My sister kissed my husband in front of thirty people at her own anniversary party and called it a joke. kertati Her husband had a wrapped present in his hands and an envelope she had never opened.

“I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”

“You didn’t need to try.”

He stood.

“I made mistakes.”

“You made decisions.”

He went quiet.

I picked up the hotel receipt.

“You don’t get to call nine years of decisions mistakes.”

Then I walked away.

PART 7 — THE DIVORCE

I didn’t leave immediately.

That surprises people.

But when you have two children, ten years of marriage, a mortgage, school uniforms, Christmas coming, and a husband standing in your kitchen telling you he loves you after admitting he has loved your sister for nine years, you don’t simply walk out the door.

You sit down.

You breathe.

You ask questions.

And sometimes you hate yourself for still wanting answers.

For weeks, Callan kept trying.

Flowers.

Messages.

Long conversations.

Apologies.

Promises.

He said he’d changed.

He said he was confused.

He said he had made the worst mistake of his life.

He said Sasha had manipulated him.