The Divorce I Never Knew

talker, Dixon Bright, shattered my hand with a hammer, ending my career as an architec

erk looked at me strangely. "Sir, our records show

day I was

ho Catalina married that

with my left hand-was it all a lie? I found their secret house, a glass mansion s

e glass and heard the

is hair. "It was the only way to make sure he'd never leave me. Y

She had ordered my destruction to turn

ina. "Happy anniversary, my love.

her grasp. She has no idea I just saw the

t, my esca

pte

update the address on my driver' s license. A simple task,

with tired eyes, ta

zar Mi

that'

. A small frown formed on her lips. "Sir

kay

atus is listed he

he DMV faded into a dull hum. "I' m sorry

tem shows your divorce was finalized

inst my ribs. "Three years a

reen in a flat voice

ke a punch to the gut. "And...

w more times. "Yes. Same day. S

n Br

down at my right hand, the one that used to hold a pencil an

me in a parking garage. He said Catalina would never love me, that I was just a temporary d

promised to make him pay. She had held me, telling me she would

ho did that to me? How could

, fed me, dressed me. When I fell into a deep depression, unable to work, she built a state-of-the-ar

n my pocket. A te

t wait to celebrate with you toni

rds swam before my eyes. All her car

cold and ruthless. To me, she was the warmest person alive. She never looked at any

she kept

apers in my hand felt like a death certifica

was a secluded property in the hills, not far from our

e house was a modern glass box, just like the on

eway. The lights were on. I crept toward the floor

om inside. A cry. It sound

I saw

Dixon. He was crying, but she was holding a riding crop, the

shing him. Maybe this

wasn't angry. Her expression was one of fondness, of intimacy

ered, her voice carrying through the

f adoration. "I' m sorry, Cat. I just

intage, one I had bought for Catalina for our first anniversary

its axis. My right hand, the dead one, throbbed wit

s that shattered what

d, stroking Dixon' s hair. "He' s so broken

it was your idea to cripple him. It was the only way to make sure he'

"You earned your re

ick kind of pride. "So you'

monstrous. "Of course not. I love him, which is why I have to

ating. Not my an

my throat. I ran, not knowing where I was going, just n

again. Another t

, honey? I' m w

me, had orchestrated my ruin. She hadn' t just betrayed me. She had destroyed me, p

was a prison. And I had just

s so immense, I thought I was dying. But underneath the pai

had broken me.

d escape her. I would rebuild my life. And one day