Chapter 15 - THE DIVORCE TABLE
Mediation took eleven hours.
Nathan wanted part of the value created during marriage.
That was legally reasonable.
I wanted my separate inheritance protected.
Also reasonable.
The house remained mine.
Hayes Interiors remained mine.
Nathan kept his retirement account.
His architecture practice.
His reduced but still valuable interest in Cole Family Catering after restructuring.
Then came the fraudulent loan.
Nathan agreed to take primary responsibility for repayment and restitution.
I could have fought for harsher terms.
Caroline asked.
“Do you want to?”
I thought about it.
“No.”
“I want clean separation.”
Not revenge.
Not lifelong financial entanglement.
Nathan signed.
Then he looked at our wedding ring on his hand.
He had still been wearing it.
I had removed mine the morning after the anniversary dinner.
He touched it.
“Do you remember the coffee shop?”
“Yes.”
“Do you regret marrying me?”
I considered lying.
“No.”
His eyes lifted.
“Really?”
“We had Lily.”
“Owen.”
“Good years.”
“Real love.”
“I regret what we allowed the marriage to become.”
He stared at the table.
“I allowed.”
“We both allowed different things.”
“I kept giving.”
“You kept taking my giving for granted.”
“That’s not equal.”
“No.”
“But I’m done building a marriage story where I was perfect just because you failed more.”
Nathan cried.
I did too.
Not every ending needs hatred to justify leaving.
Sometimes love existed.
Then trust eroded.
Then silence became structure.
Then one slap revealed the structure clearly enough that neither person could pretend anymore.
We signed.
The mediator left.
Nathan and I sat alone for one minute.
Then he said.
“Emily.”
“Yes?”
“I should have stood up.”
I knew exactly what moment he meant.
The table.
Vanessa’s hand.
Lily watching.
“Yes.”
“You should have.”
May you like
He nodded.
There was nothing else to say.
