I had pictured shouting, accusations, and dramatic speeches.
But standing there, I realized I had very little left to say.
“You can speak to me when you’re ready to tell the truth without blaming anyone else.”
Then I walked away.
I did not throw my wedding ring at him. I did not slap him. I did not wish him a lifetime of misery.
I simply left him standing beneath the photographs of the life we had built together.
Outside, the night air felt cool against my face.
Patricia joined me near the entrance.
“I don’t know what to say,” she whispered.
“You don’t have to say anything.”
She looked toward the banquet hall.
“I never imagined my daughter could do something like this.”
“Neither did I.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I’m sorry.”
I nodded.
“I’m sorry, too.”
We stood together for a moment, two mothers whose families had become entangled in a betrayal neither of us had expected.
