Chapter 8 – The Divorce Papers
The envelope arrived on a rainy Tuesday morning.
Alex already knew what it contained before he opened it.
Petition for Dissolution of Marriage.
Lucy wasn't asking for revenge.
She wasn't asking for money beyond what the law required.
She wanted only one thing.
Full custody of their daughter.
Attached was a handwritten letter.
Alex,
People keep asking whether I can forgive you.
They don't understand.
Forgiveness was never the hardest part.
Trust is.
I trusted that if the world collapsed around me, you would reach for me first.
Instead, I watched you carry another woman away while our daughter fought to stay alive inside me.
That moment lasted less than a minute.
It erased eight years of marriage.
I hope someday you become the man you promised to be.
But I won't ask our daughter to wait for that day.
—Lucy
Alex read the letter three times.
Not once did he try to call her.
Some words were too final for apologies.
Outside, reporters waited near the station.
Inside, Alex quietly removed his wedding ring.
May you like
He placed it in his locker.
Then closed the door.
