Chapter 6

My whole heart was his. It felt like pure honey.

That had to be love-the kind city people always talked about.

Back then, I thought I was lucky. I got to spend my life with the guy I loved. No matter how tough things got, it all felt worth it.

The year he got into college, I found out I was pregnant.

Right before he left, he couldn’t keep his hands off me. Kept pulling me into bed, over and over.

When he came back for winter break, I had our daughter. He doted on us, even brought gifts from Pineville.

He went with me to register her birth and get our marriage certificate.

Back then, everything still felt perfect.

But slowly, he stopped writing. Barely came home during breaks.

Still, I believed in him. I thought we had something real-something we both fought for.

When he finally graduated, he said he landed a job as a TA because of his top grades. Said he’d be a college professor someday.

I cried that night, so sure the hard part was finally behind us.

I used to dream about the day he’d bring me with him. But when I finally got to Pineville, nothing was like I’d pictured. Even Joshua felt like a total stranger.

And now he had the nerve to say that? After everything I’d done for him and his family over the past twenty years, they acted like I owed them.

It wrecked me.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Yeah, your family gave money to my parents. They survived. But what’s that got to do with me? I never saw a cent of it!

“I worked for your family for twenty years. How much money do you think I’ve made you since then? Go ahead-do the math!

“I get it. You’ve seen Pineville, got a taste of city life, and now you look down on small-town me. Fine. I’m done. Go find whatever kind of wife you really want. Just sign the damn papers.”

Even Joshua, cold as he was, knew he’d crossed a line. His voice suddenly softened.

“Carmen, we’ve been through so much. Can you really just walk away? Don’t you remember how much you loved me?”

I laughed, bitter and dry. “Yeah. And you used to say you loved me too. Guess we both forgot. I’m done talking. Just sign it. We don’t owe each other a thing.”

He slammed the table and shot up, making both me and Mia jump.

“Seriously? I’m trying to be decent and you spit in my face? You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?

“You know the school’s reviewing me-I’m this close to going from TA to full-time. You just wanna ruin that for me!

“And what about Linda? Everyone saw her stay the night. Then you file for divorce the next day? You’re trashing her name too! I’ve known you for twenty years-how’d I not see how damn manipulative you are?”

That one hit hard. I cracked.

“Fine. We’ll wait. Once your promotion comes through, we get divorced. No drama. Until then, Mia and I’ll sleep on the floor. You take the bed.”

He clenched his fists, jaw tight. “We’ll see.”