I stayed home.
I told them I had a headache, which wasn’t entirely a lie.
Before Jake left, he stood in the doorway of the living room.
“Goodbye, Sarah.”
I nodded.
“Take care of yourself, Jake. Focus on college. Give yourself a chance to become the person you want to be.”
He smiled sadly.
“I will.”
Then he left.
I watched from the upstairs window as Tom’s car disappeared down the street.
For a long time, I stood there without moving.
The house felt different.
The kitchen where we had cooked together.
The living room where we had talked through the storm.
The garden where we had discussed loneliness and the choices people make.
Every room held a memory.
But I finally understood that the memories themselves were not the real problem.
The problem was what I chose to do with them.
I couldn’t undo my betrayal.
I couldn’t erase Tom’s financial secrets.
