Love Faded, Regret Dawned

Synopsis

On our 9th wedding anniversary, I received a 30-second video from my sister, Imogen Maxwell. My nephew made a wish before the cake, while my husband, Calvin Thomas, stood beside him, crooning the birthday song fondly. I rubbed my ear and took off my hearing aid. It turned out that even with my hearing aid in, he was unwilling to say a single word to me. It turned out that birthdays could be celebrated and that he was capable of smiling, too. I finally realized that using a debt of gratitude to coerce love was inherently wrong. I pulled out the re-signed divorce agreement and set it on the table. I said, "Calvin, I'm giving you back the freedom and life you've always wanted."