Every holiday, I arrived alone at the Davidson gatherings. I was consistently the outsider and the easy target. Her brothers and sisters no longer even tried to hide their jabs.
To them, I wasn't a husband. I was a punchline. A stand-in. Something to sneer at once the drinks kicked in.
The memory pressed on my chest like a vice. My eyes burned, but I forced the sting back and swallowed the knot in my throat. I kept my head down and typed the divorce agreement on my phone.
Sometimes you've got to hit the wall head-on before it finally cracks your skull that you're not made of stone.
Everyone bleeds once before they figure out when it's time to walk away.
When I finished drafting it, I emailed the document to Margaux. Then, I made a call.
...
By that afternoon, I sat across from my best friend, Kenneth Cuthbert, at a bar downtown. His usual carefree vibe was nowhere to be seen. His expression was flat, unreadable. He looked at me like I was walking straight into a fire with my eyes open.
"You really thought this through?" Kenneth asked, his voice low. "Eighteen years, Troy. You've loved her that long. Are you really ready to let Margaux go?"
Kenneth was more than a friend. As my classmate, he watched the whole story unfold—me making a fool of myself over Margaux, trailing her like a shadow, then pretending I didn’t care while she chased that reckless fling with Archie.
Even after Archie left her, I kept holding on. He saw me at my lowest: holding Margaux when she broke, when she drowned herself in liquor, when she spiraled into depression, and when she attempted, more than once, to end her life.
Every time that happened, I stayed.
I was the one who wrapped her up in my arms and whispered, "I'm here, Margaux. I'll always be here. I won't leave you."
As I was reminded of that, I didn't answer Kenneth immediately.
But my voice came out calm, even when I finally said, "She went to the airport to pick him up."
A heavy silence fell between us.
Kenneth went quiet. He didn't have to ask who I meant.
Archie.
That name alone was enough to twist something inside me. The guy wasn't just a chapter from the past. He was the wound that never healed. Not deep enough to kill, but deep enough to throb every damn day.
Even after six years of marriage, Margaux never really let him go.
I still remember the day I accidentally opened a hidden folder on her phone and found over a thousand photos of Archie saved on her phone. Some were candid, some selfies, but all of them were worshipful.
When she found out, she flew into a rage, lashing at me, "Troy, do you have any manners? Who gave you permission to look through my things?"
After that, she didn't speak to me for a week.
She wouldn't touch the food I cooked and refused to wear anything I'd washed. Much worse, she moved into the guest room and wrapped herself up like I was a virus.
Eventually, I gave in and apologized.
I promised her that I wouldn't go through her stuff again.
She "forgave" me—with a cold nod as acceptance. No words were spoken, and we moved on, pretending we were okay.
Now, across the table, Kenneth looked at me with worry.
Finally, he replied cautiously but firmly, "Troy, this divorce is not just about how you feel. It will hit both of your families—your dad and Gerard. You think they'll just let you walk away?"
Then, he leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "You know what I mean. Don't charge ahead and then crawl back later. Margaux already doesn't respect you. Don't give her another reason to look down on you."
I smiled, but it didn't reach my eyes.
"I've eaten at the Davidson family table for twelve years. I helped them claw their way from second-rate nouveau riche into high society. Built their reputation from nothing. Secured connections in every direction. I think I've done enough."
Outside the window, thunder rolled through the sky. A flash of lightning lit up the street, followed by a sudden downpour.
A couple burst through the doors, laughing as they shook off the rain. The woman clung to the man's arm, fussing as she wiped down his jacket. He looked down at her and smiled, flicking the water from his hair.
Then our eyes met.
I went still.
So did he.
Archie adjusted his sleeves, called a server over, grabbed a glass of wine, and strolled to our table.
"Troy," he said with that easy, practiced smile.
"Long time no see." He raised his glass and tossed it back in one gulp. "Thanks for taking care of Margaux these past six years. I heard she got so depressed after I left the country that she nearly committed suicide. Silly girl."
My jaw clenched. 'He was thanking me for looking after my wife? This fucking asshole!'
"Let me remind you, Branson. Margaux is my wife," I said, voice low and steady. "Taking care of her is my responsibility. Don't act like you did me a favor."
Archie gave a lazy chuckle, smug and irritating. "Six years, and the little lapdog finally knows how to bark, huh? You really think you're Margaux's husband? Come on, man. Margaux only picked you because I wasn't around. You were just available. A warm body."
He leaned in, just slightly. His tone dropped as he added, "I didn't say anything back then because, well... at least you were cleaner than hiring a random escort."
Archie then straightened, smugness written all over his face.
"Oh, and about that divorce? I'm all for it. But let me make something clear. Don't even think about sticking around Margaux afterward. Just because you slept with her a few times doesn't mean you get to keep hovering."
He paused for effect.
"I don't like sand in my eyes."
Hearing his words, my hand moved before my brain could stop it.
The sound of the punch cracked through the bar like a gunshot.
