Ten Years of Split-Bill Marriage, Then I Walked Away

He pushed me down onto the couch, pinning both my wrists above my head with one hand. The other gripped my chin, and his mouth crushed against mine, rough and furious. "Then I'll give you a child right now."

We used to hold each other. Used to kiss. But the photographs from last night kept flashing through my mind. The office this morning.

Everything that had happened screamed the same truth at me: this man was filthy.

A wave of nausea hit me, worse than what I'd felt unclogging the toilet that morning. Every cell in my body revolted, screaming with disgust.

I shoved William off me with every ounce of strength I had, grabbed the armrest of the couch, and started to retch.

"I disgust you?" The moment it registered, William's face drained of all color.

"How dare you... How could you..."

My fingers clenched into fists so tight my knuckles ached. Then the strength left me, and my hands fell open.

"What happened in the office today. I recorded it."

The air went still. Under the crushing weight of William's stare, it felt like all the oxygen had been sucked from the room. I could barely breathe.

"What do you want?"

"I want a divorce."

"As you wish."

He picked up the two-page agreement from the coffee table and scrawled his name across it in one fluid stroke.

Then he stood, and flung both pages at my face.

"Resignation and divorce both require thirty days' notice. For the next month, you'll keep doing your job as a janitor, and you'll keep playing the dutiful Mrs. Sanchez."

It was a long time before I found my voice again. When I did, it came out raw. "Fine."

The next day, my tooth was worse.

The slightest contact between my upper and lower teeth sent a bolt of pain so severe my mind went blank.

Because of my unusual position at the company, the only person I could request leave from was William.

I pushed open his office door and found the room empty.

I was about to leave when I caught the murmur of voices drifting from the lounge.

"Are you really going to divorce Pamela?"

It was Althea Sanchez, the only member of the Sanchez family who had ever shown me any kindness.

A long silence stretched before William answered. "She wants to leave. A woman that vain and money-hungry, going Dutch with me for ten years? It was only a matter of time before she couldn't keep up the act."

I didn't love him anymore. I knew that. But hearing those words from the man who had once treasured me like something precious still made my heart seize, the pain so sharp I doubled over.

"Maybe... there's more to it than you think?"

Althea's voice wavered, hesitant, and I realized in an instant that she might know what had really happened all those years ago.

I crept closer and pressed my ear to the door.

The lounge fell quiet.

"The truth is, back then, the reason was..."