Divorce: The Only Way Out

he dim light of a private hospital room. Olivia was asleep in a chair beside the bed, her head slumped to one side, her

is hand on her back, the public humiliation. The ache in my heart soured int

been a transactio

nty-one-year-old who had just lost his only parent. Olivia, his most brilliant and trusted st

ce formal, "he asked something of

d at her, nu

she continued, avoiding my eyes. "H

stood. "Look a

reluctance in her intelligent eyes. "He th

had a crush on the brilliant, beautiful Dr. Hayes since my first day in her advanced com

father. And I was hopelessly infatuated with her. So I agreed. I let mysel

company, all while trying to earn her affection. The brief moment last week, when she' d agreed to start a family, had felt like

lve settled over me. I couldn't do this anymore. I c

om my arm. The needle pricked my skin, a small, sharp pain that focused my mind.

er eyes blinked open, hazy with sleep. "Ethan

I said, my

ying to put a hand on my forehea

d to her side.

ing to face her fully.

n I expected. They landed in the q

tterly lost. "Divorce? What are you talking ab

life," I said, pulling on my shoes

want to come back to. I walked straight to my study, ignoring the photos of us on the mantelpiece-hollow-eyed smiles from a wedding album that felt like a lie. I

turned off my phone, ignoring the world. I needed silence. I needed to suffoca

re was a loud banging

er! Open up

. The bangin

a is worried sick! She called me, sai

ger stood there with a master key, looking apologetic. Behind him stood

than! My God, what are you doing in a place l

reprimand. She wasn't worried about me, her husband. She was worried a

ivia," I said, my vo

back, her composure cracking. "Running

ant lines. I pushed them into her hands. "This is me ending it. I'm letting you of

berating, but they came out lace

er eyes wide with disbelief. Then, her e

o you m

ent, she ripped the papers in half, then in half again, the sound teari

an," she declared, her chest

arpet, and a wave of helpless laughter rose in my throat. It was nev