The loneliness that hit me was absolute. It carved through my chest like a blade, slow and deliberate.
Every single one of them, for the sake of what they stood to gain, was trying to force me to stay in this marriage.
Had they all forgotten what I'd done for this family?
Marina and I were college classmates.
One afternoon, a downpour hit campus. I slipped on my way back to the dorms and twisted my ankle so badly it swelled up like a balloon. The pain was blinding.
That's when Marina appeared, umbrella in hand, and helped me to my feet.
By the time we reached the hospital, I noticed one whole side of her was soaked through.
"Thanks for that, Marina. Really."
"We're classmates. It's what we do."
She flashed me a smile, bright and unguarded, the kind that belonged to someone who still believed the world was good. That smile burned itself into my memory.
After that, I pursued her.
It didn't take long before we were together.
Near graduation, her family's company ran into serious financial trouble.