Chapter 2

That night, I created a burner account and immediately set Stockton’s private profile to 'Favorites'.

I took screenshots of every single post he had ever made.

About ten minutes later, a notification popped up. Stockton had posted something new.

It was a picture of Julian eating pasta.

The caption read: Sharing a little secret with Julian today. It reminds me of the pink wish-paper we used to hide under the old oak tree.

Like a masochist, I chewed on his words over and over again. They were dripping with his deep, desperate love for another woman.

Because of his love for her, he showered Julian with unconditional, blatant affection.

But what about me? Who was I?

Who was the woman who had stayed by his side since they were teenagers, weathering every storm with him, only to not even deserve a whisper of acknowledgment?

What did I do wrong? Why did he treat me like this?

Why did they both treat me like this?

I sat there for a long time, even starting to question if I had some fatal flaw as a partner, a wife, or a mother.

There was no answer.

I heard Stockton calling my name from outside the bathroom. When I opened the door, he turned around and smiled at me.

All my emotions—anger, resentment, panic, helplessness, and humiliating exposure—swirled in my chest, threatening to tear me apart.

Looking into his clear, innocent eyes, the confrontation was right on the tip of my tongue.

Deep down, I knew I should just expose this trash bag of a man and walk away. I shouldn't waste another second of my life on him. But I was so angry.

I had poured so much time, money, and love into this marriage. How could I just quietly slink away like a loser?

But if I dragged myself through this mud, what would I gain?

Make him leave with nothing? I already had my own money.

Make him realize his mistakes and love me? What would I do with his dirty, secondhand love?

With that final thought, I walked out of the bathroom and stopped right in front of him.

"Let’s get a divorce, Stockton."

The moment those words left my mouth, not only did he freeze, but I did too.

I hadn't expected to say it so easily.

From the moment I saw that account until now, a suffocating weight had been crushing my chest.

But now, saying "divorce" brought a strange wave of relief alongside the heartbreak.

Stockton looked utterly bewildered. He stepped forward to hug me, but I stepped back. He stood there, completely lost. For a second, I was almost impressed by his acting skills.

"Caroline, can I at least ask why?"

"We’ve been together for fourteen years. We barely ever fight. Our only disagreements are about Julian's school."

"Is this about Julian's soccer sign-ups? Do you feel like I didn't respect your opinion? We can talk about it!"

"I will never agree to a divorce, Caroline. We have a child we raised together. We have a happy home."

I let out a mocking laugh. "A child?"