11
My voice cracked, the memories making it
hard to keep talking.
“I was crying, calling your name, and when
someone finally picked up, it was just the
noise of the bar, and you and your so–called
friends laughing.”
“I begged you to believe me, I begged you to
save me. But you, you were with Amber, and your laughter was as cold as that those taunting comments. You didn’t believe me, and you hung up on me before I could even
finish speaking.”
く
I took a deep breath, the tears burning my
eyes.
“If someone hadn’t called 911, I have no idea
how long I would have waited for help.”
I’d hurt so bad, then. It wasn’t just my body
that hurt, it was my soul.
“Mark, I’m telling you everything, not so you
will feel sorry for me, but so that you finally understand. There’s no turning back.”
Mark sat on the bed, his eyes dark, and his
hands digging into his hair.
く
“Bailey, I was the one who broke our vows, I
deserved whatever punishment comes my
way. Why did you have to go through all of
this?”
His voice was shaking.
“How did this happen? How did things get
this way?”
He was crying like a child.
I stood quietly, watching him, so many
feelings swimming in my mind.
Yeah, how did this happen?
<
I had asked myself that so many times, since
we were so in love, once upon a time.
And now, I knew.
I gave everything that I had to this
relationship, it shouldn’t be me feeling any
regrets, it should be him.
I took another deep breath, composing
myself. “Mark, let’s just end the marriage. It’ll
be better for both of us.”
I turned to the window, looking at the cherry
blossom tree that we’d planted. Even in the
dark, the new buds were clear on its
branches.
L
branches.
“Life goes on, and I need to move on.”
く
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