It’s okay, Aria. He’s just a man.
As their car disappeared around the corner, I even lifted a hand and waved.
Gabriel, I don’t want you anymore. You can have him.
The cold night air bit at my skin as I stood beneath the hospital’s portico, my phone steady in my hand. With a deep breath, I sent everything, the photos, the videos, the proof, to my old college senior, now a top divorce attorney.
I wasn’t just leaving. I was making sure I walked away with everything that was mine.
By the time I hit send, rain had already soaked the hem of my dress, seeping into my shoes, chilling me to the bone.
Then my phone rang.
My mom.
I hesitated for a second before answering.
“Aria, sweetheart! I made some soup and brought it to your house. Where are you and Gabriel? Why aren’t you home?”
She sighed, already scolding before I could respond. “Oh, that man! He knows you shouldn’t be out this late, not when you’re this far along. He should be taking better care of you!”
Her voice was warm, full of love, genuine, unshakable.
Something inside me cracked.
Pain surged up my throat, thick and suffocating. I pressed my lips together, swallowing it down, forcing my voice to stay steady.
“Don’t worry, Mom,” I said lightly. “We’re just out having dinner.”
I pressed a hand to my stomach, grounding myself.
“Yes,” I lied, “I’ll be careful. Gabriel’s right here with me.”
My grip on the phone tightened, my fingers trembling against the plastic. If I stayed on the call any longer, she’d hear it, the strain, the cracks, the quiet devastation barely held together by sheer will.
So before my voice could betray me, I added quickly, “It’s raining. Drive home slowly, okay? Text me when you get there.”
I hung up before she could ask anything else.
The moment the call ended, the dam broke.
Tears blurred my vision, hot against my cold cheeks. I pressed a hand over my mouth, but it didn’t stop the sobs from wracking my body.
Clutching my belly, I stood in the rain, alone, broken, but still standing.
And in the middle of that busy hospital, surrounded by strangers who didn’t know my name, I cried until there was nothing left inside me but quiet, empty resolve.
