Signed Away: A Life Unbound

he conflict. On one hand, the boring paperwork. On the other, the promise o

waving a dismissive han

he had a chance to get suspicious

transfer. Legal stuff." I leaned over and tapped a sticky note I'd placed on an unrelated page.

ence. His desire to get bac

out a second glance. He flipped to the next, signing again. My h

the pen a step closer to my new life. He reached the final pages, the ones I

line next to his, without breaking his

his face, as if he'd accomplished some

kle. It was done. I had done it. It was a deception, a manipulation, but

lish impulse taking over. "There's

s keys from the bowl by the door. "C

out your

nced at the screen, and a huge smile

d to sign some stuff for... her." He didn't even use my name. "No, it's great news. I basicall

going to do with the money I had just signed over to him. He was planning their future wi

icked shut

f the living room, the signed papers a cold weight on the coffee tab

gave out, and I crumpled to the floor, the sound of my

ter the missed calls. I had thrown on my clothes, my hands shaking so badly I could ba

a mask of pity. "I'm so sorry, Chloe. We did

an I'd ever seen her, a peaceful expression on her face that felt

in the kitchen making a sm

u been?" he'd

choked out, the words feel

e, his expression blank for a mome

talked to her last week." He hadn't. I was the

ng. "She fell last night. She was calling

o his smoothie. "You're the one who overslept. Don't

ke me. That was the moment I looked at my husband and saw nothing

had sobbed in my arms, scared of the genetic lottery he had lost. "You won't l

g him tight. "I'll never leave

my promise. I had faced it with him. But he had left me long ago. He had retreated into a p

his own choices, his own selfishness, that ha

certain than ever. I would leave. I would get in my car and drive until th