What I Chose Not To Do
I did not cry in the kitchen.
Not then.
Instead, I took screenshots. I emailed everything to myself. I saved the voice message. I closed the laptop exactly the way he had left it.
That night, Adrian came inside smiling.
He kissed my cheek and asked, “How was your day?”
I looked at the man who had shared my bed, my holidays, my family dinners, my fears, my younger years, and I realized he was still acting.
So I acted too.
I smiled and said, “Just tired.”
He believed me.
That was the saddest part.
After he fell asleep, I walked into our closet and began packing.
I did not pack my clothes.
I packed his.
Every suit he wore to impress clients.
Every polished shoe I had watched him line up neatly before important meetings.
May you like
Every little luxury he loved because it made him feel powerful.
If he wanted a new life, I decided he could start it with all the things that helped him pretend to be a respectable man.
