The Door I Opened for Myself

Synopsis

Andrew Sullivan told me to move out of the master bedroom while I was organizing his closet. He stood in the doorway, his tone flat. "Vivian just got back. She's a light sleeper, and the guest room is too small for her." I still had his shirt in my hand. The cuff had been torn, and I'd stayed up all night mending it, stitch by stitch. I'd been married to him for three years and had never asked for anything in this house. But now he wanted me to give up the bedroom for the woman he had cherished in his heart for years. I asked, "Where am I supposed to sleep?" Andrew paused for a moment. "The storage room downstairs can be fixed up for you." He wanted me to sleep in the storage room. So, in this marriage, I didn't even deserve a guest room. I nodded and hung the shirt back up. "Forget it," I said. He frowned. "What now?" I pulled open the drawer and took out the divorce papers I had already prepared. "She can have the whole house," I said. Andrew's expression finally changed. He stared at the papers in my hand, like he was seeing me for the first time. "Grace, are you done making a scene?" he said. I smiled. "I'm not making a scene." I placed the papers in front of him. "I don't want the assets, the house, or the car. Sign it. We'll meet at the courthouse at nine tomorrow morning."