Her Regret, My Horizon

“It was our seventh wedding anniversary. Seven cars, seven apologies, one for each endless week she spent with him. My wife, Olivia, hummed, zipping up a suitcase clearly packed for Julian. "Don't forget to check out the new car, Ethan. It's a beauty," she said, her usual dismissive, cool kiss brushing my cheek. But this year was different. Julian called, his voice dripping with smug satisfaction. He explained Olivia had cut their trip short because he was "unwell." Then, he flashed his phone at me: Olivia, sun-kissed and laughing, vigorously rubbing sunscreen onto his bare back on a yacht. The date stamp on the photo? The exact day I was in the hospital with a stab wound and a concussion, after waiting hours for her to call. She was unreachable, I now knew, because she was with him. Every shiny apology car, every yearly 'trip' she took, suddenly felt like a cruel, calculated mockery. I wasn't her husband. I was her conveniently understanding placeholder. A gilded cage, built around my dreams of freedom. Yet, this time, there was no sting, no usual pain, just a flat, dull line. Three months ago, I' d booked a one-way ticket to Austin. Divorce papers lay signed on the dining table, waiting for her. My new life began the second her Uber pulled away.”