The Divorce I Never Knew

al room. The scent of antisep

red-rimmed, her face etched with guilt. S

ok my hand-my good one-and kissed my knuckles. "I am

g nothing. Her touch was repuls

waiter?" I asked, my

er? Oh. I had him fired, of course. Banned from every es

ruelty, as if she were talking

m? Banned him? She was punishing her own husband for a mess he created, j

shattered into a million pieces,

relieved. "You' re not mad at me

ently cleaned my wounds. She read to me from my favorite books. The nurses all cooed about what a wonderful, lov

l ringtone chirped. She h

ttle too quickly. "I have to

illow and pulled out the ring she' d tried to give me.

through the speaker. "...I told y

whined. "My arm hurts a li

course he was. Probably in th

ter?" she asked, her voice dripping

g needy. "And I want you to peel

ssible." But there was no real ange

stomach churning with disgust. She never peeled g

alina was by my side the entire time, h

into our hous

the rest of the staff, dressed in

looked at Catalina, my eyes asking the qu

nsulted a therapist. They said the best way for you to overcome your trauma is through exposure thera

ere almost brilliant. She delivered them with

hispered, her breath warm against m

s husband, and now he was going to live in my house. My home had be

l of a man. I didn' t have

my voice barely a whisper.

she wanted me to be. And all the while, I would be planning my