Chapter 1

I walked in after another exhausting day at the office, and my husband, Jonathan Chapman, met me with the news that he'd fallen in love with someone else.

"I just want a divorce so I can be with her," he said. "I'll walk away with nothing if I have to."

My eyes fell on the divorce papers lying on the table. And then, unexpectedly, a sense of relief washed over me.

"Okay," I said softly. "I agree."

That desire for the new was a basic human instinct, and I realized it was a shared trait.

*****

Jonathan stared at me, stunned. "You... you're really just going along with this?"

I let out a cold laugh, my tone laced with sarcasm. "So, what is it you expect?

"For me to lose my composure, to demand a name? Maybe break down in tears and beg you to stay?

"You're ready to walk away with nothing just to end things, but at the same time, you want me to beg you to stay. So do you want the divorce or not? Can't you make up your mind?"

Jonathan was left speechless.

Not bothering with him, I just picked up the divorce papers and scanned through them.

Once I saw nothing was off, I reached for the bag beside me, looking for a pen.

Jonathan had been in such a hurry to pull me inside that I didn't even get a chance to hang my bag behind the door.

I'd just gotten home after working overtime, and my stomach was still empty.

He skipped any question about my lateness and launched directly into the topic of divorce.

I was so done with this cold, empty routine.

I pulled out the old fountain pen from my bag and quickly signed both copies of the divorce papers.

After capping the pen, I stared at the pen in my hand. The color on its surface was almost completely faded.

Jonathan spent two weeks working a side job just to buy it for me on our first anniversary.

After nearly twenty years, it was falling apart. It was time to let it go and get something new.

I tossed the pen into the trash. "Let's get the paperwork done first thing tomorrow," I said, walking away without looking back.

*****

I made my way to my daughter Yvonne's room.

She was curled up with her back to me, buried under the covers.

I sat down on the edge of her bed. "Quit pretending to be asleep, Yvonne. I know you saw what happened."

After a long silence, she slowly turned to face me and sat up, her eyes swollen and red. "Mom, Dad doesn't want us anymore, right?"

I sighed inwardly.

After nearly forty years, I've witnessed plenty of partings and farewells, even life and death, so I've learned to accept separation.

But Yvonne was only twelve. To her, parents were her whole world.

Once Jonathan and I split, no matter who she stayed with, her world was going to fall apart.

But she was part of this family too, and she had a right to know about every change that happened to us.

I looked at Yvonne and said softly, "Yes, honey, your dad wants a divorce, and I said yes.

"But even if we're not together anymore, we're still your parents. That will never change, and we both love you more than anything in the world."

Yvonne looked at me, tears pouring down her face.

"Mom, I'm so sorry..." she choked out, hiding her face in her hands as tears trickled through her fingers.

I was at a loss. I was supposed to be the one apologizing here.

I softly pulled her hands away and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"What's going on, honey? Why are you apologizing to me?" I asked, my voice full of concern.

Yvonne's shoulders shook as she sobbed. "Last time... Last time Dad came to pick me up from school, he brought a pretty lady with him.

"Dad said she was his secretary, but when he was driving, she kept leaning in close to him, and her hand was on his thigh.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to lie to you. I just didn't know how to bring it up to you."

I gripped the sheet tightly, my eyes growing colder by the second.

It was incredibly shameless of Jonathan to let Yvonne witness his affair with her own eyes.

I let out a heavy sigh and held her close, my heart aching for her.

"Yvonne, this isn't your fault," I murmured. "Anyone would be confused by something like this. Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I'd feel just as lost."

Yvonne let go of me, her eyes still brimming with tears as she looked up, all pitiful. "Mom, do you still want me?"

I blinked, then reached out to gently rub the back of her head, smiling. "Silly girl, it should be me asking you. Are you willing to stick with me?"

Yvonne sniffled and nodded vigorously.

I pinched her cheek lightly. "Come on, you've got school tomorrow. Try to get some rest early, okay?"

She settled down obediently. After I stayed with her until she drifted off, I turned off the light and quietly left the room.