The living room was too quiet, though the clock on the wall ticked loudly enough to remind Laura of every passing second. She sat rigidly on the edge of the cream leather sofa, her fingers tracing the rim of her untouched teacup as though the porcelain could anchor her trembling heart.
Curtis stood across from her, tall and composed, his suit pressed perfectly, his face as unreadable as stone.
“I’ve signed everything,” he said flatly. “The lawyer will send you the final papers on Monday.”
Her suitcase waited near the door, as though twelve years of shared life had been reduced to a quick trip.
Laura’s lips parted, but no words came. All she could do was stare at the man who had once been her everything—her partner, her future, the father of the children they never had.
“We weren’t going anywhere, Laura,” Curtis continued, his voice cold but steady. “No children, no spark. I can’t keep waiting for something that will never come.”
Her voice trembled. “I tried, Curtis.”
He hesitated, as if the words touched something buried deep, but he smothered it quickly. “I wanted it too,” he replied softly, before stepping toward the door.
Outside, a shiny red SUV idled, engine humming. In the passenger seat sat Carol—the girl from the office. Always graceful, always laughing too loudly, always with red lipstick. She had no history with Curtis, no scars, no disappointments.
The door clicked shut behind him. Laura walked to the table, her eyes falling on the divorce papers. Her signature sat beside his, the ink already drying. She didn’t know it yet, but that forgotten, rejected, and legally hers sample would one day change everything.
