A Woman’s Father Caused the Fire That Scarred Her Mother’s Face, Then Abandoned His Wife Because He ‘Couldn’t Look at Her Anymore’ – Ten Years Later, He Returned Expecting His Ex-Wife to Take Him in but Went Pale When He Saw Who Was Standing Beside Her

She no longer needed it.

That night, after the exhibition, we returned home to change before dinner.

I found her standing in front of her bedroom mirror, applying lipstick.

Her scars were visible above her collar.

She caught my reflection in the glass.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.”

“You have that look.”

I smiled.

“I was just thinking about how much you’ve changed.”

She put the lipstick away.

“Do you know what the strangest part is?”

“What?”

“For years, I thought the fire had taken my face away from me. Then I thought your father had taken the rest of my life when he left.”

She turned toward me.

“But neither of those things was true.”

I waited.

“The fire hurt me. Your father hurt me. Those things happened, and I won’t pretend they didn’t. But they didn’t get to decide who I would become.”

She picked up her purse.

“Ready?”