Three Strikes to Goodbye

The day before Tobey's discharge was also the day of the concert Caleb had invited me to.

Caleb sent over a pure white evening gown, identical to the one I'd worn ten years earlier.

The reason he was putting so much effort into this was that we had met at one of these concerts, and we'd hit it off right away.

Inside the box, along with the dress, was a handwritten letter.

"We've weathered countless storms together, and I'm so glad you're still by my side. I hope we can walk together through the next decade—and beyond."

I had to admit—Caleb knew me too well. He knew I was a sucker for heartfelt, sincere gestures.

I ran my fingers over the bold, vigorous strokes of his handwriting, and memories of all we had shared flooded back to me.

When I was pregnant with Tobey, I suffered terrible morning sickness. Caleb put his work aside and stayed with me every day. He would even point at my belly and say to Tobey, "You're making Mommy suffer so much. When you come out, you have to protect her along with Daddy."

The memory was filled with warmth, but the present reality was bitterly ironic.

Time and again, Caleb failed as a husband and a father, putting me and our son in danger and facing humiliation. He made promise after promise, only to break them again and again, leaving us to look like utter fools.

I wiped away my tears. After deliberating for a long moment, I ultimately put on the dress.

Caleb had said that after the concert, we could go backstage to take photos with my favorite musicians. It was a rare opportunity that might never come again.

But he never came to pick me up.

He said something urgent had come up but that he'd be done with it soon, begging me to wait for him outside the theater.

Standing at the entrance, with the concert about to begin, I finally saw a car that looked like his approaching from a distance.

I was angry and was about to turn and leave, but the car suddenly made a sharp U-turn and sped away.

Half an hour later, Caleb finally called.

"I'm sorry, Sienna. Lila was suddenly admitted into the emergency room. I was already at the theater when I got the call. I swear, I even bought you flowers—"

Rain began to pour, and muddy water splattered onto my white gown. I didn't bother to listen anymore and hung up on him.

What a joke. What a joke I was.

I shouldn't have let myself hold even a shred of hope for him.

Countless occasions had proven that in his heart, I would never come before Lila. His wife and his son were never his priority—Lila was.

I walked into the rain, clearer-headed than ever.

…

At dawn the next day, I took Tobey and boarded a plane, leaving the city. I had just stowed my luggage when Caleb's call came in, one after another.

His voice trembled with panic. "Sienna, where did you and Tobey go?"