We're All Moving Forward, No Time to Turn Back

For days, Daniel hadn't come home, and honestly, I didn't have the energy to care. After the miscarriage, I felt awful. The doctor said I was weak and needed to focus on healing, so he loaded me up with bitter meds that made my tongue numb. Each bowl of medicine felt like a chore, leaving little room for anything else.

In the past, during our fights, I'd stay up waiting for him, ready with his favorite meals outside his office. Whether it was scorching hot or freezing cold, I'd wait at the door, convinced that if he just ate my food, everything would be okay. It wasn't until I saw a post from Ada that I realized those meals usually ended up in the trash.

Now, I wasn't in the mood to cook; I wanted to work. While I was job hunting, I ran into someone from Christopher's HR department. Christopher offered to help me find a new job, saying he believed in my abilities. It had been a long time since I'd felt that kind of trust. Determined not to let him down, I dove into my new role and pushed thoughts of Daniel aside.

So, when Ada called, I was surprised. "Hey, Mia! I'm with Daniel at a hotel. Can you come get him? He's drunk, and it's not appropriate for us to be alone together." I was in the middle of a project, so I said I couldn't and hung up.

In the early hours, Daniel stumbled home by himself, looking a bit too cheerful. "Mia, why are you still up? Were you waiting for me?"

This wasn't his first time getting drunk with Ada, but it was the first time he came home on his own. I remembered how I used to panic when he didn't come home, waiting to make him a hangover remedy. Eventually, I learned he was always out at bars with her. I'd cried and begged him to explain, but he'd just blocked my number and vanished.