My Husband Started Making Hurtful Comments And Left Me For Someone Else. When He Came Back To Get His Things, He Found A Red Note On The Table.

When did it all change? Gradually, probably. The first pounds after the birth, then a few more.

Sleep deprivation. Stress. Constant fatigue.

The daily grind that sucked her in like a swamp. Work. Home.

Child. There was no time to think about herself. And when time did appear, Amara simply collapsed from exhaustion.

Darius also changed. He worked more, stayed out later, hugged and kissed less, and criticized more often. At first, softly, with humor.

You should probably hit the gym. That dress won’t fit. Then more harshly.

You’re gaining weight. Then with contempt. I can’t look at you the same.

And she believed him. She believed she was to blame, that she wasn’t trying hard enough, that she was a bad wife. Amara returned to the kitchen and sat down at the table.

She pulled out a notepad and a pen. She began to write a list. What to do next?

One, divorce. Two, child support. Three, job.

Four, Caleb. Five, me. She stared at the last point for a long time.

Me. Who is she now? A dumped wife, a single mother, a failure who was left for a younger woman?

No. That wasn’t all she was. Once she had been different.

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