The Scar He Couldn’t Love

On the day of my divorce, I found out who the other woman was.

My college roommate.

Worse, my four-year-old son was right there with her. Building Legos.

He even kissed her on the cheek. "Brenda, you're so cool! I love you the most!"

Then he saw me. He started to scream. "Make her go away! I want Brenda to be my mommy!"

So I walked out and left them with everything.

Two years later, I had started a new life with my adopted daughter.

But my ex-husband started showing up, cornering me at her school. He always brought our son.

His eyes were red as he tugged on my shirt. "Mommy? Can I call you when I miss you?"

I looked down at the boy who chose her over me.

"No. That won't be necessary."

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1

The day I divorced Edwin Buckley, I walked out of the Manhattan Supreme Court under a grim, overcast sky. A storm was brewing.

"Calista." Edwin opened the passenger door of his Tesla. "Let me give you a ride."

Before I could answer, my son, Leo Buckley, poked his head out from the back seat, his voice tinny as he spoke into his Apple Watch. "Dad, Brenda said she's making me the ultimate s'mores tonight. She already bought the Ghirardelli chocolate, and she's waiting for us at our place."

Edwin’s brow furrowed. "Get back in the car," he commanded.

Leo shot me a glare before reluctantly retreating inside.

"No, thanks," I said, my voice firm. "I wouldn't want to interrupt."

Edwin muttered, almost to himself, "We could go to that restaurant you love."

I reminded him softly, "Edwin, we're divorced."

He looked up, his eyes flaring red for a moment, but he quickly composed himself. "Yeah, but we should at least part on good terms. Besides, the three of us haven't..."

I cut him off. "That Italian place closed down two months ago. The rent skyrocketed. I emailed you about it. Twice."

It was our favorite spot back in our NYU days, an old joint in Greenwich Village. Two months ago, the owner had announced on social media that he was closing up shop.

I had mentioned it to Edwin twice, but he was always too busy. Too busy to even glance at my emails.

By the time he had a moment to spare, the restaurant was gone. And with it, our nine years together.

"Edwin, take care of Leo. I won't be bothering you again." With that, I hailed an Uber and left New York City with my meager luggage and a shattered heart.

I had discovered Edwin's betrayal after a charity gala. The irony was, his lover was none other than my college roommate, Brenda Vance.

I had come home early, wanting to surprise Leo.

When I walked into our Upper East Side penthouse, it was clear they had just finished.

Edwin was in the master bathroom, the sound of the shower running. Brenda was with Leo, assembling a massive Lego Hogwarts Castle.

As the last brick clicked into place, Leo planted a loud kiss on Brenda's cheek, dancing with joy. "Brenda, you're so cool! I love you the most!"

Brenda was beaming, completely satisfied, and was about to lift Leo up when she looked up and saw me. Her arms froze mid-air. "Calista?" She forced a stiff smile. "I thought you weren't coming back tonight."

I turned, set down my clutch, and took a deep breath. "I was supposed to stay another day, but I missed Leo."

The truth was, I'd been worried Edwin couldn't handle Leo alone, so I had asked Brenda to come help.

I never imagined they would use my son as a lookout for their sordid affair.

Edwin emerged from the bathroom, his wet hair a mess, droplets of water trickling down his toned back and onto the towel knotted at his waist. He froze when he saw me, then grabbed a glass of water from the bar. "You're back. Did the gala go well?"

I ignored his nearly naked body and answered calmly, "Yes."

Brenda, panicked, stumbled backward, knocking over the designer trash can by the bed. A used condom wrapper tumbled out.

Her face went pale. She scrambled to pick it up. "Calista, since you're back, I should get going. I'll just… take the trash out for you on my way."

Before I could say a word, Leo clung tightly to Brenda. "Don't go, Brenda! I want to play with you some more!"