Come on in. Brian hasn’t been feeling well these past few days. He’ll be back soon.”
I stared at her, incredulous. Not divorced and they were already living together? It shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. Perhaps Brian had prepared a place for her long ago, just waiting for me to move out.