Miranda’s face tightened. She looked away like a child caught misbehaving.
“Lauren, I’m so sorry,” Stan blurted. “Please, can we talk? I need to see the kids. I want to make things right.”
“Make things right?” I asked. “You haven’t seen them in over two years. You stopped paying child support. What exactly do you think you can fix now?”
“I know, I know,” he said quickly. “I made mistakes. We both did.”
Miranda scoffed. “Oh, don’t drag me into your guilt trip. You’re the one who lost all that money on a ‘surefire’ investment.”
“You told me to invest!” he shot back.
She rolled her eyes. “You’re the one who bought me this—” she pointed at her worn designer bag “—instead of paying rent!”
For the first time, I didn’t see the glamorous couple who destroyed my marriage. I saw two people who destroyed each other.
Then Miranda stood, straightening her faded dress.
“I only stayed because of the child we had together,” she said coldly. “But don’t think I’m staying now. You’re on your own, Stan.”
Her heels clicked sharply against the wet pavement as she walked away.
Stan didn’t even try to stop her. He just sat there, slumped, looking small and lost.
“Lauren,” he said softly, “please. Let me see the kids. I miss them. I miss us.”
