You Were Just Passing Through My Life

"You cheated! And you're standing here asking me if it's necessary? Do you have any idea how sick this is?"

Finn went blank for a few seconds.

Then his hand came up and gripped my shoulder.

"We've been together twenty years. Twenty whole years, never apart once. People get sick of an object after that long, let alone a person."

"Besides, you're free to go find another man. I won't stop you."

In that moment.

I finally understood that the Finn in front of me wasn't the Finn I used to know.

All that was left of him now was something that turned my stomach.

I shoved him off me.

"Finn, don't make me hate you even more."

"Just sign it."

Finn stood there a few seconds.

Then he picked up the pen. "Fine. I'll sign. We'll see down the line who—"

He'd only just written the F.

A tearful voice came from the doorway.

"Finn, I'm bleeding."

Sara stood in the doorway, blood running down between her legs.

Her face was white, her eyes red.

"Finn, my stomach hurts so much."

I froze.

Looking at the state of her.

It looked exactly the way I had, the time I lost my baby.

So.

Finn had gotten her pregnant?

I turned to look at him.

A figure rushed past my eyes.

He'd already swept the girl up and was striding out.

Every step.

Frantic.

All that was left on the desk was a divorce agreement with a single half-written name on it.

I picked up the pen and finished the rest of his signature, copying his handwriting.

Back when he was first starting the company.

He was exhausted past the point of standing.

He'd fall asleep reading over a contract.

It hurt me to watch, so I had him teach me his handwriting.

He'd review them, and I'd sign the contracts for him.

Hundreds, thousands of contracts later.

My hand and his were almost indistinguishable.

Signed, I took it to the county records office.

On the way, I listed the marital house as a resale and sold it cheap.

Then I sent my best friend a message.

And sat at the curb to wait for her.

But half an hour passed.

She still hadn't come.

I was about to call and ask.

Finn's call came through first.

"Stephanie, if you've got the nerve, come find me yourself. Don't send your friend to lose her mind in front of Sara."

I had no idea what he meant.

He'd already hung up.

By the time I got to the hospital.

I walked in just as Madison's hand cracked across Finn's face, screaming through her tears.

"Finn! You animal! You and Steph were together twenty years! Twenty whole years! Now that you've made it, now that you're somebody, you have the gall to cheat?"

"And you got another woman pregnant. After all that, can you even look her in the eye?"

Finn's face darkened. "Why should I feel I owe her anything?"

"All these years she sat in the back like a parasite, like some cold machine, didn't even know how to cry. She couldn't even give me a child after all this time. Why should I stay tied to her?"

"Finn!" Madison's hands were shaking with rage, the tears pouring down her face. "You were the one who told her crying was useless, and now you turn around and blame her for it? And do you have any idea what Steph gave up back then, for you—"

"That's enough!"

I stepped in, cutting her off, and pulled her back.

I looked at Finn.

"Sorry. We didn't mean to disturb you."

Finn stalled for two seconds.

Before he could say anything.

A weak "Finn" drifted out from the hospital room.

He shot me one last sickened look.

"Stephanie, everything you do now makes me sick."

"The divorce agreement. Whenever Sara's better, that's when I'll sign it."

I wanted to tell him there was no need. I'd already signed.

But he'd already turned and gone in.

Madison, beside herself, started after him.

I caught her by the arm.

"All right, that's enough."

"We're going to miss the flight. We need to go."