3.
Justin moved faster than I'd expected.
Or maybe it was just that he wanted the divorce done even more than I did.
The agreement arrived with a single line attached.
"Once this is settled, don't forget what you promised me."
I printed it out, then sent the digital copy to Stuart.
I'd give him seven days to pack up and move out, and I wouldn't come near him in the meantime.
The message had barely gone through when my phone started buzzing like mad.
I knew it was Stuart.
His name flashed on the screen, over and over.
The call would time out and cut off, and a second later a new one would come in.
Stuart was scared.
That much I could feel.
A full thirty calls later, I finally picked up, taking my time.
"What is it?"
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that? I thought the divorce was just something you said in the heat of the moment, and now you send me an agreement that says I walk away with nothing? Have you lost your mind?"
I quietly held the phone away from my ear.
Even without seeing his face, I knew exactly how hysterical he was right now.
"Is there a problem?"
"Stuart, you've had it easy for too long and forgotten a few things. The place you live, the car you drive, which one of those didn't I pay for? What gives you any right to take them?"
After all these years together, only yesterday did I get the chance to sit down and go through the household accounts.
And only then did I finally realize that ninety-nine percent of everything this household spent had come out of my bank card.
Stuart's own money had barely been touched.
Every time in the past when I'd asked him to cover part of something, he'd say:
Isn't what's yours mine anyway? Why keep such careful tabs?
I'd taken it as some sweet little thing between a married couple, and, blinded by how much I loved him, I gave in and paid every single time.
Stuart's breathing grew heavier.
He knew he was in the wrong, and his tone softened.
"Syl, let's meet up, sit down and talk it through, okay?"
"After all these years together, can you really bring yourself to do this?"
Something in me twisted, hard.
Right.
All those years of giving.
I'd kept Stuart at the center of everything.
Growing up without parents, I'd craved love more than most.
His attention, his care, I'd held onto with both hands, and even when it meant swallowing my own hurt, I wouldn't let him go.
I'd lost myself a long time ago.
Which was exactly why, now, cutting my losses in time was the only right choice for me.
Rotten flesh only grows back new once you cut it out.
"Stuart, there's nothing left for us to talk about. If there's no problem with the agreement, sign it."
"I won't sign! And I sure as hell am not walking away with nothing!"
"Then I'll have to let my attorney, Justin Farley, talk to you instead."
With that, I hung up.
The moment I'd answered the call, I already knew Stuart would never agree.
Justin had given me a second option well ahead of time.
File for divorce.
He would handle it all on my behalf.
Thinking of that, I lowered my head and messaged him.
"Get the filing paperwork ready. The demand letter can go out to him tomorrow."
"Done."
A single short word came back.
These past two days, Justin and I hadn't talked about anything except handling the divorce.
At one point I'd almost forgotten that the condition for having him take my case was that I marry him.
While my mind was still wandering, the phone buzzed again.
"Tomorrow I'll take you to pick out a ring."
My mind went blank.
"I'm not even divorced yet. Isn't this too fast?"
His reply came quickly.
"No. This is a day I've waited a long time for."
