And she was nothing like the woman I remembered. Her usual polished look was gone—no makeup, pale skin, and her eyes had this mix of desperation and bitterness. When she locked eyes with me, there was something almost venomous in her gaze.
“I got fired,” she said flatly. “This city’s got nothing for me anymore. I’m heading back to my hometown.”
I looked at her for a second before responding. “Going back home could be a fresh start. If you’ve got talent, you’ll be fine anywhere. Good luck.”
My indifference seemed to hit a nerve. She slammed her hand on my desk, her voice rising in anger. “Stop pretending! You must be loving this, huh? You’ve won. Your husband and son—they’re yours again!”
“They’re individuals, Rachel,” I said calmly, not letting her provoke me. “I’m an individual too. Nobody belongs to anyone.”
I shot her a shrug, unbothered.
She looked like she wanted to scream, but instead, she just sneered. “You’re such a fake. Goodbye forever.”
But just as she reached the door, she paused and turned back, her eyes filled with tears. Her voice cracked as she spat, “God, I hate you. I’m so jealous of you. Why do you get so much love?”
So much love?
I didn’t care anymore.
For the next six months, I buried myself in my work. I stayed at the company dorms, barely went home, and didn’t even take time off for the holidays.
It wasn’t until Max called that I agreed to go back. He’d been accepted into a prestigious university and begged me to come home and celebrate with him.
I showed up at the house, but I wasn’t there to mend anything. In my hands, I had two things: a gift for Max and a divorce agreement for Tom.
When Tom saw the papers, his face drained of color. He looked like he’d just seen a ghost. “W-why? You’re joking, right?”
But when he saw the seriousness in my eyes, he knew I wasn’t playing.
He dropped to his knees, gripping my hands like he was holding on for dear life. Tears filled his eyes. “No, please, Lauren. Don’t do this! I was wrong. I swear I’ll put you first from now on. I’ll love you forever. I’ll never hurt you again.”
Max, seeing his dad break down, panicked. He dropped to his knees too, clutching his acceptance letter in one hand. His voice shook as he pleaded, “Mom, please don’t divorce Dad! Don’t stop loving us! If you leave, I swear I won’t go to college!”
Looking at the two of them, my head was pounding.
“Max,” I said, my voice firm but gentle, “I’m divorcing your dad, not you. I will always love you. But for ten years, I’ve given everything to you two. I’ve worked myself to the bone, always putting you first, while I lost myself in the process.”
I let out a shaky breath, my eyes steady as I spoke. “But I’m tired now. I can’t keep making you the center of my world. There’s so much more to life than that. You’re just starting out, Max. You’ve got your own life to live, your own future to build. Don’t waste it trying to guilt me into staying. It’s not fair to either of us.”
Max cried harder, his face buried in his hands. Whether he understood or not, I wasn’t sure.
I gently pulled their hands off mine and reached into my bag, pulling out a gift. It was a life-sized version of the toy robot I’d given Max when he was a kid.
“This is for you, Max. A graduation gift from me. I can’t take you to college, but your dad will. He’ll do great.”
Before they could say another word, I turned and walked out, their cries trailing behind me. I didn’t look back.
Instead, I knocked on the door across the hall.
Danny opened it with a huge smile on his face.
“Danny,” I said, pulling out an even bigger toy robot from my bag. “You’re starting elementary school soon. This is your graduation gift.”
His eyes lit up, his excitement contagious. He grabbed the toy and held it tight, his face glowing.
“Thank you, Lauren!” he said, grinning from ear to ear.
As I watched him, a wave of peace settled over me. I didn’t need to carry anyone else’s burdens or live up to anyone’s expectations anymore. My love, my time, my energy—it was mine to give freely, to whoever I wanted, without guilt or fear.
For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was finally living for myself. And it felt good.
