He Chose Them, I Lost Everything

system together, building a software empire from scratch.

r, draining our accounts and our marriage. I thought the baby I

rammed his head into my stomach, and a universe of pain explod

ked from my pale face to the wai

, scooping the boy into his arms and walki

die, and now our secon

by-the divorce papers, and a small jar c

pte

e Camp

up my life came at

ctions for our software company, when my phone buzzed on the polished mah

said, my voice smooth and prof

lowed. Chicago PD. Urgent matter concerning your

ble to stay upright. The faces of the board members blurred into a wate

ri

car crash on the interstate. A sudden collapse. Somethi

ry is of the sterile, antiseptic smell of the police station, a smell that scraped at

e officer at the front desk, my voice tight.

pity, maybe? It made my stomach clench. He direc

s when I

ng in the middle of the room, his broad shoulders hunched, his arm

tny

single mother with the sad story Dorian had becom

und, soul-deep exhaustion. It was the feeling of running a marathon on

oint account. The way he' d speak of her struggles, his voice thick with a misguided chivalry that was a

ls clicking a sharp, angry r

saw me. He instinctively pulled Brittny cl

voice a low plea. "It' s

g right in front of him. I looked at his hand, resting on the

I s

eek was like a gunshot in the quiet room. I

ting like poison. "A motel sting operation? Is

cheek, shock warring with guilt in his eyes. The o

again, to wipe that look of p

time, Bri

g the brunt of my second slap. It wasn't as forceful as the

scalated, turning into

shrieked, clutching her face.

made-up face. "You don' t even know what happened!

fectly, ridiculously Brittny. T

y," I said, my vo

tight. "Adeline, stop it! Jus

shot up my leg. I gasped, steadying myself against a wall. For a split

e as quickly a

himper. "Dorian, I' m so sorry. I told you I shouldn' t have called y

s Dorian' s expression hardened, the brief flic

yes now filled with disappointment. "Adeline, your jealousy is out of control. Brittny' s ex was stalking her.

ne wrong. A fender bender. I had even, in my darkest moments, imagined anoth

nger in my own marriage-it all came rushing back. Every time he

ht draining out of me, replaced by a ch

r a hotel room and packed my bags, he had cried. He had begged. He s

had believed him. T

. His constant, suffocating need to be a savio

red kids huddled together in a group home, and for the fi

y a whisper, but they felt like the loudest

-