Chapter 2 - Ryan did not move
The physical pain surprised me less than Ryan’s face.
We had been married five years.
I looked at him from the hardwood floor.
“Ryan… you’re just going to stand there?”
He held his phone.
His thumb hovered over the screen.
He looked away.
That was his answer.
Evelyn stood barefoot beside the coffee table, breathing hard.
She still held the baton.
My cheek burned.
I tasted blood where I had bitten the inside of my mouth.
Nothing graphic.
Nothing life-threatening.
But enough to make something inside me finally settle.
I had spent six months wondering whether my marriage could be repaired.
In that moment, I stopped wondering.
I stood.
Picked up my purse.
Took out my phone.
And walked toward the front door.
Evelyn laughed.
“Walk out, then. You’ll come crawling back.”
I stopped.
“No.”
She smirked.
May you like
I pressed send.
“That’s not going to happen this time.”
