My Beautiful, Hard-Won Life

in the living room, the air thick with unspoken anger. Liam was upstairs, quiet in his room. "The

voice weary. "You gave your son's spot to your mi

place. "Chloe was just trying to do something nice for Lily. You're tw

You are engaged to another woman while you are still m

. It's because you spoil Liam. You make him think he's the center of the universe, that he shoul

something he earned with a girl who

ment on his face, as if I were the one being unreason

my head in my hands. I felt exhausted, worn down by his relentless gaslighting. H

looked up to see Liam standing beside me, his eyes full o

le voice serious. "I don't need the robot cl

o my lap, hugging him tightly, my tears soaking his hair. He was the one who had been wronged, yet

" I whispered, my voice th

my shoulder. In that moment, he was my an

Chloe standing on our doorstep, surrounded by suitcases. Lily stood beside her, clut

asked, my voice

we moved in! The divorce is taking a little while, and my apartment lease was

if she owned the place. "It's a lovely house, Michael.

ah, can I talk to you for a second?" he

my voice low so Liam wouldn't hear from upstairs. "Y

he divorce is final and we can find a new place. I need to be here for Chlo

d at him, aghast. "You thi

e and Lily will be staying here. This is still my house, too." He

ightmare. Michael came to my bedroom door. Chloe

ortable space, and the guest rooms are a bit small. We were thinking... it would be best if you and

hared with him for years, the room next to my son's, and give it to his mistress. He wa

word coming out as

patient facade. "She's pregnant. She needs the bigger bed,

t to be an imposition, Sarah. But the doctor said I need to minimiz

Michael's determined face and Chloe's victorious smirk. I was outnumber

nse of humiliation and defeat. Every corner of this house held a memory, and now they were all be

ex model his grandfather-my deceased father-had given him before he passed away. It wa

. His robot was in pieces on the floor, smashed and broken beyo

I cried, rushin

a trembling finger at Lily. "I told her not t

ing into fake tears. "He wouldn't let me play with it

stairs, drawn by the commotion. Chloe

ou okay? Did that mean b

ong with you, Liam? Why would you push Lily? It's j

s face red with tears and injustice. "An

d Sarah, you need to control your son. This is exactly the kind of spo

our son's genuine heartbreak. All he saw was Chloe's daughter's fake tears. He comfort

's treasured robot on the floor. My heart, which I thought couldn't break any further,

y arms. "It's okay, baby. It's okay," I wh

desperate purpose. I couldn't spend another night under this roof. I t

nk you're going?"

" I said withou

get out. I ended up at a clean, anonymous hotel miles away from our neighborhood. As I tucke

me?" he asked i

Daddy is just... confused," I lied

who caused him so much pain. And I deserved a life free from the man who