I stared at the divorce papers in Gusion’s hand, my whole body shaking like I might fall apart any second.
“Sign it,” he said again, calm and flat, like the years we spent together were just some expired contract. Like I had already been written off.
I took the papers from him. My hands were trembling so hard the pages rattled. Then I tore them in half. Once. Twice. Over and over, until they were nothing but scraps falling to the floor.
For a second, his eyes darkened. Then he smiled. Slow. Controlled.
He reached into his wallet, pulled out a black ATM card, and flicked it onto the coffee table.
“There’s a million dollars on that,” he said casually. “Consider it your settlement. You’ll be fine.”
Settlement.
The word burned. Like I was some long-term employee being laid off. Like my love, my body, my years meant nothing more than a payout.
Before I even realized it, I slapped him. Hard.
The sound echoed through the room. My hand stung, but my chest hurt worse.
Gusion barely reacted. He turned his head slowly, touched his cheek, and looked at me with mild curiosity.
“Do you feel better now?” he chuckled.
I grabbed the card and broke it and threw it back at him. “Keep it! I don’t want your money. I want my life back.”
He gave a small, cruel smile. “That life is over, Miya. You should start accepting reality.”
Then he leaned closer, his voice low and sharp. “Nana already sees Hanabi as her mom now. Children adapt fast.”
My blood went cold.
The kitchen door opened.
Hanabi stepped out, holding Nana’s hand. They were smiling. Both of them. Like this was normal. Like this was home.
Nana was hugging a huge robot toy, shiny and expensive, the kind Gusion bought without even checking the price. Her eyes were bright as she looked up at Hanabi.
“Thank you, Mommy Hanabi!” Nana said happily. “I love it so much!”
The word hit me like a punch.
“Na… Nana,” I whispered, barely able to breathe. “Baby, Mommy’s here.”
She looked at me, but there was no excitement. Just confusion. Distance.
“Why are you upset, Mommy? You always like that! I hate it. Mommy Hanabi bought me this and played with me all day. She makes Daddy smile. She’s really nice.”
Hanabi laughed softly and brushed Nana’s hair back. Then she looked at me, calm and unbothered.
“Miya, don’t look so shocked,” she said gently. “I’ve been the one taking care of Nana lately. She’s just responding to love.”
Nana nodded seriously. “Mommy Hanabi plays with me and stays with me. You’re always tired. I want us to be happy. You should sign the papers so we can be a real family.”
I felt all the air leave my lungs.
Before I could say anything, Hanabi turned to Gusion and kissed him. Slow. Deep. Right in front of me.
Nana giggled. “Daddy and Mommy Hanabi love each other! Yehey! I'm so happy.”
I didn’t move. I couldn’t.
I just stood there, frozen, watching my husband kiss the girl my parents raised as my sister, while my daughter smiled like this was her new world.
It felt unreal.
But it wasn’t.
This was my reality.
Gusion pulled away from Hanabi with a satisfied smile, like he’d just won something. Then he looked at me, his eyes cold and almost amused, the way he used to look at people he was done with.
“Be reasonable, Miya,” he said, handing me another copy of the papers. “Just sign it already. There’s no point dragging this out and embarrassing yourself.”
Nana hugged her toy tighter and looked up at me, her little face full of urgency. “Mommy, please sign it,” she said softly. “Daddy and Mommy Hanabi are happy. I want us to stay happy too.”
Happy.
They already looked happy. Like a perfect family that had erased me without effort. It felt like being stabbed twice and told to smile about it.
My legs gave out a little as I stepped back, my vision blurring. “I… I need to be alone,” I whispered, my voice barely holding together.
I turned and rushed into my room before anyone could stop me, slamming the door shut. The second it closed, I collapsed onto the floor, my body shaking as silent sobs tore through me.
I had lost everything. My husband. My child. My parents. I had been replaced in every role that mattered.
Why wasn’t I enough? Why was I the one breaking while they got to move on and be happy? Why!
My head throbbed violently, pain mixing with the ache in my chest until I couldn’t tell which one hurt more. I stayed there curled on the floor for a long time before I reached for my phone with shaking hands.
There was only one person left.
The line rang twice before a familiar voice answered. “Miya?”
I broke. “Lancelot… please,” I sobbed. “I need help. I can’t stay here anymore.”
His breath caught. “What happened? Tell me everything.”
“Gusion,” I whispered. “Nana. They don’t need me. They already replaced me. I don’t have anything left.”
“Miya,” he said firmly, grounding me with his voice, “you still have me. And I’m not letting you face this alone. Not now, not ever.”
Tears streamed down my face as he continued. “Come to me. I’ll get you out of that house. I’ll make sure you disappear if that’s what you need.”
Then he hesitated, his tone softening. “There’s something else you need to know. I didn’t want to tell you like this.”
“What?” I asked, wiping my face.
“Our hospital is starting a clinical trial,” he said carefully. “A new treatment for brain cancer. It’s risky, but it might actually work. It’s your best shot.”
My whole body went still. “You… you knew?”
“I suspected,” he admitted. “I saw your records. I knew you were fighting this by yourself.”
My chest hurt in a different way then. Not sharp. Just heavy.
“Come to me,” he said gently. “Let me help you. With the treatment. With leaving. With everything.”
I gripped the phone, my heart racing. For the first time in a long while, there was a door open in front of me.
“I’m coming,” I said quietly. “I’m coming, Lancelot.”
