The Capitol Wife's Revenge

“For five years, I played the silent partner to Matthew's rising political career, sacrificing my MFA, my novel, and my own dreams for his ambition. Our grand Georgetown apartment, that rich smell of my slow-cooked short ribs-it used to be the scent of home. Then came the text: "Completely buried. Not going to make it home." An hour later, scrolling in my dark apartment, I saw the Instagram post. Matthew, arm casually draped behind his young, beaming mentee, Gabrielle, at a dive bar. "Grateful to have a mentor who gets that the real work happens after hours." My stomach churned, but something cold settled in my chest. This wasn't just a missed anniversary; it was a public declaration of where I ranked. When he called, sharp with annoyance about the single word I'd commented-"Impressive"-accusing me of overthinking, a chilling clarity descended. I saw the years of excuses, the skipped family funerals, the career-first mentality that always left me second. Was I crazy? Was I really "overthinking" how my own dreams were dismissed as a hobby while his were a calling? Was I just the "homebody," the one he occasionally "fit in"? But that night, as if a spell had broken, I didn't cry. I didn't confront. I walked past the cold coffee machine, looked at the cheap, afterthought anniversary gift, and realized: the quiet woman who put Matthew first was gone. And it was time to write a new ending, for myself.”