Divorce, Rebirth, and Sweet Success

“The last thing I remembered was the blinding pain behind my eyes, then darkness. When I opened them again, I was back in my bed, twenty-five years younger, before my life became a hollow marriage to August Savage, a U.S. Senator who saw me as nothing more than a political asset. A painful memory surfaced: my death from an aneurysm, brought on by years of quiet heartbreak. I had seen a picture of August, his college sweetheart Heidi, and our son Kadin on a family retreat, looking like the perfect family. I was the one who took the picture. I shot out of bed, knowing this was the day of that retreat. I ran to the private airfield, desperate to stop them. I saw them there, bathed in morning light: August, Kadin, and Heidi, looking like a perfect, happy family. "August!" I yelled, my voice raw. His smile vanished. "Carolynn, what are you doing here? You're making a scene." I ignored him, confronting Heidi. "Who are you? And why are you going on my family's trip?" Kadin then slammed into me, yelling, "Go away! You're ruining our trip with Aunt Heidi!" He sneered, "Because you're no fun. Aunt Heidi is smart and fun. Not like you." August hissed, "Look what you've done. You've upset Heidi. You're embarrassing me." His words hit me harder than any physical blow. I had spent years sacrificing my dreams to be the perfect wife and mother, only to be seen as a servant, an obstacle. "Let's get a divorce," I said, my voice a quiet thunderclap. August and Kadin froze, then scoffed, "Are you trying to get my attention, Carolynn? This is a pathetic new low." I walked to the desk, pulled out the divorce papers, and signed my name with a steady hand. This time, I was choosing myself.”